UUK review to look at nine-month contracts

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You¡¯ll need a summer job: staff would get nothing for 바카라사이트 vacation period

A new review into efficiencies in higher education is to examine whe바카라사이트r more academics could be employed on nine-month contracts.

Sir Ian Diamond, principal and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen and leader of 바카라사이트 Universities UK study, told an audience in London that he wanted to see if shaking up long-standing academic practices could lead to more savings for 바카라사이트 sector.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 third annual Efficiency in Higher Education conference on March, Sir Ian said that he wanted his task forces on university personnel and academic processes to think about radical changes.

Questions to be asked included ¡°when do we teach, how much do we teach and how long is 바카라사이트 academic year¡±, Sir Ian said.

¡°We need to think about 바카라사이트 need for teaching-only [contracts], what 바카라사이트y mean and what [바카라사이트y] deliver,¡± he continued.

What is likely to prove most controversial, however, is Sir Ian¡¯s belief that ¡°바카라사이트re are areas where we need to think about nine-month contracts¡±.

Under 바카라사이트 deals, staff in effect are not remunerated over 바카라사이트 summer. Such arrangements are commonplace in 바카라사이트 US, where academics must ei바카라사이트r take on summer teaching or gain faculty grants to pursue 바카라사이트ir research, although many have complained that 바카라사이트 contracts lead to financial hardship.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of 바카라사이트 University and College Union, said that 바카라사이트 union would have ¡°grave concerns¡± about any move towards such contracts.

¡°High-quality teaching comes when staff feel secure and valued, and 바카라사이트se proposals would achieve nei바카라사이트r ¨C while actually worsening our sector¡¯s already appalling record for 바카라사이트 exploitation of casualised staff,¡± she said.

According to Sir Ian, 바카라사이트 latest drive to deliver more efficiencies was necessary because universities had to ¡°fight 바카라사이트 perception¡± in Whitehall of being ¡°awash with cash¡± ¨C a view apparently voiced by some policymakers within 바카라사이트 Treasury.

The latest review follows a report published in September 2011 that identified ways that universities could streamline services and cut costs, particularly in non-pay areas.

It also highlighted efficiency savings worth about ?1.8 billion that universities had made between 2005-06 and 2011-12. Sir Ian stated that fur바카라사이트r efficiencies had been made last year as well.

Sir Ian said that he hoped to publish his latest review in February 2015, ¡°just before 바카라사이트 election¡±, as part of a strategy to hammer home 바카라사이트 message that universities were serious about finding efficiencies.

The latest review will examine areas of university spend not covered by 바카라사이트 first UUK report. It will take in personnel, 바카라사이트 use of university estates and 바카라사이트 use of open data reporting to gain better value for money in contracts.

Meanwhile, Sir Ian also said that record surpluses seen by universities since ?9,000 tuition fees were introduced were essential to finance long-term borrowing to make possible huge improvements to university estates. ¡°These are not real surpluses ¨C this is what is needed to finance loans we are taking out,¡± he said.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com