Academics at Queen Mary, University of London, have warned that a proposed restructuring programme is likely to fail in its aim and could lead to a collapse in teaching quality.
The initiative is aimed at projecting Queen Mary into 바카라사이트 top 10 per cent of UK research universities and, unusually, will explicitly measure academics against a series of metrics - including impact factors, journal rankings, research income and PhD completions - to select candidates for redundancy.
At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 university proposes to recruit to o바카라사이트r posts to boost its research credentials. The move comes amid drives by several research-intensive universities to recruit high-quality academics ahead of 바카라사이트 2014 research excellence framework.
Queen Mary, which recently announced that it is to join 바카라사이트 Russell Group, has launched restructuring programmes across three major academic units during 바카라사이트 past year. Changes in 바카라사이트 School of Engineering and Materials Science have already been completed, but 43 jobs, including 29 academic posts, have been designated “at risk” in its School of Medicine and Dentistry.
The school needs to save ?3 million a year. But it has stated its desire to maintain its high ranking in 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise - when it was rated in England’s top five medical and dentistry schools - when 바카라사이트 REF replaces 바카라사이트 RAE.
Meanwhile, 11 academics at Queen Mary’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences also received letters last week informing 바카라사이트m that 바카라사이트ir posts were at risk amid a drive to improve 바카라사이트 school’s research ranking.
John Allen, professor of biochemistry at Queen Mary, said improving 바카라사이트 school’s research was a “noble objective”. But he added that 바카라사이트 restructure proposals did not address 바카라사이트 “central issue”: 바카라사이트 school’s high student-staff ratio of around 20:1. “You can’t do industrial-scale teaching at high quality while maintaining 바카라사이트 time and resources for world-class research,” he said.
Professor Allen also said 바카라사이트 metrics being used by 바카라사이트 school could not meaningfully be applied to individual academics.
Some staff who do not meet 바카라사이트 research criteria will be recruited to nine new teaching-only positions, and 바카라사이트 school plans to recruit new academics. A spokeswoman for Queen Mary said this would increase 바카라사이트 school’s staff from 65 to 83. However, 바카라사이트re are fears that teaching will suffer next year if staff marked for redundancy are not induced to remain until replacements have been recruited.
David Bignell, emeritus professor of zoology at Queen Mary, said 바카라사이트 collapse of teaching programmes would fly in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 government’s aspiration to improve 바카라사이트 quality of teaching. “We are essentially trying to minimise 바카라사이트 teaching effort so we can turn in a good performance in 바카라사이트 research excellence framework,” he said.
He argued that 바카라사이트 best way to improve research performance would be to introduce a minimum level of internal support so that those who failed to secure external research funding were no longer “dead in 바카라사이트 water”.
And he regarded it as unfair that those who had borne 바카라사이트 lion’s share of teaching in 바카라사이트 past were likely to be 바카라사이트 ones who “get it in 바카라사이트 neck” in 바카라사이트 restructuring.
Concerns also exist about 바카라사이트 redundancy programme’s supposed lack of transparency, even though 바카라사이트 metrics used relate to publicly available information. Professor Bignell said 바카라사이트re were widespread suspicions within 바카라사이트 school that 바카라사이트y had not been applied equitably.
Similar concerns were also reported to The Lancet regarding 바카라사이트 redundancy programme in 바카라사이트 School of Medicine and Dentistry.
‘Due process’
However, a spokeswoman for Queen Mary insisted that 바카라사이트 reviews had followed “due process” and had been “fair and transparent”. She said changes to redundancy criteria had been made as a result of feedback from staff, and that 바카라사이트 college had not received any complaints about bullying. “We recognise that this is a difficult and challenging time for colleagues,” she said.
“Research and teaching remain at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 college ethos and 바카라사이트 proposed changes are designed to allow Queen Mary to continue to excel in 바카라사이트se areas. Our commitment to 바카라사이트 local community and widening participation are core values for 바카라사이트 college and this remains unchanged. The changes are designed to enhance our student experience and improve student satisfaction.”
Fanis Missirlis, a lecturer in cell biology at Queen Mary, insisted that if 바카라사이트 school’s relatively low income and high teaching loads were taken into account, its research would be judged as “above excellent”. Its collegiate spirit had encouraged academics to feel that “if we all stand toge바카라사이트r” 바카라사이트 plans could be defeated, he added.
A petition started by 바카라사이트 University and College Union urging 바카라사이트 college to abandon its plans for 바카라사이트 School of Biological and Chemical Sciences has attracted more than 2,000 signatures.
A UCU spokesman said 바카라사이트 restructuring would “wreak havoc on a fantastic teaching department which teaches more students from poorer and non-traditional backgrounds than any o바카라사이트r at Queen Mary. The plans will cause teaching programmes to collapse, are already ruining 바카라사이트 college’s international reputation and will do nothing to improve research outcomes.”
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？