If there is a big drop in students from China, universities most exposed may not need all their teaching-staff

Frank Larkins’ new analysis of the billion dollar-income unis (CMM yesterday) demonstrates the universities of Melbourne, Sydney, Queensland, UNSW and Monash U all have built up their teaching-only casual academic numbers.

In 2009 the big five employed 2366 TO casuals, increasing to 3358 last year.

The other 34 unis grew TO casuals from 6587 to 11 201.

“For Sydney, Queensland and Monash more than 50 percent of the increase in teaching-only staff were casuals,” Professor Larkins observes. He does not suggest that TO staff could be dispensable but CMM suspects uni managements will have thought of it.