Elizabeth GaddGiven the increasing pushback against university rankings I have offered them some free advice about how they might need to adapt if they are to survive. https://wonkhe.com/blogs/for-those-about-to-rank-universities/
1) Ditch flagship rankings that claim to identify the world’s “top” universities based on a single Westernised view as to what “good” looks like. It’s no good creating 100s of subject/topical alternatives if you’re still producing an overarching list. 2/6
2) Make space for all universities. Excluding some creates a class system: the rankables and the unrankables which is completely unacceptable. 3/6
3) Be honest about uncertainty. Visualising the error inherent in ranking data will give the lie to any idea that one HEI is categorically better or worse than another. 4/6
4) Move towards profiles not rankings. Don’t play god by arbitrarily weighting certain characteristics, surface them all as a spidergram, and let the user decide what matters. 5/6
5) Provide qualitative data alongside the quantitative. Perhaps using #MoreThanOurRank statements where HEIs showcase all the stuff that can’t be counted. But don’t just talk about recognising that HEIs are “much much more than their rank”, do something about it. 6/6