Connect March 2010

CONNECT An NTEU Publication for Casual and Sessional Staff Vol. 3 No. 1, March 2010

Bargaining State of Play

A new fair go Your response sought on a new payment system for marking and other academic duties

Where is your university at in bargaining?

The crisis in education...

It’s not looming, it’s here!

Grand investment How NTEU membership turned $55 into a $1000 payout ISSN 1836-8522 (Print)/ISSN 1836-8530 (Online)

Security stymied Why can’t I find full time employment?

read online at www.unicasual.com.au

Inside Editorial........................................................1 Joining NTEU is an investment for casuals......... 2

Cover image, Rachael Bahl & Patricia Abbott celebrate the casuals’ win at ACU. Photo by Jane Maze.

Connect is a publication of the National Tertiary Education Union. All Rights Reserved 2010.

For more information on Connect and its content please contact the NTEU National Office: Post: Phone: Fax: Email: Web:

PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC 3205 (03) 9254 1910 (03) 9254 1915 national@nteu.org.au www.nteu.org.au www.unicasual.com.au

Local Branch contact details available at: www.unicasual.com.au/contact.html

The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors, and not necessarily the official views of NTEU.

Bargaining: State of play................................ 3

Grahame McCulloch, NTEU General Secretary

Member focus: Roge Mairet............................ 5

Editorial

Member focus: Richard Bailey......................... 6 Why is it so difficult to secure full time employment?................................................ 7 The crisis in education isn’t looming, it’s here... 9 Fair payment for marking and other academic activities: a proposal..................................... 10

Welcome to the 5th edition of Connect, the magazine for casual and sessional staff, produced twice yearly by the National Tertiary Education Union.

NTEU has made the improvement of casual staff pay and conditions a key priority in our negotiations with universities for new

The Insecure Scholar, UK blog........................ 13 Membership Form............................ back cover

Collective Agreements. In particular, the Union has argued strongly for separate payment for all marking performed outside the tutorial or lecture, casual loading of 25%, more secure forms of employment and career paths for casual academic staff and caps on the growth of casual numbers at each university.

We are achieving these claims, and this is in no small part due to the strong support given by ongoing staff in our universities.

I encourage you to make contact with your local NTEU Branch, find out about the

Get Active. Get Covered

campaign to improve working conditions for casual staff, and – if your university is not yet on board – find out how you can get involved to ensure casual staff get a fair deal at your university.

See our national bargaining website for details: www.universitybargaining.com.au.

In accordance with NTEU policy to reduce our impact on the natural environment, this magazine is printed on 100% recycled paper: produced from 65% post-consumer waste and 35% pre-consumer waste.

1

CONNECT

Joining NTEU is a worthwhile investment for casuals

By Dr Jenny Chesters As casual tutor at the University of Queensland (UQ), I had been an inactive member of the NTEU for a couple years before attending a collective bargaining claims meeting early in 2008. When the time came to make suggestions for the ‘wish list’, I raised my hand and asked, quite naïvely, that tutors be paid for marking assignments. The reaction in the room was one of horror - utter disbelief that a casual tutor would not be paid for marking assignments. When I mentioned that the School that employed me regarded the marking of assignments as ‘associated duties’, the room erupted into howls of laughter.

The Branch Organiser, Michael McNally, as-

Eventually, I received an email from the

most vulnerable staff- casual tutors, ses-

sured me that the current Enterprise Agree-

Head of School acknowledging that the

sional lecturers, casual research assistants,

ment made clear provision for tutors to be

School had made an error in its interpreta-

in fact anyone employed in a precarious

paid for marking assignments and that the

tion of ‘associated duties’. I was assured

manner. Trusting management to ‘do the

School was misinterpreting ‘associated du-

that the problem was being rectified and

right thing’ got me nowhere, trusting the

ties’. Furthermore, the NTEU would happily

that in future all tutors in the School would

NTEU to do their job did.

pursue a claim for back pay on my behalf.

be paid for marking assignments and that

I decided to approach the Head of School directly to discuss the situation in the hope that there would be an acknowledgement of the error and that restitution would be paid. The Head of School agreed to check the School’s interpretation of ‘associated

I consider my membership fees for the NTEU as a worthwhile investment: $55/semester returned a dividend of almost $1000 in back pay.

duties’. After a few weeks, I received an email assuring me that the School’s interpretation was correct.

Not happy with this response, I contacted

Currently, the NTEU is, among other things, negotiating with the University in regard to casuals’ pay and conditions.

One of the most contentious issues in these negotiations has been the removal of the term ‘associated duties’ from the Agreement. As my case proves, this term can easily be misinterpreted leading to

my claim for back pay would be settled.

vulnerable staff being exploited- a situa-

I consider my membership fees for the

tion that should not be allowed to happen

NTEU as a worthwhile investment: $55/se-

again. By joining the NTEU, casual staff, for

the NTEU UQ Branch office and asked

mester returned a dividend of almost $1000

a small investment, can ensure that they are

Michael to pursue a claim for back pay on

in back pay. As far as I am aware, even

protected from ‘misinterpretations’.

my behalf. He indicated that we would

though the School acknowledged that it

need to provide proof of my employment

had misinterpreted ‘associated duties’, no

as a tutor. I had kept meticulous records

other tutors were compensated for mark-

of not only each tutorial class, but each

ing assignments prior to the NTEU’s action.

assignment that I had marked. Armed with

Jenny is no longer employed by the School in question and has taken up a full-time fixedterm appointment at another university.

I am sharing this story with you to high-

my spreadsheets, Michael was able to

light the important role that the NTEU plays

construct a pretty compelling case.

in protecting the rights of the University’s

Semester 1, 2010

2

Bargaining State of Play These tables provide a point-in-time snapshot of where bargaining is at, at each Australian university.

It is not possible to provide full details of each of the new Agreements here. However, should you want further information about your new rights as a casual employee (in the case where your university has reached Agreement), or if you want information about the status of bargaining and why your university has been slow to offer improved conditions for casual staff, please contact with your local NTEU Branch.

See www.nteu.org.au for Branch contact details.

KEY

 Claim achieved

 Claim rejected or stalled ? Claim under serious negotiation

? Claim largely settled with some detail in dispute

FINALISED AGREEMENTS Institution

Annual wage growth

25% Loading

Separate Pay for Marking

Early Career Development Fellowships

Limits on Casual Numbers

Other/Notes

UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

5.1%







1

• Casual service to count for all service.

EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY

4.7%

1. Casual academic staff to make up no more than 5% of face to face teaching hours at Level B and above.

2

3



4

• Paid induction programs for casuals.

• Access to facilities for casuals.

2. 24% from the first pay period after 1 January 2010; 25% from the first pay period after 1 January 2011.

3. University has agreed to introduce separate pay for marking after 1 June 2012 4. Number of casual academic staff will not increase as a proportion of the total full-time number of academic staff

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY

4.2%





5

6

• Research only employment to be offered on a fixed-term employment basis rather than as casual employment.

• NTEU and LTU will convene Working Party on Academic Casual Employment.

5. At least 20 full time Level A academic positions as ECDFs 6. 5% reduction of proportion of staff employed as casuals

UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA

4.3%





7

8

• Access to facilities for casuals 7. Minimum of 2 teaching fellowship positions in each of 2010, 2011 and 2012 to be filled by existing academic casual employees.

8. Level of casual academic employment will not rise during the term of Agreement.

MONASH UNIVERSITY

4.1%

9



10

11

9. 24% in 2010, 25% from 2011.

10. 25 Level A academic positions as ECDFs. 11. Target reduction of 5% of proportion of casual sessional staff.

RMIT UNIVERSITY

4.4%





12

13

• Casual academic staff paid to attend School/Departmental meetings.

• Casual academic employees able to apply for internal funding opportunities.

• Paid induction for casuals.

• Access to facilities for casuals.

• Conversion process for casual academics.

• Establish some intellectual property provisions for casuals.

12. 12 full time ECDFs each year, over life of Agreement 13. Uni will not use casual employment in circumstances which require significant numbers of hours per week for the conduct of long term regular and systematic work

SWINBURNE

4%





14

15

• University will provide staffing data.

• 2 days unpaid carer’s leave.

14. 10 - 16 full time level A academic positions as ECDFs 15. Uni will reduce the number of casual positions as a proportion of total full-time academic staff by 1% over life of agreement

3

CONNECT

AGREEMENTS YET TO BE FINALISED Institution

Annual Wage Growth

25% casual loading

Pay for marking

Limits on casual numbers

More secure jobs

Heads of Agreement JCU

4.9%









DEAKIN

4%









Close to Settlement 5.5%









CURTIN General

4.8%



n/a

n/a

n/a

CURTIN Academic

4.6%





?



CQU

4.3%







?

Institution

Annual Wage Growth

25% casual loading

Pay for marking

Limits on casual numbers

More secure jobs

Bargaining in Early Stages ACU

2.5% admin









Negotiations Continuing QUT

4.7%





?



UNSW Academic

2.7% admin



?

?

?

MELBOURNE

4.5%







?

UNSW General

2.7% admin



n/a

n/a

n/a

MURDOCH Academic

4.3%– 6.3%





?

?

USQ

2.3% admin

?

?



?

MURDOCH General

4.3%– 6.3%



n/a

n/a

n/a

WOLLONGONG

3% admin

?

?

?

?

UNE Academic

4.3%









USC

2.4% admin



?

?

?

GRIFFITH

4.3%

?

?

?



MACQUARIE

no offer

?

?

?

?

CSU

4.3%





?

?

NEWCASTLE

no offer









UQ

4.1%







 UTS

FLINDERS

3.8%

?

?

?







no offer





SCU

3.5%



?

?

?

UniSA

3.5%

?

?





UTAS

3.4%







?

ADELAIDE

3.3%









CDU

6.6%*









ANU

4.5%*









UWA

4.1%*









VU

2.7%*





?



