Institutional Determinants of Entry into UCAS Clearing: A study of Economics departments

This article examines factors relating to the reliance upon the Clearing phase of the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) entry system for universities to achieve their undergraduate in-take targets. The analysis is undertaken for entry in Autumn 1999 with respect to 89 Economics departments of which 51 entered Clearing and 38 remained outside. The quality/prestige of institutions was assessed from THES indicators, average A-level entry points, their historical roots, geographical location and name composition. Three forms of statistical analysis were undertaken to determine which characteristics are salient in differentiating institutions in relation to entering Clearing. They indicate that library expenditure, teaching assessment, the year of the Royal Charter, the proportion obtaining either a First and Upper Second-class Honours degree, the share of graduates taking up employment, further study or training, average RAE rating, together with institutions which are long established, greenfield, Oxbridge and of the former PCFC sector to be statistically significant. The implications drawn from the analysis include that several performance indicators are within the capability of institutions to influence, whilst those of the former PCFC sector frequently possess a higher likelihood of relying upon Clearing compared to many pre-1992 universities.     

ENTRY AND EXIT PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION: SOME POLICY AND RESEARCH ISSUES

The recent re‐emergence of an interest in the relationships between A levels and degree performance can be viewed in the context of the work of the planning bodies for higher education, and the associated drive to secure reliable performance indicators for planning purposes. However, a number of tacit but questionable assumptions can be seen to underlie the traditional model of students’ performance at the points of entry and exit. Once those assumptions are recognised, implications follow for policy and for decision‐makers, whether in institutions (such as admissions tutors) or outside institutions, in central planning and resource allocation bodies. What might appear to be a purely technical debate amongst statisticians turns out to be intimately connected with contrasting conceptions of higher education.     

Competition in UKHigher Education: Competitive Advantage in the Research Assessment Exercise and Porter's Diamond Model

The UK public sector has been exposed to competition as a means of enhancing its performance. HE institutions now compete for resources on the basis of research. In this competitive environment the crucial question is not why one HE institution is more successful than another at research but why some institutions are home to a large number of departments that are successful. The answer lies in exploring what gives competitive advantage at the level of the department, discipline and nation. Porter' three layer ‘diamond’ model of competitive advantage is proposed as a framework for this exploration. This identified four major components: factor conditions (research orientation and accumulated wealth of institution); demand conditions (demand by academy for departmental research as measured by ability to secure external income/research students); related and supporting departments (research strength of institution and presence of a relevant cluster of research‐strong departments) and departmental strategy, structure and rivalry (ability to focus departmental attention on the successful training of research students and publication in refereed journals). In a linked paper this model provided a framework to evaluate research performance in the discipline of geography (Curran, 2001).     

A data-based scheme for evaluating faculty performance

Both sound management practice and the law require that administrative decisions affecting faculty members reflect systematic, uniformly applied, fair, and valid evaluations of performance. To meet these requirements a performance evaluation scheme must involve two decision elements, both of which are addressed and illustrated in this paper:what will be evaluated, andhow the evaluation will be made.A data-based faculty performance evaluation program specifically oriented toward such administrative actions as tenure, promotion, and salary adjustment is described. This program rests upon task analysis to clarify the nature of the desired evaluative content and peer review as the primary evaluative mechanism.The scheme is illustrated using the experience of a department of psychology training to the doctorate. However, the approach to faculty performance evaluation herein described and illustrated is generalizable, with modification, to other departments and institutions. Several considerations pertinent to such modification are discussed.     

University leaders and university performance in the United Kingdom: is it ‘who’ leads, or ‘where’ they lead that matters most?

With key performance indicators (KPIs) part of everyday life in the higher education (HE) sector, universities have become increasingly concerned with league tables and performance indicator-led strategy and planning. The choice an institution makes concerning the KPIs it wishes to be evaluated on depends on its mission and objectives, with a Head of Institution (VC) appointed to deliver against this. As such, this raises the question as to whether institutional performance can be related in any way to the characteristics of its leader. The purpose of this research, therefore, was to identify any empirical justification for the socio-demographic characteristics which those responsible for searching and appointing VCs appear to have favoured over the past 10 years. Also, whether these can be shown to be related to the performance of their institutions. Using data available in the public domain and for UK (excluding Scotland) VCs in service for, at least, some time during 1999–2004 inclusive, evidence for the importance of VC characteristics for institutional performance was limited. Indeed, our findings suggest that, whilst the performance of a university may be ‘moulded’ by the characteristics of its’ leader, most of the variability is explained by non-leadership factors. We also found highly significant correlations amongst the KPIs used in HE, which has very significant implications for those wishing to differentiate themselves from other institutions.     

Continuity and change in the highest-ranked Ph.D.-granting departments of English, 1925–1982

Since 1925, six reputational rankings of Ph.D.-granting English departments have been published. Though almost two-thirds of such departments are located at public institutions, most of the highest-ranked departments throughout these years have been at private universities. In addition, of those highly ranked English departments in the most recent (1982) ranking that ranked higher than their universities, overall, most are private; of those highly ranked English departments that ranked lower than their universities, overall, all are public. There has been great stability since 1925 in the highest-ranked English departments, with few departments entering or leaving this group.     

