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Life in Academia What is it Really Like ??

Life in Academia What is it Really Like ??. Life in Academia What is it Really Like ??

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Life in Academia

What is it Really Like ??

Life in Academia

What is it Really Like ??

Where Did I Come From?

PhD Monash (Biochemistry) 1972Postdoc – St Louis, USA ’72-’74Prince Henry’s Institute for Medical

Research – Melbourne ‘74- ’90Royal Children’s Hosp, Melbourne ’90-’95

Research & Admin/Management QUT, School of Life Sciences ’95-current

Professor of Biochemistry/Head of SchoolAdmin/Management & Research

Where Do New Academics Come From?

Research backgrounds Security (tenure) High expectations of research time/seed funding

Professions (pharmacy, medical radiation technology) High discipline expertise, lower pay

Rarely from a teaching background Under-estimation of workloads/complexity

The Modern Teachers Tool-Kit

Why Did I Become an Academic ?

Secure but developing research environment

Challenge of new opportunitiesPostgraduate teachingExpand my management/leadership

experience

My Academic Journey

HIGHS & LOWS

My Academic Journey

BUT HAVE EVOLVED AS AN ACADEMIC & LEARNED TO KEEP MY HEAD ABOVE WATER

HIGHS & LOWS

Juggling Balls in the Air

Teaching

Service

Research

Workplace Buzzwords

ENGAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIP QUALITY

STUDENTS SUPERVISION

MANAGEMENTPUBLISH

ADMINISTRATION

Workplace Buzzwords

ENGAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIP QUALITY

STUDENTS SUPERVISION

MANAGEMENT PUBLISH

ADMINISTRATION

What Has Been My Academic Experience?

Very positive People (staff & students), Highly Collegial

Steep Learning Curve - Teaching/Policies & Processes Technology/Regulations/Reporting Internal Bureaucracy

Hard work No time boundaries Workload/Life Balance Meetings, Time Management

What Has Been My Academic Experience?

Competitive Environment Strong Performance

Culture PPR LEX Promotion System Personal Development

Student interaction very satisfying

What Do Other (QUT) Academics Think

2008 Climate SurveyPositives

Job Satisfaction, Personal CommitmentSupportive Environment, Code of Conduct

Big Improvers (2005-2008)Supervisor People ManagementReward & Recognition, Respect & FairnessWork Area Teamwork

What Do Other (QUT) Academics Think

2008 Climate SurveyNegatives

Workload Work-Life BalancePay & RelativitiesPromotion

Your Academic Destiny

In your hands Largely based on your experience/potential Reflected in your Track Record & CV

Communication Vehicle Chronological VoyageCompetitive ValueCase ValidityCollective Vision Career Viability

Skill Sets Needed for Academia

Strong people skillsCommunicationStrong time managementOrganisationDecision makingLove of teachingStrong discipline knowledge