Determination of academic pay in universities and colleges in UK under the new pay framework: the policy and practice
Academic pay was uniform across universities and colleges below the level of professors till 2004 in UK. Following the global trend, UK has moved away from the nationally determined scales of pay. Since 2004, the broad Pay Framework Agreement which allows for flexibility in pay based on a flexible structure has been adopted and used by universities in UK. The new framework provides for salary and career progression to attract, retain and motivate staff, rewarding appropriately their knowledge, experience and contribution. The national pay spine consists of 51 points and universities negotiate with local union representatives to establish grading structures for academic staff that map onto the national spine. The 51 pay points comprises of ten overlapping grades with a minimum and maximum for all staff below the level of professors. The study reveals that the individual sample universities selected from pre- and post-1992 universities are now adapting into a decentralised institutional based pay determination mechanisms.
Returns to Tertiary Education in Germany and the UK: Effects of Fields of Study and Gender
During the last decades most industrialised countries have experienced a rapid expansion of tertiary education enrolments. The sector of tertiary education became more differentiated through the creation of many different subjects, fields and curricula of study. At the same time, men and women tend to prefer different fields of study which likely also provide different opportunities on the labour market. In this study we examine the returns of tertiary education regarding the fields of study and gender differences in Germany and the United Kingdom. As an indicator for educational returns we take the opportunity of entering into the service classes. Given the review of different institutional arrangements we expect that the two countries have considerable differences in the linkage between tertiary education and labour market. Additionally, we expect that the different outcomes of educational credentials between female and male graduates are related to the different choices of study fields in the tertiary education. Based on the generally close linkage between the level of education and labour market in Germany and the rather weak signal function of educational credentials in the UK, we expect that firstly the overall educational returns to tertiary education would be greater in Germany, but that secondly the effects of fields of study as an additional selection factor for graduates would be greater in the UK. Results of empirical analyses confirm both of these hypotheses. An interesting result with respect to the gender differences in educational outcomes is that Germany shows a smaller gender difference in outcomes, but this rather egalitarian result disappears if the type of jobs, e.g. part-time vs. full-time jobs, is controlled for. In general, we find smaller gender differences in class outcomes in Germany than in the UK, but that is called into question by the greater likelihood of German women to be employed in part-time jobs.
Randi Weingarten, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Challenges of Policy Leadership in a Hostile Environment
Randi Weingarten is the president of the most vocal and influential teachers’ union, the American Federation of Teachers. Since rising through the ranks to AFT president in just two years, Weingarten is now a major, if not the most prominent, nongovernmental player in national education policy. She has earned deep respect from many educational policy actors. Likewise, Weingarten elicits withering criticism from others. This fascinating profile explains why, in such a brief period, she has proved to be a fierce, fearless, and effective leader under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Her experience offers invaluable lessons applicable for others working in similarly intense policy arenas.