Changing University Institution and Equalities in Academic Work

Project 

We study changes in academic work in the framework of restructuring of university institution. When investigating the changes, we ask, what are the terms and conditions for decent academic work in university institution, and, thus, we investigate the structural reforms and reorganisation of universities for framing the research on the changes of academic work. Our perspective for studying academic work is equality as a multidimensional phenomenon, in other words equalities. Academic work is related to academic career trajectories, because some of the tasks promote advancement into higher positions. Tenure track – system has been applied for providing a systematic trajectory for the academic career, but at the same time, it has excluded part of academic personnel. We study the changes in academic work in three case universities, which have been restructured. We focus on the experiences and views of leaders and managers and academic staff in research and teaching.

The research project is carried out by Tampere University, Work Research Centre wrc and Centre for Knowledge, Science, Technology and Innovation Studies TASTI and the University of Turku, Department of Education, CELE 

We study changes in academic work in the framework of restructuring of university institution. When investigating the changes, we ask, what are the terms and conditions for decent academic work in university institution, and, thus, we investigate the structural reforms and reorganisation of universities for framing the research on the changes of academic work. Our perspective for studying academic work is equality as a multidimensional phenomenon, in other words equalities. Academic work is related to academic career trajectories because some of the tasks, particularly those related to international collaboration and successful research funding granted by the Academy of Finland, promote advancement into higher positions. Tenure track – system has been applied for providing a systematic trajectory for the academic career, but at the same time, it has excluded part of academic personnel.  

Task 1. The structural and organisational frame for the academic work. The systems of administration and management have been reorganised and most university organisations have been restructured after the University Act 2010. We study the restructuring of university management and administration as a frame for the changes in the academic work and career trajectories.

Task 2 The patterns, practices, contents and change in academic work. We study academic work in the following way: how the patterns, practices and contents have changed in the last five years in the case universities? We apply the perspective of equalities and investigate different groups in the academic personnel.

Task 3 The changes in the academic career trajectories.

The aim is to study the structural and practical terms and conditions for academic careers and particularly the introduction of the new tenure track – system as shaping academic work and careers of those in the tenure track and those outside the system.

Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities