Faculty of Health

The University of Tasmania established a project in 2009 to investigate the particular needs of casual teaching staff, identify strategies to improve access to information, and facilitate a consistent approach to employment, induction, development and recognition. The project was managed by the university learning and teaching centre, and co-ordinated by a Reference Group. A preliminary survey in 2010 explored casual teaching staff information and resource needs and a mapping exercise was undertaken to establish institutional practices. The findings of the preliminary 2010 survey and mapping exercise prompted the development of an institution-wide Casual Teaching Staff Policy. The preliminary 2010 survey was subsequently updated and a second survey administered in 2012 to obtain additional baseline data against which to evaluate the casual teaching staff project and implementation of the Casual Teaching Staff Policy. This paper presents the results of the 2012 survey designed with this dual focus in mind. The 2012 survey items were explicitly aligned to the Sessional Staff Standards Framework arising from the Benchmarking Leadership and Advancement of Standards for Sessional Teaching (BLASST) project. The 2012 survey results were mapped to the Sessional Staff Standards Framework guiding principles (Quality Learning and Teaching, Sessional Staff Support and Sustainability), standards (Good Practice, Minimum Standard, Unsustainable), and criteria spanning different institutional levels (Institutional Level, Faculty Level, Department Level, Individual Level). Together the quantitative and qualitative survey data results provide a rich depiction of the world of casual teaching staff at the University of Tasmania. On the one hand the results evidence examples of well-supported, fully engaged casual teaching staff; on the other hand, a distressing picture emerges for many such staff. The findings are presented with discussion regarding the requisite ensuing steps in this ongoing initiative to improve the employment, induction, development and recognition experiences of University of Tasmania casual teaching staff.

The Australian federal government now requires higher education institutions to provide evidence of effective development, implementation and review of institutional policies, however little attention has been given to policy implementation evaluation and policy review. This paper presents a case study of the development of a comprehensive policy implementation evaluation framework proposed for the University of Tasmania’s new Casual Teaching Staff Policy. The proposed policy implementation evaluation framework reflects concepts utilised in the policy development process arising from research regarding good practices with respect to university casual teaching staff.

he University of Tasmania established a project in 2009 to investigate the particular needs of casual teaching staf, identify strategies to improve access to information, and facilitate a consistent approach to employment, induction, development and recognition. he project was managed by the university learning and teaching centre, and co-ordinated by a Reference Group. A preliminary survey in 2010 explored casual teaching staf information and resource needs and a mapping exercise was undertaken to establish institutional practices. he indings of the preliminary 2010 survey and mapping exercise prompted the development of an institution-wide Casual Teaching Staf Policy. he preliminary 2010 survey was subsequently updated and a second survey administered in 2012 to obtain additional baseline data against which to evaluate the casual teaching staf project and implementation of the Casual Teaching Staf Policy. his paper presents the results of the 2012 survey designed with this dual focus in mind. he 2012 survey items were explicitly aligned to the Sessional Staf Standards Framework arising from the Benchmarking Leadership and Advancement of Standards for Sessional Teaching (BLASST) project. he 2012 survey results were mapped to the Sessional Staf Standards Framework guiding principles (Quality Learning and Teaching, Sessional Staf Support and Sustainability), standards (Good Practice, Minimum Standard, Unsustainable), and criteria spanning diferent institutional levels (Institutional Level, Faculty Level, Department Level, Individual Level). Together the quantitative and qualitative survey data results provide a rich depiction of the world of casual teaching staf at the University of Tasmania. On the one hand the results evidence examples of well-supported, fully engaged casual teaching staf; on the other hand, a distressing picture emerges for many such staf. he indings are presented with discussion regarding the requisite ensuing steps in this ongoing initiative to improve the employment, induction, development and recognition experiences of University of Tasmania casual teaching staf.