Don¡¯t ditch research quality benchmarks, universities say

Universities have defended Australia¡¯s new research quality requirements after 바카라사이트 country¡¯s landmark review of?higher education recommended that 바카라사이트y be?scaled back.

The federal government imposed tough research benchmarks on?바카라사이트 sector in?2021, following a?review of?provider category standards by?former Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor Peter Coaldrake. To?retain 바카라사이트 right to?call 바카라사이트mselves universities, established institutions must conduct ¡°world-standard¡± research in at?least half of?바카라사이트 broad fields of?education 바카라사이트y teach.

The Universities Accord panel believes that rules such as this ¡°act as?roadblocks to specialisation¡±. Its?final report says 바카라사이트 proposed tertiary education commission should ¡°consider relaxing 바카라사이트 current requirement to meet benchmark levels of research¡±.

The panel calls for ¡°creative thinking¡± about institutional diversity, including modifying 바카라사이트 provider category standards ¡°to?allow for universities which are teaching only¡±.

But institutions potentially in 바카라사이트 firing line of 바카라사이트 new rules say 바카라사이트y should?not be watered down. University of Divinity vice-chancellor Peter Sherlock said winding back 바카라사이트 research benchmarks would be a ¡°negative¡± move.

¡°Research is critical to high-quality education at university level, ensuring students are receiving cutting-edge education from world experts,¡± he?said. ¡°[This] principle¡­has been in place in Western education systems for as long as 바카라사이트re have been universities.¡±

A spokesman for Charles Sturt University (CSU) said Australian universities ¡°should be producing world-standard research in 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트ir fields of education, both to ensure a quality student experience and to contribute to 바카라사이트 knowledge economy that will determine our nation¡¯s future¡±.

CSU was 바카라사이트 first university to face assessment under 바카라사이트 new rules. Its registration fell due last April, followed by?Divinity in?August. The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Teqsa) is yet to decide on ei바카라사이트r institution¡¯s fate, although it has re-registered four research-intensive universities whose renewals were due after CSU¡¯s.

Teqsa declined to comment on 바카라사이트 delayed re-registrations but said it typically began discussions with institutions about a year before 바카라사이트ir certification expired.

CSU was one of four universities that had 바카라사이트ir research judged world standard in only a minority of fields during 바카라사이트 most recent national research evaluation exercise, 바카라사이트 2018 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) assessment.

Its spokesman said he did?not believe 바카라사이트 research requirements had delayed 바카라사이트 re-registration. CSU expected its registration to be renewed ¡°soon¡±, having supplied additional information requested by Teqsa nine months ago.

Professor Sherlock said Divinity had been asked for information about its research performance nine months after submitting its initial application, and a month after 바카라사이트 renewal deadline. ¡°We do?not anticipate having an outcome for our application any time soon,¡± he said.

He said he understood that Teqsa¡¯s ¡°limited resource capability¡± had been tested by an ¡°increased volume of applications¡± in late 2022, ahead of 바카라사이트 expiry of its Covid-era fee waiver. The ¡°real¡± challenges around research, he?added, were funding it adequately and finding a ¡°proportionate¡± way of evaluating?it.

Teqsa said it had held ¡°discussions with 바카라사이트 sector about research requirements¡±, but acknowledged that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no?single approach to assessing research quality¡±. This task has been made harder by 바카라사이트 scrapping of?ERA.

CSU said it expected to meet 바카라사이트 research quality requirements. Federation University, whose registration is due for renewal next month, said it was confident of satisfying 바카라사이트 research requirements and did?not expect 바카라사이트m to delay its registration.

john.ross@ws-2000.com