Agony aunt

Q

I am a lecturer nearing retirement but would like to continue helping students. Is it a good tactic to offer my services to my employer or is it better to seek consultancy work elsewhere?

A

BARBARA TIZARD. Emeritus Professor. Institute of Education.

Many universities engage retired staff for part-time work, usually one-third time teaching or examining, usually on one to three-year contracts, and you should certainly explore this possibility. Alternatively, or in addition, you might consider looking for a part-time post in a further education college, tutoring for the Open University, doing A-level teaching or examining or adult education teaching.

Consultancies engage you to carry out a specific assignment or your contract may state that you will be paid for, say, 100 hours, in which you must carry out a specific task. If you can find the work, you can take on as many consultancies as you like, provided that you mostly work outside universities. Within universities, you may only earn up to an amount which, together with your pension, does not exceed your full-time salary.

To keep up a supply of consultancies you need to have or build up a network of potential employers - business studies and technology seem to attract the most consultancies.

Whether you should opt for consultancies or college work depends partly on what is available in your area, but also on your personality. Consultancies have the advantage that you can plan your time more freely.

The work is likely to be more varied and challenging, but you may not like working on your own. You will need energy and initiative to seek out and perhaps create opportunities. If you have enough consultancies you will earn more than doing college work, but you do not have the security of a contract.

If you are not bothered about a salary, you could volunteer to help students in areas that are neglected or inadequate, such as pastoral care, remedial work, library tutoring, assisting foreign students, acting as a mentor or giving one-to-one tuition.

A

LIZ ALLEN. Natfhe universities department.

If you mean you want to carry on teaching then it may be as well to offer to work part time for your current employer. Many lecturers continue to do some hourly paid teaching after retirement or early retirement - and the bonus of continuing with your employer would be that you would know colleagues, be familiar with course structure and content, and be already integrated in the department.

Doing very occasional hours at an unfamiliar institution could mean that you work in some isolation - although you might enjoy the stimulus of working somewhere new if you have been at the same institution for a long time. If you intend to carry on teaching for a while, remember you will get out of date, so unless you are updating yourself by pursuing a related profession, you may still want access to staff development opportunities.

Most of the post-1992 universities and higher education colleges pay nationally negotiated hourly rates for teaching. Practice in the pre-1992 universities varies, which might appeal if you think you can strike a good deal for a shortage specialism.

Be careful about the effect on your pension. In most cases you will not be able to make further contributions to the Teacher's Pension Scheme and there are restrictions on the amount you can earn. Natfhe's leaflet on pension rights for part-time staff gives details.