Universities block rankings

By STUART DYE education reporter

Two universities took out an injunction yesterday to stop the release of a new tertiary ranking system that will fund institutions by the quality of their academic research.

The University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington took the joint legal action hours before the rankings were to be unveiled.

The two universities say one part of the 300-page document, a comparison between British and New Zealand tertiary education, is "invalid and inappropriate".

They say it could have a detrimental effect on the universities' reputations.

"It is like comparing apples with oranges, and will damage the reputation and standing of New Zealand's universities domestically and internationally," said Victoria Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon.

Until now, tertiary institutions have been funded on student numbers. .

The new formula - called performance-based research funding - gives more money to those producing the best research work.

Every staff member at every university is graded.

All 22 tertiary institutions received a computer disc yesterday morning containing the entire document. But it could not be opened until a password was released.

Hours before the release, the Auckland and Wellington universities went to court.

Professor McCutcheon said it was an "extreme step" taken with the greatest reluctance.

Vice-chancellors had objected strongly to the inclusion of the comparison, and had repeatedly sought its removal, he said.

"It is totally invalid and inappropriate to compare the performance of universities in two different countries with significantly different tertiary funding systems and assessed according to quite different criteria."

Dr John Hood, Vice-chancellor of the University of Auckland, said the comparison was "analytically flawed".

"We are happy to be compared with British universities as long as that comparison is valid," he said.

It is expected that the results, due for public release next Tuesday, will show New Zealand universities perform poorly in comparison with their British counterparts.

The Tertiary Education Commission, responsible for performance-based research funding, admits the comparison needs to be "viewed with caution".

A spokeswoman for the commission said yesterday it would hold the entire report until it had considered the legal implications of the injunction.

Professor Paul Callaghan, chairman of the performance-based research funding moderation panel, said the international comparison had to be included.

"Questions would have been asked if the comparison was not there and the conclusions are very reasonable. Everything has been done with the utmost integrity and the greatest degree of accuracy possible."