* In original one-year 2009 Agreement

Semester 1, 2010

Photos by Bill Danby

UWS Academic

4

Member focus

Roge Mairet CME, Macquarie University

“

Never having been actively involved in such an intense process as enterprise bargaining, I am left in awe of the people who give of their time and commitment on behalf of their workmates to secure the best and fairest possible outcome in workplace conditions! My involvement in the year-long process, as the spokesperson for sessional staff at the Centre for Macquarie English (CME), was to be present at nearly all the meetings throughout the year which gave me an insight into how much dedication, commitment, respect for each other and sense of humour were needed on both sides of the table to reach a conclusion which was satisfactory to all.

As a result of bargaining, the sessional teachers at CME have new sessional pay scales, with the opportunity to move higher up the pay scale as a result of an increase in their academic qualifications or with added years of teaching at the Centre. The steps are

in all of us being better off than before and those who have been teaching at CME for a considerable period of time are, in some cases, significantly better off!

One issue that was not able to be agreed upon was the 25% leave loading, which we were hoping to achieve like all other centres – we are now on 24% to the end of December 2010 and then move to 25% from January 2011. In light of the salary increases that we have all been offered, we saw that this was a time for compromise.

I would like to pay tribute to NTEU Industrial Officer, Lance Dale, and local delegates, Mary Cayley, Carol Floyd and Heather Holliday for their guidance and goodwill throughout the negotiation period and on behalf of all sessional staff, a huge thank you to you all!

Roge Mairet is a sessional staff member at CME, Macquarie University, and an NTEU member.

initially calculated on the sessional teacher’s past experience and qualifications, which are issues that had not been taken into account in the previous Agreement. Sessional pay scales now result

get connect online read this magazine as an e-book or pdf @ www.unicasual.com.au

CASUAL?

SESSIONAL? NTEU is the union for all university staff NTEU understands casual academic work usually isn’t all roses. Casuals have no job security and often face problems like underpayment, poor facilities and little collegial and professional recognition.

Get Active.

Get Covered.

5

CONNECT

www.

unicasual .com.au

Member focus

Richard Bailey University of Sydney

“

Casuals at Sydney Uni secured some important gains in the bargaining campaign in 2009. We finally won separate pay for all marking that takes place outside of the tute or lecture. Previously teaching contracts would usually include a certain amount of marking in the hourly rate per class.

Unfortunately we were not able to secure increases in the number of paid preparation hours per class. Currently at Sydney Uni tutors get three-times the hourly rate for the first tutorial and two-times for repeats. But of course this doesn’t cover all the time it takes to prepare and administer classes and respond to student enquires. Our initial claim included demands to increase these rates but we were not able to win those. Hopefully future bargain-

In other words a lot of our marking work was effectively unpaid.

ing rounds can return to this issue to further minimise unpaid work

Now all marking will be paid separately unless it is done in class

done by casual tutors and give us adequate time to deliver high

time. This is a win for casual teachers but also for students. With

quality teaching.

so much unpaid time expected of casual teaching staff there is

The NTEU casuals’ campaign also succeeded in

constant pressure to get preparation and marking done as quickly

winning further caps on the numbers of casual staff.

as possible. This not only puts huge time stress on teachers but

With an increasing trend to casualisation across the

ultimately damages teaching quality.

sector these caps are all the more critical.

Richard Bailey is a casual academic at the University of Sydney and an NTEU member.

Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations CAPA is Australia’s national voice on postgraduate issues.

CAPA communicates the interests and perspectives of postgraduate students to the Federal Government, Federal Opposition and minor parties, and higher education peak bodies.

Whereas local postgrad associations provide essential representation and services at the campus level, CAPA develops policy based on the issues raised by PGSAs and in consultation with these affiliates.

Three recent achievements directly attributable to CAPA’s efforts include: • Securing a 10% increase to APAs. • Ensuring that scholarship holders received the Stimulus Package payments.

• Ensuring that Masters degree students are eligible for Austudy and Youth Allowance.

CAPA’s priorities for 2010 include: • The Research Workforce Campaign – lobbying against the increasing casualisation of the academic workforce, for improvements to wages, conditions, training and support for casual academics, and for improvements to support, resources and facilities for postgraduates.

• Continued efforts to represent international postgraduates on issues around welfare, course quality, visa restrictions and national representation.

• The sustainability of student services, many of which are provided by student associations, and continued lobbying for the government to pass the Student Services and Amenities Bill.

www.capa.edu.au

Semester 1, 2010

6

Why is it so difficult to secure full time employment?

By an anonymous casual university employee

I have been working as a casual at various universities in New South Wales and Victoria for the last 7 years. While I am never short of casual work (I receive very good student feedback and so forth) and while I have numerous publications, securing full-time employment has been difficult, even where I have been well qualified for the positions I apply for. Indeed I have seen less qualified people and people who have not met selection criteria as well as I have be given preference for reasons that would seem hard to justify, particularly given the fact that we are supposedly operating according to EEO principles (we need greater transparency of process in recruitment and tighter EEO compliance mechanisms; this will help to ease the doubts I have regularly heard in regard to placements in the Australian tertiary sector). It seems that, while people like me are regularly utilised by the universities for teaching purposes, when it comes to employing a full time staff member quite often we see international candidates, often with limited teaching experience, being given preference.

