title: The elephant in the room: Precarious work in New Zealand’s universities

authors: Simpson, Aimee B.

abstract: Precarious working arrangements, defined by temporary casual and fixed-term employment agreements, are a complex, often hidden feature of academia in Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa hereafter). At present, little is known about the conditions of insecure academic work, the size of this workforce, nor how these workers have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This report provides an insight into the reality of insecure academic work in universities from those who responded to the 2021 Precarious Academic Work Survey.
We highlight that in Aotearoa we have a highly trained, casual and fixed-term academic workforce who are engaged in long-term cycles of precarity. Among the 760 participants surveyed, more than one-quarter (28.9%) had been precariously employed for five years or longer. Further, nearly sixty percent (59.2%) had accepted extra work to support themselves or their whānau, even when it jeopardised their other responsibilities (e.g., completing their degrees). Over half (52.7%) of all students, and nearly two-thirds (64.4%) of PhD students surveyed, had held three or more employment agreements at a university in the last 12 months. Financial need (71.6%) was most frequently cited as an important factor in participants’ decisions to engage in precarious work, and over half (52.4%) of participants experienced a rise in their living costs due to working from home during the pandemic.
Our report also adds further evidence of inequities present in the academic pipeline. Just one in ten Māori (10.8%) and one in thirteen Pasifika (7.7%) participants were PhD graduates, a smaller proportion than the nearly one-third (31.5%) of New Zealand European/Pākehā. Over two-thirds (66.8%) of international students indicated they were employed in the most insecure forms (Casual or fixed-term contracts of six months or less) of precarious work, compared with 60.5% of domestic students. Of those precarious workers completing a PhD, domestic students in our survey were far more likely to be receiving a stipend (73.9%) compared to international students (50%). Further, 63.2% of participants who were international students without a stipend reported that they lacked confidence in having sufficient ongoing academic work in the next 12 months.
Instances of discrimination, bullying, and harassment were also reported by survey participants, with 33.7% citing that they had been impacted by such issues. Other workplace safety concerns were evident: nearly half of participants (45.7%) described their workloads as always or often unsustainable and negatively impacting their health and wellbeing. Meanwhile, one-quarter (23.9%) of precarious staff rated their current stress level as an eight, on a scale of zero (no stress) to ten (completely stressed). Two-thirds (66.3%) of participants were not confident they would receive adequate support from their employer in the event of a future crisis (e.g., a natural disaster or outbreak of infectious disease).
On this basis, we encourage universities to do better for their casual and fixed-term employees through increasing job security, reducing inequities for Māori and Pasifika precarious staff, and improving conditions for postgraduate students, both domestic and international. In our final recommendations, we implore the government to work alongside universities to realise this change by investigating workloads, increasing, and rebalancing sector funding, and reinstating the postgraduate student allowance.

text: The elephant in the room: Precarious work in New Zealand’s universities Precarious working arrangements, defined by temporary casual and fixed-term employment agreements, are a complex, often hidden feature of academia in Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa hereafter). At present, little is known about the conditions of insecure academic work, the size of this workforce, nor how these workers have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This report provides an insight into the reality of insecure academic work in universities from those who responded to the 2021 Precarious Academic Work Survey.
We highlight that in Aotearoa we have a highly trained, casual and fixed-term academic workforce who are engaged in long-term cycles of precarity. Among the 760 participants surveyed, more than one-quarter (28.9%) had been precariously employed for five years or longer. Further, nearly sixty percent (59.2%) had accepted extra work to support themselves or their whānau, even when it jeopardised their other responsibilities (e.g., completing their degrees). Over half (52.7%) of all students, and nearly two-thirds (64.4%) of PhD students surveyed, had held three or more employment agreements at a university in the last 12 months. Financial need (71.6%) was most frequently cited as an important factor in participants’ decisions to engage in precarious work, and over half (52.4%) of participants experienced a rise in their living costs due to working from home during the pandemic.
Our report also adds further evidence of inequities present in the academic pipeline. Just one in ten Māori (10.8%) and one in thirteen Pasifika (7.7%) participants were PhD graduates, a smaller proportion than the nearly one-third (31.5%) of New Zealand European/Pākehā. Over two-thirds (66.8%) of international students indicated they were employed in the most insecure forms (Casual or fixed-term contracts of six months or less) of precarious work, compared with 60.5% of domestic students. Of those precarious workers completing a PhD, domestic students in our survey were far more likely to be receiving a stipend (73.9%) compared to international students (50%). Further, 63.2% of participants who were international students without a stipend reported that they lacked confidence in having sufficient ongoing academic work in the next 12 months.
Instances of discrimination, bullying, and harassment were also reported by survey participants, with 33.7% citing that they had been impacted by such issues. Other workplace safety concerns were evident: nearly half of participants (45.7%) described their workloads as always or often unsustainable and negatively impacting their health and wellbeing. Meanwhile, one-quarter (23.9%) of precarious staff rated their current stress level as an eight, on a scale of zero (no stress) to ten (completely stressed). Two-thirds (66.3%) of participants were not confident they would receive adequate support from their employer in the event of a future crisis (e.g., a natural disaster or outbreak of infectious disease).
On this basis, we encourage universities to do better for their casual and fixed-term employees through increasing job security, reducing inequities for Māori and Pasifika precarious staff, and improving conditions for postgraduate students, both domestic and international. In our final recommendations, we implore the government to work alongside universities to realise this change by investigating workloads, increasing, and rebalancing sector funding, and reinstating the postgraduate student allowance.

