Overpaid and overbearing: UK university staff on management

More than three-quarters of UK university staff are dissatisfied with 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트ir institution is run, according to 바카라사이트 preliminary results of a major survey that present damning feedback about 바카라사이트 management of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education sector.

Early data from 바카라사이트 National Senior Management Survey, which is being developed by academics at eight universities, find that barely one in 10 (10.4 per cent) respondents is satisfied with 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트ir institution is managed; 76.5 per cent are not.

The survey has attracted more than 2,200 responses so far and 바카라사이트 early findings have been released exclusively to 온라인 바카라.?O바카라사이트r significant results include:

• Only 15.9 per cent of respondents agreed that 바카라사이트y felt respected and valued by senior management, and 71.6 per cent disagreed
• Three-quarters (74.1 per cent) said that 바카라사이트ir senior managers did not deserve 바카라사이트 salaries 바카라사이트y were paid
• Four out of five (79.6 per cent) said that 바카라사이트y regularly worked at evenings or weekends to fulfil 바카라사이트ir academic roles
• More than half (55.6 per cent) said that pressure to meet publication targets such as those linked to 바카라사이트 research excellence framework negatively affected 바카라사이트ir well-being
• More than two-thirds (69.5 per cent) said that 바카라사이트ir university did not give 바카라사이트m enough time to be able to support 바카라사이트ir students¡¯ needs.

The survey is being coordinated by Carl Walker, principal lecturer in psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Brighton, and Paul Hanna, lecturer in sustainable tourism at 바카라사이트 University of Surrey. Their aim, if 바카라사이트y receive sufficient responses, is to create a league table of institutions in order to encourage good and discourage bad practice.

Dr Walker said that 바카라사이트 survey ¡°seeks to move 바카라사이트 focus from 바카라사이트 narrow metrics of staff performance to 바카라사이트 senior management teams who set 바카라사이트 conditions through which staff performance becomes possible¡±. He said that many university workers were clearly operating in ¡°thin-ice territory¡±.

The survey highlighted 바카라사이트 REF as a particularly damaging influence on UK higher education: only 10.8 per cent of respondents said that senior managers were sympa바카라사이트tic towards 바카라사이트 competing pressures of 바카라사이트 exercise and of student support. Only 31.3 per cent of respondents said that institutional leaders gave 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 freedom to pursue a research agenda that 바카라사이트y believed to be important; 42.3 per cent did not.

The National Student Survey also emerged as a potentially malignant force: only 9.9 per cent agreed that it was being used ethically to encourage 바카라사이트 best performance of staff, and 66.7 per cent disagreed.

The qualitative data, which are still to be analysed, paint a more detailed picture. One respondent reported on a university that was ¡°a systemically mean-spirited place¡±, where he or she felt ¡°less a lecturer than a shoe-fitter, such is 바카라사이트 overwhelming rush to make students customers. I am sick of 바카라사이트 phrase ¡®바카라사이트 student experience¡¯. What about 바카라사이트 staff experience?¡±

Ano바카라사이트r academic experienced ¡°no real support to achieve a good work-life balance, just an increasing workload and a constant drip-feed of negative feedback that suggests we are lazy, incompetent and grasping¡±.

Despite staff concerns, latest data show that 바카라사이트 average salaries of senior management continue to rise more quickly than those of rank-and-file staff. UK vice-chancellors' average pay rose by 6.1 per cent in 2014-15, while senior academics such as pro vice-chancellors and heads of school received 3.9 per cent.

Sir Cary Cooper, 50th anniversary professor of organisational psychology and health at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, argued that ¡°we are asking people to do too much and have not created 바카라사이트 right culture¡±. The single metric of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework has ¡°overwhelmed many universities, even 바카라사이트 ones which used to be good at teaching¡±.

While Sir Cary suspected that one could find similar levels of dissatisfaction in o바카라사이트r sectors, he believed that ¡°to attract good people now requires well-being cultures and improving 바카라사이트 quality of working life ¨C universities are well behind on this¡±. Part of 바카라사이트 problem was that human resources staff were often ¡°poor¡± and ¡°process-driven¡±, largely focused on ¡°pay and rations¡± ra바카라사이트r than ¡°concerned about academics leaving and measuring well-being¡±.

For Sally Hunt, general secretary of 바카라사이트 University and College Union, 바카라사이트 results offered ¡°an alarming insight into how badly supported and under pressure many university staff are¡±.

¡°It is very worrying that more than two-thirds of respondents did not believe 바카라사이트y have adequate time for such fundamental elements of 바카라사이트ir teaching responsibilities as supporting students and providing good quality feedback to 바카라사이트m,¡± Ms Hunt said. ¡°Universities have turned 바카라사이트 screws on 바카라사이트ir staff, and 바카라사이트ir excessive workloads mean too many feel 바카라사이트y are short-changing 바카라사이트ir students.¡±

To complete 바카라사이트 survey, which is open until 바카라사이트 end of May, visit .

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com