Of course this does reflect the ‘research’

ate from an American program to a recent

orientation of contemporary universities.

graduate of an Australian program is like

But it is unfair for the following reasons.

comparing apples and oranges.

Building a research profile

Stability

Many international candidates are given

Many successful international candidates

a lot more time and scope in their post-

pass in and out of our system quickly

graduate work to build a strong research

and seem to take up positions in Aus-

profile. This is particularly the case with

tralia as a stepping-stone to something

candidates from the top American uni-

‘better’, particularly something ‘better’

versities who can spend twice as long in

back home. As such the Australian tertiary

graduate education than their Australian

sector is something of a half-way-house

counterpart and often have more publica-

and is perhaps seen that way by these

tions to their names. Indeed the universi-

candidates.

Self-interest Sometimes, the hiring of these international candidates is motivated more by the

ties actively facilitate their grad students

already working in Australia than a desire to get the best person into the job. Or to do what is best in the long term for either their departments or the students who pass through that department.

What is in the strategic interests of a single academic is not necessarily in the best interests of a department or its students.

Finding a balance

candidates but also a) expensive in terms

If you come out of your PhD needing work

of recruitment (think about relocation

and wanting to work as an academic, you

due to the constraints placed on our PhD

expenses alone) and b) disruptive for

often take up casual employment. If it is

students (particularly completion times).

students - and so is poor pedagogical

lecturing then you spend most of your

Indeed prior to commencing my PhD one

practice. Having a stable department/

semester rushing to prepare your weekly

senior academic advised me that, if I could

school whose members are committed to

lectures and tutorials. If you are working on

afford to do so, I would be much better

the long term good of that department/

any more than one course, so as to have a

situated job wise if I undertook my PhD in

school ought to be more important than it

livable income, this makes doing your own

the US. Here comparing a recent gradu-

seems to be.

research almost impossible.

building these profiles.

Ours are not as proactive in that regard

7

This is not only discouraging for local

personal interests of full-time academics

CONNECT

Further, because full-time positions often require a strong research record, by taking up these casual jobs you actually make it harder to get a job, because you spend all of your time prepping up for teaching.

If you can afford to take a couple of years off work to build up a strong research profile you may be able to overcome this but for some people this is not an option (think about single parents and those with families) and so leads to inequality.

Taking up the casual work opportunities that the Australian tertiary sector

Corruption and cronyism I have experienced numerous instances of corruption and cronyism in terms of hiring in my discipline. This is very discouraging to those candidates who spend a great deal of time and energy in writing up applications for jobs they never really have a chance of getting anyway.

It is simply unethical to allow people to spend days writing such an application if they do not, in fact, have a real

that there are many casuals out there who have experienced something similar.

Over the last decade or so work conditions in the Australian university sector have changed, more and more we see undergraduate courses taught by casual staff while full-time staff devote more and more of their time to research. While this does create great opportunities for those who are fresh out of their post-graduate work to build up teaching profiles we

chance.

offers, while very useful in terms of the

also need to be proactive about helping Every time I have experienced this I have had to ask myself, is it worth risking research opportunities for current full-time

your career to blow the whistle here? Every

staff, can put Australian casuals on the

time I answer that question in the nega-

back foot. We are teaching so they can

tive. This is appalling; it creates space for

research, we sacrifice our research so they

corruption and cronyism and undermines

don’t have to teach, as such greater em-

the EEO ethos leaving the latter to appear

phasis on placing these Australian casuals

as an obstacle to be worked around rather

would only seem just.

than a principle of just employment. I fear

our local casuals transit into full-time positions. This will help to ease stratification and elitism within the university sector, help demonstrate respect and inclusion, help to build a ‘community’ of scholars and lastly lead to greater equality in employment.

Anonymous casual employee

Semester 1, 2010

8

The crisis in education isn’t looming, it’s here

By Tammi Jonas If universities ever really were ‘hotbeds of Marxists’, that time has well and truly passed. The managers of our universities appear to be inured to the ethical, cultural and political implications of a refusal to pay fair wages for labour, instead reducing remuneration to a purely economic rationale. This is nowhere so apparent as in the situation of casual academic staff in universities, where exploitation is rife and examples of under-paid or even unpaid labour are abundant. As a generation of the academic workforce approaches retirement and the emerging workforce is disenfranchised, speculation about a “looming crisis” belies the crisis that is already upon us.

Across the sector, many tutors receive no

ventures than on universities’ moral obliga-

built upon research portfolios. As a conse-

training as teachers, no office space, no pay

tions. The central role of governance in

quence, many students will never be taught

to attend meetings with subject coordina-

maintaining an ethical vision within practical

by Australia’s leading intellectuals, and will

tors or sit in on lectures, and — in the worst

constraints is too often forgotten.

more often be taught by passionate and

examples — no pay to mark assignments.

