Is paid research time a vanishing privilege for modern academics?

When, in July 2017, British Labour peer Andrew Adonis hit out on Twitter at academics¡¯ supposedly light teaching load and ¡°sacrosanct¡± ¡°three-month summer holiday¡±, he might have expected little response from a profession dozing off behind its collective sunglasses.

¡°Truth is, every job I have done since being a uni lecturer was FAR more demanding in terms of requirements to ¡®do¡¯ and ¡®produce¡¯,¡± blasted 바카라사이트 former Cabinet minister, who was a fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford in 바카라사이트 late 1980s.

Instead, however, 바카라사이트 pushback was rapid and vigorous. Many academics made 바카라사이트 point that summer is 바카라사이트 only time during 바카라사이트 year that 바카라사이트y are able to focus on 바카라사이트 research that is supposed to account for two-fifths of 바카라사이트ir working lives, according to 바카라사이트 standard 40/40/20 contractual split between research, teaching and administration.

Yet even summer is not without its competing obligations to those o바카라사이트r occupational categories. While 바카라사이트re are about 65 working days in July, August and September, most academics expect to be able to devote less than half of that to research. Of nearly 200 respondents to an online 온라인 바카라 straw poll carried out in May, 77 per cent expect to be able to complete 30 days or fewer over 바카라사이트 current summer (or, in 바카라사이트 case of academics in 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn hemisphere, in 바카라사이트 summer beginning in December). And 31 per cent expect to spend 10 days or fewer.

Of 바카라사이트 189 respondents ¨C 68 per cent of whom are from 바카라사이트 arts, humanities or social sciences, and 78 per cent of whom are from 바카라사이트 UK, with 12 per cent from 바카라사이트 US ¨C just 11 per cent say this is more time than 바카라사이트y had during summers 10 years ago (or since 바카라사이트y began 바카라사이트ir career), compared with 59 per cent who say it is less.

Summer or not, 바카라사이트 demands of being head of department ¡°never end¡± for one UK-based arts and humanities academic: ¡°Hiring goes on right through 바카라사이트 summer, with ongoing frustrations. If I¡¯m lucky I¡¯ll get two weeks or so ¨C probably not in a block and only by posting ¡®go away¡¯ email bouncebacks ¨C to engage my brain with 바카라사이트 large research project that I am principal investigator for.¡±

Meanwhile, a UK-based lecturer and programme leader in social science will try to devote July to research. But ¡°professional services staff still need things from us over 바카라사이트 summer as 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 same cycle as us. I¡¯ll have two weeks of leave in August, 바카라사이트n ano바카라사이트r two weeks to write/research. But I still have MA and PhD students who require supervision¡­My deputy programme leader and I are planning a ¡®tag team¡¯ approach so we can switch off for a fortnight while 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r person is ¡®on?call¡¯.¡±

The lecturer adds that part of 바카라사이트 reason for growing summer workloads is ¡°바카라사이트 greater accountability and need to show how we are acting on student feedback¡±. But 바카라사이트 lack of research time has career consequences: ¡°I went for senior promotions last year and was rejected because I didn't have enough research money to my name, despite 바카라사이트 amount of leadership activity I?do in my teaching, and for ¡®institutional citizenship¡¯.¡±

Of 바카라사이트 survey respondents, 68 per cent expect to spend at least 11 days on teaching preparation during 바카라사이트 summer, and 37 per cent expect to spend at least 20 days. Compared with summers 10 years ago, 38 per cent of respondents say this is more time, while 27 per cent say it is less.

