Institution told to reinstate lecturer who was sacked for ‘unsatisfactory performance’ related to publishing record
Australia’s universities are developing a “ruthlessly competitive” culture and have become obsessed with international rankings systems, often at the expense of quality teaching, a decision by the Fair Work Commission has said.
The federal workplace watchdog has ordered the University of Technology Sydney to reinstate and pay compensation to a business school lecturer who, it says, was sacked for not publishing enough research papers in top-ranked academic journals.
Lucy Zhao was dismissed in August 2019 by the university for “unsatisfactory performance”, according to a letter quoted by commission deputy president Peter Sams in his decision statement.
“The reference to Dr Zhao’s failure ‘to reach the required performance standards in research’, in essence, related to her failure to have at least one research article published in an A* or A-ranked journal over a two-year period,” the statement says.
“I have come to the view that the reasons for Dr Zhao’s dismissal were not ‘soundly based’ or well founded’. Accordingly, the dismissal was not for a valid reason.”
Sams said the Fair Work Commission heard evidence that Zhao had “effectively met and exceeded her teaching performance” requirements at the university. She had also willingly engaged in a performance improvement plan and was not “obstructive, uncooperative or belligerent” toward her supervisors.
In his decision, Sams questioned the social role of the modern university and suggested there was an obsession “with achieving top research rankings and reputation in order to attract students—‘code’ for income—which, to my mind, may tend to distract from the focus of providing a quality learning experience for students.”
“It is generally accepted that most modern universities in Australia and internationally serve a twofold focus and purpose; namely, to provide an excellent and inquisitive tertiary teaching environment for students and to provide a collegiate centre for the pursuit and achievement of high-level academic research in particular fields of endeavour,” he wrote.
“Views might differ as to what focus is more important and therefore afforded the most priority. However, in my humble opinion, the teaching of future generations of tertiary-qualified students of all ages is the primary purpose of a first-class university.”
Sams also criticised the use of “university jargon and many multidimensional policies and procedures to confuse and deflect from the reality of what was actually going on here”.
“A university, of all of society’s institutions, should have the flexibility to accommodate an academic’s personal and professional qualities and attributes, and maximise a particular individual’s interests and talents to enhance the best outcomes for the common good.”