Australian higher education institutions

It is therefore notable that across Australian

must learn to distinguish between sustain-

universities approximately 50 per cent of

able governance and the governance of

If everyone in a position to hire staff

teaching is now carried out by casuals.

contingency, where risk is distributed as a

insisted that casuals be paid for all hours

It’s easy to blame the government, which

and dismally paid — casual staff.

new form of class relation. Currently, casu-

worked, management would be forced to

now provides just 44 per cent of higher

als bear the most risk: literally, will I have a

take note. Many, but not all, senior academ-

education budgets. Ultimately, however,

job next semester? Senior academics carry

ics already do this, or pay for the shortfall

we must ask university leaders to account

a lesser, but nonetheless notable, load: will

in central funding through their grants.

for the ways in which they are prioritising

I get another research grant? Managers, on

Each such ethical engagement between

their — admittedly limited — funds. Given

the other hand, have more or less perma-

members of the university community is a

that Australia sits near the bottom of inter-

nent positions. Sustainable governance

step forward as we assert our individual

national comparisons of staff and student

would mean investing in people to help

and collective agency. So instead of allow-

satisfaction levels, in company with China

them become world class academics —

ing disenchantment at an untenable state

and Portugal, it seems we have a serious

not using academics and young scholars

of affairs drive us further into cynicism and

problem — and it’s not just the economy

as a resource to sell the corporate brand

disengagement, it’s time we radicalised

(stupid).

image of a university.

our participation in the academy. As we

Historically, university councils, charged

Meanwhile, students are paying increas-

make our voices heard, governance bod-

with the direction and superintendence of

ingly high fees based on the reputations

ies may eventually find the political will to

their universities, might have played the

of universities, which are largely earned by

reengage with discussions of ethical and

role of university super-ego. But as the

the research output of senior academics —

democratic participation in higher educa-

sector becomes increasingly corporatised,

who in turn are using grant money to buy

tion. Until they do, students and staff alike

its governance bodies are focusing more

their way out of teaching in order to focus

can expect little change to the status quo.

on the bottom line and risky commercial

on maintaining international reputations

This is an edited excerpt of an article that first appeared in New Matilda: http://newmatilda.com/2009/12/16/ crisis-education-isnt-looming-its-here

Tammi Jonas is National President of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA). In 2008, she was President of the University of Melbourne Postgraduate Association (UMPA, now the GSA). She is a PhD Candidate at the University of Melbourne whose thesis is provisionally titled From Gastronomic Multiculturalism to Cosmopolitanism: Exploring Melbourne’s Foodways. She is also the mother of three food adventuring, politically engaged, young children.

9

intelligent — but pedagogically untrained

CONNECT

Further Reading Melissa Gregg has already eloquently detailed the reasons why academia is no longer a smart choice in New Matilda: http://newmatilda.com/2009/11/24/academia-no-longer-smartchoice Australia’s leading higher education institutes have released a full report on challenges facing the academic workforce: http://www.educationalpolicy.org/pdf/CAP_Australian_briefing_paper.pdf The RED Report: the contribution of sessional teachers to higher education: http://hdl.handle.net/10096/5020

Fair payment for marking and other academic activities A proposal and call for responses

By Dr Neville Knight and Lucinda Horrocks Dr Neville Knight and Lucinda Horrocks are sessional tutors in the Faculty of Arts and Education at Deakin University. They have developed a new set of principles for fair payment for marking for casual teachers and have successfully argued for those principles to be adopted as union policy by their local NTEU branch. In this article, they argue for fair payment to casual teachers for academic activities outside the classroom, outline their new approach to payment for marking, and call for responses from academics working in different disciplines in universities around Australia.

Recent Collective Agreements have

To many new casual teachers, the tutorial

commonly defined in Collective Agree-

recognised that marking done outside

rate seemed an attractive deal, with an

ments through the definition of:

the classroom by casual teachers must be

impressive ‘hourly’ payment. That was until

• The tutorial task and what is involved in

separately paid. But getting acknowledge-

they started teaching and found that under

‘associated work’ duties included in the

ment for separate marking in a Collective

old agreements ‘associated work’ could

standard tutorial payment.

Agreement is only part of the battle. The

mean that casual teachers were expected,

assumptions and calculations that form the

without additional payment, to respond

what conditions marking shall be paid

basis of the hourly marking rate should also

to an endless stream of emails, phone and

separately outside the standard tutorial

be specified in Collective Agreements.

face-to-face consultations with students

Casual teachers need to get fair payment

and staff, and mark assignments completed

for the marking they do.

outside classes. This is in addition to any

‘other academic duties’, common tasks

preparation they may have undertaken to

which teachers may be asked to under-

sional academics, we have been work-

teach their classes. In many places, employ-

take and which are considered to fall

ing to develop a system of payment

ers even tried to argue they shouldn’t pay

outside the standard tutorial payment.

for marking which takes into account all

separately for casual teachers to attend

Since 2007, NTEU has campaigned for

stages – including the time-consuming

meetings, lectures and seminars relevant

better work conditions for casual teach-

administration and processing of results.

to the course. Many found that they were

ers. The 2009-2010 ‘Our Universities Matter’

But we need your advice. How long does

working associated hours far exceeding

collective bargaining campaign included

marking actually take in your discipline at

the two hours allocated. In some cases,

key claims to pay casual teachers for all

your university? How can marking pay-

casual teachers with large, busy classes, on-

duties performed and hours worked, and

ment systems be developed that are easy

erous duties and substantial marking loads

for separate pay for marking. This campaign

for universities to implement and yet pay

found they were working for hourly rates

has had some effect. To date, several uni-

casual teachers fairly for the work they

below the lowest minimum award wage in

versity Collective Agreements have created

do? Please let us know.

the country.

or updated their provisions for separate

As casual members of NTEU and ses-

A history of poor payment

A major part of the problem for casual

• What is involved in marking and under

payment.