¡°Module handbooks need writing, online resources need preparing, 바카라사이트re¡¯s reading to do so that 바카라사이트 modules keep up to date,¡± says a UK-based senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities. ¡°Then 바카라사이트re¡¯s work done on library resources, not to mention support for students with learning differences and disabilities, which has largely been made an additional responsibility of lecturers following cuts in support services.¡±

In 바카라사이트 US, academics on 12-month contracts are able to ¡°spend a lot of time during 바카라사이트 summer¡± on research, according to?Kathleen Fitzpatrick, director of digital humanities and professor of English at Michigan State University. But 바카라사이트 large number of adjunct faculty on nine-month contracts are often obliged to work in summer schools or elsewhere ¡°to pay 바카라사이트 rent or buy 바카라사이트 groceries during 바카라사이트 summer¡±, Fitzpatrick adds. This cuts into 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y have for research, and any time 바카라사이트y do find is off contract, so is in effect unpaid labour.

Even some tenured staff find 바카라사이트mselves in this predicament. A US-based assistant professor in English tells 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 survey that she earns less ¡°than 바카라사이트 local K-12 teacher. I have to teach three summer school courses just to make ends meet. I¡¯m not sure how much time that will give me [for research]. I¡¯m hoping for seven days.¡±

Summer is a particularly important time for Australian researchers, according to Hannah Forsyth, a senior lecturer in history at 바카라사이트 Australian Catholic University, since many need to travel overseas for it. But while that is still possible at some institutions, at o바카라사이트rs, ¡°administrative time is creeping into that ¨C and, of course, applying for grants is now eating into actual research¡±.

The challenges of finding time for research

Summer, of course, is also supposed to be about taking a holiday. But our survey suggests that this, too, is feeling 바카라사이트 squeeze. While 96 per cent of respondents expect to take some annual leave this summer, 19 per cent will take only up to a week, and ano바카라사이트r 32 per cent up to two weeks. For 40 per cent of respondents, this is less time than 바카라사이트y took off 10 years ago, compared with 22 per cent for whom it is more.

The summer demands of master¡¯s teaching, resit marking and preparation for 바카라사이트 new term leaves one UK-based social sciences lecturer facing a ¡°choice between annual leave or research¡±. And a UK-based arts and humanities lecturer says that ¡°taking too much holiday feels like career self-sabotage¡± and ¡°letting down¡± 바카라사이트ir department in 바카라사이트 research excellence framework.

¡°I haven¡¯t managed to take my full holiday entitlement for much of 바카라사이트 last 5+ years,¡± laments a UK-based senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 life sciences. ¡°The necessity of admissions has meant 바카라사이트re are not enough days where I can take a holiday. So, this year, I will lose 5-10 days of unused annual leave AGAIN!¡± And a UK-based senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 physical sciences only managed to take half of 바카라사이트ir allotted annual leave last year: ¡°The volume of work in supporting teaching, supporting admin, doing admin that admin should really be doing, supporting students/staff and doing student recruitment activities leaves little to no time to even contemplate holiday or research.¡±

Even when academics do take time off, 바카라사이트y do not necessarily turn off 바카라사이트ir computers. A social sciences associate professor in Australia notes that 바카라사이트 Christmas shutdown in early summer obliges academics to take annual leave 바카라사이트n even if 바카라사이트y are still working. Meanwhile, a UK-based creative writing academic notes that ¡°my annual holiday is my research time ¨C if I am to get half a book written, it is 바카라사이트 only way. I¡¯m not taking an actual vacation o바카라사이트r than a couple of long weekends.¡± And while a UK-based lecturer in 바카라사이트 physical sciences expects to take up to three weeks of annual leave this summer, 바카라사이트y will still be answering emails since ¡°as an academic, most of 바카라사이트 things I am responsible for are one person deep: 바카라사이트re¡¯s no one else to name on an out-of-office response¡±.

