Postgraduates who teach Adam Wright, Research and Policy Officer (HE) adam.wright@nus.org.uk

What have NUS been doing for postgraduate students?

What have we been doing? Improvements in the engagement of postgraduates in representation structures – students as partners. Tackle financial injustice at postgraduate level by finding a fair model of funding for postgraduates. Better information, advice and guidance available to PG students. Campaign for better pay and conditions for PGs who teach and build partnerships between students’ unions and UCU. Researching into and reviewing policies on open access and REF, in order to understand their impact on PG students.

The 2012 Postgraduate Teaching Survey

Overview In November 2012 NUS launched a survey of PGs who teach. The results were published in February 2013. The survey captured around 1500 responses from over 80 institutions in England, Scotland, Wales and NI. As a direct result of the survey and report, a number of institutions have changed their practices and have improved pay and conditions.

Why a national survey? Without comparative information or formal mechanisms of accountability in place, some institutions have allowed poor and unjust practices to go unchallenged. The survey provided students’ unions with evidence of national trends to benchmark their institutional performance against, thus giving them an evidence base for their campaigning. The survey also provided key evidence to inform us on good practice so that we could make recommendations. The results have helped to increase publicity on the issue, meaning bad practice no longer goes unnoticed and unchallenged.

Key issues: employment conditions Our survey found that: At least 47% of PGs who teach did not receive a job description. 31% received no formal employment contract.

Key issues: Pay and working hours Pay varied considerably by institution and by discipline. PGR students work far longer hours on teaching than they are actually contracted for. The situation is worst in arts and humanities subjects. Around 30% of PGs who teach receive less than minimum wage in real terms; some aren’t paid at all!

Key Issues: Training and professional development Over 70% of PGs who teach did so to improve their employability and 65% to gain further skills. Institutions should be supporting the professional development of their PGR students and training them to provide undergraduates with high quality teaching. We found that the level of induction training is mixed. Around one fifth received no formal training. The majority of respondents found the training useful if they received it. Over a third had signed up to professional development courses. Around a quarter said that they are interested in some courses available. One fifth had no professional development courses available to them.

Key issues: Feedback Half of respondents received no feedback from their course supervisor. About one in four received no feedback from their students. The vast majority stated that they wanted feedback and that it was very useful to them.

Key issues: Representation and Support PGs who teach often have nobody to represent their interests in their department or faculty. Only a small number are members of UCU and legal issues often go unchallenged. There is a clear reliance on informal avenues of support. There are often conflicts of interest where a student’s doctoral supervisor is also in charge of the module the student teaches on. Only 1 in 10 postgraduates who teach would go to their students’ union for support.

Where do PGs who teach go to for support?

Recommendations and Outcomes

Recommendations PGRs should not be “forced” to teach, and shouldn’t be expected to teach for “free” in return for fee waivers. Departments need fair and transparent systems of recruitment, with formal contracts and job descriptions. PGs who teach should be reasonably paid for every hour they work (including fair pay for marking coursework). PGs who teach should be properly trained and able to acquire a teaching qualification to help their careers. Students’ unions effectively engaging with PGs who teach, through greater collaboration with departmental reps. Students’ unions building close partnerships with local UCU branches to collaborate and steer policy and campaigns relating to postgraduate teaching.

Key outcomes New code of practice for PGs who teach at University of Leeds – has led to full ‘worker status’ and fairer pay and conditions. Better pay and conditions in final negotiations at several other institutions. Further research being conducted at a number of HEIs: institutional surveys, focus groups, PGR forums etc. Graduate teaching committees set up at LSE and Warwick. New PG association at Sussex with remit for PGs who teach. City University looking into similar project. Nottingham building new course rep system for PGRs. Stronger UCU commitment to PGRs and closer collaboration with students’ unions (joint anti-casualisation campaigns at Essex, LSE and Goldsmiths)