• ‘Other required academic activities’ or

payment for marking completed outside

teachers has been that the tasks they were

the classroom. At the time of writing,

Casual tutors at most Australian universities

expected to perform outside of their actual

Monash, La Trobe, Edith Cowan, Swinburne

are paid a flat rate per teaching hour that

contact teaching hours have been poorly

and Victoria Universities, and the University

comprises 1 hour of delivery and 2 hours

defined and poorly understood. Thus, as

of Ballarat, have specified in their Collective

of associated work (or 1 hour of associated

class sizes have got larger, many casual

Agreements that marking undertaken out-

work if it is a repeat class). Under the old

teachers have found their duties expand-

side the classroom must be paid separately.

Collective Agreements, ‘associated work’

ing with no equivalent increase in payment.

referred to class preparation, and ‘reasona-

Currently, there are three ways in which

Some universities have also taken steps to define and tighten what is and is not

bly contemporaneous marking and student

academic activities or duties of casual

included as part of the ‘associated work’

consultation’.

teachers that fall outside the classroom are

requirement related to tutorials. None of

continued next page...

Semester 1, 2010

10

these definitions, at the time of writing,

is in the details. The way the hourly rate of

include any limitation on class sizes or

payment for marking is calculated is not

system can’t cope with other forms of as-

what is considered to be a reasonable

usually specified in Collective Agreements.

sessment that don’t involve written copy.

amount of external consultation by casual

Commonly, it has been left to department

Some assignments involve performances,

teachers. Most universities have specified

or discipline heads to determine how

presentations, or practical demonstrations

lists of what should be considered ‘other

many assignments a person can mark in

outside the classroom. Groups may under-

required academic activities’, payable

an hour. This has led to marking formulas,

take assignments, and both individual and

outside the standard tutorial rate. Usually

which have been extremely inequitable.

collective feedback may be required. How

they include tasks such as performances

In arts-based disciplines, payment is often

are casual teachers to be paid for their as-

and practical demonstrations, developing

based on a simple words-per-hour rate. For

sessment of such academic work? In sum,

curriculum, student consultation that is not

example, at Deakin University the Arts and

the words-per-hour payment system is out

reasonably contemporaneous with classes, supervision, and attendance at faculty meetings. These ‘other required activities’ lists, while helpful, often leave loopholes for exploitation of casual teachers. We believe

of step with changes in assessment

The time taken for administrative and feedback tasks does not get shorter as assignments get shorter.

This is assumed in the words-per-hour payment system and is a fundamental flaw of the approach.

casual teachers should be separately

practice and pedagogy at universities where the trend is for short upfront assignments and more diverse types of assessment. Our fear is that universities who now have to pay for separate marking will uncritically

paid for such academic activities as attend-

Education Faculty assumes that assessors

adopt the unfair words-per-hour payment

ance at meetings called by a course or

can mark 4000 words per hour, irrespective

system. This is why we have proposed an

subject coordinator, for instance, to discuss

of the nature or length of the assignment.

alternative.

approaches to teaching and moderation

There are problems with basing a payment

of assessed assignments, and attendance

system on this assumption.

Proposal for fairer payment Our proposal moves away from an exclu-

at lectures or seminars that form part of a

The words-per-hour payment system

course. We also believe that there should

works reasonably well with assignments

sively words-per-hour payment system

be a minimum of 2 hours payment to allow

longer than 3000 words but does not work

for determining marking payments and

for travel and inconvenience to casual

for short assignments. For instance, this

provides a marking payment system which

teachers. The identification of the range

system insists that you can mark a 500-word

recognises that the process of marking is

of ‘other academic activities’ relevant to

paper from start to finish in 7.5 minutes.

divided into three stages:

particular disciplines and situations is an

Anyone who has marked assignments

ongoing task. It is best addressed through

knows it is impossible to read a 500-word

observing, comprehension and evaluation

cooperative discussion between discipline

paper, give evaluative comments, process

of the assessment written, presented or

heads, academic staff and casual teachers.

the mark and pick up and drop off the as-

performed.

