Teaching has long been treated as the poor cousin of higher education. The Universities Accord has the opportunity to change this.
Articles on Academic life
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Fifty to 80% of undergraduate teaching in Australia is done by casual or sessional staff
Academics described their universities as exploitative, oppressive, toxic and fiscally driven. They felt themselves being dehumanised and demoralised by management. Most reported feelings of burnout.
More than 40% of the PhD students we surveyed met criteria for moderate to severe depression or anxiety.
Working from home and performing multiple roles leads to constant guilt, which has personal health consequences for women academics.
The pandemic is forcing many academics to consider their future. These are tough times for universities and many have lost jobs, but those fortunate enough to have a choice should weigh up all options.
Workplace stress among academics has long been higher in Australia and New Zealand than overseas, and research suggests the flow-on impacts on students could fuel a vicious cycle of negative feedback.
These are challenging times for university leaders, and new research shows ‘smart bullies’ are making life even more difficult.
Treating online education as a cheap alternative to lectures will be a mistake. At first universities will probably have to allow more preparation time and invest more in training and technology.
Can college professors rap their way into academic publishing? One professor makes an album to prove they can.
On International Women’s Day, universities should resolve to lead the way in reshaping workplace rituals, rules and routines to advance gender equality and ensure safe workplaces.
Universities have legitimate reasons for employing some staff on casual contracts, but the impacts of the COVID pandemic have brought long-standing problems to a head. Now is the time to act on these.
The rejection culture of academia is damaging. Rejections are inevitable, but there are better ways of managing the process that don’t leave individuals to bear the whole burden of coping.
Researchers will struggle to meet universities’ expectations of engagement beyond academia until this work is better recognised as part of their duties.
Enshrining the Model Code on Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom in legislation won’t ensure disagreements on campus remain civil. Here are some practical guidelines on how to disagree well.
Academic freedom will be defined in law. It will keep universities busy with compliance, but the main outcome is more symbolic: the government can say it has stood up for free speech.
Changes in South Africa’s higher education sector have increased the number and intensity of roles academics take on. This has led to a spike in workload and associated stress.
If South Africa focuses on getting more PhDs, universities will also increase other graduates in the pipeline.
A campus psychologist explains why so many students ask him for help after they’ve failed courses.
Without the support of extended curriculum programmes at universities, many students would face academic exclusion.
Top contributors
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Professor of Higher Education, Rhodes University, South Africa, Rhodes University
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Lecturer in Information Systems, University of Cape Town
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Head AAT & EdTech, UCL
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Honorary Professor of Classics and Ancient History, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland
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Professor, Stellenbosch University
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Senior Research Associate, University of Johannesburg
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PhD Associate, University of Cape Town
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Professor and Consultant in Higher Education, University of Johannesburg
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Associate Professor of Higher Education Studies. Head of Department of the Centre for Higher Education, Research, Teaching and Learning, Rhodes University
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PhD in Anthropology; Student Volunteer Programme Coordinator, Rhodes University
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Professor of Psychology, Cornell University
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Professor of Teaching and Learning, University of Johannesburg
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Associate Professor of Marketing, Cognitive Science, & Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
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Professor of Natural Sciences & Humanities Director of the MFA program in Creative Writing, Department of Philosophy, University of Wyoming
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Academic Staff Development Lecturer, Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town