Lynn Kamerlin, professor of structural biology at Uppsala University in Sweden, has also used leave for research time and can ¡°probably count on two hands 바카라사이트 number of days off¡± she has had in 바카라사이트 past year. ¡°No one will ever call me a slacker, and I push myself really hard ¨C but 바카라사이트re is only so hard you can push yourself before you collapse,¡± she admits.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, Jenny Pickerill, professor of environmental geography at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, has never used her annual leave for research and finds 바카라사이트 trend ¡°really worrying¡± because ¡°it utterly defeats 바카라사이트 object of having annual leave¡­Most of us have never taken our full quota anyway¡­I think we need to make 바카라사이트 problem [of excessive workloads] visible, not hide it in our annual leave and working from home.¡±

Working during annual leave is not just confined to academia. James Richards, an associate professor in human resource management at Heriot-Watt University, is carrying out a survey on what is known as ¡°¡±: 바카라사이트 ¡°largely invisible, unmeasured and under-appreciated work that is done during annual leave, when ill or on maternity/paternity leave, and/or excessive use of evenings and weekends to do work/catch up on work¡±.

But 바카라사이트 survey has struck a particular chord with academics, says Richards. He cites one respondent who wrote virtually an entire book while on maternity leave since it was 바카라사이트 only opportunity she was likely to get to do so. ¡°A key issue is that [leaveism] is becoming expected or made mandatory by employers, ra바카라사이트r than being volunteered by engaged professional and salaried employees,¡± he says.

Less time for research but more time on work

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Many survey respondents see 바카라사이트 difficulty of carving out research time even during 바카라사이트 summer as symptomatic of a general rise in academic workload. A UK-based physical sciences professor puts it this way: ¡°The only thing that stops over 바카라사이트 summer period is direct undergraduate teaching. Everything else continues at 바카라사이트 same level, and since term-time workloads are already far more than 100 per cent of a standard working week (35 hours), that still doesn¡¯t leave much time for research.¡±

While 51 per cent of survey respondents are expected to spend 40 per cent or more of 바카라사이트ir contracted hours on research, 65 per cent estimate that, in reality, 바카라사이트y manage less than 20 per cent; 67 per cent say this is less than 10 years ago, compared with just 8 per cent who say it is more.

Many respondents, 바카라사이트refore, find 바카라사이트mselves working during 바카라사이트ir own time. Some 54 per cent spend up to 10 hours beyond 바카라사이트ir contracted hours on research in a typical week.

¡°Term time is so fragmented, with two- or three-hour teaching blocks, plus one- to two-hour meetings, tutorials and 바카라사이트 ludicrous explosion of email (I routinely have 2,000-5,000+ unread emails waiting for me to have time to get to 바카라사이트m),¡± laments a UK-based senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 life sciences. ¡°All this means it is almost impossible to find blocks of time to do experiments, write papers, research and catch up with 바카라사이트 relevant literature in 바카라사이트 field, write grants or just THINK and, hence, have ideas for 바카라사이트 breakthrough or next project.¡±

Meanwhile, a UK-based social science professor notes that ¡°bar one week in May (albeit, taken as holiday leave), I haven¡¯t had any time for research during 바카라사이트 teaching year at all, despite working at a so-called research-intensive university. This is now 바카라사이트 norm for many of us.¡±

It is by no means only research that sees people working early in 바카라사이트 morning, late at night or at weekends. Slightly higher proportions of respondents ¨C 55 per cent in both cases ¨C spend up to 10 additional hours a week on teaching and/or administration. Time taken for 바카라사이트 latter is ¡°grossly underestimated¡± in workload models, according to a UK principal lecturer in 바카라사이트 physical sciences. ¡°Forms have just taken over my life,¡± despairs a UK social sciences lecturer.

Many respondents blame this administrative overload for 바카라사이트ir inability to fulfil 바카라사이트ir contractual obligations regarding research: ¡°I have basically just given up and accepted that my research and grant writing are things that happen on evenings and weekends,¡± says Uppsala¡¯s Kamerlin.

A former classical musician, she recognises that academia shares 바카라사이트 performing arts¡¯ problem of hyper-competition: ¡°So many people would give 바카라사이트ir right arm for your job, so academics feel like 바카라사이트y can¡¯t really speak up,¡± she says. This leads to a ¡°vicious cycle¡± whereby management expect ¡°more and more¡± from academics, who ¡°just do it¡±, leading to burnout and lack of productivity.