Existing unfair systems

signment, all in 7.5 minutes. The reason the words-per-hour payment system doesn’t

evaluative comments or providing oral

It is a great step forward that many uni-

work for short assignments is because

feedback to students about ways their as-

versities have agreed to pay for marking

it doesn’t acknowledge the other time-

signments can be improved.

separately. But getting acknowledgement

consuming stages of assessment: provid-

Stage 3: Administration and processing

for separate marking pay in a Collective

ing feedback to students and processing

results: Picking up and returning or down-

Agreement is only part of the battle. Casual

results. Administration and processing

loading and uploading assignments, and

teachers need to get fair pay for the mark-

results can involve picking up, dropping

recording, processing and checking results.

ing they do. There is an immediate danger

off, downloading and uploading assign-

The payment for marking should be cal-

to casual teachers’ position that is related

ments, and recording results in a central

culated by adding the time taken for each

to the recently won concessions. There

repository. The time to do these tasks, and

stage of the marking process and multiply-

are flaws in current payment systems for

to give evaluative comments, is about

ing the total time arrived at in hours by the

marking, and we propose a new and fairer

the same irrespective of the assignment’s

hourly rate. Payment would be calculated

payment system for marking assignments.

length. The time taken for administrative

on a per assignment basis (or per assign-

Many universities already have payment

Stage 1: Evaluation: Reading, listening or

Stage 2: Providing feedback: Writing

and feedback tasks does not get shorter as

ment and per student, for group assign-

systems in place for marking assignments

assignments get shorter. This is assumed in

ments). Different types of assignments may

outside the classroom. Most agreements

the words-per-hour payment system and is

be paid different amounts, based on an

specify that casual teachers will be paid a

a fundamental flaw of the approach.

estimate of the time taken for each stage

certain hourly rate for marking. But the devil

11

In addition, the words-per-hour payment

CONNECT

of the assessment process for a standard

PROPOSED MARKING GUIDELINES FOR DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT TYPES Stage 1:Evaluation

+

Stage 2: Provide feedback

+

Stage 3: Administration and processing

+

Total assessment time in min

Complex written assignment which requires evaluative feedback

3000 words/hr

+

15 min/ assignment

+

5 min/assignment

=

or 12 pages/hr

(Word length/3000) x 60 + 20 min/assignment

e.g. 2000 word essay

40 min/essay

15 min/essay

5 min/essay

60 min/essay

500 word market analysis paper

10 min/paper

15 min/paper

5 min/paper

30 min/paper

5 page laboratory report

25 min/report

15 min/report

5 min/report

+

5000 words/hr

e.g. 1000 word simple translation

12 min/paper

5 min/paper

5 min/paper

22 min/paper

20 question quiz

7 min/quiz

5 min/quiz

5 min/quiz

17 min/quiz

100 question maths test

33 min/test

5 min/test

5 min/test

or

5 min/ assignment

+

45 min/report

Simple written assignment where a template is used to mark and provide feedback or a simple correct/incorrect response is determinable

5 min/assignment

=

(Word length/5000) x 60 + 10 min/assignment or (No. questions/180) x 60 + 10 min/assignment

180 questions/hr

+

Length of performance(s)

e.g. 20 min wind quintet recital

20 min

15 min/student

5 min/student

20 min + 100 min

90 min play, cast of 12

90 min

15 min/student

5 min/student

90 min + 240 min

10 min short film, 3 students in credits

10 min

15 min/student

5 min/student

Handwritten exam paper (Assume that a 1 hr handwritten exam paper is equivalent to 1000 words.)

3000 words/hr

+

e.g. 1 hour handwritten exam paper

20 min/handwritten exam paper

15 min/student

Nil

Nil

+

43 min/test

Drama or music performance or film which requires evaluative feedback

+

5 min/student

=

Length of performance + 20 min/student

10 min + 60 min

5 min/paper

=

5 min/handwritten exam paper

(Word length/3000) x 60 + 5 min/paper 25 min/handwritten exam paper

Note: Second marking of failed pieces of assessment are to be treated for payment purposes in the same way as for first marking.

of that assignment. Complex assignments

would be appropriate to have NTEU repre-

would be paid at a higher hourly rate of

sentation at these meetings.

pay than simple assignments. The table

To provide guidance to those who will

• Are there any administrative difficulties in implementing a marking payment system of the kind proposed? Are there

below provides some examples of how

be responsible for determining fair pay-

the system would work. The appropriate

ment rates for marking, we have drafted

payment for an essay, for example, would

some standards for different types of as-

be determined by adding the evaluative

sessment and estimated the time required

ate awareness and acceptance of this

time (calculated on a words-per-hour basis)

in marking them. But this is where we need

payment system?

to the feedback time and the processing

your help. We are now grappling with

time converted to hours and multiplying

some outstanding questions and would ap-

casual representatives work cooperatively

that figure by the appropriate hourly rate.

preciate some input. Our questions are:

to address the issues we have raised in

• Look at the table below. Does it make

this article, we believe that there is a good

Since university departments who

ways in which we can overcome these difficulties?

• What should the next steps be to gener-

If discipline heads, academic staff and

pay for marking already apply different

sense? Is our proposed marking system

chance of putting together a fair and

formulas when paying casual teachers for

fair? Do our proposed times in the table

equitable system of payment for marking

marking (for example, payment for exams

below reflect your experience? How

and other academic activities relevant to

are determined differently from essays),

long does marking actually take in your

particular university situations.

it is reasonable to propose a new set of standard assignment types which can then

discipline at your university?

