Key Findings

The key findings from the project included:

• The international literature makes a strong case for success in academia being primarily associated with research: specifically, research output, quality, productivity, and competitive grant funding. There is some mention of student ratings of teaching as an indicator of success, but the clear message from the literature is that successful ECAs are productive researchers, with strong, wide and well-established research networks, a growing reputation or profile in their discipline or community, and a solid record of winning competitive research grants.
• Success in academia depends on a trio of inter-related factors: institutional support, prior experience, and the personal characteristics of the academics themselves. A supportive Head of Department makes a very big difference to an ECA’s chances of success, as do supportive colleagues and a culture of openness and mentoring. The experiences academics have in graduate school, industry and the workforce are important, too, and the mentoring provided by postgraduate supervisors is significant.
• Success in terms of personal characteristics: ECAs are knowledgeable and up-to-date on important new developments; collaborative and have broad networks of support; resourceful in the ways that they seek support, help, advice and guidance; resilient in the face of setbacks and obstacles, rather than being defensive or risk-averse; organisationally aware, astute and committed, as well as collegial and caring (they are good “academic citizens”); self-disciplined; and conscious of balancing work and home life.
• The project identified a number of barriers to ECA success including: a lack of mentoring from senior colleagues, an apathetic Head of Department, poor or non-existent advice about promotion and career planning, and induction processes that lack specificity and timeliness. Also coming under fire were heavy workloads in the first couple of years, unsupportive colleagues, and an inability to balance home and work life.

Key Recommendations

The key recommendations from the project were:

Recommendations for new ECAs: We recommend that ECAs ask themselves a series of questions around the themes of resourcefulness, relationships, resilience, academic citizenship and balance, and we have produced a flyer to help prompt and guide this process.

Recommendations for Institutions: The role of the institution in supporting ECA success is very important, and we encourage Heads of Department, academic developers and others working with new ECAs to consider reviewing their processes and policies around: promotion advice, feedback and support; regular feedback on performance in teaching, research and service; communication between management and academics; opportunities for networking and mentoring; equipment and funding for research and new teaching developments; and opportunities to participate in decision-making processes.