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Why we should keep talking about temporary contracts - a thread. 1/14
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MbJ5xWjJSUGVrjPEmrV55i5ByCJ4BOp1/view #casualleiden #staffshouldstay image by @dymphieselisa
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MbJ5xWjJSUGVrjPEmrV55i5ByCJ4BOp1/view #casualleiden #staffshouldstay image by @dymphieselisa
In 2005, 100 million euros of university budget was allocated to NWO. Rather than lecturers with enough research time, only the happy few got a grant. They needed temporary replacement: lecturers often without research time (docent-4) 2/14
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/binaries/content/assets/customsites/yal/yal-position-paper---integration-of-research-and-teaching.pdf
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/binaries/content/assets/customsites/yal/yal-position-paper---integration-of-research-and-teaching.pdf
Today the universities in Netherlands who do their best still hire 50% of their docent-4 positions on a temporary contract, the worst around 80%. See this thread by @marijtjejongsma of @AObtweets https://twitter.com/MarijtjeJongsma/status/1277324071185809411 3/14
Leiden is not doing well compared to already deplorable situation in the Netherlands. We need to have this conversation and we need to strive to improve. 4/14
OrganizingBAIS has addressed the CvB directly in a correspondence that started on 14 April 2020. The situation at BAIS is the direct result of the LU policy decision to principally refuse to acknowledge docent-4 positions as end positions 5/14 https://tinyurl.com/staffshouldstay
But the problem is larger and more varied. Temporary UDs equally get stuck in the pool of casual staff hopping universities. Applying for jobs, designing new courses and adjusting to workplaces every year usurps their research time: no publications, no career advancement. 6/14
Beyond statistics and policy decisions lies a human drama. Constantly balancing the investment needed to thrive at your workplace, and protecting your mental and professional health in the face of losing it all again. 7/14 https://www.mareonline.nl/en/background/we-feel-like-ghosts-writes-one-of-the-many-temps-at-leiden-university/
And despite rationally understanding the systemic critique, there remains the nagging question - nearly always unjustified - whether you are just not good enough for academia. 8/14 https://www.mareonline.nl/opinie/waarom-ik-mijn-verloving-met-de-universiteit-verbreek/
Consequences are not only mental, but also material: being rejected for a new apartment because a 6 month contract is required, risking your residency permit between two jobs, managing the daycare costs and tax reduction with varying income each semester 9/14
And because there is always the hope for a contract extension, casual staff is unwilling to draw attention to their plight, to complain about work pressure, bullying, or a dysfunctional supervisor. The growing pool of casual staff is too vulnerable. 10/14
The Covid-19 crisis has only increased this vulnerability 11/14 https://www.mareonline.nl/en/background/the-most-vulnerable-researchers-are-hurt-first/ and on the UK: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/apr/28/covid-19-shows-up-uk-universities-shameful-employment-practices?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR3SGNbWzv9ZL-M73lcaE_dO7oYkPzB9X7-osUwcbW0vfwKOlQZADe2-_pE
This issue should concern both casual and permanent staff. What responsibility do administrators, colleagues, course coordinators, supervisors take towards our temporary colleagues? How can we help? 12/14 https://blog.ierna.name/2019/01/31/the-evils-of-temporary-teaching-gigs/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Casual Leiden will launch a survey to map the specific challenges casual staff faces across institutes and faculties and in different contractual situations. It is vital that this is a university wide or even national discussion. Casual staff of all faculties: unite! 13/14
And this, dear readers, is why you should all join the panel discussion tomorrow on Zoom 11 Feb. 19:00. Casual and permanent staff from other universities are welcome too. Come and then launch your own platform. 14/14 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MbJ5xWjJSUGVrjPEmrV55i5ByCJ4BOp1/view @WOinactie @AObtweets #casualleiden
