‘They want more of everything’: what university middle managers’ attitudes reveal about support for off-campus doctoral students
- 14 May 2017
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Higher Education Research & Development
- Vol. 36 (7) , 1448-1462
Abstract
Advances in technology and a shifting demographic of post-graduate students have resulted in a larger than ever number of off-campus PhD students. These students tend to be less satisfied than their on-campus counterparts with their candidature experience. Improving the current situation requires effort from multiple university stakeholders, including academic middle managers, who play a role in allocating resources and setting research training agenda. However, with the intensification of academic workload, academic managers might not view the support of off-campus PhD students as a high priority. This study investigates the attitudes of middle managers in a large Australian university concerning the provision of training and support to off-campus PhD students. The findings reveal that a complex interplay of discourses hinder the provision of support to off-campus PhD students. Implications for practice are discussed.Keywords
Funding Information
- Macquarie University (Innovation and Scholarship Program 2013)
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