The University of Southampton has today received a Bronze award in the Teaching Excellence Framework, but has signalled its intention to appeal.
The TEF panel highlighted in particular metrics which show that students from all backgrounds achieve good outcomes, that large numbers of students progress to highly skilled employment or further study, and that retention is at levels notably exceeding the university’s peer benchmarks.
The panel also singled out for particular praise the academic stretch and challenge promoted by an innovative approach to curricula, ongoing work to improve students’ satisfaction with assessment and feedback, the value students place on digital and other library resources, and highly skilled employability or further study outcomes supported by a range of opportunities within and alongside curricula.
Sir Christopher Snowden, President and Vice-Chancellor, said:
“It is hard to have confidence in a Teaching Excellence Framework which appears devoid of any meaningful assessment of teaching. I know I am not alone in having deep concerns about its subjective assessment, its lack of transparency, and with different benchmarks for each institution removing any sense of equity and equality of assessment. Our own student satisfaction metrics, including satisfaction with teaching, are better than some of those universities who have been awarded Silver and Gold today. This was a pilot scheme and there are serious lessons to be learned if the TEF is to gain public confidence.”
Alex Neill, Vice President (Education) said:
“We are happy that the TEF panel has endorsed the value added by our focus on student success. But we are disappointed by a Bronze outcome as we believe that we made a compelling case for a higher award, and we have already signalled our intention to appeal this decision. This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we believe it is crucial, not least for the future credibility of the TEF exercise, that any perceived inconsistencies in these results are challenged.
“This is the pilot year for the TEF and it is clear from our result, and the results of others in the sector, that there are ongoing questions about the transparency, consistency and objectivity of the process that will need to be addressed ahead if the TEF is to have credibility as a true reflection of the teaching environment of a university.”
