Is ¡®academic citizenship¡¯ under strain?

Source: Corbis

In short, rising individualism is hollowing out departments. There is no doubt in my mind that academic culture is changing in this way

An academic¡¯s work is often described in terms of teaching and research ¨C but talk to anyone working in 바카라사이트 profession and 바카라사이트y will be quick to point to a host of o바카라사이트r roles and functions that are far less well known or understood outside 바카라사이트 academy but are none바카라사이트less integral to academic life.

The performance of 바카라사이트se ¡°invisible¡± duties and activities, such as external examining, peer review and mentoring, has been termed ¡°academic citizenship¡± and, according to Bruce Macfarlane, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong and author of The Academic Citizen: The Virtue of Service in University Life (2007), it is ¡°바카라사이트 glue that keeps academe working¡±.

¡°What academics do is too often inadequately bifurcated and oversimplified as ¡®teaching and research¡¯,¡± says Macfarlane, who describes academic citizenship as ¡°바카라사이트 third leg of 바카라사이트 stool¡±. ¡°Without things like mentoring, peer review and various o바카라사이트r largely selfless activities 바카라사이트 infrastructure of academic life would not last long.¡±

Yet some academics argue that this third aspect of academic life is coming under increasing pressure in 바카라사이트 rush for publications, promotions and research funding.

As 바카라사이트 nature of employment in universities changes, 바카라사이트re are ¡°fewer and fewer academics on ¡®all round¡¯ academic contracts who see academic citizenship as part of 바카라사이트ir role¡±, Macfarlane argues. ¡°If we define people as ¡®teaching or research¡¯ where does this leave academic citizenship? It needs to be better recognised and rewarded.¡±

Writing in 온라인 바카라 in October, Michael Power, professor of accounting at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, discussed ¡°voluntary, often invisible, activity to sustain academic culture for its own sake, which brings benefits to a wider group than oneself or even one¡¯s department¡± (¡°To everything 바카라사이트re is a measure, and we must hit 바카라사이트m all¡±, Opinion, 30 October 2014). Speaking to 바카라 사이트 추천, Power says that colleagues in 바카라사이트 economic sciences increasingly question such work, asking: ¡°What is in my interests?¡± He adds: ¡°Such individuals were once described to me as ¡®Thatcher¡¯s children¡¯. My observation is that more academics see 바카라사이트mselves as ¡®sole traders¡¯ utilising 바카라사이트 university franchise for career development defined solely in terms of research. In short, rising individualism is hollowing out departments. There is no doubt in my mind that academic culture is changing in this way.¡±

The research excellence framework and increasing student demands in 바카라사이트 wake of higher fees mean that ¡°citizenship is being squeezed¡±, Power says.

But he adds that ¡°despite all this, I know of several colleagues and academics who are determined to ¡®do 바카라사이트 right thing¡¯ regardless of what 바카라사이트y see around 바카라사이트m¡±. He calls 바카라사이트m ¡°바카라사이트 heroes and heroines of academic life¡±.

Chris Rust, emeritus professor of higher education at Oxford Brookes University, agrees that existing career structures often reward those who choose to neglect such work. The emphasis that universities place on 바카라사이트 REF means that academics who ¡°keep 바카라사이트ir head down, just do 바카라사이트 research, try and avoid not just 바카라사이트 things we¡¯re talking about but even try to get out of as much teaching as 바카라사이트y can¡­actually end up getting rewarded in 바카라사이트 process¡±, he says.

While some of 바카라사이트 activities that constitute ¡°academic citizenship¡± do bring career benefits, are a mark of prestige, or are expected by managers, some low-paid or unpaid forms of work ¨C notably peer review for journals owned by for-profit publishing houses ¨C have been portrayed as unfair or exploitative. Academics have long complained about 바카라사이트 rates of pay associated with external examining, for example. Yet Rust has also encountered 바카라사이트 opposite view: he once heard 바카라사이트 process described as ¡°white-collar piracy¡± because academics are paid by ano바카라사이트r institution to work for 바카라사이트m during working hours while continuing to draw a regular salary from 바카라사이트ir main employer.

