Yliopiston muutos ja akateemisen työn tasa-arvot: Opetus- ja tutkimustyön tekemisen ehdot ja mahdollisuudet yliopistossa

In the report, we examine the tasks of university researchers and teachers in various positions, the conditions and possibilities of doing the work, and related changes. Based on the interview data, we study the job descriptions and career development of the academic personnel. The interview data has been collected from the universities of Turku, Tampere and Eastern Finland.
In addition to the basic duties, the duties include applying for research funding and management in various forms. The tenure track career model has become a reference point for career development, opportunities and valuation. It differentiates at early stage teaching-oriented and research-oriented careers, the latter leading to a position of professor.
Researchers and teachers often have different job descriptions with different conditions for their work, regardless of a similar job title. The possibilities of doing “good” academic work vary according to time resources. In addition, tasks and responsibilities, such as administrative tasks, have increased. The amount of “invisible work” has increased, which has resulted in growing workload. However, the academic staff still perceived their work as meaningful.
In order to develop the work of academic staff, attention should be paid to making different tasks visible and sharing them equally in units, to the functionality of digital systems, enabling the continuity of research work and the appropriateness of the quality assessment, as well as the adequacy of teaching resources.