The Tef is call to action for leaders,but it could unite or divide – and exacerbate existing tensions with staffOne of the overlooked aspects of the coming reforms to higher education is the clear challenge to its leaders. The green paper – and specifically the Teaching Excellence Framework (Tef) – represents a subtle call to action for vice-chancellors, the response to which could reshape the sector.
Many who work in universities feel there is a growing disconnect between managers and practitioners – the leaders and the teachers. The Research Excellence Framework (Ref) is generally held up as Exhibit A in this argument, or the National Student Survey as Exhibit B. Managers are too reliant on metrics to boost funding and reputation,the argument goes, and perverse incentives mean that not enough time is given either to teaching or to research.
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Source: theguardian.com