Nearly three-quarters of academics in the Republic of Ireland say that working conditions have deteriorated in the wake of mass job cuts and rising student numbers, a study has found. Higher education funding shrank by 29 percent between 2007 and 2014, but student numbers have risen by 16 percent over the same period, according to the report, Creating a Supportive Working Environment for Academics in Higher Education. Since 2007, staffing levels have been reduced by 17 percent, or 3,500 posts. Academics report growing levels of stress caused by excessive teaching loads, says the study, commissioned by Ireland’s two teaching trade unions.

July 2, 2015 ・ From Times Higher Education