Staff at the University of Canberra are grappling with significantly increased workloads and growing concerns about their ability to maintain educational quality following sweeping job cuts across the institution.
Expanding Responsibilities and Reduced Capacity
Since the university implemented staff reductions, remaining employees have seen their roles expand dramatically. Engagement specialist Bethany Lincoln reported her position has transformed from exclusively cybersecurity education to now include vendor management, products, and external engagements.
"That's been quite a big shift in terms of the scope of what I'm now required to do," Ms Lincoln stated, highlighting the substantial increase in her responsibilities.
The university has embarked on new partnerships with the Canberra Institute of Technology, Deloitte, and McDonald's to promote micro credentials, recognition of prior learning, and on-the-job training. However, staff report working under tight timeframes to deliver these changes.
Concerns Across Academic and Professional Staff
Craig Applegate, UC union branch president, revealed that over 200 staff have left the university, leading to increased workloads that negatively impact the student experience.
Academic staff have expressed additional concerns about the potential introduction of a class block model, where students would learn one subject at a time in intensive sessions rather than multiple classes across a semester. While UC has not committed to implementing this model, similar programs run at Victoria University and Southern Cross University.
"From an education perspective, the idea of cramming everything together, it's harder to absorb," Mr Applegate said, noting that the model hasn't resulted in the anticipated student increases at other institutions.
Competitive Pressures in Canberra's Education Market
The workload concerns come as the University of Canberra faces increased competition in the capital's education sector. Lachlan Clohesy, National Tertiary Education Union ACT secretary, warned that UNSW's expansion in Canberra creates retention challenges for UC.
"With UNSW growing their footprint in Canberra, UC is in danger of struggling to retain staff because you've ANU and UNSW paying greater salaries," Dr Clohesy explained.
This competitive pressure could exacerbate existing workload issues as experienced staff are potentially lured to other institutions offering better compensation.
Negotiations for a new enterprise bargaining agreement began on November 12, with university leadership expressing commitment to developing an agreement that supports sustainable growth while fairly remunerating staff.
UC vice-chancellor Bill Shorten stated the university aims to create a simplified agreement that supports strategic direction while ensuring compliance with industry standards.
