Abstract

A talk on insecure employment in academia and its implications for the future of Higher Education. —- The academic workforce has become increasingly casualised, with over 50% of all academic staff in the UK on some form of insecure contract. Of course, neither inequalities nor insecurities are new to academia, but current trends in the UK and elsewhere suggest that academic work is becoming increasingly precarious for many, with serious implications for academics, research and the future of higher education.

Carole Leathwood will argue that such trends are not inevitable, and conclude with a discussion of some of the ways in which they can be resisted and challenged. —-

Carole Leathwood is an Emeritus Professor of Education at London Metropolitan University. With a disciplinary background in sociology and women’s studies, she specialises in research related to inequalities in higher and post-compulsory education. Carole is also a Fellow of the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE), a Consulting Editor for Women’s Studies international Forum, an Associate Editor for Gender, Work and Organisation and a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Education Policy.

More on casual contracts in universities: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/nov/16/nottingham-academic-on-casual-contract-i-had-more-rights-as-a-binman