UTS; Supervised by Dr Tony Holland (co-supervisor: Prof. Alison Lee); PhD or equivalent.
Commenced 2008 - Completed (or expected to be completed) 2012.
Field of Study: (Higher) Education
Is research directly related to the work of professional staff in tertiary education? Yes

Contact: carroll.graham@uts.edu.au

Abstract: The key resource for universities is their academic and general staff, yet little attention has been paid to the work of general staff. Nevertheless, general staff have comprised more than half the workforce in Australian universities since 1996. Such a large workforce (more than 52,800 nationally in 2007) invites a more rigorous understanding of the work undertaken, and the contribution made by general staff to the strategic goals of their institutions. While universities have multiple and diverse stakeholders, students occupy the key stakeholder position in a university’s core business of learning and teaching. Consequently, the interaction of general staff with students has potential to impact on the sustainability of an institution. This research is concerned with developing a better understanding of how general staff make contributions to the key role of learning and teaching within the complex context of higher education.