Union members are not especially impressed with the University of Canberra’s new academic hiring plan, or the way some professional staff think they are paying the price of it.

Back in February UniCanb management invited just about all staff to apply for voluntary separation. The idea was to free up funds to invest in new academic positions. (CMM February 21). This did not got down well with professional staff, who feared increased workloads for continuing workers and confusion in roles and processes – which is what some say  has happened. The campus branch of the National Tertiary Education Union is collating concerns.

As for the increase in academics the staff changes are intended to pay for, the NTEU warns the advertised jobs are seven year appointments, with two performance reviews before staff are eligible for continuing employment and or promotion.