Information for those managing sessional staff
A resource has been developed to support those at UNSW who are responsible for managing sessional staff. This includes Heads of School and Course Coordinators, as well as designated School contacts for sessional teaching staff and School Administrators.
Download Managing Sessional Staff.
The number of sessional teaching staff employed at universities across Australia, and internationally, is growing. UNSW is no exception. The increased casualisation of teaching staff has presented universities with the challenge of avoiding "the emergence of a two-tiered academic workforce - the tenured core with security and good conditions and the tenuous periphery with insecurity and poor conditions" (Kimber, 2003). Countering this dichotomy of core versus periphery has been identified as a priority at UNSW.
"Casual and limited-term staff will continue to play an important role in higher education. This role... cannot be overlooked or isolated if universities are to make the best use of the skills of the people who collectively are working to advance the institution."(Coaldrake, 1999)
Sessional teaching staff play a crucial role in developing and sustaining quality learning and teaching environments. Sessional teachers might be tutors, casual lecturers, demonstrators, clinical tutors, or people external to the university from the professions or industry. However, despite the diversity of their roles, sessional teachers all share a position 'at the coalface' of teaching at UNSW. This is particularly the case for sessional tutors and lab demonstrators, who are often given "the task of mediating the complexity and diversity of the first year experience" (Kift, 2003).
"An ethos of inclusivity is one that comes from management down and, for casuals, will echo in measurable indicators such as commitment to resource provision, facilitation of networking and staff development opportunities, the naming of these teachers and their inclusion in strategic school/faculty/university developments... The goal here is to develop a tangible sense of community." (Kift, 2003)
Supporting our sessional teaching staff has never been more important, and the Managing Sessional Staff resource is designed to help you to do this by providing a guide to your responsibilities, as well as providing useful strategies, resources and links. Using the UNSW Sessional Teaching Staff Strategic Action Plan (2005) as a base, the following key components of the sessional teaching staff experience are examined:
In each section you will find a brief discussion of key issues, and UNSW policy designed to address these issues. If you have suggestions for other information you would like to see on this website, or for other resources and programs that would help you in managing your sessional teaching staff, please contact Colina Mason on 56977, email cm.mason@unsw.edu.au. Learning & Teaching @ UNSW is consulting with staff across the university to ensure that we develop the best possible resources and programs for sessional teachers at UNSW. You are encouraged to contact us with your thoughts and suggestions.