The changing demands of academic life in Ireland

Abstract

Publication date 2014Publication information Design/methodology/approach: A case study of the School of Business at the largest university in Ireland, University College Dublin, set out to determine the extent to which HE change is impacting on faculty. The research, involving twenty-eight interviews with faculty and manager-academics, covered the five-year period since the appointment of a new President in 2004. Findings:The research provides evidence of an increasing focus on more explicit research output requirements; the growth of routine administration and teaching and learning compliance requirements; and the greater intensification of work and working hours. Research limitations/implications:While the university was at the forefront in implementing large-scale institutional change in Ireland, further research is needed to explore the issues raised in this article in the context of other Schools and the remaining six Irish universities.Originality/value: Few empirical research studies have been conducted in Ireland on how institutional change is impacting on the working lives of faculty. This article serves to shine a light, for the first time, on the perspectives of faculty regarding the changing demands of academic life in Ireland.

Challenging Performativity in Higher Education: Promoting a Healthier Learning Culture

“…It is fuelled by the cumulative emphasis on quality, eiciency, accountability and performativity, which have occurred simultaneously with decreased resources and funding. DowlingHetherington [31] provides some useful insight into the changing demands faced by Irish academics in a case study of the School of Business at University College Dublin which is the largest university in Ireland. The case study identiies increased demands in terms of publications and research output in addition to increased administrative roles.…”