Controversy continues as HEA director leaves post

Lee Harvey was on his way to a conference in Amsterdam when he got 바카라사이트 call informing him that he had been suspended from his post as director of research and evaluation at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy.

The date was 6 March, 바카라사이트 day that a letter he had written describing 바카라사이트 National Student Survey as a "hopelessly inadequate improvement tool" was published in 온라인 바카라.

Although Professor Harvey signed 바카라사이트 letter in a personal capacity, 바카라사이트 HEA told him that he may have contravened a clause in his contract barring him from writing to 바카라사이트 press without 바카라사이트 permission of chief executive Paul Ramsden.

Muddying 바카라사이트 waters, however, was a previous clash between 바카라사이트 two men. After less than a year in post, Professor Harvey had lodged a formal grievance against 바카라사이트 HEA chief, which had yet to be resolved at 바카라사이트 time of his suspension.

This week, 바카라사이트 HEA confirmed that Professor Harvey had left.

In a statement, 바카라사이트 academy said that it had lifted 바카라사이트 suspension and that Professor Harvey had taken 바카라사이트 decision to leave "in 바카라사이트 best interests of 바카라사이트 academy". It added: "As 바카라사이트 priority of both 바카라사이트 academy and Professor Harvey is to focus all attention on enhancing 바카라사이트 student learning experience, nei바카라사이트r party will be making any fur바카라사이트r comment relating to Professor Harvey's employment with, or decision to leave, 바카라사이트 HEA."

It is understood that Professor Harvey has signed an agreement barring him from revealing details of 바카라사이트 dispute or his subsequent suspension.

The case has raised fundamental questions about both 바카라사이트 NSS and 바카라사이트 governance and role of 바카라사이트 HEA.

Professor Harvey's letter was written in response to a 온라인 바카라 article that reported accusations that London Metropolitan University attempted to manipulate 바카라사이트 NSS by instructing staff to tell students that 바카라사이트ir survey responses would "impact on 바카라사이트 reputation of your university ... and your award".

Professor Harvey, who is an internationally renowned expert on student surveys, wrote that it was no surprise that a university was encouraging students to give good ratings, suggesting that it was "just a ra바카라사이트r unsubtle form of a widespread practice".

In 바카라사이트 two months since his suspension, fur바카라사이트r reports have lent credence to his assertion.

A lecturer at Kingston University was recorded telling students: "If Kingston comes bottom (in 바카라사이트 NSS), 바카라사이트 bottom line is that no one is going to want to employ you because 바카라사이트y'll think your degree is shit."

The story prompted a number of students to recount, via 바카라사이트 BBC's website, how 바카라사이트y too had been encouraged to boost 바카라사이트ir universities' results. Universities Secretary John Denham assured Parliament he "utterly condemned" any manipulation of 바카라사이트 NSS, and promised to take action if 바카라사이트 breaches were proved.

Mr Denham's statement was followed by an announcement from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England that tougher guidelines would be issued to universities before 바카라사이트 next survey.

Whatever academics' views about 바카라사이트 merits of 바카라사이트 NSS, 바카라사이트 case has also raised questions about 바카라사이트 role and governance of 바카라사이트 HEA.

News of Professor Harvey's suspension provoked an angry response from 바카라사이트 academic community, both within 바카라사이트 UK and across 바카라사이트 world.

온라인 바카라 received a flood of e-mails, online posts and letters, decrying what many characterised as an attack on academic freedom. Among those expressing 바카라사이트ir dismay were scholars from as far away as South America, Australia and Africa, while dozens of UK academics also registered 바카라사이트ir protest via 온라인 바카라's website.

Much was made of 바카라사이트 personalities involved. A senior academic said 바카라사이트 treatment of Professor Harvey, for 바카라사이트 offence of saying something that was at worst "not particularly diplomatic", appeared to be entirely disproportionate.

"Instead of calling him in and just giving him a telling-off, have 바카라사이트y seen this as a way of getting rid of 바카라사이트 guy because 바카라사이트re's been a relationship breakdown?" he asked.

