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Dr Gwilym Croucher . Photo : David Geraghty / The Australian
Breaking the cycle
UniMelb analyst predicts potential change in rankings obsession .
By Wade Zaglas
For several years Australia ’ s universities have achieved remarkable outcomes in some of the world ’ s most respected rankings , with many entering the world ’ s top 100 .
And with our relatively small population it ’ s often said that Australia ’ s universities “ punch above their weight ” in international league tables .
But University of Melbourne higher education analyst Dr Gwilym Croucher has foreshadowed that the importance placed on rankings might become a thing of the past , with the COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant loss of international student revenue undermining research capacity – a key performance indicator .
Writing for The Conversation , Croucher points to a number of key figures within the Australian education sector who no longer see the relentless chase to the top of international rankings as a viable or noble pursuit .
Take education minister Alan Tudge , for example .
In a statement made last month , he said : “ For more than a decade , the focus on international rankings has led to a relentless drive for international students to fund the larger research volumes that are required to drive up the rankings .
“ To be clear , we want and need international students in Australia . They have been great for our society , our economy , our diplomacy , and thousands have stayed and become outstanding citizens .
“ But COVID presents us with an opportunity to reassess the impact our universities can have , and to refocus on the main purpose of public universities : to educate Australians and produce knowledge that contributes to our country and humanity .”
ANU vice-chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt also criticised the “ distortionary ” effects of these rankings in a Sydney Morning Herald article last year , arguing that they do not assess or support the larger missions of institutions .
“ Everyone says [ rankings ] don ’ t matter , but they do ,” Schmidt said .
“ They drive students to you , they hold up your prestige in community and governments . It ’ s a shame they really aren ’ t very good .
“ I think most vice-chancellors really do worry about the distortionary effect on our missions and the choices we make .”
Schmidt said that investing in First Nations studies resulted in ANU ’ s rankings going backwards . The ANU vice-chancellor also said the companies that develop the major rankings prioritise science and engineering while overlooking a host of other performance indicators , including humanities research , teaching quality , and more parochial disciplines such as local literature and history .
Former Australian Catholic University boss Professor Greg Craven also bemoaned the “ arms war ” culture that was developing around rankings .
“ Intellectualism is not meant to be the Olympic Games where you count the gold medals rather than the level of aerobic fitness of your population ,” he told the ABC last month .
SO HOW DID WE GET HERE ? In explaining Australian universities ’ current situation , Croucher makes clear that high international rankings were not the original goal for institutions . Instead , they helped to create a “ virtuous cycle ” ( as Croucher calls it ) that is now in danger of falling apart .
“ At times the pursuit of rankings success is portrayed as vanity – everybody wants to be recognised as achieving – but this is a superficial explanation . Rather , the enthusiastic rankings chase comes about because a high position in the league tables is seen to attract international students ,” he says .
“ Rankings have been a means not an end . They helped attract international students whose fees cross-subsidised research but also all the other activities , including – yes – some of the full cost of educating domestic students . Australian universities have a structural funding problem .”
“ Success in the international market created a ‘ virtuous circle ’. High rankings brought in students , who were willing to pay fees , which in turn funded university operations and especially research , which brought higher rankings . So the cycle went ,” Croucher states .
But with the pandemic still impacting the world and a closed borders policy still largely in place , the circle is now broken , bringing into question whether high rankings need to be a priority anymore .
THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC TRUST IN MOVING FORWARD
So , what should be done if this “ virtuous circle ” never returns and a new structural funding model must be sought ?
Croucher argues that universities might need to become “ more modest affairs ”. He also says that , while downsizing might be a reality , it will be important to address the overly casualised higher education workforce that has “ implications for the quality of education ”.
“ Universities are going to be more reliant on public funds than in recent decades . This means greater public trust in universities needs to be built quickly ,” he says .
“ If universities continue to be a low priority for the public at the ballot box , governments might be tempted to focus on other pressing issues and hope the international students return and the issue resolves itself .” ■
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