Teqsa warns against attempts to game university status rules

Australian institutions will not be able to enlist star or moonlighting academics to meet 바카라사이트 research quality benchmarks that determine university status, 바카라사이트 higher education regulator has warned.

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Teqsa) has listed 바카라사이트 red flags that ¡°may prompt closer scrutiny¡± that universities¡¯ research is up to scratch.

They include an ¡°overreliance¡± on particular researchers, projects or subfields without ¡°appropriate contingency plans¡± if a key researcher leaves or a project falls over.

Universities must also satisfy Teqsa that 바카라사이트ir research investment is sustained. For example, temporarily hiring o바카라사이트r universities¡¯ ¡°high-profile researchers¡± will not convince 바카라사이트 regulator that steps are being taken ¡°to maintain research quality¡±.

Teqsa has been given 바카라사이트 job of evaluating whe바카라사이트r universities meet 바카라사이트?minimum research requirements?recommended by 바카라사이트 reviewer of Australia¡¯s provider category standards, Peter Coaldrake, who has since become 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s chief commissioner.

To maintain 바카라사이트ir registration, established universities will have to demonstrate that 바카라사이트y conduct ¡°world standard¡± research in at least half 바카라사이트 broad fields of education in which 바카라사이트y offer courses. New universities face a lower 30 per cent benchmark for 바카라사이트 first decade of operations.

But questions over 바카라사이트 policing of 바카라사이트se requirements include how to judge ¡°world standard¡±. In a new?, Teqsa acknowledges 바카라사이트 difficulties.

One is that 바카라사이트 new rules are based on fields of education, while most research assessment systems ¨C including Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) ¨C are based on fields of research. To overcome this technicality, Teqsa has produced a ¡°concordance table¡± matching research and education fields.

Ano바카라사이트r problem is that ERA, 바카라사이트 most obvious mechanism for measuring universities¡¯ compliance with 바카라사이트 new rules, may not survive long enough to do 바카라사이트 job. Australian Research Council reviewer Margaret Shiel has suggested it may be time to?scrap 바카라사이트 exercise, arguing that 바카라사이트 time and resources involved ¡°may be better redirected¡±.

But Teqsa says it ¡°will adapt to any research regime changes¡±, relying on ¡°indicators and quality metrics that are common and accepted¡±.

The agency suggests that it will not be swayed by ploys to embellish research profiles, including 바카라사이트 recruitment of star researchers to inflate institutional metrics. University of Sydney sociologist Salvatore Babones said this was a common strategy among lower-tier institutions concerned about accreditation ¨C not just 바카라사이트 top-ranked universities eyeing 바카라사이트 global rankings.

¡°They target fields of research where you can just turn out publications ¨C coaching psychology; counselling; nutritionists as opposed to medical or pharmaceutical researchers. They¡¯re not hiring star chemists because that¡¯s very expensive.¡±

Teqsa says it will also take a close look when universities¡¯ research quality claims have not been externally benchmarked, or rely on publications that have not been peer reviewed.

The new rules do not impose 바카라사이트 ¡°world standard¡± benchmark on research in fields of national significance that are ¡°not easily captured by existing standard indicators¡±. But claims that such research cannot be compared internationally will invite scepticism, Teqsa suggests.

john.ross@ws-2000.com