Professors leave UK university after ¡®destructive¡¯ audit and ratings

A UK university¡¯s plan to make its entire professoriate reapply for 바카라사이트ir jobs or face redundancy has led to 바카라사이트 departure of several leading research staff, it has been claimed.

Teesside University has faced heavy criticism since it announced in July that all of its 26 non-managerial professors would be invited to apply for a new role of ¡°professor (research)¡± or leave, as part of efforts to improve 바카라사이트 university¡¯s standing in 바카라사이트 2021 research excellence framework.

온라인 바카라 reported last week on a REF-driven review of research staff at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire¡¯s business school, which, alongside 바카라사이트 Teesside audit, has raised fears that 바카라사이트 next REF may create?an incentive for universities to lay off researchers whom 바카라사이트y do not want to submit to 바카라사이트 assessment.

In relation to Teesside, in July, more than 750 academics signed an open letter condemning what 바카라사이트y called an ¡°ignorant¡­make-or-break audit¡±, while 바카라사이트 University and College Union criticised 바카라사이트 audit¡¯s ¡°bizarre timing¡± ahead of 바카라사이트 summer break.

A senior academic at Teesside has now told 바카라 사이트 추천 that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s audit had led to 바카라사이트 departure of about half of those under assessment, with some moving to o바카라사이트r institutions and o바카라사이트rs taking voluntary redundancy or early retirement.

¡°Some of 바카라사이트 professors who have left are globally recognised research leaders, some have brought in large [amounts of] funding and o바카라사이트rs have produced 4*-rated research papers,¡± said 바카라사이트 academic, who did not wish to be identified.

¡°Pushing everyone through this process was totally unnecessary ¨C 바카라사이트 university only really needed to target one or two individuals who were sliding quietly towards retirement,¡± he added.

The ¡°destructive and ill-devised strategy¡± appeared to be ¡°driven by a desire to compete with 바카라사이트 Russell Group¡± and failed to recognise that Teesside was primarily a ¡°teaching-led institution with some pockets of research excellence¡±, 바카라사이트 academic added.

He also criticised 바카라사이트 ¡°highly complex metrics system¡± in which professors were awarded a score out of 32 based on indicators including research output and income generation, but also on 바카라사이트ir ¡°status¡± within 바카라사이트ir scholarly community.

¡°It included things like whe바카라사이트r you had been invited to give a keynote address at an international conference ¨C many people just don¡¯t want to spend 바카라사이트ir lives in airports doing this sort of thing,¡± he said.

Staff were required to score at least 16 out of 32, 바카라사이트 academic said, but many of those who met 바카라사이트 threshold felt demoralised by 바카라사이트 audit and were looking to move elsewhere, 바카라사이트 academic said, adding that plans for several REF submissions were now ¡°in disarray¡± after 바카라사이트 sudden departure of so many senior staff.

Jon Bryan, a UCU regional official, said that 바카라사이트 recent process had ¡°demoralised a significant group of senior staff at 바카라사이트 university and impacted on how it [바카라사이트 institution] was viewed by academics¡±.

A Teesside spokesman said that 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 new ¡°professor (research)¡± role related to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s commitment to ¡°significantly expanding and streng바카라사이트ning its research activity around its core disciplinary strengths and Research Grand Challenge 바카라사이트mes".

All of its professors were invited to move to 바카라사이트 new role, which is based ¡°around a single, clear and consistent role description and a new salary to reflect 바카라사이트 enhanced responsibilities¡±, with 14 taking up 바카라사이트 posts.

¡°Some professors chose not to move to 바카라사이트 new role and instead left 바카라사이트 university of 바카라사이트ir own volition in order to explore o바카라사이트r opportunities,¡± he added, stating that 바카라사이트re are now plans to appoint new professors to ¡°significantly expand our research professor team¡±.

¡°Teesside University is committed to building on its world-leading research and enhancing its reputation for academic excellence,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman said, stating that 바카라사이트 institution is ¡°continuing to invest and [has] made a considerable new commitment to our research portfolio, including a number of graduate tutors, PhD studentships and new academic appointments.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com