Universities key resource (even it top management sometimes seem to deny it) is their staff, you can tell a lot about shifts in activity by the character of staff employed across Higher Education.
In response to shifts in funding, universities are slowly moving more staff on to teaching only contracts while also reducing the number on 'full' academic contracts, (while also keeping more people on temporary contracts).
Its a further intensification of academic work.
@ChrisMayLA6 Finally, there is the problem of downgrading entry-level positions. The standard at my Uni for entry level, start of career positions used to be Grade 8 (junior lecturer/assistant professor level). We are now being told that all business cases for new positions must be submitted at Grade 7.
This comes on top of a by now 2-year promotions freeze, meaning that not only are we recruiting junior staff at a lower, less well paid level, we are also keeping them there for longer.
Thanks for this thread, which I found interesting inasmuch as it confirmed much that was already happening when I retired 5 years ago... my guess is we are seeing a (organic? planned?) re-bificuration of HE, with major research focussed in fewer institutions (including Oxbridge of course) and many other universities (especially the post-92s) become more like the better old Polys - teaching institiutions with pockets of idiosyncratic (but often brilliant) research(ers)!
@ChrisMayLA6 The scary thing is that I work for a THE Top 5 UK Uni and it is happening here. The bifurcation is (also) happening within the staff body of the same institution.
We are essentially creating an new class system with an “academic upper, middle and working class”, depending on the kind of contract you managed to get when you started out. And no guesses what the real life class background (gender, nationality, etc.) of the “academic working class” often is.
@ChrisMayLA6 The upward mobility opportunities that my generation still had are essentially being erased. It is soul-destroying to watch.
I was a “first generation” kid from Germany that ended up - albeit with a lot of detours - teaching at a leading UK University. I used to tell my students my story to show them that it was possible. I don’t anymore because we no longer live in that world. I fear it would deceive them.
as someone who suffered low-level class & age discrimination throughout my career, I'd see it more of a widening of already existing prejudice, but I take you general point...
@EvelineSulman @TheCybermatron
Yes, we're seeing those sorts of Professorships in the UK too (or at least were when I retired, I'm assuming it has continued)
Emeritus Prof Christopher May
Cybermatron
🟥 Eveline Sulman 🇳🇱🇪🇺🇺🇦