QUT staff survey sheds light on issues at the university

Months after an open letter launched claims of a toxic culture at QUT, an internal staff survey has again shone a light on issues, including a lack of confidence in senior university executives.

Staff at one of Queensland’s biggest universities have lifted the lid on their working environment after months of damning claims of an alleged “toxic culture”.

An internal staff survey at the Queensland University of Technology released this week has further shone a light on a raft of issues facing the institution.

Just 18 per cent of the more than 2600 staff who responded said change was handled well at the university, and three quarters didn’t agree that senior executives listen to staff.

More than 70 per cent didn’t agree there was “open and honest” communication at QUT, while just 35 per cent said they had confidence in the ability of senior executives.

And only half of all staff agreed they could report misconduct or unethical practices without fear of reprisal.

QUT Vice-Chancellor Margaret Sheil says the university has faced a number of challenges. Picture: Annette Dew

Less than half of those who responded said they would recommend QUT to people they know as a great place to work, while 40 per cent said the university inspired them to do their best week.

There were some positive results – 95 per cent said they understand their roles and responsibilities in creating a safe work environment, 86 per cent said they felt safe at work, and 83 per cent said their supervisors treated them with respect.

QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil said the survey results were “not a surprise” and acknowledged there were “disappointing aspects”.

She pointed to the ongoing challenges universities had faced over funding arrangements, uncertainty around international students and the loss of more than 350 staff.

“The impact of COVID-19 on the entire higher education sector forced some tough decisions on the QUT executive, and these survey results partly reflect the impact of those key decisions,” Professor Sheil said.

“Together with the executive team, I will work hard with staff and students as we transition out of the pandemic response and plan for the future.

“However, we have stood by our decision to protect the academic and research staff of QUT while regrettably having to remove support and administration roles.

“This was essential to protect us from even deeper cuts in the future.”

Earlier this year The Courier-Mail exclusively revealed claims of an alleged “toxic culture” at the university, including allegations of bullying, harassment and dissatisfaction among university staff.

An open letter to university Chancellor Xiaoling Liu claimed staff were “afraid to speak up” about their concerns.

Academics also claimed they had been tasked with unsustainable workloads after hundreds of contract staff were let go, while the student union expressed concerns about students receiving less quality time with lecturers and tutors due to significant staff cuts.

The revelations prompted senior executives to be tasked with leadership training and an external complaints system introduced.

Professor Sheil met with university staff on Wednesday to discuss the results, and said the university needed to adapt its process and practices in response to the “structural changes”.

“The survey results reinforced that staff share a very strong belief in the values of QUT,” she said.

“We can’t, however, shy away from disappointing aspects and there are issues we need to work through.”