Academia in Motion: ‘We have to challenge the status quo; otherwise, nothing will change’
Recognising our colleagues’ teaching efforts – and as a manager, taking steps to do so. Broadening our understanding of quality. Marieke Adriaanse, Professor of Behavioural Interventions in Population Health Management and Recognition & Rewards ambassador, can see that Academia is in Motion, but she wants more.
‘For me, Academia in Motion means showing there’s a different way to recognise and reward our work. Doing things differently means challenging the status quo. That’s what sets things in motion.’ This is how Marieke Adriaanse, a professor at the LUMC and the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, describes Academia in Motion.
How do we set academia in motion, Marieke?
‘We have to break patterns that no longer work for us. To identify these patterns, you have to be willing to question them. Now the reflex tends to be: We’ve always done it this way. New colleagues begin, for example, by asking why certain things are done the way they are but soon conclude that’s just how it works here. But if we don’t question the norms, identify habits that no longer serve us and dare to change, we grind to a halt as a university, when what we want is progress and innovation. We have to return to the question of: why have we always done it that way?’
‘Asking questions and showing how things can be done differently is how change and motion start.’
Can you give examples?
‘Why do we use publication counts as a measure of research quality? Shouldn’t we look at quality rather than quantity? The fixation on the number of publications means that a high publication rate in journals often becomes a goal in itself rather than a way to inform other researchers of your findings. Is that focus on quantity at the expense of quality? And isn’t it a bit of a narrow definition of quality? If we think it’s also important to reach stakeholders outside academia, shouldn’t that be part of how we view quality? It’s because people questioned this that we’re working hard in Leiden and elsewhere on broader, evidence-based ways to define quality.
‘Another example: Why were lay talks not part of PhD defences in Leiden? They were introduced in September last year because a PhD candidate from the LUMC dared to question the norm. Asking questions and showing how things can be done differently is how change and motion start.’
How do you apply this as a manager?
‘I ask lots of questions and try to show that you can do things differently. I’m very conscious of the standard I set through my own behaviour. That includes what qualities you value, and a good work-life balance. That means saying when I’m finding it hard, that with three children, a good work-life balance can be complicated. I sometimes have to do things in the daytime that are asked of me as a mother: helping out at school, looking after a poorly child. At one point, that was taking up more of my time, and I started working in the evening to get everything done. I can delay my emails to the next morning and act as if I’ve got everything under control. But then I wondered whether that’s a good example, so I discussed it with my team. I told them the whole story and asked for help and support. I hope this will encourage them to do the same.
‘I’m very conscious of the standard I set through my own behaviour. That includes what qualities you value, and a good work-life balance.’
‘I also have a different way of celebrating with the team. When a paper’s finished, we publish it as a preprint and it’s shared, which means we can celebrate. We don’t wait for it to be published in a journal. We also celebrate new collaborations and initiatives, or if someone has done something innovative in our teaching. That’s how I try to make different forms of quality visible and to foster teamwork.’
What’s your dot on the horizon as Recognition & Rewards ambassador?
‘I’d really like us to value teaching across the board at the university. And to ensure that colleagues can grow as teachers. I can’t wait to see what the new career policy will mean. I think we should also ask managers about their role in this. You don’t have to wait for that new policy. Discuss it now and give colleagues chances based on their teaching skills. There’s a lot we can do already.’
Text: Margriet van der Zee
Academia in Motion at Leiden University
This interview is one in a series on what staff can do to support a culture change at Leiden University. We’re becoming an open knowledge community with close links to society in which everyone’s contribution to our strategic goals is recognised and rewarded. Curious? Visit the Academia in Motion website.