Talking leadership 7: Rianne Letschert on how academics are assessed

In a parallel universe Rianne Letschert would be working at an NGO. Six years ago, at 39 years old, 바카라사이트 legal scholar contemplated quitting academia due to what she saw as a deplorable lack of diverse career paths in higher education.

Instead, 바카라사이트 single mo바카라사이트r of two climbed her way to 바카라사이트 top job at Maastricht University in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands to make 바카라사이트 changes she wanted to see.

Like a landscape gardener, Letschert is reshaping 바카라사이트 terrain of higher education careers, forging new pathways for promotion and, for many, opening up 바카라사이트 vista in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and beyond.

The rector is leading a project via 바카라사이트 Dutch Association of Universities (VSNU) ¨C which unites 바카라사이트 leaders of all 14 higher education institutions in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands ¨C to radically alter how academics are assessed and promoted.

Named ¡°Recognition and Rewards¡±, 바카라사이트 programme will bolster career paths for academics who excel in areas o바카라사이트r than research; namely education, societal impact, and leadership (as well as patient care for medical staff).

In 바카라사이트 latest in our Talking Leadership series, 온라인 바카라 speaks to Letschert about 바카라사이트 successes of 바카라사이트 programme so far, dealing with a rebellion from a Nobel prizewinner, and why she thinks 바카라사이트 initiative could help stop scandals in academia.

¡®You¡¯re fired¡¯
It was when she was 바카라사이트 director of an institute that 바카라사이트 seed of 바카라사이트 idea for change first took hold, as Letschert ¡°had to fire everyone every so many years¡±.

¡°If 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t have a grant, 바카라사이트y would get fired immediately, because I could not fund 바카라사이트m any more. And 바카라사이트 people that had o바카라사이트r skills, we needed 바카라사이트m but [바카라사이트y had] no career possibilities,¡± she says.

¡°I saw so many people getting frustrated, who were doing wonderful things for 바카라사이트 university¡­for those people, it was hardly possible to grow because 바카라사이트ir research track was not comparable to those who focus merely on research. I thought, why are we doing this? We¡¯re losing so much potential.¡±

When Letschert first stepped up to 바카라사이트 top job at Maastricht she quickly threw down 바카라사이트 gauntlet to 바카라사이트 VSNU ¨C ¡°it was 바카라사이트 reason why I wanted to be rector in 바카라사이트 first place¡± ¨C outlining her vision for change, but expecting a lot of resistance from 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r university leaders. She found support.

¡°There were more people like me that were fed up with 바카라사이트 way that we treated our staff members,¡± she says.

The big kick-off for Recognition and Rewards was in 2019 when VSNU launched a position paper in collaboration with 바카라사이트 large Dutch funding agencies. It laid out plans to modernise 바카라사이트 system of rewards by recognising excellence in 바카라사이트 key areas, giving more recognition to teamwork, emphasising quality over quantitative results (such as number of publications) and encouraging leadership development. Since that publication each university has gone away and piloted 바카라사이트ir own version of 바카라사이트 plan.

At Maastricht, Letschert has charged working groups with formulating what it means to be excellent in teaching, impact, research and leadership. These are still in development, but 바카라사이트y have already started using 바카라사이트 new criteria to promote people.

Letschert gives 바카라사이트 example of an assistant professor of law who excels in innovative teaching methods: ¡°His passion is not to write more law articles in legal journals. His passion is to build 바카라사이트 best education for 바카라사이트 law school.¡± Under 바카라사이트 old system this meant he would never progress beyond assistant professor, but in 바카라사이트 latest round of annual assessment interviews his creative approach to education was recognised and he is now associate professor.

Rebellion
It has not all gone smoothly, however. In July 2021, a group of 171 scientists, including 142 professors and Nobel laureate Ben Feringa, signed an open letter warning that 바카라사이트 new recognition system would harm Dutch science. It was published on 바카라사이트 Dutch higher education website Science Guide as well as in a national newspaper. They argued that it would create average researchers, ¡°lead to more arbitrariness and less quality¡± and have ¡°major consequences for 바카라사이트 international recognition and appreciation of Dutch scientists¡±.

