Ranking universities: The CHE Approach Gero Federkeil CHE – Centre for Higher Education...

Ranking universities:The CHE Approach

Gero FederkeilCHE – Centre for Higher Education Development

International Colloquium “Ranking and Research Assessment in Higher Education”

12 & 13 December 2007, Bruxelles

2Ranking and Research Assessment, 12/07, Bruxelles

Presentation

I. The CHE – Centre for Higher Education Development

II. Rankings – Aims and methodology

III. The CHE ranking approach Basic Approach Indicators and data base Publication Impacts


I. CHE – Center of Higher Education Development

private, not-profit organisation

founded in 1994 by Bertelsmann Foundation and German Rectors Conference

purpose: promotion of reforms in German higher education

Ranking of German universities among founding tasks of CHE

activities:HE policy issues

consulting

ranking, since 1998

staff: ~ 30 people

more information: www.che.de


First ranking published in 1998 after two years of preparation

Published in co-operation with media partner: since 2005 weekly newspaper „Die Zeit“

responsibility for concept & data exclusively at CHE

„Zeit“: publication / distribution

High international reputation (Usher & Savino, Tavenas, OECD)

Internationalisation:since 2004: Austrian universities

2005: Swiss universities

2006/07: EU-funded pilot project with Dutch/ Belgian (Flemish) universities

2008: Dutch universities, University Bozen/Bolzano (I)

I. The CHE: ranking tradition


II. Rankings: Aims and Methodology

Ranking refers to a method:

comprehensive comparison of HEIs by quantitative indicators

made by external/independant institutions/actors

Ranking is different from benchmarking / evaluation:external vs. internal target groups

publication of all results vs. confidentiality

focus on indicators vs. processes

no causal analysis in rankings !


II. Rankings

rankings differ by target groups, particular goalsinformation for prospective students (US News, CHE)

information about global positioning (Shanghai Jiatong, THES)

Information for HE community (Germany: National Science Foundation Ranking of Research Grants, CHE Research Ranking)

even: basis for accreditation (e.g.Nigeria)

Rankings vary in aims and target groups as well as „in terms of what they measure, how they measure it and how they implicitly define quality“ (Usher & Savino)


II. Rankings: Aims and Methodology

Main target group of (most) rankings is least informed group on higher education need for reduction of complexity of information

Higher education institutions themeselves use data for comparison need for detailed & sophisticated information

Rankings have to find a balance in order to both reach target group & get acceptance within HE


II. The most popular ranking ...

clear, unequivocal

rank positions clear, uncontested rules for calculation

of overall scoreone rank can make

a difference


Exampe: THES World Rankings

Can we rank universities like this? – Some Do!

compositeoverall score

weights of indicators ?

is Johns Hopkins 92,9 % as good as

Harvard?

league table with clear rank positions

ranking of whole universities


No individual ranks inleague tables

No overall score fromweighted indicators

No ranking of wholeuniversities

Multidimensionalranking

Ranking of single fields / programmes

Rank groups top intermediate bottom

III. THE CHE approach – an alternative


CHE rankings

CHE ranking data

target group:prospective students

target group:HE sector

CHE University Ranking CHE Research Ranking

Indicators on: teaching resources research

Detailed analysis of data/ indicators on research


labour market,employability

city, university

studentsstudy

outcome

teaching ressources

research

overall assessment(students,

professors)

internatio-nalisation

III. The CHE-Ranking: Indicators

20 – 25 indicators ...


III. The CHE-Ranking: Indicators

... from different data sources…

research

publications /citations (bibliometric analysis)

research grants (faculties/departments)

research reputation (professors survey)


III. The CHE-Ranking:Indicators

... facts as well as judgements

teaching student-staff-ratio (fact)

student assessment of contact between students and professors

student assessment of course organisation


III. The CHE ranking: Data sources

Survey among universities / departments Student survey Professor survey Bibliometric analysis Patent analysis Official higher education statistics


III. Publication

analysis

DIE ZEIT

overview

5 indicators; „Study Guide“

all data + Interactive ranking

www.das-ranking.de

densificationdifferentiation


III. The CHE ranking: Internet Publication


1. Ranking overview


1. Ranking overview

Reputation


University Heidelberg, Medicine

2. Detailed results


3. Personal Ranking

Selection of (up to ) 5 indicators


3. Personal Ranking

... giving personal „weights“ to indicators:


3. Personal Ranking

... and the result – a personal ranking:


3. Personal Ranking

... taht looks different with different indicators:


III. Impacts: Individual

2/3 of students use ranking as one source of information

differences by fields /types of students:law, medicine, engineeringhumanities

studies show: ranking covers needs of information of prospective students (indicators)


III. Impacts: Institutional

Ranking not used for funding decisions /allocation of money !!!

Institutions use data (published data & additional analysis)

as a starting point for analysis of strengths and weaknesses

for internal comparison / benchmarking between faculties, incl. contracts between president - faculties

for external comparison / benchmarking with other institutions

But ranking helps to identify deficits & asking questions, but does not give all answers

Thank you very much!

More information:www.che-ranking.de

Mailto: [email protected]

International Colloquium “Ranking and Research Assessment in Higher Education”

12 & 13 December 2007, Bruxelles

http://www.che-ranking.de/

mailto:[email protected]

Ranking universities: The CHE Approach Gero Federkeil CHE – Centre for Higher Education...

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