University teaching quality may be suffering because of problems associated with increasing numbers of fixed-term contracts, says the Association of University Teachers.

The union held the inaugural meeting of a sub-committee responsible for members on non-research fixed-term contracts last week. About 10,000 AUT members are thought to be on fixed-term, non-research contracts, about twice as many as five years ago.

Tom Wilson, AUT assistant general secretary, said that universities often failed to attract the best candidates by relying on fixed-term contracts, and that they frequently paid too little attention to the management and supervision of such staff.

Mr Wilson said: "There is a real issue here for teaching quality because the quality of work is often directly related to the amount of management and supervision."

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The AUT says that greater supervision is also essential for the career progression of non-research staff who are more likely than their research counterparts to seek a career in universities.

Mr Wilson said that the AUT deplored the increased use of fixed-term contracts for non-research posts even though it understood that institutions had been forced down this road by funding cuts.

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He said: "Institutions do not want to commit themselves to full contracts when fixed-term contracts give them more control and ability to absorb shocks in what is a volatile situation."