Administrative burden at Australian universities: A national survey of academic and professional staff

PLEASE NOTE, THIS SURVEY HAS NOW CLOSED. FINDINGS WILL BE AVAILABLE HERE SOON.

Project description

Anecdotally, there is growing concern about levels of administrative burden among staff working within Australian universities. At the same time, there remains a lack of empirical research exploring this important issue.

  • What are the key administrative demands placed on university staff in both academic and professional roles?
  • How are these administrative demands affecting the effectiveness of universities’ core activities?
  • What influences levels of administrative burdens within universities?
  • What can be done to alleviate administrative burdens within universities?

To shed light on these questions, we invite academic and professional staff working at Australian universities to participate in this research, by taking our ‘Administrative burden at Australian universities’ survey. It is the first survey specifically devoted to examining the issue of administrative burden at universities in Australia.

Analysis of the survey data will facilitate a comprehensive understanding of what staff working at Australian universities regard as the key dimensions, drivers, and effects of administrative burden within their workplace, with the view of identifying potential ways to reduce administrative burdens on the ground.   

Participation information

Anyone currently working in any staff capacity at a university in Australia is eligible to participate in the survey, including staff employed on casual contracts. We estimate the survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete, but it may take longer if you provide extensive feedback responding to the open-ended questions.

There are two documents to help you decide if you would like to participate. 1) Please read the full details of what is involved in participating in the Plain Language Statement. 2) You must also read the Consent form (which you can also access via the survey link below). At the beginning of the survey, you will be asked to confirm that you agree with the statements provided in the Consent form.

Accessing the survey

Once you have read the Plain language statement, please proceed to the survey.

Project team

Associate Professor Peter Woelert (Chief Investigator)

Associate Professor Jenny Chesters (Co-investigator)

Dr Jessica Gannaway (Co-investigator)

Dr Maree Martinussen (Co-investigator)