Linda Connor for Vice-President (Academic)

About Me

I am Professor of Anthropology in the School of Social and Political Sciences and have served as Chair of Department since 2009. I am a proud foundation member of the NTEU and have been an active unionist all my working life. I have served as an NTEU team member on three rounds of Enterprise Bargaining, including the two most recent rounds at the University of Sydney. At the University of Newcastle I was elected President of Academic Senate from 2001 – 2008, and was a member of the University Council as part of this role.

Experience

My experience of university governance in a senior elected position gives me a well-founded understanding of the importance of academic governance in the university. I have a deep  commitment to protecting collegial decision-making and strong staff-management consultation, which are seriously eroded in the current institutional climate. Chronic restructuring, strategic planning driven by competitive rankings, damaging government higher education policies, and the pursuit of ever more fee-paying student income are having a detrimental effect on academic quality for staff and students.

Implementing our new Enterprise Agreement

I have demonstrated my ability to achieve excellent outcomes as a member of the NTEU enterprise bargaining team, resulting in sector-leading conditions in the last two Enterprise Agreements. If I am elected as Vice-President, Academic Staff, I will be at the forefront of the branch’s implementation campaign for the new EA, and will work to ensure all members are aware of their rights and take advantage of new provisions.

Academic Workloads 

I am especially concerned about the increasingly burdensome academic workloads brought about by restructuring in every operational area, budget cuts, and under-counting of actual hours required for key tasks in workload models.  Academic fellows, education-focussed appointees, fixed-term, fractional and casual staff are particularly affected by workload exploitation. Women are over-represented in these categories. Overcoming these inequities is an urgent matter for union action that I will prioritise.

I am committed to addressing these unacceptable conditions by means of effective EA implementation through assertive action in collective initiatives, delegates’ networks, consultation with management, and individual cases.  Top-down management directives over academic work and performance as well as the untested introduction of flawed operational systems are affecting all employees and must be decisively challenged on industrial grounds so that meaningful and timely consultation occurs with optimal outcomes for staff.

Branch Growth

If elected, I will contribute to the growth and strength of our branch at Sydney University, in a leadership position where I will strive to achieve a more inclusive, fair and  imaginative working environment to enhance core activities of teaching and research.

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