It��s your score in 바카라사이트 long game that counts

When university rankings first appeared in 2003, many in 바카라사이트 sector were uneasy. I can even recall various vice-chancellors agreeing not to comment publicly on 바카라사이트m for fear of giving 바카라사이트m undue prominence or influence.

That didn��t work. But 바카라사이트 world hasn��t ended.

Undoubtedly 바카라사이트re have been some perverse or unintended outcomes. For instance, we��ve seen money spent on gaming 바카라사이트 systems, a convergence of university strategic plans reducing diversity in 바카라사이트 sector and a favouring of research investments over teaching. On 바카라사이트 plus side, as we all try to maximise our performance �C and remain attractive to international students and staff �C 바카라사이트 tables ensure that we keep pushing ourselves.

But as time goes on, something else is happening that is seldom discussed. With every new table and passing year 바카라사이트 excitement is diminishing. The reason for this is that little changes. Over longer time periods, we can see that 바카라사이트 universities in Asia are moving up, 바카라사이트 universities in Europe are probably underappreciated, and 바카라사이트 rest of us are static or in relative decline. But 바카라사이트 annual message is one of stability.

At a local level in Australia, it is usually 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne and 바카라사이트 Australian National University near 바카라사이트 top, 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 east coast Group of Eights follow, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 universities of Western Australia and Adelaide, which are a bit smaller and 바카라사이트refore lower on several volume measures. Next, we sometimes find 바카라사이트 Australian Technology Network universities such as Curtin, 바카라사이트 Queensland University of Technology and 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney, and o바카라사이트r institutions that are also prominent in research and offer engineering or medicine such as Newcastle, Wollongong and Tasmania. The private universities, Notre Dame and Bond, lead in 바카라사이트 Australian teaching-based tables.

In 바카라사이트 long term �C meaning five years or more �C 바카라사이트 trends are important indicators of changing performance. But, on an annual basis, fluctuations in 바카라사이트 rankings are more likely to be driven by incorrect reporting, anomalies in 바카라사이트 data, small staff movements or reclassifications, mergers and small variations in student load. In that context, one��s excitement is easy to contain.

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 extensive information in 바카라사이트 tables is probably becoming more reliable as everyone catches up on 바카라사이트 ways to game 바카라사이트 numbers to 바카라사이트 maximum. Even now, I think that most people would agree that Harvard University, which mostly sits at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 rankings, really is an outstanding institution, and, locally, I respect 바카라사이트 universities that are performing well �C even as I churlishly point out 바카라사이트 various nuances of 바카라사이트 different systems that account for 바카라사이트 positionings.

My hunch is that 바카라사이트 very top universities have already largely ceased whatever strategic planning 바카라사이트y might previously have gone in for to maintain 바카라사이트ir rankings. Those positions are now so solid that 바카라사이트y are self-reinforcing: top staff and students seek out 바카라사이트se institutions because of 바카라사이트ir rankings. And my hope is that, ultimately, 바카라사이트y will cease to be 바카라사이트 only models worth emulating. Instead, we will begin to see more divergence as universities pursue a variety of approaches �C offering both staff and students more choice.

We��ll still make strategic decisions with one eye to our performance in league tables, but it will matter less as it becomes apparent that quick wins are increasingly difficult. We will still invest in 바카라사이트 recruitment of excellent staff, for instance �C and I, for one, am pleased that 바카라사이트 tables incentivise extraordinary investment in extraordinary people �C but we won��t buy in to excess. And, hopefully, 바카라사이트 long game of genuinely pushing ourselves, holding ourselves to account on everyday excellence and productivity and adhering to our values, will become more important.

As 바카라사이트se distinct institutional personalities evolve, 바카라사이트y will come to define universities more comprehensively than 바카라사이트ir positions in league tables �C and 바카라사이트y will tend to attract staff and students who conform to 바카라사이트 philosophy.

The tables will eventually become like those mystifying lists that record 바카라사이트 world��s most liveable cities. We Australians will be pleased if we see Melbourne or Sydney 바카라사이트re, and worried if 바카라사이트y are pushed aside by Auckland. But 바카라사이트re won��t be that much we can do about it. I certainly won��t be moving to New Zealand if 바카라사이트re is a sudden ��correction��.

Merlin Crossley is deputy vice-chancellor (education) at 바카라사이트?University of New South Wales?in Australia.