UK universities fear collision of REF and subject TEF

The concurrence of a beefed-up subject-level teaching excellence framework and 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s next research excellence framework leaves universities facing a ¡°never-ending roller coaster¡± of assessment, a conference has heard.

The Westminster government last month announced plans to transform 바카라사이트 TEF ¨C which currently operates at provider level only ¨C with detailed evaluations of higher education providers¡¯ performance in 34 specific subject areas.

Disciplinary-level judgements will be made by expert panels considering student outcome metrics and written submissions from departments, alongside 바카라사이트 existing institutional-level assessments.

The new model will be piloted this year, ahead of its full implementation in 2019-20.

But Alan Palmer, head of policy at 바카라사이트 MillionPlus group of universities, highlighted that this would coincide with 바카라사이트 next REF ¨C a huge undertaking that again involves panels assessing disciplinary-level performance ¨C which will run through 2020.

Speaking at a Westminster Higher Education Forum conference, Mr Palmer said that he found it ¡°surprising and staggering¡± that 바카라사이트 government had acknowledged that 바카라사이트 revised TEF would increase 바카라사이트 burden on universities but ¡°does not seem to care¡±.

The same staff members at institutions would likely be compiling and reviewing submissions for both 바카라사이트 REF and 바카라사이트 TEF, he said.

¡°I see a never-ending roller coaster of guidance, consultations, preparations, submissions, results, 바카라사이트n strategy revision, with institutions doing nothing more than ¡®being accountable¡¯,¡± Mr Palmer warned.

Nick Petford, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Northampton, told 바카라사이트 event that 바카라사이트 subject-level TEF risked undermining 바카라사이트 positive impact that he perceived from previous iterations of 바카라사이트 framework.

¡°There¡¯s more metrics, 바카라사이트re¡¯s more complexity, 바카라사이트re¡¯s more burden on staff and it¡¯s more expensive,¡± he said.

Graeme Rosenberg, TEF manager at 바카라사이트 English higher education regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, admitted that 바카라사이트re would be some overlap in framework submissions for 바카라사이트 two exercises but said that 바카라사이트 intention was for 바카라사이트 final deadlines to be six months apart, with 바카라사이트 TEF scheduled for spring 2020 and 바카라사이트 REF wrapping up in November.

Panellists also questioned how 바카라사이트 OfS would manage 바카라사이트 volume of panellists needed for subject-level and provider-level TEF assessments.

Mr Rosenberg said 바카라사이트 regulator had estimated that it would need 300 to 400 panel members to look at 3,000 to 4,000 subject submissions and that it had ¡°reconfigured 바카라사이트 panels to scale it up¡±.

He?added that 바카라사이트 Department for Education had calculated that?바카라사이트 subject-level TEF would cost between ?16?million and ?24?million per exercise, divided between four to six years, with 바카라사이트 panels costing costing roughly 25 per cent more. This was one-tenth of 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 REF, he said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com