Using workforce strategy to address academic casualisation: a University of Newcastle case study

Abstract

Casual and sessional academic staff have traditionally been on the margins of institutional life despite the expansion of this cohort across the university sector. This paper details a project to address this lack of recognition through a workforce strategy to engage, support and effectively manage this often neglected cohort of the academic workforce. We discuss the learnings from the project and its potential application for other universities.

Keywords:

• casual/sessional academic staff
• casualisation
• distributed leadership
• insecure work
• precarious employment
• The University of Newcastle
• the UON Academy

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the research assistance of Jenny Noble and her insightful and constructive comments in the preparation of this paper.