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Problem Solving Academic Workloads Management: A University Response 1
Author(s) -
Paewai Shelley R.,
Meyer Luanna H.,
Houston Don J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
higher education quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.976
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1468-2273
pISSN - 0951-5224
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2273.2007.00360.x
Subject(s) - accountability , transparency (behavior) , equity (law) , work (physics) , public relations , political science , accounting , business , public administration , engineering , mechanical engineering , law
Universities are challenged to maintain a work environment where academic staff fulfil traditional academic duties while responding to a diverse student population, a competitive research environment, and an escalation of administrative tasks within an accountability‐based climate. This paper analyses the development and implementation of a workloads policy at a New Zealand university through a joint university management and staff union initiative. The workloads policy was built on the principles of equity, transparency, reasonableness, safety and acceptability to staff. The integrity and effectiveness of adoption is evaluated through analyses of work requirements, workloads models and the findings from case studies of implementation by six diverse units from across the university. Based on our evaluation, we highlight aspects of the policy and procedures that have promise and suggest modifications where particular processes and outcomes fell short of stated goals for institutional change.