As a former @UQ_News tutor and c/coordinator, I don't know anyone who skim read students' essays. Everyone read all essays and gave as detailed feedback as possible, meaning we consistently worked many more hours than we were paid for. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-18/rmit-uq-now-among-universities-accused-of-underpaying-staff/12565528

of course we tried to keep our extra hours down as much as possible, but if tutors & sessional course coordinators only worked the hours they were paid, the students would be dumbfounded at the amount they pay in their uni fees and the product they actually received.

I know people who have used the casual tutor marking rates as a case study in order to explain Marxism theory to undergrads lol.

Dr Fenton is a great researcher, wonderful lecturer, as well as a genuinely lovely person. She wouldn't have been "let go", she would have just been told they didn't have any teaching for her in Sem 2 this year. I'm sure POLSIS did this with as much kindness and care as possible.

but it still sucks. More than half of all teaching in Australian unis is done by casuals on insecure contracts. This pandemic hasn't caused insecurity in the higher education sector, it's just exacerbated the existing faults and weaknesses that were already experienced by tutors

all opinions my own and not my employer's. blisso out