• What are the different types of assign-

be converted into formulas. That is what

ment you are required to mark in your

we have done. We are open to sugges-

discipline?

tions about other ways in which this could be done.

In order for this payment system to be

• How can we incorporate group assignment marking and other types of assessment into the payment system?

implemented, faculties will need to have

How should we account for the extra

periodic meetings of discipline heads,

time plagiarism investigations add to the

academics and casual representatives, to

marking process?

compile a payment system recognising

• How can marking payment systems be

all three stages of the assessment process

developed that are easy for universities

and to develop standard assessment types

to implement and yet pay casual teach-

which are appropriate to the disciplines. It

ers fairly for the work they do?

Thanks for reading this. We look forward to hearing from you.

To provide a response to these proposals, please contact Neville Knight nhknight@gmail.com or Lucinda Horrocks lucindah@tpg.com.au Dr Neville Knight was formerly a senior lecturer in sociology at Monash University and has undertaken academic contract and sessional work at Deakin and other universities for many years.

Lucinda Horrocks is a video producer, freelance writer and researcher. She has undertaken academic contract and sessional work at Deakin University for many years.

Semester 1, 2010

12

UK: The Insecure Scholar, blogging about casual university life Britain’s Times Higher Education launched a weekly blog in 2009 detailing the daily struggles, petty indignities and insecurities of academic life on casual contracts. The blog now enjoys wide readership and a lively comments section. Reprinted here is one of the entries.

For the full list of blog entries, visit www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=410308

A faint whiff of security 9 February 2010 A positive start at a new university makes the possibility of finding

a considerable period. The point is that it wasn’t really cut out to

the dream job more believable

accommodate me; the department was large, highly successful in

I am now institutionalised again. Following the end of my re-

ally known professors. The truth is that it didn’t really need me and

at another one. It’s a relief to know that I will not need to suffer the

even when I brought in some money, it was a drop in the ocean

awkwardness of being unaffiliated and describing myself as an “in-

compared with the large grants the department routinely attracts.

dependent (ie, unemployed) scholar”. The position doesn’t come

In contrast, my new home is in a relatively small university. The

with a salary of course, but it does make it more likely that I will at

department has some notable names but it has also been through

some point be gainfully employed again.

a certain amount of restructuring and turmoil. It has plenty of other

Last week I had lunch with senior figures in my new department

honorary fellows and ambiguously employed staff members. They

and it was a very positive experience. When I joined my previous

are used to working and teaching unconventionally. In short, the

university, nothing like this happened. As I explained in last week’s

department seems to be well set up to accommodate an insecure

column, they were happy to have me there but they didn’t show

scholar.

any particular interest in me and in integrating me into departmen-

I’ll leave it to participants in the comment thread to debate

tal life. At my new home though, there seems to be a real enthusi-

whether all universities should be structured this way. It is true

asm for me to contribute to the university beyond simply applying

though that for all the flexibility and openness of my new home,

for grants.

many of the fundamental problems of insecure scholarship remain:

So I’m pleased to say that I now have some teaching lined up.

I have no steady income and all the supportiveness doesn’t re-

It’s not much – some postgraduate seminars and a lecture – and

move the fact that I will be dependent on success in research grant

one of the sessions will be unpaid, but it is something. Teaching will

applications to earn a living.

allow me to get my feet under the table, demonstrate what I can

All that said, my first week in my new post has given me the con-

do and be useful. The head of department is also happy for me to

fidence to dare to articulate to myself what it is that I really want.

take courses for free from the higher education teaching course

It’s strange but I don’t think that I’ve shared it yet in these columns,

and this will enable me to become a fellow of the Higher Educa-

so here goes: given my poor health, what I want is a flexible yet

tion Academy should I wish to.

permanent position with the full range of academic responsibilities

We also had a productive conversation about research grant applications. It looks like I will be developing a proposal with a

that is not 100 per cent full time.

Over the past few months I’d given up on this dream. I’ve

senior member of the department. I’ve also been introduced to

veered wildly between gritting my teeth and applying for full-time

other department members with whom I could potentially hook up

jobs (hoping that I’d be able to negotiate something that would

regarding ongoing research bids.

take into account my disability), accepting that I will always be

I am thrilled at the interest in me and my work that senior

insecurely employed and trying to find work outside the academy.

members of the department have demonstrated. Again, this is

Now I am wondering whether the dream of a secure job that takes

in marked contrast to my previous department where I mostly

into account my health may be possible after all.

worked with much more junior figures who were unable to give me the support I needed.

I am conscious, though, that I shouldn’t belittle my old university, which did, after all, agree to house me and my research for

13

research assessment exercise terms and stuffed with internation-

search contract at one university, I now have an honorary position

CONNECT

Maybe, just maybe, if I can prove to be an asset to my new department, then somewhere down the line I may be able to live a more secure life.

Teachers in developing countries earn as little as $4 a week.

Is it fair?

MAKE LIFE FAIR EVERYWHERE, BECOME A GLOBAL JUSTICE PARTNER.

Union Aid Abroad APHEDA The overseas humanitarian aid agency of the ACTU

Call 1800 888 674 or visit www.apheda.org.au

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Semester 1, 2010

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