The Fair Work Commission has ordered the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) to reinstate and backpay a dismissed business school lecturer as it criticised the higher education sector for being “obsessed” with top research rankings, reputation and attracting student money.
A timely story about an appalling obsession which is twisting and distorting academia. Universities are behaving in an awful manner in our experience the culture it engenders is horrendous.
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Dr Zhao, who worked at the university from 2005, said she had been “shocked and disappointed” when her supervisor – head of the finance department Professor David Michayluk – put her on a formal “performance improvement plan” in early 2018.
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Professor Michayluk told the commission he ultimately decided to terminate Dr Zhao’s employment because he did not “see any improvement on the quality of her research”, despite her receiving support and counselling.
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