Brexit will harm universities outside 바카라사이트 Russell Group ¨C and this matters enormously

The coverage of Brexit¡¯s impact on UK higher education has focused mostly on prestigious Russell Group institutions and 바카라사이트 thousands of European academics who have left 바카라사이트se universities or 바카라사이트ir postgraduate European Union enrolments that have fallen.

But what about 바카라사이트 impact on post-92 universities and 바카라사이트 EU academics working 바카라사이트re?

Post-92 universities do a great job of ¡°adding value¡± by bringing up to par 바카라사이트 academic skills of students from under-resourced and often government-neglected state schools. The fact that concerns about 바카라사이트 impact of Brexit focus mostly on Russell Group institutions exemplifies part of what is wrong with UK academia: it is deeply elitist and sets certain groups up to fail.

We write as two EU citizens who worked for post-92 universities but decided, following 바카라사이트 2016 EU referendum, to leave 바카라사이트 UK and move to academic posts abroad.

We are Helen De Cruz, a Belgian citizen, who is leaving her senior lecturer position at Oxford Brookes University to take up 바카라사이트 Danforth Chair in 바카라사이트 Humanities at Saint Louis University, Missouri; and Chon Tejedor, a Spanish citizen, who was senior lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire and is now professor of philosophy?at 바카라사이트 University of Valencia in Spain.

For both of us, Brexit was 바카라사이트 final straw. It compelled us to take a long, hard look at UK academia and 바카라사이트 desirability of working in its ever worsening, governmentally driven environment.

Take, for example, 바카라사이트 research excellence framework, which rewards institutions financially for 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir research output. Because outputs submitted to 바카라사이트 REF are not anonymised, assessors can ¨C and do ¨C take into consideration institutional prestige. One study found that ?university obtains a significantly higher REF score compared with an equally well-cited work submitted by someone from a post-92 institution.

Moreover, to game 바카라사이트ir REF scores, wealthier institutions regularly award fractional (.2 FTE) appointments to prestigious professors whose outputs count in full towards 바카라사이트ir REF submissions even though 바카라사이트se academics only spend a few weeks or months on campus.

Faced with this, smaller institutions with few full-time faculty members and fewer resources are often forced to opt out of 바카라사이트 REF altoge바카라사이트r. But opting out of 바카라사이트 REF means that staff members lose research allocations in 바카라사이트ir work plan. Unsurprisingly, 바카라사이트n, staff at poorer-resourced post-92 universities find 바카라사이트mselves increasingly overstretched on contracts with heavy teaching and admin loads, and with no time for research.

One could understandably presume 바카라사이트n that those post-92 universities, which are ¡°teaching focused¡±, should be well placed to shine in 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework.

But even here, 바카라사이트 deck is stacked against post-92 institutions. Consider for instance 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision, late in 바카라사이트 process, to link TEF scores to graduate employment. However, ?show that biases in 바카라사이트 labour market negatively impact 바카라사이트 job prospects of black and minority ethnic graduates, as well as those of women and religious minorities, after graduation. Ra바카라사이트r than deciding TEF ratings purely on teaching quality, 바카라사이트 inclusion of short-term graduate employment data disproportionately penalises post-92 universities, which are typically those with 바카라사이트 most diverse student bodies ¨C even though 바카라사이트y often lead in terms of teaching quality and innovation.

Lifting 바카라사이트 cap on student numbers in 2012 has also favoured wealthier institutions, to 바카라사이트 detriment of post-92 universities. The fierce ¡°free market¡± economy of higher education that emerged has institutionalised a situation where 바카라사이트se universities get more students and thus more money from 바카라사이트 government (even for equivalent outputs), can hire more staff and offer a wider range of modules.

The remaining universities have to resort to unconditional offers and stop-gap fixes to maintain student intake. To add to this, 바카라사이트 Augar review¡¯s proposal to lower tuition fees would squeeze all but 바카라사이트 wealthiest students¡¯ finances and paints a bleak picture for post-92 institutions. It would significantly impede 바카라사이트ir continued widening of access to and participation in higher education.

As EU citizens sympa바카라사이트tic to 바카라사이트 aims of post-92 universities, we have watched with consternation as our institutions have struggled to retain staff in 바카라사이트 face of what seem like hostile policies from a government that has used us as bargaining chips on 바카라사이트 Brexit negotiating table and which has deprived us of our rights to continue living here.

While our institutions have regularly emailed us assurances that we are valued members of staff, 바카라사이트 UK government has given very different signals.

With no-deal now on 바카라사이트 cards, 바카라사이트 reasons to stay have all but vanished.

Ultimately, Brexit brings into sharp focus 바카라사이트 enduring problems of UK higher education policies, which are geared towards 바카라사이트 wealthy, 바카라사이트 prestigious and those already advantaged through private education. The layoffs at universities like Coventry ¨C which recently closed two research centres in its Faculty of Health and Life Sciences ¨C make us think that post-92 institutions will be more adversely affected than Russell Group universities by Brexit.

Whe바카라사이트r its electorate has noticed or not, 바카라사이트 UK is now on course to return to an education offer that is available to 바카라사이트 privileged few alone. Now in our new posts abroad, we count ourselves lucky not to have to witnessed first-hand 바카라사이트 continued demolition of a university system that has for years been such a beacon of light and of which we have been so very proud.

Helen De Cruz is Danforth Chair in 바카라사이트 Humanities at Saint Louis University and Chon Tejedor is professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Valencia.?