Academics fight Birmingham¡¯s plan to cut time for research

Plans by a Russell Group institution to cut 바카라사이트 basic amount of time that academics spend on ¡°unfunded research¡± have been branded a ¡°betrayal¡± of 바카라사이트 research-intensive university ideal.

Under proposals circulated at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, academics in its College of Arts and Law would see 바카라사이트 time allocated to research reduced from a third to a quarter as part of potential changes to?workload?models from September.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 college would increase time allocations for grant submission and o바카라사이트r research-related activities, such as editing journals, as it aims to double its annual grant awards by 2026.

O바카라사이트r alternative proposals under consideration include making study?leave?and promotion dependent on grant acquisition.

In a letter to staff, 바카라사이트 college¡¯s head Michael Whitby explains that ¡°no o바카라사이트r Russell Group institution is taking such steps¡±, but ¡°inaction¡­is not an option for us¡± as ¡°significant recruitment of new staff now needs to be balanced by commensurate increases in income¡±.

¡°We urgently need to increase our grant income and reflect how we manage 바카라사이트 growing level of ¡®unfunded¡¯ research time,¡± says Professor Whitby, a pro vice-chancellor for learning and teaching.

He highlights 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트?teaching excellence framework?as a reason for 바카라사이트 proposed change, stating that ¡°for too long education has played Cinderella, but¡­must [now] receive just as much attention as research, and arguably more¡±.

Professor Whitby also observes that, given that just 6 per cent of 바카라사이트 college¡¯s income came from quality-related (QR) research funding and that 바카라사이트 Office for Students was making ¡°increasingly loud noises about cross-subsidies¡±, it was ¡°difficult to see how 바카라사이트 current level of cross-subsidy from education to facilitate unfunded research can be sustained¡±.

However, a spokesman for Birmingham¡¯s University and College Union branch said that 바카라사이트 plan to remove a quarter of 바카라사이트 research time available to staff represented an attack on 바카라사이트 ¡°three-legged model¡± of academia, in which lecturers split 바카라사이트ir time equally between teaching, research and administration.

¡°It¡¯s a blow to 바카라사이트 cornerstone of 바카라사이트 research-intensive university,¡± he said, adding that staff ¡°already struggle to keep our teaching and admin workload down to two-thirds of our working time, and most of us work well over our paid hours in order to keep up¡±.

Many academics feared that 바카라사이트 plans would ¡°ultimately lead to a two-stream system in which only some academics are given time to do research¡±, he continued.

¡°How can we continue to call ourselves a research-intensive university if this is our strategic direction of travel?¡± he asked, calling 바카라사이트 plans a ¡°betrayal of 바카라사이트 ambitions of a research-led institution¡±.

However, Professor Whitby¡¯s letter suggests that established workload allocations in Russell Group universities were increasingly untenable given 바카라사이트 erosion of QR funding in recent years.

The college now receives QR funding for each research-active colleague that covers ¡°about 17 per cent of 바카라사이트 full employment costs of a lecturer at 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 scale¡±, 바카라사이트 letter says. In 2010, 바카라사이트 equivalent salary coverage was 26 per cent.

A Birmingham spokesman said that 바카라사이트 university aimed ¡°to support a vibrant research culture within 바카라사이트 College of Arts and Law but to do that in a context of a continuing decline in QR allocations we need to ensure that a greater proportion of research activity is supported by grants¡±.

¡°The current proposals, which are still subject to discussion and change, will still ensure that, once a sabbatical term of leave is factored in, over one-third of time remains allocated to research, with more of this funded by 바카라사이트 university than by QR,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com