The Changing Professoriate: On the Edge of Peril or Possibility? Ann E. Austin HERDSA Conference July 5, 2011
Academic Staff at the Heart of the Academy Academic staff: – the ―heart‖ of universities and colleges – the most critical resource – the intellectual capital The quality of the academic staff relates directly to institutional effectiveness. Yet the nature of academic work is changing in significant ways.
A Time of Change The changes underway surpass ―business as usual.‖ ―Colleges and universities now live in a sea of changed expectations…‖ (Newman, Couturier, & Scurry, 2004) ―We are entering a period in which the capacity to nourish and manage change will be one of the most important abilities of all.‖ (Duderstadt, 2000)
Questions this Talk will Address What factors are affecting academic work, academic workplaces, and academic identity? What are the implications of these changes for academic staff and for the academic profession? How can higher education institutions support current and future academics to ensure that their work is characterized by possibility more than peril?
The Changing Context for Academic Work Financial pressures and competition Societal expectations for accountability The changing student body The Information Age and new technologies Societal expectations about work
Factors affecting Academic Work Fiscal Pressures and Increased Competition – Rising costs – Volatility and reductions in government funding – The role of higher education institutions in national economies – International competition — role of rankings Implications – Pressures on staff for heightened productivity – Academic staff must be Flexible Open to change Entrepreneurial and efficient
Factors affecting Academic Work Societal Expectations for Accountability – Demands for greater access, excellent research, engagement, contributions to economic development, and cost-effectiveness – Criticisms from the public – Emphasis on quantifying outcomes Implications – More bureaucracy, diminished power of professoriate – Academic staff must Know how to demonstrate learning outcomes Engage with the public
Factors affecting Academic Work The Changing Student Body – Increasing demand – Increasing diversity among students – Expectations of relevance, convenience, and economy Implications – Academic staff must be skillful in Learning-centered teaching Providing support for the full range of students Assessing student learning outcomes
Factors affecting Academic Work Rise of the Information Age and Expansion of New Technologies – Expansion of knowledge and interdisciplinarity – Many new technologies relevant to research, teaching, and learning Implications – Academic staff must Develop strategies to keep up with knowledge Work across disciplinary lines Learn new technologies Interact through technology Deal with changing workloads
Factors affecting Academic Work Changes in Societal Expectations about Work – Across sectors, employees want balance, flexibility, satisfaction, and meaningfulness. – Other work sectors are developing programs and policies in response to employees’ interests. Implications – New academic staff have differing expectations about work and workplaces.
A Look at Changes in the Academic Career Shift from full-time professoriate to alternative appointment types Growing number of appointments in non- permanent, contract, contingent, or part-time positions Lower salaries, fewer benefits Uncertainty about academic work – Preparation period is long – Salaries not competitive with other professional fields – Skepticism about academic careers
Concerns of Early Career and Prospective Academic Staff Expectations and Evaluation Processes Balancing Work and Personal Responsibilities Collegiality and Community
Concerns about Expectations Unclear, changing, conflicting expectations Insufficient, unfocused, unclear feedback Declining funding opportunities and publication backlogs Interest in more mentoring and coaching
Concerns about Balance Time Pressures: Too many competing tasks Balancing teaching and research Balancing professional and personal life
Concerns about Community Tension between expectations of community and experiences of isolation, competition, and lack of community Academic staff want: – More collegial, supportive environments – More opportunities to collaborate and network – More diverse communities
Given the changes in the context for academic work and the nature of academic work… Is the academic profession on the edge of peril or possibility?
Overall Implications of the Changes affecting Academic Work Escalating pace and expanding workload Sense of declining power and autonomy Challenge of maintaining a sense of academic community Need for continuous professional development Decline of the full-time professoriate and increase in the variety of appointment types
On the Edge of Peril… Fiscal constraints are creating competitive environments that may challenge the spirit of collegiality or diminish respect for those who bring in less revenue. Increasing emphasis on entrepreneurialism and variety of appointment types may affect the institutional commitment of academics. Academic staff are losing power and autonomy in the face of greater regulatory controls and bureaucracy.
On the Edge of Peril… Technology may undermine the ability of academic staff to establish boundaries between their personal and professional lives and may diminish community even as it aids communication. The decline of the full-time professoriate threatens academic quality.
On the Edge of Possibility… The current challenges and pressures may lead to new opportunities for academic careers characterized by… – Opportunities for greater creativity, innovative thinking, and experimentation – More collaboration and collegiality – A more diverse academic workforce – Greater flexibility in the organization of work and academic careers
The question for all of us: How can higher education institutions support current and future academics to ensure that their identity and work as academics, and the academic profession as a whole, are characterized by possibility more than peril?
The Strategic Challenge for Higher Education Institutions The academic staff are central to the quality of higher education institutions and systems. Thus, supporting and investing in the academic staff and in the quality of the academic profession make strategic sense for universities and government leaders.
To Ensure Possibility over Peril Ensure a culture of respect and support for all staff Frame institutional conversations about the nature of the profession and the meaning of academic work Create institutional policies that reflect the characteristics of today’s workplace Prepare future academics ready for the challenges they will face Preserve and adapt the essential elements that historically have defined the academic profession
Essential Elements of Academic Work Flexibility A cademic Employment Freedom & Equity Autonomy Respect Collegiality Professional Growth
Respect The basic human valuing of academic staff for who they are and what they each uniquely contribute to their university. Implications: – Foundational to commitment, creativity, and satisfaction. – Appropriate salaries and benefits – Recognition that academic appointments vary by type and by the balance of teaching and research responsibilities
Professional Growth Opportunities for academic staff to broaden their knowledge, abilities, and skills; experience interesting challenges and opportunities for creativity; and find greater satisfaction in work. Implications: – Professional growth resources (web-based, in- person) – Individualized Growth Plans related to career stage – Mentoring relationships – Departmental leaders committed to professional development and learning
Balance and Flexibility The ability of academic staff members to construct work arrangements to maximize their contributions to their institutions as well as the meaningfulness of their work and personal lives. Implications: – Leaves and career breaks – Support for handling personal responsibilities (e.g., elder care, child care, dual career arrangements)
Collegiality and Community Opportunity to be part of a mutually respectful community of colleagues who value one’s contributions to the institution and feel concern for one’s well-being Implications: – Regular communication about valuing the contributions of all academic staff – Creating occasions and spaces for staff interactions – Opportunities for academics to learn together
Equity The right of all academic staff to receive equitable and respectful treatment according to established standards and practices, and to have access to the tools they need to do their jobs well Implications – The importance of reviewing and implementing policies to ensure equity for all academic staff (across appointment type, gender, etc.)
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