An Evaluation of Factors Regarding Students’ Assessment of Faculty in a Business School*

Student faculty ratings are used at most institutions of higher learning for three important reasons. First, the ratings provide direct feedback to the faculty, and this enables faculty to adjust their teaching styles. Second, the ratings provide the administration with information intended to assist in guiding and mentoring faculty toward more effective pedagogical performance in the classroom. Third, the ratings also provide the administration with information to be used in the reappointment, tenure, and promotion processes, as well as for assignment of salary range adjustments and teaching awards. To be of real value, however, all of this is predicated on the use of a valid and reliable faculty‐rating instrument along with a system designed to provide both the faculty and the administration with norming reports that allow for appropriate comparisons of ratings. This article reports such a study conducted within a large department of a business school and recommends that the process used be adapted by other business school departments and other academic units across the university and at other universities to ensure a more universally appropriate usage of students’ ratings.     

The use and abuse of performance indicators in UK higher education

In the UK, interest in measuring the performance of higher education institutions has developed as part of an increasing performance culture in the public sector. This paper looks at development of national systems of indicators in both the University and former Polytechnic section in the light of this trend. The pressures leading up to the development of each system are examined together with an outline of the indicators chosen and forthcoming critical reaction. The use of performance indicators to compare institutional performance is explored. Regression methods that have been developed to try to enable meaningful comparison of indicators to be made between different insititutional types and environments are critically examined. A number of case studies of the use of performance indicators in both the University and former Polytechnic sector are presented. In each case the benefit and drawbacks of the application are commented on. The paper concludes by recommending a change from the league table approach to one based on adopting indicators for each institution which are consistent with its mission. The role of peer review in complementing the use of performance indicators is covered.     

科研机关管理人员绩效考核方案设计及评价

组织针对管理人员实施绩效考核时,常出现考核指标缺乏针对性和系统性、以定性主观评价为主、考核等级差异不明显以及缺乏有效反馈和改进机制等诸多问题。依据绩效考核指标设计的原则和思路,采用KPI关键绩效指标法和360°绩效考核法,以工作态度、工作能力和工作业绩为关键指标要素,设计科研机关管理人员绩效考核方案。该方案由主管领导、同事、服务对象和员工本人共同担任考核主体,其中主管领导和同事考核以量化指标考核为主,服务对象和员工本人的考核以主观定性评价为主。该考核方案有助于员工及时发现和改进现有工作不足、提高工作效率,也为组织开展员工奖惩提供更为准确客观的参考依据。     

The Development of Process Indicators to Estimate Student Gains Associated with Good Practices in Undergraduate Education

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the development of psychometrically sound process indicators of student performance is described. Second, the results are reported of a test of the utility of these indicators with six samples of men and women students (n = 911 in each group) from 19 baccalaureate, 27 master's, and 29 doctoral-granting institutions. Process indicators represent behaviors associated with desired outcomes of college and estimate the extent to which students are engaged in these activities. Selected items from the College Student Experiences Questionnaire were used to create measures of three good educational practices: faculty-student contact, cooperation among students, and active learning. Active learning and cooperation among students in that order were the best predictors of gains for both women and men at all three types of institutions. Student background characteristics had only trivial influences on educational gains. Implications are discussed for institutional policy and further research.     

THE VALIDITY OF HIGHER-ORDER QUESTIONS AS A PROCESS INDICATOR OF EDUCATIONAL QUALITY

One way to assess the quality of education in post-secondary institutions is through the use of performance indicators. Studies that have compared currently popular process indicators (e.g., library size, percentage of faculty with PhD) found that after controlling for incoming student ability, these process indicators tend to be weakly associated with student outcomes (Pascarella and Terenzini, 2005). In addition, while much research has found that students increase their critical thinking skills as a result of attending college, little is known about what goes on during the college experience that contributes to this. The purpose of this research was to examine the validity of higher-order questions on tests and assignments as a process indicator by comparing it with gains in critical thinking skills among college students as an outcome indicator. The present research consisted of three studies that used different designs, samples, and instruments. Overall, it was found that frequency of higher-order questions can be a valid process indicator as it is related to gains in students’ critical thinking skills.     

Monitoring the Performance of Educational Institutions: A Spur for the Implementation of Systemic Changes in Higher Education

The article discusses a comprehensive reporting and monitoring framework used to evaluate the performance of state and private higher education institutions. By analyzing diversified indicators including regulatory compliance, organizational and economic indicators, training and research, and other metrics, the authors spotlight key developments taking place in the Russian higher education system as well as areas where reorganization/optimization measures are required.     