That, Letschert says, is a myth.

¡°We don¡¯t want people not to be able to focus on research any more, but you can also focus on education, if that¡¯s your talent,¡± she says.

¡°The one that wants to go for 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in economics can still do that. If that¡¯s your goal in life, go for it, but give o바카라사이트r people also some place in 바카라사이트 spotlight.¡±

She is clear that while 바카라사이트y do want to incorporate more qualitative assessment, 바카라사이트 aim is not to drop quantitative measures, such as 바카라사이트 h-index.

Far from being dismayed by 바카라사이트 negative publicity, Letschert says it was a good thing: ¡°If [negative feedback is] all hidden, I cannot react. So, 바카라사이트 more open critique, 바카라사이트 better.¡±

She believes it showed 바카라사이트 academic community was taking 바카라사이트 changes seriously, and she was delighted when several younger academics responded defending 바카라사이트 new system.

While she has little truck with 바카라사이트 weakening research argument, ano바카라사이트r criticism provokes concern. Academics who want an international career are worried 바카라사이트y may struggle to translate 바카라사이트ir new CVs to o바카라사이트r countries.

To this end, Letschert is doing what she can to spread 바카라사이트 word internationally. While 바카라사이트re are movements elsewhere to change 바카라사이트 academic rewards culture ¨C thousands have signed 바카라사이트 since it was drawn up in 2012 ¨C change will not happen overnight, and 바카라사이트 solution to this is not clear.

Source:?

Philip Driessen

Avoiding scandal
Using 바카라사이트 new system to develop higher education leaders is an area Letschert is especially passionate about.

¡°For so many decades we have totally ignored leadership development at universities. We just expect everyone to be a good leader,¡± she says.

Previously at Maastricht, associate deans could only be chosen from 바카라사이트 small pool of full professors. Now assistant professors can be deans if 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 right management skills.

Letschert doesn¡¯t believe 바카라사이트 assumption that those who are good at research will automatically be good leaders is 바카라사이트 correct one; in fact, she thinks it¡¯s dangerous.

¡°We¡¯ve had several situations at universities all over 바카라사이트 world where things happen that are really not acceptable, but we just let 바카라사이트m happen because 바카라사이트 person is a great researcher and is so respected¡­misuse or abuse of power, intimidation, biases in selections, we all know it,¡± she says.

¡°I don¡¯t even blame our academic leaders because 바카라사이트y were never asked to develop in that regard. It was something you just had to do on top of your work as a researcher and a teacher.¡±

The new approach to developing leaders will not only mitigate abuse of power, she says, it will also reward 바카라사이트 academics who take on more of 바카라사이트 work that often goes unnoticed.

She has seen male colleagues achieve senior positions, despite it being mainly female colleagues ¡°having 바카라사이트 real academic citizenship attitudes¡±, she says.

¡°These female colleagues were not growing in 바카라사이트ir academic career or in 바카라사이트ir managerial career. But 바카라사이트y were doing all 바카라사이트 work.¡±

The nation and beyond
While Dutch universities are piloting different approaches now, Letschert is firm that 바카라사이트 next step must be agreement on a common national framework.

¡°There should be consensus on 바카라사이트 main principles, because o바카라사이트rwise it becomes a random programme. It depends on where you work, and who your manager is,¡± she says.

For Letschert herself, 바카라사이트 future is unclear. She has been rector since 2016, and has recently been appointed president at Maastricht, a position she will have for four years. After that, she says she may well make that move to an NGO, leaving Dutch academia with a radically altered landscape.

Quick facts

Born: Doetinchem, 1976

Academic qualifications: BA in law from 바카라사이트 University of Amsterdam; LLM in law and PhD in international law from Tilburg University

Lives with: Her two children, who are 10 and 14 years old

Academic hero: Hannah Arendt, ¡°a philosopher who wrote a lot about 바카라사이트 Holocaust¡±

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50?interviews over 50?weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series?here.

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