This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/may/20/short-term-contracts-a-plague-on-academia
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Short-term contracts a plague on academia | Short-term contracts a plague on academia |
| (7 months later) | |
| Casualisation in academia is rampant and on the rise. And despite fine words about tackling ethnic disparities among students and in staff recruitment, fixed-term contracts are disproportionately held by ethnic minorities and women. | Casualisation in academia is rampant and on the rise. And despite fine words about tackling ethnic disparities among students and in staff recruitment, fixed-term contracts are disproportionately held by ethnic minorities and women. |
| Now, an academic at Soas, University of London, Dr Feyzi Ismail, has twice had her application for permanency rejected, even after having worked at Soas since 2011 and for more than four years on continuous contracts. Universities are increasingly finding ways to keep people on fixed-term contracts, which is against the spirit of the law. Yet academics like Dr Ismail who are repeatedly put on fixed-term contracts do the same valuable work as permanent employees, but on significantly worse and more precarious terms and conditions. | Now, an academic at Soas, University of London, Dr Feyzi Ismail, has twice had her application for permanency rejected, even after having worked at Soas since 2011 and for more than four years on continuous contracts. Universities are increasingly finding ways to keep people on fixed-term contracts, which is against the spirit of the law. Yet academics like Dr Ismail who are repeatedly put on fixed-term contracts do the same valuable work as permanent employees, but on significantly worse and more precarious terms and conditions. |
| Soas, which is dedicated to the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East and known for its critical approach to teaching and research, should be leading the sector in fighting both precarity and discrimination. | Soas, which is dedicated to the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East and known for its critical approach to teaching and research, should be leading the sector in fighting both precarity and discrimination. |
| Almost 1,200 staff and students across the country and beyond have already signed a letter in her support and we, the undersigned, call on Soas to grant permanency to Dr Ismail, and on all universities and colleges to review their use of casual contracts, which are both exploitative of staff and damaging to the learning experience of students.Dr Tim Pringle Soas Soas UCU executiveDr Navtej Purewal SoasDr Leandro Vergara-Camus SoasDr Meera Sabaratnam SoasDr Joanne Tomkinson SoasProfessor Des Freedman Goldsmiths, University of London UCUProfessor Natalie Fenton GoldsmithsProfessor Gregor Gall University of LeedsProfessor Etienne Balibar Kingston UniversityProfessor Eleonore Kofman Middlesex UniversityProfessor John Holmwood University of NottinghamEmeritus Professor Phil Scraton Queen’s University BelfastEmeritus Professor Kate Soper London Metropolitan UniversityEmeritus Professor Göran Therborn University of CambridgeAndrew Murray Chief of staff, Unite the UnionKevin Courtney Joint general secretary, NEU Kiri Tunks Joint president, NEUAlex Kenny NEU executive memberJo McNeill President, University of Liverpool UCU; candidate for UCU general secretaryJo Grady University of Sheffield, candidate for UCU general secretaryMatt Waddup National head of policy and campaigns, UCU; candidate for UCU general secretaryTom Armstrong President, Soas UCU Johnny Darlingston Secretary, Soas UCU Nita Sanghera Vice-president, UCUFrancesca MartinezVijay Prashad Tricontinental: Institute for Social ResearchDr Douglas Chalmers President elect, UCU Dr Carlo Morelli Scotland president elect, UCU Dr Gholam Khiabany Goldsmiths UCUDr Rachel Cohen City, University of London UCU Dr Kalpana Wilson Birkbeck, University of LondonDr Jeffery Webber Goldsmiths, University of LondonChristina Paine UCU NEC, HE casualised repSean Wallis President, UCL UCU, NECAlison Carlisle University of RoehamptonJaya John Co-president, Oxford UCUAndy Williams Cardiff UCULinda Cronin Equality officer, University of Roehampton Professor Andrea Nightingale University of Oslo, NorwayDr Marcus Taylor Queen’s University, CanadaDr Dae-oup Chang Sogang University, South Korea | Almost 1,200 staff and students across the country and beyond have already signed a letter in her support and we, the undersigned, call on Soas to grant permanency to Dr Ismail, and on all universities and colleges to review their use of casual contracts, which are both exploitative of staff and damaging to the learning experience of students.Dr Tim Pringle Soas Soas UCU executiveDr Navtej Purewal SoasDr Leandro Vergara-Camus SoasDr Meera Sabaratnam SoasDr Joanne Tomkinson SoasProfessor Des Freedman Goldsmiths, University of London UCUProfessor Natalie Fenton GoldsmithsProfessor Gregor Gall University of LeedsProfessor Etienne Balibar Kingston UniversityProfessor Eleonore Kofman Middlesex UniversityProfessor John Holmwood University of NottinghamEmeritus Professor Phil Scraton Queen’s University BelfastEmeritus Professor Kate Soper London Metropolitan UniversityEmeritus Professor Göran Therborn University of CambridgeAndrew Murray Chief of staff, Unite the UnionKevin Courtney Joint general secretary, NEU Kiri Tunks Joint president, NEUAlex Kenny NEU executive memberJo McNeill President, University of Liverpool UCU; candidate for UCU general secretaryJo Grady University of Sheffield, candidate for UCU general secretaryMatt Waddup National head of policy and campaigns, UCU; candidate for UCU general secretaryTom Armstrong President, Soas UCU Johnny Darlingston Secretary, Soas UCU Nita Sanghera Vice-president, UCUFrancesca MartinezVijay Prashad Tricontinental: Institute for Social ResearchDr Douglas Chalmers President elect, UCU Dr Carlo Morelli Scotland president elect, UCU Dr Gholam Khiabany Goldsmiths UCUDr Rachel Cohen City, University of London UCU Dr Kalpana Wilson Birkbeck, University of LondonDr Jeffery Webber Goldsmiths, University of LondonChristina Paine UCU NEC, HE casualised repSean Wallis President, UCL UCU, NECAlison Carlisle University of RoehamptonJaya John Co-president, Oxford UCUAndy Williams Cardiff UCULinda Cronin Equality officer, University of Roehampton Professor Andrea Nightingale University of Oslo, NorwayDr Marcus Taylor Queen’s University, CanadaDr Dae-oup Chang Sogang University, South Korea |
| • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com | • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |
| • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters | • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters |
| • Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition | • Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition |
| Universities | Universities |
| Higher education | Higher education |
| Employment law | Employment law |
| Gig economy | Gig economy |
| University administration | University administration |
| Andrew Bailey | |
| letters | letters |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |
Previous version
1
Next version