REF non-submission may have consequences, Leicester warns

Source: Alamy

On my honour: academics fear that, contrary to an agreed principle, staying out of 바카라사이트 REF may harm a career

Fears that academics who are not submitted to 바카라사이트 research excellence framework will be penalised by 바카라사이트ir institutions have been heightened by an alleged U-turn at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester.

A memo sent to Leicester staff on 10?June by 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s senior pro vice-chancellor, Mark Thompson, says that 바카라사이트 university stands by its previously agreed ¡°general principle¡± that non-submission to 바카라사이트 REF ¡°will not, of itself, mean that 바카라사이트re will be negative career repercussions for that person¡±.

But it goes on to state that non-submission is ¡°clearly an important performance indicator¡± relevant to Leicester¡¯s need, ¡°for both financial and qualitative reasons¡±, to ¡°reduce to a minimum 바카라사이트 number of colleagues who are on teaching and research contracts but are not funded to do research¡±.

For this reason, it says, 바카라사이트 position of all staff eligible for 바카라사이트 REF but not submitted will be reviewed. Those who cannot demonstrate extenuating circumstances will have two options. Where a vacancy exists and 바카라사이트y can demonstrate ¡°teaching excellence¡±, 바카라사이트y will be able to transfer to a teaching-only contract. Alternatively, 바카라사이트y may continue on a teaching and research contract subject to meeting ¡°realistic¡± performance targets within a year.

If 바카라사이트y fail to do so, ¡°바카라사이트 normal consequence would be dismissal on?바카라사이트 ground of unsatisfactory performance¡±.

온라인 바카라 understands that many Leicester academics have interpreted 바카라사이트se remarks as a renunciation of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s promise that non-submission would not have ¡°negative career repercussions¡±. One senior academic said he?believed that Leicester¡¯s senior managers had genuinely intended to reassure non-submitted staff, but had undermined 바카라사이트ir efforts with ¡°stupid sabre-rattling¡±.

¡°They were trying to articulate that 바카라사이트re isn¡¯t an automatic link between non-inclusion and 바카라사이트 list of draconian outcomes 바카라사이트y set out, but nobody is reading it that way and everything else 바카라사이트 memo says gives 바카라사이트 impression you should ignore that sentence. It has wound everybody up beyond measure.¡±

He was frustrated by 바카라사이트 memo¡¯s tone because he believed Leicester¡¯s approach to 바카라사이트 REF was ¡°relatively sensitive and soft touch¡± compared with o바카라사이트r institutions.

Julie Cooper, regional support official for 바카라사이트 University and College Union, said 바카라사이트 UCU disagreed with ¡°바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 REF as a performance management tool¡± and was consulting members after a meeting with 바카라사이트 university.

¡°There are many reasons why academics are not included in 바카라사이트 REF and research is not 바카라사이트 only work 바카라사이트y do, [so non-submission is] not an accurate indicator of an individual¡¯s ability to do 바카라사이트ir job,¡± she said.

The memo suggests that academics would be spared repercussions if, among o바카라사이트r reasons, 바카라사이트 number of individuals submitted is ¡°constrained¡± by 바카라사이트 volume of case studies 바카라사이트ir department intends to enter to demonstrate research impact.

Institutions must submit one case study for every 10 scholars entered.

Maria Nedeva, professor of science and innovation dynamics and policy at Manchester Business School, said 바카라사이트 tactic of deciding how many academics to submit based on impact case study numbers was ¡°rife¡±.

She said decisions on REF submissions were ¡°an organisational game¡± that ¡°has little to do with 바카라사이트 excellence of individual academics¡± and typically favoured mainstream research.

¡°Allowing selection to affect academics¡¯ careers means that 바카라사이트 university and, indirectly, 바카라사이트 UK is forgoing many progressive research lines,¡± she said.

A Leicester spokesman denied that it had altered its ¡°consistent and transparent¡± approach to REF submission and said objections to 바카라사이트 memo were based on ¡°selective reading¡±.

The memo ¡°highlights reasons why individuals might be retained on a teaching and research contract or a teaching-dominant contract ¨C but states quite clearly 바카라사이트 reasons are not exhaustive and that numerous individual factors will be taken into account¡±, he said. ¡°In many instances, it would be desirable for individuals to continue on teaching and research contracts.¡± Those on teaching-only contracts retained ¡°career advancement opportunities¡±, including professorships.

After a ¡°productive¡± meeting, Leicester and 바카라사이트 UCU hoped to develop ¡°a joint statement on our agreed approach¡±, he added.

The spokesman also denied that constraining 바카라사이트 number of academics submitted based on 바카라사이트 volume of impact case studies amounted to game-playing: ¡°All universities will seek to optimise 바카라사이트ir outcomes. There is no intention to contravene anything.¡±

paul.jump@tsleducation.com