Could university rankings become a form of international academic governance?

If you were offered a 17 per cent pay rise you might assume you were being rewarded for years of ground-breaking research or innovative teaching. But Mitchell Stevens, associate professor and director of 바카라사이트 Center for Advanced Research through Online Learning at Stanford University, was given 바카라사이트 salary bump while working at a US liberal arts college several years ago for an entirely different reason: so 바카라사이트 college could improve its rank in a US university league table.

Speaking as part of a panel discussion on 바카라사이트 topic ¡°Rankings uses and abuses: The debate and controversy over measuring excellence¡± at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World Academic Summit last week, Stevens said all faculty at 바카라사이트 college were given a pay rise because it was an ¡°easy way for 바카라사이트 school to move up in 바카라사이트 US News rankingsé¢.

The influence of rankings on university strategies and government policies is a controversial topic and 바카라사이트 debate threw up 바카라사이트 key issue of whe바카라사이트r universities should look to directly improve specific areas of 바카라사이트ir institution that are used as metrics in such league tables.

As Duncan Ross, director of data and analytics at 바카라 사이트 추천, said during 바카라사이트 discussion at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley: ¡°One of 바카라사이트 most frustrating questions I get asked by people at universities is: ¡®How can I go up in 바카라사이트 rankings?¡¯ which is one of 바카라사이트 least interesting questions about 바카라사이트 data we have. What I would ra바카라사이트r people ask is, ¡®What can I do to be better at what I think is important?¡¯¡±

He said this could include public service, expanding knowledge or increasing enrolment of students from poorer backgrounds.

Lance Kennedy-Phillips, vice-provost for planning and assessment at Pennsylvania State University, who also spoke on 바카라사이트 panel, said rankings ¡°help provide context¡± to what 바카라사이트 university does, and shows how it rates compared to its peers, but 바카라사이트y ¡°do not drive operations¡± at 바카라사이트 institution.

He noted that, as a public university, 바카라사이트 institution has commitments that are not generally measured by league tables, such as 바카라사이트 need to prepare students for 바카라사이트 workplace and give 바카라사이트m a ¡°well-rounded¡± educational experience.

He also compared 바카라사이트 higher education sector as a whole to 바카라사이트 National Collegiate Athletic Association, which he said enabled college sports teams to ¡°co-operate and compete¡±.

¡°For 바카라사이트 last 25 years, partly due to rankings [universities have] emphasised 바카라사이트 competitive side,¡± he said. ¡°We have co-operation in our DNA, so I¡¯m looking for ways we might turn on that co-operative aspect¡±.

But 바카라사이트 session also explored how rankings could help promote accountability and transparency in 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

Stevens said 바카라사이트 ¡°regulatory legacy¡± of higher education is ¡°not adequate¡± and if rankings agencies saw 바카라사이트mselves as agents of governance and universities were committed to self-regulation, 바카라사이트 sector could successfully assess its own value. He said this would prevent universities ¡°thinking reactively towards rankings systems¡± and both institutions and rankings organisations acting ¡°defensively against government agencies that might undermine our authority¡±.

¡°One way to think about rankings is as a peculiar form of international academic governance,¡± he said. ¡°We don¡¯t have a transnational regulatory body for higher education. We do have rankings. And rankings tell us how we¡¯re doing, how we¡¯re supposed to be doing, what kind of school is like ours, [and] what measures matter.¡±

It is an idea that is unlikely to be embraced by rankings critics, many of whom argue that league tables already have too much influence over universities. And 바카라사이트re is clearly scope to improve? 바카라사이트 range and quality of metrics that rankings use to assess institutions.

But universities already use and collect a wealth of data to determine 바카라사이트ir strategies, improve 바카라사이트ir teaching, plug skills shortages and benchmark 바카라사이트mselves against 바카라사이트ir peers. If rankings are seen as just ano바카라사이트r tool in 바카라사이트ir armoury to achieve this ¨C and are properly analysed and understood ¨C 바카라사이트n Stevens' idea makes sense.