Abstract:

The global pandemic disrupted the Higher Education sector and students and staff had to transition to online teaching, learning and assessment in an attempt to complete the academic objective. There is considerable research on the experiences of students during the pandemic, and many interventions to facilitate their transition to the online space. The experiences of academics, and institutional responses, have however not been fully explored. The focus on online teaching and learning has impacted other aspects of the academic’s job, such as their research, adding additional levels of stress, as they battle to meet the multiple demands of the job. The study is important to gain an understanding of the perspectives of academics, who are, in a sense, at the forefront of Higher Education. This paper is part of a larger study on understanding how academics in a traditionally contact-based University in South Africa transitioned to the “new norm” brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper specifically reports on the impact on the roles and ways of working of academics. Subsequent publications will present the findings of the larger study. The qualitative study aimed to gain in-depth understanding of academics and academic leadership in a selected College in the University. Gatekeeper consent and ethical clearance were obtained from the University. Seven focus groups were conducted on Zoom in October 2021. With permission from participants, the semi-structured focus group sessions were recorded to assist with transcriptions. Thematic analysis was conducted.

The preliminary findings highlighted diverse multiple experiences, including challenges such as adapting to working remotely, learning to use technology to teach and assess online, and dealing with personal loss, isolation, sickness, and staying motivated. Many academics noted a dramatic increase in their administration load, number of emails, and extended working hours, with very little work-life balance. Some academics experienced similar challenges to students, including lack of access to data and devices, poor connectivity and a lack of a conducive work space. Academics noted that they became “the face of the institution”, dealing with a range of student issues which would conventionally be handled by other units within the institution.

Most academics appeared to have successfully adapted to the changing context, and met the institutional expectations for maintaining operations, even though these came at a high personal cost. They highlighted how they used the opportunity to learn new skills, and draw on the benefits of remote working, such as saving time on travel and fuel costs. Many were cognisant of the opportunities to form new connections virtually that would have perhaps not happened otherwise.

The study is of value in outlining the in-depth perspectives of academics, and provides recommendations for ways in which university leadership may attempt to address continuing challenges. Leaders are alerted to the potential long-term impact of assuming that academics will always be able to pivot to operate under changing circumstances. Suggestions to navigate the constant change as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting Higher Education in the future, are considered.

Keywords:

Academics' role, academics' challenges, higher education, work-from-home.