EUA backs global initiative on responsible assessment systems

The European University Association (EUA) is pleased to become a supporting organisation for the More Than Our Rank initiative, promoted by the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS).

More Than Our Rank has been developed in response to some of the problematic features and effects of global university rankings. It aims to provide an opportunity for academic institutions to demonstrate a commitment to responsible assessment and acknowledge a broader and more diverse definition of institutional success that goes beyond the results of international rankings.

For over a decade, EUA has analysed the methodologies behind the most popular global rankings, as well as their potential impact. The Association emphasises that there is no single definition of quality in higher education. Rather, quality should be considered in the context of national, institutional and departmental or subject-specific parameters.

EUA is confident that the More Than Our Rank initiative will play an important role in drawing attention to the broad diversity of practices and activities that should be part of a responsible assessment system, capturing the impact that university activities have on their local community and society at large. This initiative is in line with the vision of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), which strives for the assessment of research, researchers and research organisations to better recognise the diverse outputs, practices and activities that maximise the quality and impact of research. This requires basing assessment primarily on qualitative judgement, for which peer review is central, supported by the responsible use of quantitative indicators.

Organisations wishing to join EUA in supporting More Than Our Rank may do so via the dedicated form.

This article was first published on 21 December by the European University Association.