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Canberra, Friday 15 March 2002
New study on changes to academic work
Academic work roles are being surveyed as part of a project for The Department
of Education Science and Technology. During March academic staff from
12 universities* will receive an email inviting them to complete a questionnaire
for this study. As the findings will feed directly into policy the researchers
are hoping for a high participation rate to ensure the reliability of
their conclusions. Both the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee and
the National Tertiary Educators Union have given their support to the
project.
Over the next few months, Professors Don Anderson and Richard Johnson,
who are Visiting Fellows at The Centre for Education Development and Academic
Methods at ANU, and Dr Larry Saha, from Sociology at ANU will be studying
the implications for universities of changes in academic work. This is
the second stage of a project which recently explored the implications
of changing age structure in academe.
Professor Anderson said that “because the context of academic life
has changed so much over the last 20 years – for example in the funding
per EFTSU, the advent of new electronic technologies, and application
of industrial work place agreements – the work environment will have
changed considerably. On top of that universities are more entrepreneurial
and academics are expected to be active in seeking grants and in encouraging
enrolments.
“Students have also changed and this has affected academics’
work. There is now mass participation, whereas in the past getting in
to university was much more selective, intellectually and socially. Today
the student body is diverse, there are more overseas students, HECS has
come and full-fee students are on the rise. There are reports that students
are more demanding and that standards have changed.”
Interviews with academics, retirees and managers in universities around
the country are providing rich accounts of academic work and the way universities
are responding. These interviews have define questions for the web-based
survey that will provide a quantitative dimension to the account of change.
Among other things academics in all areas are reporting a surge in emails
from students and administration.
Prof. Anderson said he is embarrassed at adding to this load but pleads
that the questions are important.
“When academics know that the results will contribute to policy,
I hope they will not begrudge the 10 minutes or so needed for a reply.”
Universities in the survey are: University of Queensland, University of
Southern Queensland, Southern Cross University, University of Technology
Sydney, University of Canberra, Australian National University, Charles
Sturt University, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Institute of
Technology, Flinders University, University of South Australia, and Murdoch
University.
Further information is available from the researchers:
Professor Don Anderson, ANU Centre for Continuing Education, don.anderson@anu.edu.au
or 02 6125 4623; Professor Dick Johnson, ANU Centre for Continuing Education,
richard.johnson@anu.edu.au or 02 6125 3256; Dr Larry Saha, ANU Research
School of Social Sciences, lawrence.saha@anu.edu.au or 02 6125 2132; Genevieve
Turville, ANU Public Affairs, 02 6125 6125 or 0416 249 245
35/2002
© 2000 Marketing & Communications Division,
The Australian National University.
Questions or Comments?
Last Modified Tue, July 16, 2002
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