Rankings and University information systems in Spain: current situation and possible improvements

In collaboration with:

Objectives

During the last decade, information on resources and results of the Spanish University system has improved considerably thanks to initiatives by the Spanish education authorities (Ministry of Education and some regional governments), the Spanish University Rectors Association (CRUE), and research groups and institutions interested in the evaluation of the educational activities.

The Ivie and the BBVA Foundation have actively participated in this field working on studies and data banks and, most importantly, developing the U-Ranking project, whose results —ISSUE Rankings of Spanish universities— have been published in 3 editions from 2013 to present. This research project is characterized by its broad perspective that takes into account all university activities —teaching, research and transfer— and by the transparency of the methodology used that provides students with rankings of Spanish public and private universities and guides them in the choice of a degree.

U-Ranking has had so far a wide impact and a favourable reception, but in the future the project wants to accomplish improvements through the annual update of its results, further analyses and changes in the variables or methodology used when justified. In order to work in that direction, this seminar aims to discuss the current situation of the Spanish University information systems and college rankings, and to analyse the ways to improve them.

The seminar will be structured in three sessions. The first session will be devoted to evaluate the progress and limitations of the University information available and the possible further improvements in this area, by answering to the following questions:

• What information is there available for assessing the human and financial resources of universities, their teaching, research and transfer results and the employability of their graduates?
• Which improvements have taken place in recent years in the information available and its quality? Are there still important information deficits?
• Is it possible to analyse the differences among universities?
• Does the information allow analysing differences within the universities?

The second session will aim at analysing the position of the Spanish universities in the rankings, how can their position be improved and the value and usefulness of rankings. The following issues will be discussed:

• What conclusions can be drawn from the position of Spanish universities in international and national rankings?
• What guarantees do the methodology and the empirical basis of the rankings offer to avoid the risk of misinterpretation and mishandling pointed out by the EAU?
• Which improvements for the U-Ranking project would be advisable and which feasible?

The third session puts focus on probably one of the areas in which there is more capacity to improve, i.e. the availability of information, and that, at the same time, plays a key role in the rankings as a performance measure, i.e. the employability of the graduates, taking in mind not only the percentage of those who found a job within a certain period but also considering the characteristics of the job and its adjustment to the academic profile provided by the degrees. Some of the addressed issues will be the following:

• What data is there currently available on graduates and which information would be required for an effective follow-up?
• How do universities gather, structure and use the information on the transition of their graduates into the labor market?
• Regarding the information on transition, are there any standardization processes underway equivalent to those that take place in other dimensions such as teaching or research?

The objective of this seminar aimed at University and educational authorities in matters related to strategic programming, management and reputation, at specialists in universities’ performance and analysts of education policies, is to discuss all these issues in depth.

National academics in this field have been invited to the seminar to present their points of view on the basis of their research and published work.

Programme

9:00-9:30 Apertura y presentación del Seminario

9:30–11:30 Primer panel: Avances y limitaciones de la información universitaria en España

Moderador: José Manuel Pastor, Universitat de València e Ivie

"El SIIU: estructura, contenido y potencialidad"
Cristina Moneo, Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte

“Información universitaria: bases para la transparencia y la evaluación institucional.”
José Antonio Pérez, Universitat Politècnica de València

"El papel de las fuentes de datos en los ranking nacionales de universidades"
Elías Sanz, Universidad Carlos III-IUNE

11:30–12:00 Pausa – Café

12:00–14:00 Segundo panel: Resultados de los rankings y posibles mejoras metodológicas y empíricas

Moderador: Vicente Safón, Universitat de València

"Rankings sintéticos versus rankings multidimensionales de Instituciones de Educación Superior: bondades y patologías"
Carmen Pérez Esparrells, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

“Rankings universitarios: Cómo sintetizar razonablemente la diversidad”
Francisco Pérez, Universitat de València e Ivie

“El efecto de las tipologías de universidades en la construcción de rankings”
Joaquín Aldás, Universitat de València e Ivie

14:00–15:00 Pausa-comida

15:00–17:30 Tercer Panel: La información sobre egresados: disponibilidad, estandarización y papel en los rankings

Moderador: Lorenzo Serrano, Universitat de València e Ivie

“Calidad de los estudios, inserción laboral y actuaciones de las universidades”
José María Peiró, Universitat de València e Ivie

“Disponibilidad, difusión y uso de los indicadores de inserción laboral de los graduados del Sistema Universitario Catalán”
Martí Casadesús, Agència per a la Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya – AQU

“Relación con graduados: medios, contenidos, continuidad"
Pilar Lostao, Universidad de Navarra

“Nueva metodología de encuestas a egresados. Información por titulación”
José Millet, Universitat Politècnica de València

17:30–17:45 Clausura

Coordinator

Francisco Pérez, Universitat de València e Ivie

Participants

Joaquín Aldás, Universitat de València e Ivie
Martí Casadesús, Agència per a la Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya – AQU
Pilar Lostao, Universidad de Navarra
José Millet, Universitat Politècnica de València
Cristina Moneo, Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte
José María Peiró, Universitat de València e Ivie
Carmen Pérez Esparrells, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
José Manuel Pastor, Universitat de València e Ivie
Francisco Pérez, Universitat de València e Ivie
José Antonio Pérez, Universitat Politècnica de València
Vicente Safón, Universitat de València
Elías Sanz, Universidad Carlos III-IUNE
Lorenzo Serrano, Universitat de València e Ivie

Venue

Fundación Universidad-Empresa, Adeit
Plaza Virgen de la Paz, 3
46001 Valencia