The unbundling of the academic role

Abstract

We used to know what academics were. They taught, did research and took on administrative and managerial responsibilities. They were all-rounders; jacks of all trades. Maybe they were better at teaching than research or perhaps the other way round. Such differences were tolerated and somewhat idly excused on the basis of ʻacademic freedomʼ. Being an ʻacademicʼ reflected the broader aims of the university to educate, create new knowledge and serve the community. But talking of the academic profession in this way today looks out-of-step with a new emerging reality. An important and accelerating trend in recent years is how this tripartite academic role has unbundled. The teaching role is now seen as a specialist function for which pre- and in-service training is needed. Such courses are effectively compulsory for new faculty in British and Australian universities. This has been prompted in part by the expectations of students in a less deferential and more consumerist age. In terms of research, scarce funding, university rankings and audit exercises mean that academics must win research grants and publish in highly rated journals if they wish to retain backing for this element of their role. Failure to do so increasingly results in ʻdemotionʼ to teaching-only positions for established faculty or little opportunity to gain tenure for new academics. If academics are career-tracked too early, opportunities for their future personal development will be stifled and they may choose to leave the profession altogether. Inflexible career tracks also risk undervaluing intangible aspects of academic work that add quality to universities, such as the performance of service roles. The academic profession needs to be flexible to respond to future challenges and institutions need to be cognisant of the importance of attracting and retaining high-calibre faculty. There is a risk that unbundling will damage the student experience unless academic careers can be managed to take account of the need for ʻhorizontalʼ development.