Contingent academic employment in Australian universities

As in many countries over the last 25 years or so, universities in Australia have been subject to substantial change and expansion. This has been accompanied by a progressive decline in direct government support per student and a substantial increase in the level and percentage of tied short-term funding flowing from national research granting bodies. Australia's universities have offset the decline in per student government funding by accessing the volatile international higher education student market. At the same time, the introduction of unrestricted competition between institutions...  [+] Show more

As in many countries over the last 25 years or so, universities in Australia have been subject to substantial change and expansion. This has been accompanied by a progressive decline in direct government support per student and a substantial increase in the level and percentage of tied short-term funding flowing from national research granting bodies. Australia's universities have offset the decline in per student government funding by accessing the volatile international higher education student market. At the same time, the introduction of unrestricted competition between institutions for domestic students over the past three years has increased uncertainty and difficulty in forecasting enrolment numbers for some universities. The apparent success and robustness of the Australian university system in an environment of short term funding and volatility in student numbers has been underpinned by significant changes in the composition of the academic workforce. The purpose of this paper is to review current academic workforce flexibility practices in Australian universities. This includes the legal framework, types and prevalence of different contracts and practices, and the relative positions of unions and universities towards these practices.

Excerpts from publication.