“A university’s attempts to provide job security by ring-fencing permanent posts for those on temporary contracts have been criticised. Amid concerns about excessive casualisation in higher education, the University of Ulster established a policy to give fixed-term staff first refusal of permanent posts. But according to an employee who raised his concerns anonymously, the policy meant vacancies could not be opened up to competition, so Ulster could not be sure it was getting the best candidates. ‘The consequence is to progressively lower the quality of teaching and research staff as they can only be replenished from within, often by low-calibre fixed-term staff unable to find employment elsewhere,’ he said …” (more)
[John Gill, THE, 19 February]