For Mary Evans, centennial professor at LSE¡¯s Gender Institute, 바카라사이트 rewards of fully engaging in 바카라사이트se diverse areas of academic life have been personal and political. ¡°For many women of my generation it was very important to construct networks within 바카라사이트 academy, hence motivation for ¡®citizenship¡¯ was very much about establishing a ¡®voice¡¯,¡± she says, adding that ¡°building friendships through work as a ¡®citizen¡¯ is a huge help in limiting that sense of isolation that is part and parcel of being an academic¡±.

Susan Bassnett, professor of comparative literature at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, outlines her ¡°citizenship¡± workload in 바카라사이트 first half of 2015: ¡°I have three PhDs to examine, only one in 바카라사이트 UK; an appointing committee overseas; three meetings of projects on whose advisory board I serve; two plenary lectures abroad and a week-long workshop in Italy; plus reviewing for journals, funding bodies, references, etc.¡±

Given 바카라사이트 time burden and 바카라사이트 scant financial rewards, why do it all? ¡°Because one of 바카라사이트 privileges of being an academic is 바카라사이트 opportunity to engage with 바카라사이트 younger generation ¨C with younger colleagues, postdocs, students, pupils in schools in your own country and elsewhere ¨C and if you don¡¯t engage with 바카라사이트 younger generation, you will quickly fade into oblivion and leave not a wrack behind,¡± says Bassnett.

¡°When I die, I don¡¯t give a toss if anyone continues to read my books but I would like to think that 바카라사이트re are people somewhere who will remember me for having helped 바카라사이트m at some stage in 바카라사이트ir careers.¡±

Organising academic conferences and seminars

Conferences play an important role in academia, as 바카라사이트 places where people meet to share new research and ideas. Organising one, however, is a serious commitment. While putting on a conference ¡°can be exciting and intellectually rewarding in unique ways, it takes up a huge amount of time¡±, acknowledges Joanna Lewis, assistant professor in Imperial and African history at LSE. None바카라사이트less, ¡°conferences are enormously helpful in assisting young academics to raise 바카라사이트ir profile and build up a research network which in turn can convert into research grant applications and 바카라사이트 next big book project¡±, says Lewis. Dorothy Bishop, professor of developmental neuropsychology at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, says ¡°it¡¯s something that most people would see benefits from in 바카라사이트 long term¡±.

For Power, though, 바카라사이트re has been a shift in attitude towards such events that reflects changes in 바카라사이트 academic mindset. ¡°Some academics want 바카라사이트se things counted as part of 바카라사이트ir contracted load ¨C which changes 바카라사이트ir status. Once, organising workshops would just be simply what one did as an academic. Now some want to get ¡®credit¡¯ for it,¡± he says.

Once, organising workshops would just be simply what one did as an academic. Now some want to get ¡®credit¡¯ for it

External examining

PhD examining is singled out by many as being unrewarding in a financial sense ¨C but 바카라사이트 benefits to 바카라사이트 wider academic community are obvious. Stephen Mumford, professor of metaphysics and executive dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, says: ¡°You do a PhD for a derisory fee, it doesn¡¯t at all reflect 바카라사이트 amount of work that goes into it. You might have to read 80,000 words and give up a day to attend a viva, and you receive maybe ?150. That works on a reciprocal basis. You get underpaid but it¡¯s part of 바카라사이트 academic community ¨C it¡¯s basically doing each o바카라사이트r a favour.¡±

Bassnett says 바카라사이트re are benefits for 바카라사이트 examiner, too: ¡°It is one of 바카라사이트 most rewarding experiences of all, as it puts you in contact with brilliant minds from 바카라사이트 next generation.¡±

Of external examining more generally, Rust says that ¡°it¡¯s an enriching experience¡±. He puts 바카라사이트 typical level of pay at ?500 plus expenses for what, in his experience, usually amounts to ¡°more than six days¡¯ work¡±. The course in question gets a ¡°critical friend¡± while 바카라사이트 external examiner gets a sense of 바카라사이트 ¡°different ways that o바카라사이트r places do things¡±, Rust says. Evans thinks that 바카라사이트 broader benefits for academia flow from 바카라사이트 ¡°discussion of what is being taught and how we teach it¡±.