A general theory of learning and teaching and a related comprehensive set of performance indicators for higher education institutions

In contemporary knowledge societies, performance indicators are an indispensable element of sustainable quality management and enhancement through monitoring and evaluating quality performance of higher education institutions. It is argued that learning and teaching quality in higher education should be approached in a holistic way, namely across the four subdomains of learning and teaching environment, teaching processes, learning processes and learning outcomes and their assessment. performance indicators related to these areas must align with a synoptic understanding of learning and teaching comprising behavioural, information processing, cognitive, social (constructivism) and humanistic theories of learning. Selected issues from a comprehensive set of about 280 performance indicators for learning and teaching are presented and contextualised. The indicators set resulted and emerged from critical reflection of research literature and explorative surveys of various informed and engaged stakeholders, from 14 public European universities, and a general theory of learning and teaching.     

Why are some universities better? An evaluation in terms of organizational culture and academic performance*

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between organizational culture and academic performance among higher education institutions. The sample was composed of 647 faculty members working in the colleges of education, health, engineering, law, economics, and administrative sciences in four central research universities in Turkey. The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) was used to describe organizational culture, whereas University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) data were used to investigate academic performance. A multilevel analysis in which one unit of analysis (i.e., faculty member) was nested within another (i.e., college) was performed. The original contribution made to the literature by this research is its examination of the relationships between organizational culture and tangible performance indicators (e.g., the number of academic publications and citations). Results show that three different culture types were observed in the universities: Innovative team culture, competitive culture, and hierarchic culture. Although significant relationships were found between academic performance and both competitive culture and innovative team culture, the sole significant predictor of academic performance was competitive culture. One particularly interesting finding was that whereas competitive culture was effective on quantitative indicators (i.e., number of publications and number of citations), only innovative team culture affected the indicators related to effectiveness (i.e., article impact level and citation impact level).     

Managing Equality in Access

How can equality of access be managed successfully and what are the informing trends that institutions should not only acknowledge but act upon? An opening up of the education market means widening access, but this cannot be done in a vacuum. The associated management of equality in access must have a place in institutions’ strategic plans linked to a system of performance indicators to ensure appropriate measurement. Approaches will differ, but senior management should be committed to allocating resources and devoting marketing energies to this important area. Commitment to CATS will be a significant part of managing equality in access as will be the management of quality in access. These are challenges that are on the further and higher education agenda but which have yet to assume a higher priority in implementation.     

教学院（系）党政联席会议制度探讨

教学院（系）是高校教学科研的基本单位,是相对独立的管理机构。高校教学院（系）领导体制是院长（主任）负责还是党总支书记负责,长期没有定论,为加强教学院（系）党政联系,高校教学院（系）普遍建立了党政联席会议制度。通过对教学院（系）党政联席会议制度的定位研究,探讨党政联席会议具有议事和决策双重功能,对推进教学院（系）科学发展...     

Turnover of senior faculty in departments of social and physical science and engineering

Given the projected surplus of PhDs over the next 20 years, faculty departures to jobs outside academe could be an important source of new academic jobs. This paper attempts to discern and explain hiring and departure patterns of senior faculty in departments in 12 fields. There was more net hiring in engineering departments than elsewhere and fewer departures from departments in public than in private institutions. The relationship between selectivity and thenet hiring rate of senior faculty was significantly negative and nonlinear. Despite predictions of declining enrollments, departments in the less selective institutions still evidence growth of senior faculty positions. Several explanations of this pattern are offered.     

基于关联规则的数据挖掘技术在教学评价及学生成绩关系之间的应用研究

教学评价和学生成绩是衡量高校教师课堂教学质量的一项重要指标.数据挖掘是一个融合多学科交叉的新技术研究,目前在各行业均有广泛的应用.本文通过运用数据挖掘中关联规则Apriori算法,对高校教学评价体系中各项指标与学生成绩之间的关联进行了挖掘,得到了具有一定价值的知识和规则,从而更好地运用于教学研究.     

Evaluating student allocation in the Portuguese public higher education system

This paper characterizes and evaluates the student allocation in the Portuguese public higher education system. It describes the supply and demand sides of the system by looking at the numerus clausus across areas of study and institutions, institutions’ degree of diversity, and performance and adjustment indicators based on students’ revealed preferences. Performance indicators quantify the adequacy between demand and supply, across institutions and fields of study, and gauge the performance of public higher education institutions in the competition for candidates. Adjustment indicators allow us to predict the potential impact of changes in higher education regulations on student allocation and its stability. According to these indicators, such changes could result in an expansion for some institutions and fields of study, whereas other institutions might face a reduction.

Performance Indicators and Widening Participation in UK Higher Education

We investigate the relationship between the widening participation performance indicators adopted in UK higher education (HE) and the government's objective of increasing overall HE participation rates. We critically assess the development of performance monitoring in HE and identify weaknesses in the current performance indicators from the perspective of the main stakeholders. We suggest the development of internal indicators and benchmarks by HE institutions together with extensions to the current national performance indicators that could improve their usefulness.