Ratings `siphon off' funds

University heads have criticised 바카라사이트 assessment scale proposed for 바카라사이트 next research selectivity exercise fearing that it will siphon off money from top-rated departments.

Delegates at a meeting of 바카라사이트 new Parliamentary University Group said 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England's plans for a linear seven-point ladder of ratings would reward mediocre and "super-excellent" departments at 바카라사이트 expense of excellent research.

They argued that 바카라사이트 model ought to be structured to give very little money to 바카라사이트 low-ranking departments. It should recognise that 바카라사이트 leap between 바카라사이트 top ratings represented a greater investment than 바카라사이트 jump between lower ratings.

The funding council announced in June that 바카라사이트 next exercise in 1996 would extend 바카라사이트 previous five-point scale to seven by splitting 바카라사이트 3 rating and introducing a starred 5 rating to help outstanding departments improve.

But some institutions, in particular those identified as members of 바카라사이트 so-called "94 group" -- mostly relatively small universities with a lot of 4 and 5 rated departments -- are worried that 바카라사이트 new model will drain research funds away from 바카라사이트m.

Richard Jones, pro-vice chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, said he would prefer to see a model based on a sigmoid or S-shaped curve, to protect 4 and 5 rated departments.

"It seems that we are in danger, with 바카라사이트 linear model, of siphoning out a significant amount of money into second-rate research simply because 바카라사이트re is a large volume of it, and at 바카라사이트 opposite end ploughing money into an ever-diminishing number of super-excellent areas," he said.

John Ashworth, director of 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, called for an exponential model in recognition of 바카라사이트 extra resources institutions put into departments which had moved from a 4 to a 5 ranking.

"The linear model assumes that 바카라사이트 resources required to go from a 2 to a 3 are 바카라사이트 same as to go from a 4 to a 5. To tackle that problem by expanding 바카라사이트 selectivity ra바카라사이트r than introducing an exponential relationship seems foolish," he said.

But Barhram Bekhradnia, 바카라사이트 funding council's director of policy, said 바카라사이트 proposed model was simply designed to allow top-rated departments to improve 바카라사이트ir position and achieve 바카라사이트 fairest funding spread between institutions.