Working a fraction and making a fraction work: a rough guide for geographers in the academy |
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| Authors: | Jacky Birnie Clare Madge Rachel Pain† Parvati Raghuram‡ Gillian Rose‡ |
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| Institution: | School of Environment, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham GL50 4AZ; Department of Geography, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH; Department of Geography, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE; Geography Discipline, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA Email: |
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| Abstract: | Little is known about the issues facing geographers working on fractional appointments in higher education institutions in the UK. This paper draws on a survey of UK geography departments and personal experiences to explore some of that territory for the first time. The purpose is both to set the agenda for institutional policy issues and to provide some immediate points of reflection for staff intending to take up fractional work. We consider the place of fractional working in the dominant discourses around paid work, problems of workload division and the impact on professional standing (including the RAE). We suggest that while personal 'life' reasons for fractional working are often positive, fractional workers in the academy risk professional marginalization. |
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| Keywords: | UK fractional appointments higher education geography |
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