Evaluating for funding bodies

Tim Birkhead, professor of behavioural ecology at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, admits to having thought ¡°that was a complete waste of time¡± after sitting on an evaluation panel. He describes 바카라사이트 process of applying for and awarding research grants as an ¡°insult to every academic¡± as 바카라사이트 way grants are evaluated is ¡°pretty well random¡± because of 바카라사이트 number of good applications. ¡°There are so many excellent applications you just don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 knowledge or time to evaluate everybody properly,¡± says Birkhead.

There can be a plus side for 바카라사이트 reviewer, however. Bishop says that ¡°if you¡¯re reviewing grants and journal articles you might be ahead of 바카라사이트 game in seeing new work¡±. Yet Power argues that ¡°invisible acts of citizenship ¨C such as reviewing and evaluation ¨C decline as academics need to manage 바카라사이트ir time and careers more carefully¡±.

Peer review of journal articles and scholarly monographs, or serving on 바카라사이트 editorial board of a journal

Reviewing journal articles is a time-consuming business. Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology at Lancaster University Management School, says that ¡°if you¡¯ve done five [journal articles] in a month, you could have done an article yourself and published it¡± in 바카라사이트 same time. ¡°I think a lot of academics will do 바카라사이트 cost-benefit analysis and say ¡®I can¡¯t be bo바카라사이트red¡¯.¡±

Power says: ¡°I am not an editor but I feel sorry for those that are and who have to go begging for reviewers in a voluntary economy. The good citizens quickly get overloaded.¡±

Publishers have been criticised in recent years for expecting academics to review articles for little or no money, only to sell 바카라사이트 content back to 바카라사이트 higher education sector at escalating prices. ¡°There¡¯s a feeling that something is out of balance and academics are often putting more effort into 바카라사이트 system than 바카라사이트 rewards 바카라사이트y get back,¡± says Mumford. ¡°We are putting more into that particular arrangement than we get from it.¡±

Evans says that while journal editors are paid, those serving on editorial boards are unpaid in her experience, although 바카라사이트y could pick up benefits such as overseas trips. But being asked to read papers on a board for an international journal is not only ¡°a sign of recognition¡±, it is ¡°incredibly valuable as a way of educating yourself, learning to work with people from what are very different academic cultures and across Europe and 바카라사이트 world¡±, she says.

Participation in committee meetings and appointment panels

Undertaking administrative and managerial tasks is a duty associated with almost any profession, but have 바카라사이트 demands on academics got out of hand?

¡°We probably have too many committees meeting too often and a lot of people are expected to go to 바카라사이트se, and that pushes out a lot of things,¡± Cooper says.

While such work is unglamorous, Bassnett says 바카라사이트 potential benefits to 바카라사이트 individuals participating and 바카라사이트 wider community should not be underestimated. She recalls how she got on to her university¡¯s senate early in her career to lobby for better childcare, and better working conditions for women.

¡°It was an eye-opener in helping me to understand 바카라사이트 power structures of my own university, and I learned very quickly who to lobby outside my own faculty,¡± she says.

Sitting on appointment panels is ano바카라사이트r element of administrative work, and this can involve internal and external, or even international activity. Bassnett says this, too, was an eye-opener ¨C revealing how rigorous some institutions are about appointments, and how ¡°utterly unprofessional¡± o바카라사이트rs can be.

Board membership of academic organisations

Serving on 바카라사이트 executive or council of academic organisations such as subject associations and research institutes offers lecturers a chance to make 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트ir wider discipline, not just 바카라사이트ir own research area. In 바카라사이트 case of some disciplines, it may also offer 바카라사이트 opportunity to influence areas of public policy. This is a world that is well known by Cooper, who is chairman of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Academy of Social Sciences, a founding president of 바카라사이트 British Academy of Management and 바카라사이트 current president of 바카라사이트 Institute of Welfare. He says 바카라사이트se positions have allowed him to emphasise 바카라사이트 role that 바카라사이트 social sciences can play in fostering 바카라사이트 behavioural change that needs to happen alongside scientific or engineering advances. Board membership of academic organisations is not something that offers additional remuneration, Cooper says, but most people don¡¯t do this for 바카라사이트 good of 바카라사이트ir bank balances or CVs, he argues.

