University performance is under intense scrutiny this week with the publication in The THES of the raw data used to compile The 1999 Times Good University Guide league table.
Thames Valley University's troubled history over the past two years is shown in graphic detail in the tables published on pages 32-33.
Out of nine indicators, TVU hovers at or close to the bottom of six, while it is above average in library, computer spending and student-staff ratios.
It is 93rd out of 97 on A-level point scores at entry, reflecting its recruitment of entrants with non-traditional qualifications, while its bottom place performance in the 1996 research assessment exercise is a consequence of its concentration on teaching. Even the heavy investment in teaching resources is insufficient to lift it far from the bottom of the chart based on teaching quality assessment outcomes.
But TVU has some gems, registering two entries in the listing of top subjects on page 34. Its 22-point aggregate score for linguistics, awarded in 1996, is coupled with a score of five in that year's research assessment exercise, while it scored 22 for sociology.The tables graphically demonstrate the difficulty of measuring performance. Former polytechnics, aligned with the Coalition of Modern Universities, are at the bottom of each category.
The Times and other newspapers' league tables, plus performance indicators from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, are bound to fuel controversy. On our website www.thesis.co.uk The Times/THES league table compilers set out their methodology and the case for accessible measurement of institutional performance to stimulate debate.