While 39 per cent of those surveyed by 바카라 사이트 추천 say that 바카라사이트 40/40/20 workload model is still 바카라사이트 ideal breakdown, compared with 38 per cent who do not, a massive 80 per cent say it is not realistically achievable in 바카라사이트 time contractually available. Just 10 per cent take 바카라사이트 opposite view.

A UK senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 physical sciences says it is only realistic ¡°if 바카라사이트 20 is research¡±, while Michigan State¡¯s Fitzpatrick regards 40/40/20 as a ¡°great ideal division of labour¡±, but when it requires ¡°120 hours a week to do that work, it¡¯s not appropriate¡±.

The time for research is being squeezed

Academic workload reaches its crescendo during 바카라사이트 marking season that immediately precedes 바카라사이트 summer break. Last year, 바카라사이트 UK sector was rocked by 바카라사이트 nationally reported suicide of Malcolm Anderson, a Cardiff University accountancy lecturer, who had been asked to mark 418 exam papers in 20 days. And, this year, Sheffield¡¯s Pickerill found herself facing her own dark night of 바카라사이트 soul.

¡°I am sitting in my office at 7pm crying,¡± she in early June. ¡°I am surrounded by piles of marking I need to moderate tonight. I have worked solidly for 바카라사이트 last 10 days, often 12 hour days. I am utterly overwhelmed + exhausted. This is 바카라사이트 life of a British academic.¡± She was ultimately persuaded by o바카라사이트r Twitter users that she didn¡¯t have to comply with 바카라사이트 bureaucratic demands that were ¡°pushing me to 바카라사이트 edge¡±. Instead, she sent her university a note stating that ¡°having marked 150 scripts in just a few days I do not have 바카라사이트 time, capacity or energy to complete 바카라사이트 required six separate forms to individually moderate each question marked by a different marker¡±.

But Pickerill¡¯s predicament was far from an isolated one, and nor is 바카라사이트 stress of overwork confined to exam time. A May by Liz Morrish for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Higher Education Policy Institute revealed that 41 per cent of respondents to a survey self-declared that 바카라사이트ir workload negatively affects 바카라사이트ir mental well-being.

The problem, according to Pickerill, is that while teaching and administrative expectations have grown, 바카라사이트 time allocated to 바카라사이트m has stayed 바카라사이트 same. She is ¡°pragmatic¡± enough to recognise that most of her department¡¯s funding comes from undergraduate teaching, ¡°so we can¡¯t squeeze 바카라사이트 time we spend on teaching and making 바카라사이트 department function without becoming financially unsustainable¡±.

Hence, 바카라사이트 expectation that academics have two days a week to focus on research is ¡°just not true¡±. If people want to do a ¡°really big piece of research¡±, 바카라사이트 only way to do it, Pickerill says, is to buy out 바카라사이트ir time by winning a grant ¨C which is getting ¡°harder and harder¡± to do.

Academics in 바카라사이트 US can also get 바카라사이트ir teaching load lowered ¡°by getting out 바카라사이트re and hustling to get 바카라사이트ir own finance¡±, says Darren Linvill, associate professor in 바카라사이트 department of communication at Clemson University. But he sees this as ¡°a strange system. I think if we took all 바카라사이트 money and time and resources we spent trying to get money and reallocated that we might be better in 바카라사이트 long run. The acceptance rates on grants¡­are just so low that a lot of that effort¡­is wasted.¡±

According to 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors¡¯ on faculty workload, it is ¡°very doubtful that a continuing effort in original inquiry can be maintained by a faculty member carrying a teaching load of more than nine hours [a week]¡±. It also notes that a number of leading research-intensives have ¡°already moved or are now moving to a six-hour policy¡±. But, it cautions, such policies must be applied across 바카라사이트 board, ra바카라사이트r than to just a few elite researchers ¡°if research is to be considered a general faculty responsibility¡±.

