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[silas]

I recently accepted a job in the humanities at one of the universities in Sydney after having done my PhD and a year of a teaching-oriented postdoc at an American public R-1.  Around here, the standard practice is for faculty members to be in their campus offices when they teach, have office hours, or meetings, but to generally work (tirelessly) from home or another location.  Is there a similar approach to academic culture/time management in Australia or does it work more on the model that you are expected to be in the office Monday through Friday from 9-5?  How much time does the average junior faculty member spend working outside of normal business hours. (i.e. should I be preparing myself for the 80 hour weeks that some of my colleagues here are putting in or does the much-talked about, fun-loving Aussie culture mean that I can expect something closer to 50 hours a week?)

[pinkmouse]

Depends on the department. At my former dept, some people you never saw except for when they showed up to teach (but were very research productive), but others were there practically all day every day. I think you need to see for yourself what the departmental culture is (as for how many hours per week: nobody but you knows how many hours you spend working. All others see are the results. You have to figure out for yourself how much time you need to put in, in order to be research-productive by the standards of your new institution. I would very much doubt you'll have a lighter workload than your colleagues at an R1).

As a newcomer, I would advise being in your office more when you first start, partly to get the lay of the land, but also because you need to make colleagues and connections.

[embitteredhistorian]

Would you happen to be in philosophy? One of the difficulties I've had with philosophy departments in Australia is remembering everyone's first names: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJs8seHqWzE

[totoro]

Pink mouse makes sensible comments. Cultures vary and you can't go wrong by spending more time on campus initially and seeing what others do.

I've had two mostly research positions at ANU in Canberra as well as two positions (VAP and Associate Prof) at R1 universities in the US. I did my PhD in the US. I don't find big differences between the departments I've been in in the different places in this regard (I'm in social sciences). Where I am now people travel a lot and so no-one pays a lot of attention to where people are. Probably people did the most 9-5 model at my PhD/VAP department in the US. In the other department I was in at ANU there was a lot of socializing including afternoon teas. Some people attended more than others. In my current department apart from the weekly seminar and coffee afterwards there is little general socializing. I don't know about more teaching oriented places in Aus.

[breskvar]

I have spent time in two universities in Australia, and in my experience (in the social sciences) nobody cares if you are in the office or not.  Obviously you have to be there when teaching (the lecture hall to be precise) or during consultation hours, but otherwise a lot of people disappear to do their own work.  Some who find they cannot work at home will disappear from their home and stay in the office 16 hours a day working.

Once there was a strike by academics organised by the union, I found almost everyone in their offices doing their research.  It must be so obvious to everyone involved that a 'strike' means you stop teaching, and concentrate on your own papers.  Most of the students were there too, socialising and having fun with friends.  The faculty and students would walk by each other in the corridors and smile and chat, they just weren't doing it in the lecture hall.  It was weird.

[figee]

As said above.  I'd advise being around quite a bit at the start, but I personally find it easier to work at home on my research and writing - fewer interruptions.  But sometimes I need to be in and around.  It just depends.  I think it also depends where you live and what your commute is like.