University staff share ‘significant challenges’ in leaked survey
Adelaide University staff report “difficulty navigating new roles” and “a lack of consultation from leadership” during the merger in a new faculty-wide survey, with worrying news on the first day of operations.
An internal staff survey at Adelaide University, leaked to InDaily, has found that just 46 per cent felt prepared in their role in the lead-up to the university opening.
Adelaide University’s Transition to AU Pulse Check survey received 1860 responses (out of 11,000 staff members), who reported “difficulty navigating new roles” and “a lack of consultation from leadership” during the transition.
In an email sent to staff on April 20, Adelaide University executive director of university integration Bruce Lines and deputy vice chancellor of corporate Paul Beard acknowledged challenges experienced by faculty.
“This survey clearly indicates that the transition from our foundation universities has required an enormous amount of adjustment for staff and … many colleagues reported significant challenges in adapting to new systems, new structures and a new working environment,” they wrote.
“We acknowledge there is a hard message in some of these responses; we also acknowledge with concern the impact that has had on some of our staff.”
The survey found that only 42 per cent of staff “felt they had received the support and communications they needed to adapt to change ahead of Day 1 at Adelaide University”.
Meanwhile, just 32 per cent of staff “perceived they worked effectively using the new systems and processes at Adelaide University”, while 57 per cent knew about supports available or who to go to with questions and issues.
Staff noted that “a lack of reliable system access” impacted their ability to work effectively and that “[m]ultiple newly implemented processes … impacted ability to deliver core academic and student-facing services”.
In an interview with InDaily this week, Adelaide University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Nicola Phillips acknowledged the enormity of the merger process.
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“If you think about the scale of what we’ve done here, we have an organisation now where everything is new, side to side, bottom to top,” she said.
“So, forming in that way, obviously, that can be an exhilarating process, it can be an unsettling process, it can be one that people find very stressful.
“I wouldn’t for a second underestimate how challenging it has been, but as I go around the university … there’s a good level of optimism and determination.”
Adelaide University, which cost taxpayers about $450 million, officially opened on January 5 following a merger between the universities of Adelaide and South Australia.
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