07.05.07
Following criticism from the sector, The Guardian is in the process of convening a review group to look at how its league table methodology can be improved.
The development follows a number of complaints by the self-styled Heinz Group of HEIs, so-called because it originally had 57 members of impressive variety. The campaign culminated in early February when thirty of the Group sent The Guardian a strongly-worded email concerning its use of JACS codes.
The email was sent to Donald MacLeod, the influential editor of EducationGuardian.co.uk, and it was authored by Brian Oldham, Management Data Analyst for King's College London. The content pulls no punches:
‘There is a widespread concern that your methodology leads to misrepresentation of the performance of every institution in the sector,’ writes Oldham. ‘This is an unacceptable position which we would like to resolve with you, as there is growing support for unilateral action by institutions which could make production of the league table untenable.’
Among the unilateral actions that were being discussed by some of the Group are boycotting data-collection for the tables and trying to organise an advertising boycott of the paper itself.
As a result of the dispute, Universities UK recently brokered a face-to-face meeting between MacLeod and Oldham. Characterised by MacLeod as ‘robust, but constructive’ and by Oldham as a ‘full and frank exchange of views’, the discussion is also being seen by the HE side as a positive development.
Membership of the review group is currently being finalised, with the first meeting being pencilled to take place in early June.