THE WORLD
Top Universities Guide
Every university professes to be the best at one thing
or another. How do we begin to unravel the web of
information about which is truly the best?
N
early two decades ago is lost, due to the simple fact new IT suites? The point is no
the Times Newspaper, that most university departments one knows, and the “good” guide
in partnership with have a set policy on the number fails to acknowledge this.
Exeter University, devised of fi rst classes, upper second, and
a “Good University Guide”, second class degrees awarded. Research – a tricky area at the best
signposting students and parents Therefore, the variable fails to of times. Oxford and Cambridge
to independent research about show the calibre of student, and are without much doubt research
which university was actually fails to represent the teaching universities. The problem is
doing what. The idea was sound, quality of the department. A fi rst that the table uses research from
and has served us well thus far. class student from Oxford may be the previous decade as research
But something is amiss about the of a completely different calibre conducted, and hence by default
Times Good University Guide. to the student with a fi rst from all the older universities rank
Is it good any longer? Nottingham Trent or Manchester automatically higher. But is this
Metropolitan, is something which simply fudging the results, or an
The Times has eight key the table fails to consider. accurate depiction of research
performance areas – Student actually happening at the
satisfaction and Research (both Then there is the issue of spending university?
weighted higher than the other on services and facilities. What
six variables), Entry standards, exactly is counted as services Even measuring employability
Student-staff ratio, Services and and facilities? Oxford & is a problem. We surely need
facilities spending, Completion, Cambridge are prime examples to distinguish and recognise
Good honours (students who of universities that spend a lot whether a student did a chemistry
achieved an upper second or of money every year – but do degree, and then started job as a
higher), and Graduate prospects they? Both universities have call centre operator, cannot be
(how many fi nd employment huge expenses on building classed in the same box as one
within six months of graduation). maintenance due to their age, who did a chemistry degree,
These variables have served well, a spending that is absolutely and actually became a chemical
and have evolved over the past necessary, but does it enhance engineer – can we? These are
ten years, but it is time for a step the students learning? Some just a few of the issues I have
change at the way we measure would say “yes”, because it adds come across in my autopsy of the
“good”. Furthermore, each of the to the intellectual environment Times Good University Guide.
existing criteria has problems. produced, others would say
“no”, building maintenance Beware of skewed
The problems is not service enhancement. information
To list just a few that students have How much did Oxbridge spend During my autopsy, I also
told us. The validity of the table on building refurbishment in discovered that there was an
when it comes to “good honours” comparison to their spending on incredible amount of skewed
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HPD Sept ‘09 - Feb ‘10