Staff morale low, study shows

Concerns about lecturers' workloads and their effect on quality are revealed in the unprecedented "total quality audit" at the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside, which was undertaken by lecturers' union Natfhe after reports in The THES of quality problems.

When asked to rate the university's ability to provide a quality education for its students on a scale of 0-100, staff gave an average mark of 51, Natfhe's head office has reported. Sixty-five per cent of respondents said that management had caused the university's weaknesses, and many felt that the support offered to staff was not sufficient.

Staff had a very low opinion of their own performance. While just 12 per cent of staff said they felt they were performing well, 18 per cent said they were performing poorly. Heavy workloads and constant institutional change meant that the majority, 70 per cent, felt their performance was merely "adequate".

Phil Baty

Want to blow the whistle?

Contact Phil Baty on 020 7782 3298 or email him atphil.baty@thes.co.uk