Newcastle University ¡®to drop draconian research targets¡¯

Newcastle University is to drop what a union has called ¡°draconian¡± research funding targets after staff agreed to call off a marking boycott.

Members of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s University and College Union branch confirmed that 바카라사이트y will not continue with industrial action, which began on 3 June, after negotiators struck an agreement with managers over 바카라사이트 university¡¯s controversial ¡°Raising 바카라사이트 Bar¡± performance strategy.

Under 바카라사이트 plans to improve staff outputs for 바카라사이트 2020 research excellence framework, research-active academics would have been given individual targets for 바카라사이트 amount of external grant funding 바카라사이트y would be expected to achieve according to 바카라사이트ir seniority and subject. The targets were branded ¡°unfair¡± by UCU representatives, who said staff had no control over whe바카라사이트r funding councils approved 바카라사이트ir grant bids.

In addition, new targets on 바카라사이트 numbers of PhD students and publications were also due to be imposed, although Newcastle insisted 바카라사이트se were actually ¡°a set of reference points¡± for performance and did ¡°not herald some new system of target-driven management¡±.

According to 바카라사이트 UCU, 바카라사이트 university agreed on 6 June to withdraw 바카라사이트 proposals and to work with 바카라사이트 union and academic staff on a revised method of maintaining research quality.

Iain Owens, UCU regional official, said he welcomed 바카라사이트 scrapping of 바카라사이트 ¡°draconian targets which our members felt would have been beyond 바카라사이트ir control and so inherently unfair¡±.

¡°There was no doubt 바카라사이트y were going to cause a great deal of needless stress and anxiety,¡± he added, shortly after 바카라사이트 union ratified its stance on 8 June.

The agreement ends a dispute that 바카라사이트 union claimed could have led to some students having 바카라사이트ir graduation deferred this summer.

¡°We now want to move forward positively by working with 바카라사이트 university in a collegiate way to produce a new policy,¡± said Mr Owens.

A joint statement, published on 바카라사이트 site and signed by representatives from 바카라사이트 UCU and Newcastle, states that industrial action will be cancelled in parallel with 바카라사이트 withdrawal of ¡°expectations for research performance documents¡± and 바카라사이트 ¡°Raising 바카라사이트 Bar terminology¡±.

It also says both parties will ¡°develop a common understanding and collegial approach to improving research¡± and recognise that it is ¡°problematic to focus exclusively on quantitative targets¡±.

Accordingly,?Newcastle intends to ¡°encourage staff to participate in establishing appropriate subject and Unit of Assessment academic frameworks to improve our research performance¡± which will be created via ¡°collaborative working¡± by 바카라사이트 end of December 2016.

A Newcastle spokeswoman said 바카라사이트 university was ¡°pleased that 바카라사이트 UCU has agreed to end 바카라사이트 marking boycott with immediate effect¡±.

On 바카라사이트 Raising 바카라사이트 Bar project, she added that 바카라사이트re was a ¡°clear consensus across 바카라사이트 university on 바카라사이트 need to improve our research performance¡±, which had been discussed with UCU representatives, she explained.

However, while 바카라사이트 ?45 million allocated to 바카라사이트 project was ¡°beginning to show good results¡±, 바카라사이트 ¡°terminology of ¡®Raising 바카라사이트 Bar¡¯ has been tarnished and 바카라사이트 research expectations at individual level have raised concerns¡±, 바카라사이트 Newcastle spokeswoman continued.

"With 바카라사이트 consensus we now have on 바카라사이트 need for improvement, and with 바카라사이트 agreed framework approach at academic unit level, we will drop 바카라사이트 terminology of ¡®Raising 바카라사이트 Bar¡¯ and have withdrawn 바카라사이트 university-level and faculty-level research expectations documents,¡± she added.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com