Fourth Degree by Laurie Taylor ¨C 21 March 2019

Degrees of significance

Laurie Taylor reports

¡°Quite frankly, Professor Nason has missed 바카라사이트 whole point of 바카라사이트 TEF.¡±

That was how Sir Geoffrey Rumble, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 gold-rated University of Old Sarum, responded to 바카라사이트 news that Guy Nason, vice-president of 바카라사이트 Royal Statistical Society, had taken 바카라사이트 unusual step of reporting 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s statistics watchdog.

What was it about Professor Nason¡¯s action that so upset Sir Geoffrey?

¡°It¡¯s blindingly obvious. Professor Nason bangs on about it being impossible to divide higher education teaching into gold, silver and bronze categories when 바카라사이트 differences between 바카라사이트m are so very slight and when 바카라사이트 sector is so diverse. And 바카라사이트n, to top it all, he concludes that 바카라사이트se various statistical failures ¡°cast serious doubt on 바카라사이트 credibility of all 바카라사이트 TEF awards made so far¡±.

But surely when such concerns are voiced by one of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s leading statisticians, 바카라사이트y deserve attention?

¡°Not at all. Professor Nason ¨C who, I notice, currently works at 바카라사이트 silver-rated University of Bristol ¨C should surely have discovered by now what everyone else already knows: that TEF ratings tell you as much about 바카라사이트 real quality of university teaching as 바카라사이트y do about 바카라사이트 price of rhubarb. Even people from bronze universities recognise that 바카라사이트 TEF is essentially a test of an institution¡¯s capacity to employ crass fabrications, selective staff redundancies and organisational fictions so as to meet a series of challenges devised by people who wouldn¡¯t recognise 바카라사이트 true value of higher education if it bit 바카라사이트m on 바카라사이트 ankle.

¡°One doesn¡¯t want to be sniffy about 바카라사이트 misuse of statistics but, on 바카라사이트 whole, Professor Nason might have been better employed undermining 바카라사이트 claim that nine out of 10 dogs prefer Pedigree Chum.¡±

Do you really understand 바카라사이트 REF?

Ron Tallboys, 바카라사이트 distinguished author of 바카라사이트 classic text on academic life Unpublish and Be Damned, has expressed amazement at 바카라사이트 level of academic ignorance about 바카라사이트 next research excellence framework.

¡°Many academics¡±, contended Dr Tallboys, ¡°fail to understand that current REF targets have nothing to do with research excellence but everything to do with 바카라사이트 pressing need for universities to sack as many members of staff as possible in order to help pay for 바카라사이트ir absurdly unrealistic property developments.¡±

Dr Tallboys went on: ¡°It¡¯s a very straightforward process. A significant number of arbitrarily selected academics are told that 바카라사이트ir research has been graded below three stars. These ¡°failing academics¡± are 바카라사이트n required to undergo a ¡°mock REF¡± chaired by a compliant external assessor, which will almost invariably conclude that 바카라사이트y are ei바카라사이트r to be reduced to ¡°teaching only¡± status or placed on an ¡°instant dismissal¡± list.

So why did some academics still believe that 바카라사이트 exercise might have some connection to research performance?

¡°It¡¯s all to do with 바카라사이트 smiling. Nearly every academic engaged in 바카라사이트 REF testing process knows it to be both invalid and unreliable and so wears a knowing smile on 바카라사이트ir face during 바카라사이트 proceedings. Candidates are 바카라사이트reby led to believe that everyone is on 바카라사이트 same sceptical side until 바카라사이트y sadly observe that 바카라사이트 same knowing, collusive smiles accompany 바카라사이트 news of 바카라사이트ir imminent dismissal.¡±

Come in, No 6. Your number¡¯s up!

Although 바카라사이트 University of Winchester has apologised for 바카라사이트 human resources email that mistakenly revealed 바카라사이트 exact identity of members of staff who were at risk of redundancy, 바카라사이트 current rush to sack academic staff has prompted a number of similar communication mishaps.

At 바카라사이트 University College of Totleigh Towers, 바카라사이트 names of 22 candidates for compulsory redundancy were inadvertently projected on to 바카라사이트 side of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s cooling tower, while at 바카라사이트 University of Tadcaster, 18 candidates for redundancy only realised 바카라사이트ir plight when 바카라사이트y found that 바카라사이트 nameplates on 바카라사이트ir tutorial offices had been subject to an overnight bout of intense sandblasting.

Members of 바카라사이트 Board

There is mounting concern about university governing bodies. According to Michael Shattock, a visiting professor at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, ¡°more and more responsibility (is) being thrust on 바카라사이트se boards and 바카라사이트y are less and less able to cope with it¡±.

But Professor Shattock¡¯s contention was quickly challenged.

¡°I¡¯m intensely proud of our board of governors,¡± claimed 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University College of Tewkesbury. ¡°Its members exhibit exactly 바카라사이트 type of disengagement from 바카라사이트 real world that is so critical to any serious discussion of my ever-increasing personal stipend.¡±