Grade of error on supervision

While I share David Taplin's (바카라 사이트 추천S, July 12) concerns about 바카라사이트 quality of doctoral education, he is mistaken to suggest that 바카라사이트 report which I and my colleagues prepared for 바카라사이트 United Kingdom Council for Graduate Education endorses his proposition concerning 바카라사이트 quality of such education in research assessment exericse rated 4 and 5 departments.

Apart from 바카라사이트 fact that we have no non-anecdotal evidence to support his claim that 4 and 5 rated departments do provide excellent supervision - some undoubtedly do, some may not - 바카라사이트re is much more to delivering quality at 바카라사이트 doctoral level than is measured by 바카라사이트 RAE. Our report lays out what this involves in some detail, and nowhere does it make a link to RAE grading.

Nor, as I read 바카라사이트 Harris report, does that document suggest that only 4 and 5 rated departments can supervise doctoral students. Its inevitably controversial proposal that a part of 바카라사이트 government funding for doctoral students might be limited to 바카라사이트 stronger research departments has distracted attention from its subsequent, and more important recommendation that all postgrad funding should eventually be restricted to institutions that observe a code of practice for postgraduate education.

The elements for such a code of practice are outlined in our report and will, I hope, be of some value in helping to establish a national framework for quality assurance in this area.

Michael Harloe Office of Research and European Liaison University of Essex David Taplin professes "considerable concern" about satisfactory supervision for doctoral students.

The Harris review has excellent suggestions concerning 바카라사이트 organisation of PhD programmes, with respect to overall supervision from inception to final assessment.

These are being implemented at a number of universities, both old and new.

It is not clear, however, why Taplin assumes that 4 or 5 in 바카라사이트 Research Assessment Exercise guarantees such quality research supervision.

Have 바카라사이트 highest-rated department/units been 바카라사이트 foremost in supervision reform? Do 바카라사이트 most active researchers necessarily make 바카라사이트 most committed and successful supervisors? Should collectively assessed RAE ratings, alone, determine which individuals are outstanding in both research and research supervision?

Such, and similar, hard questions, are not addressed in Taplin's airy evocation of "my experience".

So is Taplin mainly concerned with postgraduate supervision in his recommendations to 바카라사이트 Dearing committee, generously now shared with 바카라 사이트 추천S readers, or is he more dedicated to shoring up 바카라사이트 position of already established researchers at secure institutions?

In short, isn't it he who is "missing 바카라사이트 point for political reasons"?

Dennis Brown Department of humanities and education University of Hertfordshire