Blog Archives

Make your case stronger – argue against yourself

Make your case stronger – argue against yourself

Argument is crucial to academic writing. It’s argue argue argue all the way. Once we have identified a problem or puzzle that we think is worth researching, we then make a case for research, creating the warrant for our work. We present evidence in a persuasive sequence. We argue that the research results have a […] … learn more→

Podcasting overcomes hurdles facing unis to immerse students in the world of workers’ experiences

Podcasting overcomes hurdles facing unis to immerse students in the world of workers’ experiences

Podcasting is helping to revolutionise tertiary education. Universities have found themselves caught between shrinking budgets and an official insistence that they make graduates job-ready. Academics have had to be creative and flexible about how they engage their students with crucial learning, and podcasting is one way to do this. In the past year, universities have […] … learn more→

Campus free speech: Does it extend to what students say online?

Campus free speech: Does it extend to what students say online?

Professors fiercely champion free speech. Many believe that unfiltered, even offensive, expression is fundamental to post-secondary academic life. But what about their students? Should student social media posts be punishable, even if they are made off-campus? This emerging issue in the perpetual battle over free expression speaks to the perils of ever-present devices, ubiquitous wifi and instantaneous […] … learn more→

Critical race theory sparks activism in students

Critical race theory sparks activism in students

Critical race theory – an academic framework that holds that racism is embedded in society – has become the subject of an intense debate about how issues of race should or shouldn’t be taught in schools. Largely missing in the debate is evidence of how exposure to critical race theory actually affects students. As a researcher who specializes […] … learn more→

Academic tenure: What it is and why it matters

Academic tenure: What it is and why it matters

How would you like a job that was guaranteed and allowed you to do your work as you see fit and speak your mind with no repercussions? Most people would, and that’s the idea behind academic tenure. In the following Q&A, George Justice, an English professor and author of “How to Be a Dean,” explains […] … learn more→

Why universities must act on the rise of a new kind of bullying: incivility

Why universities must act on the rise of a new kind of bullying: incivility

Incivility is on the rise in university culture. If you are an academic you’ve likely seen or experienced instances of bullying, incivility or mobbing in department meetings, in hallways and in seminars. For our research on the emotional labour of leadership in higher education we interviewed 20 faculty deans from eight universities in four Australian states. What they called “smart bullies” routinely […] … learn more→

Let’s talk about what each uni does, but don’t make it a choice between teaching or research

Let’s talk about what each uni does, but don’t make it a choice between teaching or research

Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge has called on Australian universities to “start a conversation about how we can support greater differentiation and specialisation in the university sector. We have 39 comprehensive universities, which may not be an optimal model for the quality of teaching or research in this country.” This is a worthy aspiration, depending on what […] … learn more→