While some universities retrench to restructure, planning to be leaner versions of what they are now, others are deciding to be different
Just 3 per cent of UNSW staff surveyed want to be on campus for a full working week post pandemic
The survey also found 68 per cent wanted to spend two or three days a week on campus. A university planning paper states they should be accommodated.
“Having demonstrated our ability to work flexibly and productively, we want to continue to offer a ‘flex-first’ approach for all staff who wish to work in this way.”
The university will accordingly introduce, “in a planned and phased way,” greater flexibility across location, hours, full-time equivalents, schedules and job-sharing.
Benefits will include;
* greater workforce participation for people “with caring responsibilities”
* increased employee satisfaction and engagement
* creating campus space which can be used “for higher priority needs” and “income generation”
* more productive and less-stressed staff
Macquarie U wants a new campus normal – which includes not being on it
Vice Chancellor S Bruce Dowton says the “mass-scale experiment in remote and virtual working” demonstrates, “the enormous potential of these modes.”
But not everybody wants the same thing.
“While our staff have enjoyed the opportunity to work from home, students have found it challenging, our students prefer on campus experiences and face to face interactions with academic and professional staff as a part of a blended learning environment,” he says.
“Our challenge is to find the right balance.”
Professor Dowton’s key principles for the search include;
* students first: “we must provide a vibrant campus life and meet their needs for face to face interactions and experiences”
* thinking “outside the box”: “our exploration should be about more than the number of days working from home. The use of virtual technologies has enabled new ways of communicating, interacting, and working”
* inclusive approaches: adding working from home/flexible working opportunities for all staff
* aligning work practices: “around performance and productivity”