I value these remarks.
Whilst often the fault of administrators in especially so-called `new universities` [a long story] for so-called `low rankings` the RAE is borne on criteria that profoundly underplay the achievements of new universities, is a powerful tool for degrading new universities academic contributions and especially that of their significant good academic staff, and subsequently devaluing the academic character of the courses that their students do.
A distinctive means of evaluating the work, progression and value-added of new universities would be the only way to acknowledge this work.
DAvid Crouch
>>> Simon Batterbury <[log in to unmask]> 12/14/01 07:35am >>>
Check out the latest British Research Assessment Exercise at www.rae.ac.uk,
results just published. There is a geography page at http://www.rae.ac.uk/results/byuoa/uoa35.htm
The 'top' departments for research in Geography have now shifted (shock -
a drop for Cambridge!!!) and some of my favourite, and least favourite, ones
have changed their rankings. Well done to Hull and Brunel Geography, for
example. And to Thames Valley University for getting some scores on the board
after all its troubles.
What is sad, of course, is that many Departments did not even make it into
the RAE at all - geography seems to be downsizing due to falling student
demand and this must affect research capacity too. So some established Departments
did not enter the RAE this time.
I hope this is the last time they run the exercise, which has caused a lot
of sleepless nights for British academics, led to a culture of competition,
caused many people to shift jobs at short notice, and helped the case for
closing some departments (on the grounds of low scores). It has, thus, disadvantaged
the development of 'social capital' in some parts of British geography and
created a lot of intellectual snobbishness from the 'fives and five stars',
no matter how well deserved their claims of excellence, that was less present
before the RAE began in earnest.
Of course it led to more research being done - but we were doing most of
that anyway, and it is not a thing to be rushed by assessment deadlines.
comments welcome
Simon
Dr Simon Batterbury
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography and Regional Development
The University of Arizona
409 Harvill Building, Box #2
Tucson, AZ 85721-0076, USA
Phone: (520) 626-8054
Fax: (520) 621-2889
http://geog.arizona.edu/~web/faculty.html
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