UCC denies it tried to influence ranking vote
UCC denies that the wording suggested to staff by president Dr Michael Murphy specifically sought support for the college in the QS World University Rankings academic reputation survey, which began three weeks ago and closes on Friday.
In an email to all academics on Mar 26, Dr Murphy said UCC had been let down in international rankings by its scores in academic peer reviews.
They make up 40% of marks in the QS rankings, to which more than 46,000 academics signed up last year.
UCC dipped slightly in the rankings last autumn, from 181st to 190th, but had jumped from 386th in 2006.
Dr Murphy requested that all academic staff contact three international academics and ask them to register with QS for the questionnaire. “It is essential that the academics you contact understand the importance of UCC improving its university world ranking,” he wrote.
He included a draft text for them to email, including the statement: “Like all universities, University College Cork is keen to raise its international profile, which we see to be of benefit to our staff and students and also to our international research and teaching partners.”
Colleges are encouraged to showcase their achievements to academics and are allowed to invite contacts to sign up for the survey.
However, QS rules say a written warning can be issued where there is evidence of specific responses being solicited or coached from survey participants, with the possibility of having survey responses for that year excluded if any unusual scoring patterns emerge.
Following discussions with UCC yesterday, QS Intelligence Unit head Ben Sowter said it does not have enough data to point towards anomalies until the analysis process is completed during June and July.
A UCC spokesperson said it continues to co-operate with QS and understands from their conversation the college adhered to the guidelines. UCC said the invitation by its academics to ask international peers to take part in the survey cannot be seen as prescriptive.
“The university anticipates that all academics who take part in [the survey] will exercise their own judgment,” it said in a statement.
Mr Sowter said it had been decided for now to keep UCC on a watch list to ensure no undue advantage.
He said there have been only four investigations into attempts to manipulate results in the past five or six years.
However, he said the size of the survey means any campaign would have to be dramatic to effect results.
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