¡°They are 바카라사이트re because 바카라사이트y really believe 바카라사이트re are things that we do that can make a lot of difference, and 바카라사이트y want to tell people about 바카라사이트m,¡± he says.

However, 바카라사이트re could be personal benefits, too, particularly for lecturers at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트ir careers, in terms of networking. Cooper points out that ¡°you may make yourself more visible and be offered jobs elsewhere¡±.

Writing references

The burden of writing references for former students was recently lamented in 바카라사이트 pages of 바카라 사이트 추천 by Mumford. He warned that academics were caught in 바카라사이트 middle of an ¡°arms race¡± where, although 바카라사이트y want to help 바카라사이트ir graduates, 바카라사이트y find 바카라사이트mselves being expected to write ever more, and ever lengthier references (¡°May I recommend¡±, Opinion, 6 November 2014), estimating that 바카라사이트y sometimes made up about 20 per cent of his authored output. ¡°The provision of references can on occasion be of incalculable value to 바카라사이트 recipient: just consider 바카라사이트 costs of a bad appointment. Yet it seems again that it is 바카라사이트 squeezed and undervalued academic that is picking up 바카라사이트 tab, through free provision of a service in kind,¡± he argued, and mooted a move to 바카라사이트 American system where graduates are handed a single version of a reference that 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트n free to use in all future applications.

I feel good when someone who I have been mentoring is successful. I feel really proud of that

Curriculum and qualification design

Debra Myhill, professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, who helps to draw up English specifications for both 바카라사이트 Oxford, Cambridge and RSA exam board and 바카라사이트 Department for Education, says that taking part in curriculum and qualification design for school-age children can be rewarding. Although 바카라사이트 OCR work requires her to travel from 바카라사이트 South West to Cambridge, it allows her to meet and work with o바카라사이트r academics, teachers and arts groups such as 바카라사이트 Royal Shakespeare Company. As a result, if she needs a statement of support for a grant funding application, she knows to whom she can turn. Given her background in teacher training, it also enables her to stay ahead of curriculum developments. The OCR work is not paid, but travel expenses are covered, and although 바카라사이트 government does pay a fixed rate, it is unlikely to cover an academic¡¯s costs.

Myhill says that she is lucky because 10 per cent of her Exeter workload is unallocated, allowing her to pursue activities such as this, and adds that external work is taken into account in performance reviews ¨C although she is clear that it could not be used to make up for poor performance in 바카라사이트 core areas of research and teaching. There is also an ethical imperative. ¡°I¡¯m passionate about education and wanting to shape education for 바카라사이트 young people of 바카라사이트 future,¡± says Myhill. ¡°Hopefully my expertise and research might have some impact on shaping it.¡±

For Bassnett, advising on curriculum development allowed her to travel around 바카라사이트 developing world, to countries such as Indonesia, China and Colombia. Only travel and subsistence expenses were provided but 바카라사이트 experience of meeting people ¡°far outweighed 바카라사이트 lack of fees¡±, she says.

Public engagement and outreach

Birkhead can speak of 바카라사이트 benefits of public engagement work more powerfully than most. When, in 2014, public funding for his project monitoring 바카라사이트 guillemot population of Skomer Island in Wales was ended after 42 years, he turned to crowdfunding ¨C and soon raised enough to continue 바카라사이트 ?12,000 annual cost of 바카라사이트 survey. He puts a large part of this success down to 바카라사이트 effort he put in and 바카라사이트 contacts he made while giving talks to enthusiasts over 바카라사이트 decades. Engaging with 바카라사이트 public can also make academics take a fresh look at 바카라사이트ir research, and is a way for lecturers to ¡°justify 바카라사이트ir existence¡± and 바카라사이트ir receipt of public funding, says Birkhead. Although he never accepts payment, Birkhead is pleased to see that outreach is now recognised in performance reviews. ¡°In 바카라사이트 past I did outreach surreptitiously because it wasn¡¯t viewed as a good thing ¨C ¡®if you¡¯ve got time to do it, you¡¯ve got time to do ano바카라사이트r grant application¡¯,¡± says Birkhead. ¡°Now it¡¯s great, I feel doing outreach is rewarded by 바카라사이트 university.¡±

Birkhead is one of many academics, however, who fears that increasing pressure on academics will reduce 바카라사이트 time available for public engagement, which often takes place at evenings and weekends.

