Decades of staffing changes in?Australian universities have left 바카라사이트 sector ill-prepared to?accommodate normal demographic growth, let alone 바카라사이트 ballooning student numbers envisaged by?바카라사이트 Universities Accord panel.
An of employment patterns has found that 바카라사이트 university workforce has become “hollowed” out in?바카라사이트 past two decades and now faces a?mass departure of?senior staff, with many remaining academics insecurely employed in?very junior roles.
Researcher Gwilym Croucher said his findings raised questions about how universities could provide enough places “to?keep population parity with current enrolments”, let alone expand to 바카라사이트 degree proposed in 바카라사이트 accord’s interim report.
“A large proportion of 바카라사이트 professoriate is getting closer to retirement age,” said Dr Croucher, from 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne’s Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Higher Education. “Have we inadvertently dissuaded some of our best and brightest from focusing on academic careers right at 바카라사이트 time we’re going to need to expand [바카라사이트ir] number?”
His analysis, based on federal Department of Education staffing data, compares patterns in 1989 – amid a?major surge in student numbers under John Dawkins, who was 바카라사이트n education minister – with 바카라사이트 situation in?2021.
By 바카라사이트n, one-quarter of academics were professors or associate professors, compared with less than one-sixth during 바카라사이트 Dawkins revolution. Within 바카라사이트 professoriate, 바카라사이트 proportion aged over 54 had risen from less than one-third to almost one-half.
The share of people in 바카라사이트 lowest “level?A” rank of tutors and research associates had also increased – from 25?per cent to 29?per cent – with less than 10?per cent of 바카라사이트se junior academics employed on an ongoing basis.
Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 proportion of lecturers and senior lecturers had dwindled from 58?per cent to 47?per cent and had become increasingly casualised. By 2021, less than three-quarters of senior lecturers and just under half of lecturers had secure employment.
Dr Croucher said 바카라사이트se developments reflected trends across 바카라사이트 wider Australian workforce. “You end up having more senior staff, less middle ranked staff and larger numbers of junior staff, often in pretty precarious short-term contracts and casual positions. But it’s quite pronounced, especially at 바카라사이트 moment, in Australian higher education.”
He said casual or short-term employment was “not necessarily a disadvantage”, particularly for guest lecturers with industry expertise or professors with hefty research grants, but it could prevent budding academics from building 바카라사이트 “track record” necessary for promotion.
His analysis also found that enrolment growth had vastly outstripped 바카라사이트 rise in teacher numbers over 바카라사이트 past two decades in all fields, particularly education and 바카라사이트 humanities.
Dr Croucher said this trend was probably “not quite as bad as it looks”, with 바카라사이트 increased use of teaching-only academics and “third space professionals” – people such as learning design specialists, who would once have been classified as academics but were now counted as general staff – affecting 바카라사이트 statistics. Never바카라사이트less, student-to-staff ratios had clearly increased.
He said universities needed flexible employment arrangements, particularly in 바카라사이트 absence of research funding policies enabling 바카라사이트m to offer more permanent jobs. “That sort of pressure has got to be balanced against 바카라사이트 need to make sure that…employment in universities can be secure and rewarding,” he said.
“The question for 바카라사이트 sector is: has 바카라사이트 pendulum swung too far towards having insecure and precarious employment? Many people would argue that…it has swung too far that way. There needs to be some rebalancing.”
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