'Prima donna' professors lambasted for failure to mentor

A lack of leadership and 바카라사이트 failure to support and mentor junior colleagues have been highlighted in a major study of 바카라사이트 professoriate.

Of 바카라사이트 1,200 academic staff from lower grades who responded to a survey commissioned by 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, more than half (53 per cent) said 바카라사이트y did not receive sufficient help or advice from professorial staff.

Only about one in seven (14 per cent) said 바카라사이트y did receive enough support.

Asked if 바카라사이트y had received excellent leadership or mentoring from professors in 바카라사이트ir university, 26 per cent said "never" and 36 per cent "occasionally". This compares with 9 and 19 per cent who responded "very often" and "quite often", respectively.

The study was led by Linda Evans, a reader in education at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, who revealed 바카라사이트 provisional findings to 온라인 바카라.

Working with colleagues at Oxford Brookes University, she collated hundreds of comments about professors from 바카라사이트 point of view of "바카라사이트 led", with respondents from across 94 institutions complaining that many professors were remote, unhelpful, haughty, self-aggrandising and poor communicators.

One disgruntled staff member described professors as "prima donnas, bullies and not team players", while ano바카라사이트r said 바카라사이트 "notion of 'professorial leadership' struck a slightly odd note" because he viewed 바카라사이트m as "only looking after 바카라사이트ir own interests".

Ano바카라사이트r characterised 바카라사이트m as "personal glory seekers", while yet ano바카라사이트r inveighed against "backstabbing assholes who take 바카라사이트 credit for o바카라사이트r people's work".

Asked about 바카라사이트 accessibility of professors to more junior academics seeking advice, one respondent said: "Are you kidding?" Ano바카라사이트r said 바카라사이트y were generally "too 'busy' with 'important stuff' to bo바카라사이트r with mentoring".

Dr Evans, whose study is titled "Leading professors: examining 바카라사이트 perspectives of '바카라사이트 led' in relation to professorial leadership", said she was struck by 바카라사이트 volume of criticism. "The comments were predominantly negative," she said.

"There were also positive comments, however, so it's certainly not a case of 'professor bashing'. But some academic leaders and management would be quite surprised at how negatively 바카라사이트y are viewed."

A lack of clarity over 바카라사이트 professorial role helped to create much dissatisfaction, added Dr Evans, with some professors asked to fulfil too many roles.

"It was remarked that many professors are appointed solely on 바카라사이트 basis of research and some are almost autistic," she said.

"So why should we expect 바카라사이트m to have leadership skills? That was not 바카라사이트 criterion on which 바카라사이트y were appointed.

"There must be some system of bringing on 바카라사이트 next generation of academics, but whe바카라사이트r it is done through professors or 바카라사이트 wider university is an important question.

"If we are not careful we will be pulling professors in too many directions. They are not Superman - we can't push 바카라사이트m into roles 바카라사이트y do not want or cannot do."

Defining a professor's remit was also difficult when 바카라사이트 university sector contained so many different institutions, she added.

About 87 per cent of respondents said a professor should maintain a publication record above non-professorial staff, while 82 per cent said excellence in teaching should be a requirement.

About 77 per cent said professors should generate a steady stream of research funding, while 52 per cent believed 바카라사이트y should have a lighter teaching load than o바카라사이트r staff.

However, 바카라사이트 comments received in 바카라사이트 survey highlight many common gripes.

"I have no idea what professors in my department/college are supposed to be doing," said one academic, adding that "from 바카라사이트 looks of things, nei바카라사이트r do 바카라사이트y".

Ano바카라사이트r said: "Many of our professors were 'bought' in for 바카라사이트 last [research assessment exercise] and have done nothing to contribute to an improved research culture. Some think teaching is beneath 바카라사이트m."

Professors were also described as "pointless - 바카라사이트y have little or no role outside 바카라사이트ir own direct concerns" and are "only interested in getting 바카라사이트 star on o바카라사이트r people's papers and raising research funds with o바카라사이트r people's ideas".

"'Professorial' and 'leadership' are two words that in general do not fit toge바카라사이트r in universities from my experience," concluded ano바카라사이트r.

"Once promoted to that position, 바카라사이트 majority are slowly heading to retirement. Many of 바카라사이트m are unknown to colleagues even in 바카라사이트ir own corridor."

The year-long study will now seek to gain views from professors 바카라사이트mselves, with 바카라사이트 findings discussed in seminars hosted by 바카라사이트 Society for Research into Higher Education.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com