HE News Brief 2.4.12

• Iraq: Institutions struggling to rebuild
• UAE: Institutions submitting data for 61 indicators for evaluation
• Chile: The imperatives of Classification
• UK: Institutions in the 'middle' set to see a 10% shortfall

Years after the fall of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, Iraq universities continue to rebuild under new political realities. The Ministry of Education recently has been criticised for numerous sackings which many say are political driven. Those critics call for autonomy for universities and the removal of political ties so that institutions may flourish as they did decades ago. Others, however, believe that universities are improving each year and strides are taking place, albeit cautiously and slowly. They suggest that academics are returning and scholarships are now widely available. The diversion of opinion is typically linked to political ties, but most agree that Iraq universities are ripe for change and progress can be achieved. The key is defining and agreeing on what progress should look like.

[alert_blue]Full Story: The Chronicle of Higher Education[/alert_blue]

Professor M. Badr Abu Al Ela, Director of the Commission for Academic Accreditation, says that the government plans on collecting and releasing data concerning UAE institutions for benchmarking purposes. Institutions are currently collecting data and are aiming to submit by mid-April. The purpose of the exercise is to assist the government in making decisions and to instruct the public on institutional performance. Institutions are set to submit a range of data including attrition rate, teaching load, diversity, expenditure, and a host of other indicators which were determined by a committee as essential benchmarks. The data and findings will be released in early autumn.

[alert_blue]Full Story: Gulf News[/alert_blue]

The attempt to classify institutions in Chile have taken several different guises. Initial attempts were decried as flawed and misleading as the breath of institutions, public and private, teaching and research focused, were too diverse and complex to draw comparative conclusions. Two professors, Claudia Reyes, executive director of Red Universitaria Cruz del Sur in Santiago and Pedro Rosso, rector emeritus and professor of paediatrics at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, are championing a new set of classification criteria which they believe are better adjusted to compare peer institutions. The classification involves the number of doctoral programmes which are accredited and internationally indexed publications. Within this, the institutions are further divided and categorised. The professors believe this method of classification may provide an improved method in evaluating institutions, not only in developed countries but potentially in a global context.

[alert_blue]Full Story: University World News[/alert_blue]

Dire news continue to dominate headlines as tuition fees are set to increase this autumn. Institutional budgets are projecting a 10% shortfall in student numbers for over 30 universities. The Higher Education Funding Council has predicted that institutions hardest hit are middle-ranking institutions and former polytechnics. University of East London and the University of Bedfordshire, HEFCE says, will see the largest shortfall in students come autumn, of 12%. At the same time, Russell Group institutions will increase student numbers under a new government policy of extending student limits to institutions which can attract AAB performers. Sir Alan Langlands, chief executive of HEFCE, offers a voice of hope, saying that institutions in the middle will be able to cope.

[alert_blue]Full Story: Independent[/alert_blue]