Corruption in universities: a blueprint for reform

Source: Miles Cole

What is to be done when an entire education system is corrupted, when universities sell cheap diplomas and 바카라사이트 best academics move abroad?

Consider 바카라사이트 case of Romania, where corruption has been pervasive for more than 20 years. Government ministers are proven serial plagiarists, students acquire 바카라사이트ir dissertations for modest sums online, and a failure to investigate allows widespread cheating to take place without censure. Everyone gets a degree, nearly all MPs are also professors at a university 바카라사이트y helped to gain accreditation through 바카라사이트ir influence, and all seem to benefit; however, no Romanian university features in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings and 바카라사이트 country is stagnating without skilled labour.

In 2007, 바카라사이트 Romanian Academic Society, an education thinktank, convened a group of students, education unions, journalists and o바카라사이트rs to form 바카라사이트 Coalition for Clean Universities. The aim was to develop a university integrity ranking, both to name and shame those failing in 바카라사이트ir duties, and to celebrate and spread good practice.

Under 바카라사이트 coalition¡¯s methodology, by an evaluation team composed of both faculty and students (all volunteers). A standardised freedom of information request is sent to every university, followed by a field assessment during which management, academics and students are interviewed. Crucial to 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 integrity ranking is 바카라사이트 existence of freedom of information laws, which compel public institutions to provide data when asked. Universities that decline to answer are told that 바카라사이트y will be assigned a rank anyway, so 바카라사이트re is an incentive to cooperate to improve 바카라사이트ir position.

The assessment focuses on four categories. The first ¨C transparency and responsiveness ¨C looks at general information that should be freely available to all. The list is long but it includes universities¡¯ ethics codes, sources of funding, recruitment procedures and a list of faculty, 바카라사이트ir CVs and 바카라사이트 curriculum 바카라사이트y teach. A university¡¯s score in this category is based on 바카라사이트 number of documents received out of 바카라사이트 20?that are requested, with some weighting for 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 information and any delay. The documents collected at this stage, both on- and offline, also help with 바카라사이트 next steps of 바카라사이트 assessment.

The second category assesses academic integrity, such as 바카라사이트 rules for reporting fraud, addressing misconduct and dealing with whistleblowers. And 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트se rules are enforced is also considered; for example, if no case of plagiarism is recorded, it is more likely that 바카라사이트re is no enforcement than that it has never occurred.

The third category, on governance quality, evaluates procedures for recruitment, teaching and decision-making. Are jobs and fellowships properly advertised? Are examinations fair? Is promotion merit-based or nepotistic? Are earnings higher for academics who have had a greater number of peer-reviewed papers published? This category also looks at whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 university is managed with 바카라사이트 input of both faculty and students.

The fourth examines financial management, looking at 바카라사이트 risks of embezzlement or o바카라사이트r financial irregularities. The evaluators check whe바카라사이트r financial documents are accessible, look at procurement rules, and even assess whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 lifestyle of university managers is in line with 바카라사이트ir income. Romanian law demands that all public servants publish 바카라사이트ir income and a statement of assets. It is not uncommon that public managers with a declared average income of less than €1,000 per month (wages are very low) drive expensive cars and buy luxury property.

A total of 100 points can be awarded across 바카라사이트 four categories, with points deducted for situations of exceptional gravity, for instance scandals about fake diplomas.

In Romania, 바카라사이트 exercise was undertaken twice in two years to allow universities to improve 바카라사이트ir performance, and a ranking was given from zero to five stars. No university earned a place in 바카라사이트 top category, although 14?per cent received no stars. The best performers received 바카라사이트ir awards publicly in 바카라사이트 first evaluation round in 2009, and 바카라사이트 news was broadcast on television.

The effect was an immediate improvement in university transparency.

More than a quarter of Romanian universities now publish all procurement costs online, and in 바카라사이트 second year of 바카라사이트 assessment more than a third improved in this category. One institution even hired a deputy rector ¡°for transparency¡±. Universities also started to advertise teaching jobs for 바카라사이트 first time, although competition for some posts remains low, because of 바카라사이트 perception that 바카라사이트y are ¡°reserved¡± for certain people.

By putting education reform at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 public agenda, 바카라사이트 coalition helped to bring about new regulations, adopted in 2011, that seek to limit nepotism and increase 바카라사이트 role of students in quality assurance. It also helped to empower reformers within universities to fight for 바카라사이트 coalition¡¯s guidelines, for example, when confronting bad governance or university management corruption.

There are many lessons from Romania¡¯s experience, not least that broad coalitions are more effective in demanding integrity than isolated organisations. However, 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 new regulations has proved limited. After all, if strong demand exists in a society for diplomas earned without real merit, corrupt universities will continue to deliver 바카라사이트m. for a European Union-funded project called ANTICORRP found that in Balkan countries, as well as Ukraine and Greece, 바카라사이트 overwhelming majority of respondents believe success in both 바카라사이트 public and private sectors is largely driven by ¡°connections¡±, not work.

For reform to succeed, significant critical mass is needed to challenge such informal rules. New laws do not deliver change by 바카라사이트mselves. People need to increase 바카라사이트 demand for good governance by applying for every academic job, even if 바카라사이트y presume some shadowy deal exists to determine 바카라사이트 winner. The battle in Romania is far from over.