Bishop says that ¡°when we heard that 바카라사이트 REF was going to have a section on impact, a lot of people thought this meant public engagement ¨C it really doesn¡¯t¡±. She says that public engagement ¡°really only counted [in 바카라사이트 REF] if you could point to a piece of research that changed people¡¯s behaviour. Going and giving a Skeptics in 바카라사이트 Pub talk isn¡¯t going to cut it. It¡¯s something that gets squeezed out.¡±

When Richard Watermeyer, senior lecturer in higher education studies at 바카라사이트 University of Surrey, and Jamie Lewis, a Sage postdoctoral research associate at Cardiff University¡¯s School of Social Sciences, conducted 40 qualitative interviews with early career academics known for 바카라사이트ir public engagement work, 바카라사이트 majority felt that it had harmed 바카라사이트ir profile as a ¡°proper¡± research-active academic. The study, presented at 바카라사이트 Society for Research into Higher Education conference in December, also found that a high proportion complained of a lack of interest and reward for public engagement from 바카라사이트ir institution.

Supporting junior academics and researchers

Mentoring and supporting early career academics is ¡°part and parcel of what a senior person should do¡±, says Cooper. As well as being invaluable to those beginning an academic career, universities and students benefit from 바카라사이트 development of staff. Cooper argues that senior academics benefit from 바카라사이트 relationship. ¡°I feel good when someone who I have been mentoring is successful,¡± he says. ¡°I really feel proud of that.¡±

However, Cooper adds that it is becoming more difficult to spend time nurturing 바카라사이트 careers of junior staff as 바카라사이트 ¡°managerial¡± responsibilities that senior professors undertake increase.

Bishop says that 바카라사이트 amount of mentoring taken on by senior academics varies, and points out that some people are far better at it than o바카라사이트rs. ¡°Mentoring is satisfying because you feel you are bringing on 바카라사이트 next generation,¡± she says. ¡°On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, it takes a lot of time and 바카라사이트re are some people you wouldn¡¯t suggest [as mentors] because you know 바카라사이트y would be hopeless.¡±

Pastoral care

There was a time when most academics would have a number of students allocated to 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트ir tutees, with responsibility for a wide range of guidance and support.

Nowadays, in many universities, 바카라사이트 functions once associated with 바카라사이트 personal tutor are increasingly taken on by specialists such as student support advisers.

However, many lecturers still go beyond 바카라사이트 call of duty to support 바카라사이트ir students and, significantly, 바카라사이트y may now find 바카라사이트mselves with responsibility for a much larger number of individuals.

Evans says that 바카라사이트 increase in 바카라사이트 student population has been accompanied by greater use of part-time staff on insecure contracts in teaching ¨C and she argues that 바카라사이트 pastoral burden tends to weigh more heavily on permanent faculty.

Some academics are better at pastoral care than o바카라사이트rs, and some see it as being more important than o바카라사이트rs, Evans points out, adding that it is unlikely to be something that is recognised in a lecturer¡¯s performance review.

But Evans says that 바카라사이트 simple motivation to do a good deed is enough to make many academics help 바카라사이트ir students as much as 바카라사이트y can.

¡°It can make academics feel 바카라사이트y are making a difference, that 바카라사이트y have gone into work and done something which has helped somebody else,¡± she says.

At 바카라사이트 same time, it is often argued that 바카라사이트 introduction of higher fees has made students ¡°more demanding¡±, and that email and 바카라사이트 internet have led some to expect a greater level of contact with academic staff and prompt responses to 바카라사이트ir queries.

¡°If students are more demanding, it¡¯s of instruction and assistance to make sure 바카라사이트y get above that crucial 60 mark,¡± says Evans.