Broken Down by Sex and Age: Australian University Staffing Patterns 1994-2003

This article examines trends in Australian university staffing through an analysis of ten years’ staff statistics, 1994-2003. An introduction which considers definitions, methodological issues, and overall changes in patterns of casualisation, sex and the distribution of academic and general (“non-academic”) staff categories is followed by an examination of changes in participation of university staff by sex and by age. Although most of the focus in the discourse about university staffing concerns academic staff, these staff comprise only 42% - 43% of total university staffing in Australia. Therefore it is relevant to investigate changes which have occurred in the majority group of university staff. The characteristics of academic and general staff are quite different, so each category has been considered separately. In particular the progress of women in senior academic posts and in university management is considered, as are patterns of aging, particularly in academic fields of education.