The first policy to be passed by members at TEU’s first annual conference is advocating that degree-level programmes should be taught mainly by people engaged in research.

The conference argued that involvement in teaching helps stimulate ideas for research, and encourages the researcher to place their activities within a wider context of teaching and learning.

TEU National President Tom Ryan said that a vibrant teaching and research environment is one that recognises and values individual staff strengths in teaching and research and that maintains a mix of experience in both areas.

“Each individual staff member will be working at a different level, but should still benefit from a collegial environment where everyone shares research and teaching knowledge and practice.”

TEU’s position differs somewhat to the principles for staff engagement in research provided by NZQA that says that at some point all staff will be recruited ‘research and/or teaching-ready’.

TEU delegates believed this view did not adequately reflect the requirements of all parts of the sector, particularly ITPs and wānanga.”  New staff taking up a degree-level teaching position may have strong professional or industry experience, which is valuable in terms of being able to provide current, in-depth subject knowledge.”  However such individuals may have little or no experience in academic research or teaching, and need support and appropriate professional development time to acquire these skills.”  Otherwise their tertiary education institution loses the opportunity to employ them.

Dr Ryan said that it is important to recognise the diverse paths academics will take, both entering the career of teacher-researcher and during the course of that career.