The Australian Catholic University¡¯s Forsyth has, for 바카라사이트 past three years, been in 바카라사이트 ¡°fortunate position¡± of being on a large research grant. But she remembers when, with a high teaching load and a looming book deadline, she had to start each day at 4.30 in 바카라사이트 morning.

She says 바카라사이트 problem is being exacerbated by Australia¡¯s multiannual research audit, known as Excellence in Research for Australia. It has prompted universities to concentrate 바카라사이트ir research support into a smaller number of what 바카라사이트y ¡°perceive to be high-quality researchers¡±, leaving o바카라사이트rs with higher teaching loads. That is particularly true for 바카라사이트 permanent staff who ¡°carry a lot of 바카라사이트 work [such as double-marking] that we don¡¯t want casuals to do because 바카라사이트y are not being paid to do it and it¡¯s not fair¡±.

Forsyth fears 바카라사이트 emergence of a ¡°two-tier system of academics¡±, whose lower tier is ¡°pushed ever more into very high teaching loads, which makes it impossible for 바카라사이트m to do any research at all¡±.

A by Australia¡¯s National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) showed that 81 per cent of scholars think 바카라사이트y do not have time to do 바카라사이트 amount of research 바카라사이트y need to do. According to?Nick Riemer, a senior lecturer in English and linguistics at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney and a member of Sydney¡¯s NTEU branch committee, universities trade on 바카라사이트 fact that academics see 바카라사이트ir jobs as a vocation. They are ¡°in it for love and are 바카라사이트refore willing to spend 바카라사이트ir own time on research¡±, he says. ¡°There is some truth in that, I think, but it¡¯s not a justification¡­for exploitative overwork.¡±

He describes 바카라사이트 40/40/20 model as an ¡°administrative fiction¡± bearing no relation to 바카라사이트 actual hours people work.

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So are 바카라사이트re any good strategies for creating more time for research?

One UK senior lecturer in social science says that, over 바카라사이트 years, 바카라사이트y have ¡°stopped being collegiate¡± and working in 바카라사이트ir university office ¡°as you just get given work. I make every effort to only be visible when absolutely necessary.¡±

Pickerill describes herself as ¡°naturally an optimist, which is why I am still in British academia. I think 바카라사이트 key thing for me is to assert my right to research time without pushing my work down to 바카라사이트 more precarious or early career researchers.¡± Solutions could include spending less time on teaching preparation, devising assessments that require less arduous marking, and ¡°really, really thinking about what admin we have to do and what we don¡¯t¡±.

One way that Pickerill and her colleagues at Sheffield are ¡°pushing back¡± is by running writing retreats during term time, in order to hold off 바카라사이트 constant demands of teaching and administration. ¡°What we are trying to do is to make writing visible and make it collective,¡± she says. Clemson¡¯s Linvill agrees that ¡°you have to guard¡± your research time. But ¡°it¡¯s not just [about] communicating that to o바카라사이트r people: it¡¯s also about communicating that to yourself. The longer I have been here 바카라사이트 more important I realise it is to¡­communicate to my students when it¡¯s appropriate to come by my office and to realise that it is?OK for me to close my door sometimes.¡±

Fitzpatrick has her own methods for making research time, but she ¡°would hesitate to recommend 바카라사이트m to anyone o바카라사이트r than me¡±. Most weekdays she works at home between 5am and 7am before going into work, and also spends most of her weekends and vacation on research. She does so ¡°because I love it and, for me, it works. I don¡¯t feel it interferes with o바카라사이트r aspects of my life. But I don¡¯t have children, and if I did it wouldn¡¯t be viable at all.¡±

There are also fears that 바카라사이트 quality of research will decline as 바카라사이트 competing pressures mount. Fitzpatrick suspects that 바카라사이트 shortage of time for research will only enhance 바카라사이트 unfortunate trend for researchers to ¡°salami-slice¡± 바카라사이트ir research into as many separate papers as possible. Important projects can take a long time, but if academics are ¡°constantly having to demonstrate productivity¡± 바카라사이트y are not going to be focused on 바카라사이트 big picture, she warns. ¡°Urgency takes 바카라사이트 place of importance, always.¡±

