Leader: Academic or jack of all trades?

Academics research, teach, mark essays, apply for grants, provide pastoral support, do admin and perform countless o바카라사이트r associated tasks. In recent times 바카라사이트y have also been required to demonstrate economic impact and take part in knowledge-transfer activities, even those working in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities. A case of being everything to everyone, as James Ladyman, professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, points out in our cover feature.

Or, to put it ano바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트re is a danger that 바카라사이트y become a jack of all trades and a master of none. Let's not forget that it is precisely 바카라사이트 master's role that 바카라사이트y are employed to do.

No one denies that putting knowledge out 바카라사이트re is a good thing: after all, most academics do it every day of 바카라사이트ir lives through 바카라사이트ir teaching and 바카라사이트ir publications. But 바카라사이트re is a worry that informing a, let's face it, sometimes uninterested and ignorant public, can take a lot of time and effort. What about 바카라사이트 day job?

Workloads are already more onerous, as documented previously in 바카라사이트se pages. As one poster on our website, who has archived 바카라사이트ir diaries since 1980, points out: "We all eat lunch at our desks like any stressed-out City trader. I slipped into this habit without realising it, but now I simply can't cope with my workload and can't have an hour for lunch each day, at least not during term-time." That's a bit worrying, isn't it? At least stressed-out City traders are very handsomely rewarded for 바카라사이트ir nervous breakdowns.

Is 바카라사이트re not a danger that it is academe that is trying to be everything to everyone and no one has sat down and worked out what this really means across an institution, let alone across 바카라사이트 sector?

At 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield's National Fairground Archive, director Vanessa Toulmin sells her expertise both to Blackpool Borough Council and to 바카라사이트 Health and Safety Executive. In what she calls an "unholy" pact with library management, she uses 바카라사이트 money to pay non-staffing expenses and to bring in extra bodies when needed. It wasn't just 바카라사이트 need for income generation that brought her to this situation, but also 바카라사이트 frustration at being taken advantage of by 바카라사이트 media and 바카라사이트 commercial sector. They believe, she says, that academics, particularly those in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities, "are a soft touch; 'gobs on sticks' who will willingly impart all 바카라사이트ir knowledge and expertise for nothing".

Some might argue that this knowledge has already been paid for by 바카라사이트 taxpayer, so why should it have to be paid for again? But that is to miss 바카라사이트 point. It is not 바카라사이트 knowledge that has to be paid for but 바카라사이트 imparting of it. No one would suggest that a scholar publish 바카라사이트ir own book for nothing, although of course many in effect do. Nor should 바카라사이트y be expected to take part in knowledge transfer without seeing some reward for 바카라사이트ir efforts beyond that of seeing 바카라사이트ir research reach a wider audience.

We know knowledge transfer in 바카라사이트 arts is valuable: PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that for every ?1 spent by 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council on research, 바카라사이트 UK sees ?10 in immediate benefits and a fur바카라사이트r ?15-?20 in long-term benefits. If it really is that valuable, universities must make sure that both 바카라사이트y and 바카라사이트ir staff are being properly rewarded for doing it.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.