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In Australia today, fewer academic staff are available to do a growing amount of work and the capacity of the workforce is shrinking relative to almost linear growth in the size of the system. Simply recruiting people into existing academic roles will not be sufficient because both the work and the workforce have changed, and hence so have the roles. This research briefing analyses academic work and the academic workforce in the context of current dynamics and likely futures. It discusses the significance of academic work, reviews workforce characteristics, and analyses tensions and pressures. Prevailing conceptualisations, it is argued, do not reflect the current situation in which the profession finds itself. There is an overarching need for a fresh conceptualisation of academic work. These conceptual ideas are reinforced and expanded by a case study of sessional academics. The challenges faced by the academic profession are operationalised in eight strategies for building Australia's future academic workforce: (1) reconfiguring academic work; (2) constructing academic career profiles; (3) designing attractive customised experiences; (4) designing measured experiences; (5) engaging sessional academics; (6) refreshing the research degree; (7) expanding staff numbers with system growth; and (8) engaging leaders in capacity development. The authors conclude by calling on institutions and the profession, jointly and collectively, to assume responsibility for leading the change required to implement these strategies. They describe the foundations of a roadmap setting an agenda for reshaping the academic workforce and profession.
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