University of Newcastle Reviews Workload Allocation After National Psychosocial Risk Survey and Staff Feedback

Phelan said the sector is in an absolute state of crisis. A national survey of psychosocial risks led by Adelaide University and partly funded by the NTEU was published earlier this year. The national survey ranked the University of Newcastle as the worst public university out of 36 universities surveyed, with 92 per cent of University of Newcastle staff surveyed deeming themselves to be at either very high risk or high risk of psychosocial harm.

Phelan said the findings are depressing but helpful to have the data out there, that the whole sector is in crisis, but Newcastle has come last. "On the one hand, the findings are depressing. 30.

The University of Newcastle said the survey was taken during a period of change and that a sample size of 350 staff was too small. The University of Newcastle employs nearly 5,000 people. Zelinsky said the university takes the survey results seriously, reached out to the research leader immediately, and agreed more data is needed because 350 staff is not a big enough sample.

Professors from four schools and colleges wrote letters expressing concern to the University of Newcastle's governing body about the level of workplace change driven by outside consultants and the underestimation of invisible work supporting student contact time.

Phelan said the letters were unprecedented and in his more than 20 years at the university he had not seen that happen before. Kaine said the inquiry is revealing that problems of overwork and governance are sector-wide across publicly funded NSW universities, not isolated to the University of Newcastle.

A similar inquiry is underway in Victoria and last year a Commonwealth inquiry found governance failures had let down staff, students and the public. Abc reported that Kaine said universities should be places that excite students and their families because their minds will be opened.

Zelinsky said he has heard about the health news from Associate Professor Pender and empathises with her situation.

He added that one of the most important things is everyone is able to raise concerns and that the university welcomed staff speaking out as university subject-matter experts.