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[drspouse]

At my place, and I suspect many others, engaging in consultancy without involving the university can be a disciplinary matter.

A previous U used to allow about 10 days per year for consultancy that did not involve the university. I am not sure what is permitted now, and I haven't investigated here.

We have to have permission but we don't have to do it through the university. Freelance work, for example, would not be done through the university (but would still need permission).

[expatinuk]

We weren't allowed to Free-lance except if you were an 'artist' you could 'paint' in your own time and sell the work. But if you were a TV director you couldn't direct a program in your own time and get paid.

If I did any consulting the Uni got 50% of what I made, EVEN if I did the consulting in my own time.

I just never bothered.

[totoro]

We weren't allowed to Free-lance except if you were an 'artist' you could 'paint' in your own time and sell the work. But if you were a TV director you couldn't direct a program in your own time and get paid.

If I did any consulting the Uni got 50% of what I made, EVEN if I did the consulting in my own time.

I just never bothered.

I never did any consulting at that place that took 2/3 and didn't let you keep any personally. It wouldn't do any good for my CV for getting a job elsewhere and wouldn't give me any income and I was on a fixed term contract. People some times grumbled I didn't do my share but they should have changed the incentives IMO.

[science_expat]

But from a management point of view, why should I encourage consultancy?

I want my staff spending their energy on top class teaching, producing 3* and 4* research outputs, and securing Research Council funding.

How does consultancy contribute to any of this? Or, alternatively, why should it supplant any of these aims?

[theblondeassassin]

Impact.

Supposedly.

[totoro]

But from a management point of view, why should I encourage consultancy?

I want my staff spending their energy on top class teaching, producing 3* and 4* research outputs, and securing Research Council funding.

How does consultancy contribute to any of this? Or, alternatively, why should it supplant any of these aims?

Many of the jobs with UEA Development Studies require the faculty to do consultancy for this firm:

http://www.uea.ac.uk/dev/co

That's an example. It wasn't as organized at the place I was at in Australia. The consulting was mainly for the government and it helped fund the department.

[expatinuk]

But from a management point of view, why should I encourage consultancy?

I want my staff spending their energy on top class teaching, producing 3* and 4* research outputs, and securing Research Council funding.

How does consultancy contribute to any of this? Or, alternatively, why should it supplant any of these aims?

In my field it's the consulting that is 'research/impact'. If your field is (for example) TV directing and you're asked to direct an episode of [insert popular tv show] that will be seen by millions, is that not 'impact'?

Additionally it certainly raises the profile of the academic program which would then impact on recruitment.