Work Experience Survey
Executive Summary
This Work Experience Survey arose from the Equal Opportunity Advisory Committee’s Strategic Plan 2003-2005 that sought to discover the work issues concerning both the academic and general staff within the Faculty of Education with emphasis on promotional opportunities, the decision-making process, research and professional development.
The methodology selected as most appropriate was a survey. This document was issued to every member of the Faculty of Education staff under the auspices of the Dean’s office and guaranteed confidentiality to those persons who completed and returned the survey.
The response rate of the survey was not as good as we had hoped with 102 returns, however within those responses received there was a broad spread of academic and general staff as well as part-time and full-time staff and variety of age and levels of appointment that gave a good indication of the work experiences, attitudes and issues for staff across the faculty.
The survey has shown that work life is experienced differently for full-time and part-time staff, as it is for male and female staff and general and academic staff. Issues that are appear best addressed at Faculty level are mentoring programs, research leave and support while at department level it is issues such as professional development and performance appraisals.
The report to date has been tabled at the Faculty of Education Academic Board meeting of 5/11/03 and the Faculty Planning and Budget Committee on 11/11/03. The findings of the survey has led to a list of recommendations that are currently being addressed, and will be further examined in 2004.
Two formats for follow-up are recommended. The first is a Faculty-wide Forum to be held in 2004 to consider the outcome of the survey and the second are a series of focus groups which are deemed to be the most appropriate format for developing solutions to the identified needs. It is expected that within a focus group it will be possible to identify particular locations where concerns have been raised so that they may be addressed.
These key issues include:
- the impact of work on family life
- the difficulties for part-time staff to participate in meeting, professional development activities etc.
- the difficulties in achieving research output due to competing demands; and the aspects of mentoring which could be improved.
The responses received appear to provide a good indication of the attitudes and work-related experiences of staff across the faculty, and these are the starting points for the process of change to improve the work experience of current, and future, staff of the Faculty of Education.