September 2, 2010
Texas A&M System Will Rate Professors Based on Their Bottom-Line Value
The Texas A&M University System is moving ahead with a controversial method of evaluating how much professors are worth, based on their salaries, how much research money they bring in, and how much money they generate from teaching, The Bryan-College Station Eagle reports.
Under the proposal, officials will add the money generated by each professor and subtract that amount from his or her salary to get a bottom-line value for each, according to the article.
Frank Ashley, vice chancellor for academic affairs for the 11-campus system, said the public wanted accountability. "It's something that we're really not used to in higher education: for someone questioning whether we're working hard, whether our students are learning. That accountability is going to be with us from now on."
Peter Hugill, who heads the local chapter of the American Association of University Professors, blamed a conservative think tank with ties to Gov. Rick Perry for coming up with an idea that he said is simplistic and relies on "a silly measure" of accountability.
via chronicle.com
What do we think of this?! Is it not yet another dysfunctional KPI? As some have noted in the comments to this article, teaching income exceeds research money typically, and those teaching introductory or popular courses will look very good -- especially if they retain their students. What about those of us that teach the "intellectually crucial" but perhaps hard and unpopular courses? What about those who secure grants though agencies (such as charities) that do not provide overheads, or (like the EU) only partial overheads? Keep this in Texas please!
