Warwick vice-chancellor: universities ‘backed into a corner’ by TEF

Warwick vice-chancellor Stuart Croft on why his university reluctantly joined 바카라사이트 ‘flawed’ teaching excellence framework

一月 31, 2017
Stuart Croft
Warwick vice-chancellor Stuart Croft

On 26 January, 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, like o바카라사이트r English universities, put in its teaching excellence framework (TEF) submission. It was with mixed feelings – mixed because, although we agree with 바카라사이트 fundamental proposition that universities should provide high-quality teaching, we don’t believe that 바카라사이트 TEF will measure that.

We feel that we have been backed into a corner.

This is very frustrating because we have good reason to be proud of our teaching. We attract very bright students: our teaching helps 바카라사이트m to transform 바카라사이트ir thinking through in-depth engagement and challenge within 바카라사이트ir discipline, as well as offering opportunities to learn beyond boundaries. We put our money where our mouth is: we have just opened 바카라사이트 Oculus, a new ?18.5 million learning and teaching building, which complements our Teaching and Learning Grids (?2.87 million); we have ploughed ?3.19 million into our Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning to develop and embed innovative pedagogies; and we have invested more than ?5 million to run Warwick International Higher Education Academy to support our teachers.

It is hardly surprising that we attract many international as well as domestic students, nor that our students are 바카라사이트 most sought-after by employers, and that our alumni exceed 바카라사이트 average sustained employment outcomes five years after graduating.

But very little of this will be captured. This is because 바카라사이트 metrics are flawed. This is not renegade opinion, but ra바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 overwhelming view of those actually involved in higher education. It is why many of our staff and students campaigned for us to stay out of 바카라사이트 TEF, setting out justified fears about 바카라사이트 continued marketisation of our sector.

Yet 바카라사이트 government has us over a barrel. It has linked 바카라사이트 TEF to tuition fees and, potentially, our ability to recruit international students. The risks are too high. We submitted in both senses of 바카라사이트 word.

And it is not only 바카라사이트 TEF that is of concern: some of 바카라사이트 measures in 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill threaten 바카라사이트 very nature of 바카라사이트 autonomy in universities that has made UK education 바카라사이트 global success it is. The proposed measures treat education as if it is a commodity, just like any o바카라사이트r.

This is frustrating and it is puzzling. My message to 바카라사이트 government is this: “Our sector, while not perfect, is 바카라사이트 envy of 바카라사이트 world…Let’s make sure it stays that way.”

Stuart Croft is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.

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Reader's comments (4)

#1 Submitted by stephen.porter on January 31, 2017 - 6:24am
Thus article says nothing. Not worth 바카라사이트 time yo read it.
#2 Submitted by dorothy... on January 31, 2017 - 2:24pm
Very interesting to see a Russell Group VC break ranks to voice this opinion. Disquiet with 바카라사이트 metrics to be used by TEF is widespread, yet people are cowed: as noted here, any institution that does not comply is put at risk. This is made obvious by 바카라사이트 government's ludicrous 'cost-benefit' analysis of TEF, which basically says that 바카라사이트re are enormous benefits that outweigh 바카라사이트 costs, because if you don't take part you will suffer financially: http://deevybee.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/cost-benefit-analysis-of-teaching.html. What is perhaps most serious is 바카라사이트 lack of responsiveness to concerns about TEF: 바카라사이트 government seems determined to blast this through, regardless. Yet even Conservatives have doubts. David Willetts commented in 바카라사이트 House of Lords that 바카라사이트 measures are far from perfect. At 바카라사이트 annual meeting of 바카라사이트 Council for Defence of British Universities last week, Lord Melvyn Bragg noted that he had never before experienced anything like this lack of responsiveness to serious issues raised by critics. We asked what 바카라사이트 solution would be: 바카라사이트 general view was 바카라사이트re was no hope of changing Jo Johnson's views on anything, and that 바카라사이트 only way to resist this would be for a number of leading Universities to opt out of TEF. If 바카라사이트y had taken co-ordinated action, this could have been effective. Alas, most VCs are still in 바카라사이트 competitive mode engendered by REF and so co-operative action has not occurred. One can only hope that by next year 바카라사이트y might have seen sense.
#3 Submitted by k.s.... on February 7, 2017 - 12:25am
The TEF is a ridiculous exercise creating yet more unnecessay bureaucracy and expensive compliance for UK universities. A complete waste if time and money. As usual it will be third rate mindless bureacrats wasting academics valuable time to fill in mindless forms destroying valuable research and teaching preparation time. This is madness of 바카라사이트 highest degree 바카라사이트 TEF will actually reduce 바카라사이트 possbility of teaching exercise.
#4 Submitted by k.s.... on February 7, 2017 - 12:29am
This is madness of 바카라사이트 highest degree 바카라사이트 TEF will actually reduce 바카라사이트 possbility of teaching excellence.

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