year: 2022

title: Engraved prehistoric Conus shell valuables from southeastern Papua New Guinea: their antiquity, motifs and distribution

authors: Ambrose, Wal

subjects: Conus shell valuables

abstract: In the early 1900s thirteen engraved Conus shell valuables were dug from prehistoric midden mounds in Oro Province. Since the early 1970s nineteen undated surface finds have been found in the northern Massim of Milne Bay Province. 
When three artifacts became available for AMS radiocarbon dating, provided they were restored after sampling to their original visual appearance, a specialist team was assembled and this paper reports its findings regarding the thirty-two shells. The paper covers sampling and conservation, dating (including new information on the local oceanic reservoir effect), distribution, art, depositional and cultural histories. 

These distinctive Conus shell valuables are part of the material culture found along the northern coast of the eastern tip of New Guinea and on the islands of the northern Massim during the Expansion Phase c.1000-500 BP. Their decoration is comparable to that produced by Milne Bay Province woodcarvers in historic times. This continuity makes them the oldest radiocarbon dated artifacts decorated in the Massim art style.

text: Engraved prehistoric Conus shell valuables from southeastern Papua New Guinea: their antiquity, motifs and distribution In the early 1900s thirteen engraved Conus shell valuables were dug from prehistoric midden mounds in Oro Province. Since the early 1970s nineteen undated surface finds have been found in the northern Massim of Milne Bay Province. 
When three artifacts became available for AMS radiocarbon dating, provided they were restored after sampling to their original visual appearance, a specialist team was assembled and this paper reports its findings regarding the thirty-two shells. The paper covers sampling and conservation, dating (including new information on the local oceanic reservoir effect), distribution, art, depositional and cultural histories. 

These distinctive Conus shell valuables are part of the material culture found along the northern coast of the eastern tip of New Guinea and on the islands of the northern Massim during the Expansion Phase c.1000-500 BP. Their decoration is comparable to that produced by Milne Bay Province woodcarvers in historic times. This continuity makes them the oldest radiocarbon dated artifacts decorated in the Massim art style.

year: 2012

title: Maori and epilepsy: Personal perceptions of the cause, treatment and consequences of epilepsy by Maori in the Bay of Plenty

authors: Simonsen, Kiri

subjects: Maori

abstract: This paper discusses the perceptions of epilepsy held by Maori in the Bay of Plenty. The paper
begins by introducing the purpose and rationale of the research. It then moves on to describe the
aims and qualitative research methods that were used to collect the data. Finally the paper
discusses the findings of the research, this includes: a close look at the unique perceptions of
epilepsy that were reported by Maori in the Bay of Plenty; the lack of resources and services
available in a small rural town of the Bay of Plenty; the services desired by Maori; attitudes
towards medication and the inappropriate behaviour many of the participants experienced by the
medical profession.

text: Maori and epilepsy: Personal perceptions of the cause, treatment and consequences of epilepsy by Maori in the Bay of Plenty This paper discusses the perceptions of epilepsy held by Maori in the Bay of Plenty. The paper
begins by introducing the purpose and rationale of the research. It then moves on to describe the
aims and qualitative research methods that were used to collect the data. Finally the paper
discusses the findings of the research, this includes: a close look at the unique perceptions of
epilepsy that were reported by Maori in the Bay of Plenty; the lack of resources and services
available in a small rural town of the Bay of Plenty; the services desired by Maori; attitudes
towards medication and the inappropriate behaviour many of the participants experienced by the
medical profession.

year: 1999