Philosophy math, Australian style... they say there's a problem...
While I agree that it isn't a good idea to cut philosophy positions, blah, blah, blah...
I'm finding their math less than compelling.
Next year they'll have 4.5 teaching positions -- to cover 12 sections. It was unclear whether or not the number was for the academic year or for a semester. To be generous, I'll assume the semester...
For comparison -- we have 5 teaching positions to cover 25 sections per semester.
The math is less compelling if the 12 sections is over a year -- because we have 5 faculty members teaching 50 sections per year...
The "fact" sheet doesn't include information about grad students... Are there graduate students? Do those graduate students teach? If the answer is 'yes' to the first and 'no' to the second, I have more sympathy -- if only because graduate students demand graduate classes -- which wouldn't be counted in the 12 sections.
Then again, they have two faculty members whose contracts don't require them to teach undergrads at all -- so, they can help with the grad classes, no?
It also doesn't indicate the composition of their philosophy major -- and I do think that other restrictions will hurt their ability to educate undergraduate philosophy majors -- because they are required to offer the same 12 courses every year.
but -- I'm finding their math less than compelling.
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With all respect, I think you're a little off base here comparing your US cc to a British style R1.
As I read it, Melbourne is on par with say, Berkeley as an R1, with major research/publication requirements for faculty. Faculty who haven't published 5 articles in the previous 5 years are being "asked" to retire, with hints that layoffs will come if they don't.
They're also staffing a full major, probably in the British Univ sense (where students study in one field for 3 years, rather than doing GEs mostly for the first two and studying in their field for the final two). They're teaching on big GE course, and otherwise courses for majors, looks like. http://www.philosophy.unimelb.edu.au/courses/undergrad/subjects.html
My sense is that most grad students at British style universities don't teach.
If they are more like an R1, then their "12" probably refers to 12 courses per year.. thus, each of the faculty will need to teach 3ish per year, or an average of 1.5 per semester.
My point is that they aren't making a compelling case based on those numbers. I do think they have a more compelling case concerning the impact on the major and the impact on their ability to research.
and -- I suppose I'm less than sympathetic as I'm managing to have an active research program and teach a 5/5 load. If you want to/need to do research, you can figure out how to balance teaching and research. It isn't impossible, you just have to be a smarter and more efficient teacher.
Further -- the department lost a significant number of positions (5, I think) because the faculty members took an early retirement buy-out, because they weren't actively researching. The standard was 5 publications in 5 years. So, they were pretty much coasting, not teaching much AND not writing/researching...
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