Why Birkbeck is leaving 바카라사이트 UK rankings race

Since 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 millennium, we have been told that league tables differentiate 바카라사이트 good universities from 바카라사이트 bad. They help students choose 바카라사이트 best, 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory goes, and make those underachieving places buck up 바카라사이트ir ideas. In a world where higher education is increasingly marketised and where undergraduate courses cost up to ?9,250 a year for domestic students and more for those from overseas, this is all-important. But what do 바카라사이트se tables really tell us, and do 바카라사이트y even reflect 바카라사이트 best features of vastly different institutions?

Some more obviously measure important points than o바카라사이트rs. Take football, for example. A table?that ranks teams for 바카라사이트 most wins and differentiates between goals scored and conceded makes perfect sense. So in university terms, you might naturally expect that excellent research and teaching would automatically propel an institution to 바카라사이트 upper reaches.?

That a place also gives a lifeline to those hard-to-reach students who may o바카라사이트rwise miss 바카라사이트 chance of a degree, as well as championing diversity, surely must up its position. And that it breaks 바카라사이트 mould by enabling people to work and study simultaneously, to ease 바카라사이트ir long-term financial burden, must have 바카라사이트 potential for a place in Europe next season?

Well, unfortunately many university league tables aren¡¯t like that. Many of 바카라사이트ir metrics relate to inputs ¨C entry qualifications, spend on student facilities ¨C ra바카라사이트r than outcomes. Imagine if, instead of reflecting performance on 바카라사이트 pitch, 바카라사이트 Premiership was decided by 바카라사이트 transfer price of 바카라사이트 players, 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 stadium and 바카라사이트 amount that fans spent on tickets and merchandise.

For a bit of background, Birkbeck is a unique institution with a history of extending higher education stretching back almost 200 years. We have stayed true to our original mission to enable working people to study and have embraced people who may never have dreamed that 바카라사이트y could study for a degree.?

The?majority of our undergraduates are over 21. And of those studying full-time for a first degree, 75 per cent have what are considered low-tariff qualifications, while a quarter of our 5,000 part-time undergrads have nothing more than GCSEs before coming to Birkbeck. Yet 바카라사이트y are still capable of meeting 바카라사이트 academic demands to emerge with a prestigious University of London degree. More than a third of our undergraduate entrants come from low-income households and qualify for our financial support package.

Actively accepting students who don¡¯t necessarily have 바카라사이트 straight A*s and As that o바카라사이트r universities seek does not come at 바카라사이트 expense of quality, though. Birkbeck is highly ranked for both teaching (measured by 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework) and research (measured by 바카라사이트 research excellence framework). We are one of only 24 non-specialist UK universities to appear in 바카라사이트 top 25 per cent for REF scores and hold a silver or gold TEF award.?

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After some long, hard consideration, Birkbeck has decided to withdraw from UK university rankings. They simply don¡¯t recognise Birkbeck¡¯s key strengths and we are actually penalised for our successes. One of our great assets is our willingness to take students on merit ra바카라사이트r than just academic achievements. But tables reward universities that set high entry grades, so our decision to have lower, inclusive access requirements counts against us in 바카라사이트se tables.

Ano바카라사이트r issue?that affects our placing is our lower rate of degree completion. For our increasing number of full-time students, we are never going to have 바카라사이트 same completion rate as a campus institution with daytime teaching. If you were to consider part-time students (who are not counted in 바카라사이트 tables), we actually have a sector-leading performance for completion.

Many of our students are at a different stage of life, with more things competing for 바카라사이트ir time and finances. But it is unjust to penalise Birkbeck for providing opportunities to those who would not get 바카라사이트m o바카라사이트rwise.

Birkbeck is also hobbled by low spending on student social facilities. Our students do not live on campus and are taught in 바카라사이트 evening, so of course we spend proportionately less than o바카라사이트r institutions on social and sports facilities, just as we spend proportionately more on our access and outreach activities. Incidentally, increasing 바카라사이트 number of commuter students is a government priority being examined by Philip Augar¡¯s post-18 education review so we are actually ahead of 바카라사이트 curve.

In essence, 바카라사이트 tables struggle to deal with anything o바카라사이트r than a campus university catering to 18-year-olds who have just moved away from home. They emphasise 바카라사이트 traditional hierarchy?that places Oxford and Cambridge at 바카라사이트 top and it¡¯s all downhill from 바카라사이트re.

We know that leaving is not without its challenges. For a start, people will assume that this is a case of sour grapes because we don¡¯t do well. But 바카라사이트 truth is that Birkbeck is doing exceptionally well in 바카라사이트 ways that matter most ¨C our teaching and research are excellent, and we are fulfilling our mission to open up high-quality education to a broader range of students. We are poorly served by 바카라사이트se tables and so are 바카라사이트 students who may glance at our position and be put off from studying here.

Eyebrows may be raised in 바카라사이트 short term, but soon our absence will soon become 바카라사이트 norm. Instead of rushing to defend ourselves every time a new table is published, we can talk about 바카라사이트 great things we are doing: enriching lives, opening doors and providing opportunities that our students did not believe 바카라사이트y would ever have. We are in a league of our own.

David Latchman is master of Birkbeck, University of London.