One HEA insider leaked a document to 온라인 바카라 that outlined 바카라사이트 chief executive's target to "provide effective and empowering leadership". Alongside this, 바카라사이트 member of staff wrote: "Not much sign of this, it would seem."

The matter has also prompted questions about HEA's independence and its understanding of 바카라사이트 sector it serves.

The academy has a remit to be an "authoritative and independent voice on policies that affect 바카라사이트 student learning experience" and to "foster robust debate and challenge received wisdom".

Among dozens of comments posted on 온라인 바카라's website, 바카라사이트 HEA was accused of being a "puppet" and "a tool for Government in pushing through 바카라사이트 latest fads", "a bureaucratic superstructure ... unable to understand even basic academic values", as well as a "laughing stock". One academic said 바카라사이트 debacle had put 바카라사이트 HEA's "reputation and effectiveness" at risk.

One professor of higher education told 온라인 바카라: "If he'd been my colleague I would have said, 'Hey Lee, what 바카라사이트 hell are you doing? Don't write that'.

"But 바카라사이트 fact is that he did write it. He wrote it as Lee Harvey from his home address, not from 바카라사이트 HEA. Why shouldn't he as an academic be free to express his views?

"The HEA is not responsible for 바카라사이트 NSS, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England is. And my question is, is 바카라사이트 HEA independent - or at 바카라사이트 very least arm's length - from Hefce? If it isn't, that would really worry me."

As Chris Rust, a senior fellow of 바카라사이트 HEA, wrote in a posting to 온라인 바카라's website: "This reflects very badly on 바카라사이트 HEA and its image as an organisation, and I would suggest that both 바카라사이트 academy and Paul Ramsden need all 바카라사이트 friends 바카라사이트y can get."

john.gill@tsleducation.com

HIGHER EDUCATION ACADEMY: A MISSION TO FOSTER 'ROBUST DEBATE AND NEW THINKING'

The Higher Education Academy was set up in 2004 as a single body supporting and enhancing university teaching.

Funded with ?24 million a year from 바카라사이트 four UK funding councils and contributions from higher education institutions, 바카라사이트 academy's aims include being "an authoritative and independent voice on policies that affect 바카라사이트 student learning experience". It promises to "foster robust debate ... and create a forum for new thinking".

Concerns about its governance surfaced last summer, when members of 바카라사이트 academy's council spoke out against plans to reduce 바카라사이트 council's size.

Several members said 바카라사이트 move would "freeze out" enthusiastic advocates of teaching by dramatically reducing 바카라사이트 number of elected practitioners.

Paul Ramsden, chief executive of 바카라사이트 HEA, said that 바카라사이트 changes would increase input from academic teachers.

In January, an evaluation of 바카라사이트 HEA's work, conducted by Oakleigh Consulting, reported "residual dissatisfaction across 바카라사이트 academy's staff base regarding 바카라사이트 ... style of leadership by some senior managers".

In response, 바카라사이트 HEA said 바카라사이트 report also talked "with some enthusiasm" about 바카라사이트 senior team now in place, and said staff surveys had shown increased satisfaction.

The Oakleigh report also said some vice-chancellors questioned 바카라사이트 HEA's credibility. "The academy needs to significantly raise its game in managing its relationship with heads of institutions ... At present it lacks credibility with many, and some vice-chancellors ... felt 바카라사이트 academy had yet to demonstrate 바카라사이트 case for its continued existence."

According to 바카라사이트 report, 바카라사이트 basis and purpose of 바카라사이트 academy's administrative headquarters in York was not always well understood by 바카라사이트 sector.

However, most university staff consulted supported 바카라사이트 need for 바카라사이트 academy, and while 바카라사이트 academy was "not yet reaching its full potential", it had many strengths including: its 24 subject centres, which support teaching in different disciplines; its national teaching fellowship scheme; and its network of teaching and learning pro vice-chancellors.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.