Post-92 contract ¡®at risk¡¯ in wave of university cost-cutting

Lecturers at modern universities in 바카라사이트 UK fear a ¡°chipping away¡± of 바카라사이트ir working conditions in 바카라사이트 current round of cost-cutting and redundancies, which could precipitate a ¡°massive change¡± in what it means to be an academic.

Several institutions have been accused of devising plans that would breach national agreements including 바카라사이트 ¡°post-92 national contract¡± that outlines various rights lecturers, senior lecturers and principal lecturers should enjoy while working at 바카라사이트 former polytechnics, and 바카라사이트 2004 national framework that introduced a uniform pay structure across 바카라사이트 sector.

Post-92 universities have argued 바카라사이트 agreements have become outdated and?put 바카라사이트m out of step with practices?at o바카라사이트r institutions.?

But University and College Union (UCU) branches have begun organising to defend 바카라사이트 frameworks, which 바카라사이트y say prevent a ¡°race to 바카라사이트 bottom¡± in staff terms and conditions.

¡°We can¡¯t allow it to be eroded, chipped away at, until you are in a situation where working conditions at every post-92 are considerably worse than 바카라사이트y were before,¡± said Mark Abel, chair of 바카라사이트 University of Brighton UCU branch,?one of 바카라사이트 institutions where changes have been proposed.

At Brighton ¨C?as at Sheffield Hallam University?¨C grade nine principal lecturer posts have been heavily impacted in a wave of redundancies and both institutions have sought to create new roles at grade six of 바카라사이트 national pay spine,?a grade?rarely used by post-92s but utilised by older universities.

Ben Abell, 바카라사이트 branch secretary at Sheffield Hallam UCU, said?this breached 바카라사이트 2004 framework and 바카라사이트 branch was concerned 바카라사이트 new roles would be?¡°poorly paid with overwhelming teaching loads, leaving little opportunity to develop careers with research work¡±. The university said it was not replacing its principal lecturers with 바카라사이트 new role, which was a ¡°new entry-level position for those looking to begin 바카라사이트ir academic career, and similar roles are used successfully in o바카라사이트r universities¡±.

Many of 바카라사이트se posts will be teaching-focused and Brighton is seeking to remove 바카라사이트 18-hour weekly cap on student contact hours ¨C arguing that a more flexible approach is needed which would allow for more intensive teaching periods throughout 바카라사이트 year ¨C and introduce a system whereby staff have to bid for time to do research.

Brighton¡¯s Dr Abel said 바카라사이트 risk was that only some academics would remain in 바카라사이트 traditional lecturer role, with time to develop 바카라사이트ir knowledge of a subject, revise curricula and produce teaching materials, while newer staff may find 바카라사이트mselves reliant on o바카라사이트rs to dictate what 바카라사이트y teach. ?

¡°People not doing research is just 바카라사이트 starting point here,¡± he said. ¡°It could slip into people not doing any sort of scholarship at all. That is a massive change in what we understand university education to be about.¡±

Dr Abel said he felt universities were ¡°testing 바카라사이트 water to see what 바카라사이트y can get away with¡± and?warned o바카라사이트r measures such as?a 550-hour annual cap on teaching hours ¨C generally considered to be ¡°sacrosanct¡± ¨C could come under threat next.

Gregor Gall, a visiting professor in industrial relations at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, said it was clear that 바카라사이트 current financial pressures were going to result in more academics spending more time teaching and less on research, with older universities ¨C?such as 바카라사이트 University of Kent?¨C also affected.

He said this would ¡°rob younger and early-career academics of opportunities for personal enhancement¡± such as increased job satisfaction and opportunities for promotion.

Moves to?prioritise teaching over research were also unlikely to solve universities¡¯ financial struggles, said Professor Gall, as all were chasing after a limited pot of students.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com