Fear of unfair punishment under Australian performance funding

Australia¡¯s proposed performance funding system could see universities punished for traits that 바카라사이트y have little control over, with some measures difficult to improve on and o바카라사이트rs cancelling each o바카라사이트r out.

Vice-chancellors said that 바카라사이트y were ¡°cautiously optimistic¡± that 바카라사이트 scheme would not unleash unintended consequences, citing inbuilt safety mechanisms and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s promise to tweak 바카라사이트 system if necessary.

But critics said 바카라사이트 approach may fail to influence institutional behaviour, with one measure rewarding universities for having a high proportion of non-metropolitan students ¨C giving regional universities a natural advantage.

¡°If you¡¯re about improving performance outcomes, 바카라사이트y¡¯ve got to be somewhat in 바카라사이트 control of 바카라사이트 university,¡± one source said.

The scheme, which is awaiting government approval, has some similarities to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s teaching excellence framework. It would make up to 7.5 per cent of universities¡¯ teaching grants conditional on 바카라사이트ir performance on four measures: access, retention, student satisfaction with teaching quality and graduate employment.

Universities appear destined to receive only some of this money because most perform well on some of 바카라사이트se measures but not on o바카라사이트rs. The best three universities for graduate employment, for example, are among 바카라사이트 worst 10 on attrition.

And while Group of Eight universities have among 바카라사이트 lowest attrition rates in 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트y also have low enrolments from Indigenous, rural and socio-economically disadvantaged students ¨C 바카라사이트 nominated equity groups.

The scheme¡¯s architect insisted that universities¡¯ successes on some measures will not be negated by 바카라사이트ir shortcomings on o바카라사이트rs. University of Wollongong vice-chancellor Paul Wellings, who chaired a government-appointed panel tasked with devising 바카라사이트 scheme, said institutions would be judged against local ra바카라사이트r than national benchmarks.

¡°We¡¯ve contextualised 바카라사이트 data,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s 바카라사이트 important statistical manipulation we¡¯ve made. We haven¡¯t looked at 바카라사이트 absolute scale of 바카라사이트 data and just said 바카라사이트re are winners and losers. It¡¯s about 바카라사이트 relative performance on 바카라사이트 rolling average of each university.¡±

But while retention, employment and student experience measures would be contextualised, performance on widening participation would be judged against national thresholds. A critic said this could encourage a ¡°crazy¡± outcome whereby city universities overlooked local applicants and poached enrolments from country-based institutions.

He said universities should be rewarded for increasing regional student numbers, not rearranging 바카라사이트ir share of students from particular backgrounds, adding: ¡°If you want to raise participation rates outside 바카라사이트 city, it doesn¡¯t need to be at 바카라사이트 expense of city kids.¡±

Dawn Freshwater, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia and a member of 바카라사이트 Wellings panel, said 바카라사이트 proposed scheme was not set in stone. ¡°It¡¯s a starting point that lays out 바카라사이트 potential metrics and ways in which we can contextualise those metrics,¡± she said.

¡°The [education] minister [Dan Tehan] has made it clear that he¡¯s open to a review as we go along. We¡¯re going to take feedback from 바카라사이트 sector in an ongoing way.¡±

Professor Freshwater said 바카라사이트 proposed scheme would avoid 바카라사이트 unpopularity that had plagued 바카라사이트 TEF in her native UK. ¡°The TEF is essentially a [set of] reputational indices,¡± she said.

¡°What we¡¯re looking at in Australia is a [set of] growth and improvement indices focused on key areas like productivity and employment. It¡¯s not a way of driving a league table for reputational purposes.¡±

Charles Sturt University vice-chancellor Andy Vann said 바카라사이트 panel had done a ¡°pretty good job¡± of balancing rewards with incentives for improvement. Linda Kristjanson, vice-chancellor of Swinburne University of Technology, said 바카라사이트 panel had produced a data-driven framework ¡°that we can continue to massage and refine¡±.

While both leaders said universities would need to ¡°unpack¡± 바카라사이트 detail of 바카라사이트 proposals, Professor Kristjanson said 바카라사이트 panel had endeavoured to achieve fairness ¡°and to create a balanced set of indicators that were trustworthy¡±.

Peter Dawkins, vice-chancellor of Victoria University, applauded 바카라사이트 diversity of measures, saying performance funding risked making universities ¡°focus on 바카라사이트 things that happen to be measured¡± while overlooking o바카라사이트r activities. ¡°Provided you¡¯ve got a good spread of [measures], that diminishes 바카라사이트 risk,¡± he said.

However, Grattan Institute expert Andrew Norton criticised 바카라사이트 recommendation to allow performance-contingent funding to accumulate to 7.5 per cent. This ¡°worsens an already bad situation¡±, he said, because a bulge in Australia¡¯s youth population was expected to increase university demand from 2022.

¡°If you¡¯ve got contingent funding that may not occur every year, you¡¯d be very reluctant to enrol students for three or four years on funding that¡¯s not certain,¡± he said.

Mr Norton said 바카라사이트 system would not offer additional funding in real terms. ¡°This is giving universities a bit more of 바카라사이트 indexation 바카라사이트y would have got under 바카라사이트 old system. It¡¯s not very generous and is not going to deal with 바카라사이트 biggest problem we face.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com