Survival in the academy: Policy challenges for maintaining academic standards in higher education

Abstract

This paper derives from research into student assessment policy reforms. These reforms are designed to introduce practices that will allow universities to more effectively demonstrate achievement of appropriate and consistent academic standards. The research has revealed a systemic problem that is common to the Higher Education sector: specifically, that the intersections between student assessment policy and other policies can precipitate behavioural responses from academics that are contrary to the policy intentions.

This paper details this problem by describing a range of conflicting pressures experienced by academics, the interactions between these pressures, and the consequential effects for maintaining academic standards. It helps policy makers to appreciate the interactions that exist between policies that, if viewed discretely are functional, but which when viewed as a collective, may create unintended negative consequences. The paper helps to inform more appropriate policy choices and encourages a systems view of policy implementation.