KEVIN LALOR PhD,
Sir, Your science correspondent, Dr William Reville (August 15th), wishes to know why the Benchmarking Body Report recommends an 11 per cent increase for Institute of Technology lecturers, while recommending only three per cent for university lecturers.
He details the duties of university lecturers, which include lecturing, examining, supervision of under-graduate and post-graduate research, writing of research grant proposals, writing of scientific papers, presenting papers at conferences and university administrative duties. All of these duties are performed by lecturers in the Institute of Technology sector.
The primary difference, as far as I can see, is that my colleagues in the university sector typically lecture for 4-7 hours a week, whereas my colleagues in the Institute of Technology sector work to a norm of 16 hours per week (or 18 hours for assistant lecturers). Perhaps this difference in working conditions informed the recommendations of the Benchmarking Body Report? - Yours, etc.,
KEVIN LALOR PhD,
Lecturer,
Dublin Institute of Technology