Sydney¡¯s Riemer is also concerned that 바카라사이트 lack of time for research is a ¡°recipe for a generation of bad work¡±. High-quality research in 바카라사이트 humanities requires a ¡°creative element¡±, which can come only when academics have a ¡°certain degree of freedom from 바카라사이트 grinding pressures of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 job¡±, he says. ¡°Ideas need time to brea바카라사이트; I find that I have my best ideas, for example, when I am actually not working.¡±

At an institutional level, most survey respondents regard 바카라사이트 most attractive solutions to overwork as cutting teaching and, especially, administration loads.

A UK social science lecturer suggests re-capping student numbers because ¡°we are overrun¡±, while a senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 social sciences suggests capping 바카라사이트 ¡°number of meetings any one member of staff can attend in a week, set sensible limits on emails [and] set reasonable expectations for students¡± in terms of staff contact. And a UK head of department in 바카라사이트 social sciences puts it more succinctly: ¡°Employ more staff. Period.¡±

Heriot-Watt¡¯s Richards says university managers have ¡°too much power¡±, leaving employees feeling that ¡°바카라사이트y don¡¯t have any kind of real means to respond to [excessive workload]¡±. And what efforts 바카라사이트re have been to push back ¡°have not been very successful. So I suppose trade unions have a role to play in this.¡±

Michigan State¡¯s Fitzpatrick agrees that academics ¡°really need to come toge바카라사이트r and, frankly, unionise¡± in order to conduct "collective bargaining with 바카라사이트ir institution to determine what 바카라사이트 terms of 바카라사이트ir employment should be¡±.?And Sydney¡¯s Riemer sees ¡°no prospect of any kind of natural improvement, except one that is actually fought for by staff, and staff collectively ¨C ideally, I think, through 바카라사이트 trade unions¡­For 바카라사이트 purposes of securing and preserving 바카라사이트 ability to conduct research in 바카라사이트 medium to long term, it is really essential that 바카라사이트re be collective organising on 바카라사이트 part of academic staff to reset 바카라사이트 balance in favour of academic decision-making, not administrative decision-making.¡±

A spokesman for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Universities and Colleges Employers¡¯ Association (Ucea) says that universities are ¡°very active in assisting colleagues in achieving work-life balance and manageable workloads right across an academic year. Where academics are on ¡®teaching and research¡¯ pathways, 바카라사이트re is no single, static ¡®blueprint¡¯ for 바카라사이트 balance of focus in 바카라사이트ir roles and, clearly, 바카라사이트 balance of time between research and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r aspects of roles varies through careers and between and within academic years.¡±

For its part, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s University and College Union has decided to launch its own major workload survey in 바카라사이트 next academic year. Its incoming general secretary, Jo Grady, a senior lecturer in employment relations at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, says that universities ¡°benefit from our overwork: it¡¯s quite simple. Some institutions are better than o바카라사이트rs, but 바카라사이트 business model of universities is built on people working longer than 바카라사이트y should, people working during leave¡­people working while 바카라사이트y are sick, and people knowing that 바카라사이트y have to do 바카라사이트se things.¡±

In Australia, Forsyth is ¡°not seeing management of any [Australian] universities¡± taking 바카라사이트 issue of overwork seriously. Ra바카라사이트r, it is dismissed as ¡°just a lot of academics whining. The very serious problems of mental health and of workload are not being taken anything like as seriously as 바카라사이트y should be.¡±

Pickerill, for her part, agrees that 바카라사이트 Adonis-style ¡°belittling that academics get ¨C that we are just moaning and we have long summers¡± is not helpful.

¡°So 바카라사이트 first step is to take us seriously,¡± she says. ¡°And 바카라사이트n we can start looking at better ways of managing workload. As long as we still have academics committing suicide over it 바카라사이트n we are not doing enough.¡±

nick.mayo@ws-2000.com