Report sheds light on the Twilight Zone of postgraduate employment
15 October 1997
A new joint publication of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) has highlighted the plight of young researchers as they attempt to establish careers in Australia’s higher education system.
A Postgraduate’s Guide to University Employment contains the results of a survey of postgraduate students conducted by CAPA and NTEU, as well as information about the most recent developments in non-continuing employment conditions.
CAPA President Bronwyn Fredericks said that the survey showed that while postgraduate students see university employment as important for their careers, the reality of combining study and work causes significant tensions for many students.
`While most of the respondents state that their postgraduate research has a very positive effect on their job, it doesn’t work the other way. Many complain of not having enough time to give to their study, while experiencing financial and professional pressure to work.’
Ms Fredericks also noted that a high proportion of part-time students - including those who were university staff - were dissatisfied with their access to university resources, and often felt alienated from the university mainstream.
`I hope that university administrators and politicians will read this report, and take heed. It raises a number of issues which CAPA and its constituent organisations will be pursuing.’
NTEU President Carolyn Allport said that the report was partly a response to the increasing use of casual academic staff by Australian universities.
`Universities regard casual staff as a cheap option, ‘ she said. `As funding cuts to the higher education sector bite, there will be pressure to increase the casualisation of the higher education system. Casual employment is insecure by nature, but this insecurity is masked by the fact that students are often employed in the same departments in which they study. Consequently, the relationships between postgraduates and their supervisors can become confused by a parallel employer-employee relationship, and our survey suggests that this can lead to some difficult situations.’
Dr Allport added that the publication was designed to inform postgraduates about the rights they do have as university employees, and demonstrated the Union’s commitment to defending the rights of all employees in the tertiary education sector.’