http___www.universitytimes.ie_2018_06_cuma-na-failli-ar-straiteis-rangu-an-cholaiste-anois__1.xml
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Trinity’s 104th position in the QS World University Rankings is a far cry from the dizzying successes of yesteryear. As the news was announced, there wasn’t even much anger from College – only another sigh of impatience from a sector waiting on long-promised funding. It wasn’t meant to be this way. In 2016, frustrated with a sharp decline in both QS and Times Higher Education, College embarked on a rankings strategy, a silver bullet that would lift Trinity from its embarassing slump. Now, after crashing out of the top 100, such a plan seems like a fool’s errand. The strategy was born of a justifiable panic. Prof Brian Lucey of Trinity Business School has said: “Rankings are not a game that anybody would choose to play, but we have no choice but to play them.” Back in 2016, Trinity was losing the game. With the government unwilling to barely mention the thorny issue of funding and the Cassells report yet unpublished, a strategy that tried to boost the various rankings metrics might have seemed worthwhile. Yet for all the pragmatism of a strategy that focused on everything from marketing to maximising research output, the Provost’s plan has fallen flat. The drop might leave Trinity scratching its head – how can the rankings strategy have failed so spectacularly? On social media, frustrated staff and students were quick to offer suggestions. Yet the sobering lesson for Trinity is that “gaming” the system is no match for actually improving things. A citations-centric approach, adding extra pressure to already overstretched staff, was hardly going to succeed. An aggressive pursuit of international students, even as staff levels remain static, also now seems a folly that couldn’t have helped Trinity’s position in the rankings. While the blame for a lack of funding lies with the government, the short-sightedness of Trinity’s response is now obvious. This ranking strategy may have been born of quiet desperation, but it would be a mistake for College to persevere with a dubious pragmatism that puts metrics and marketing over tangible improvements.
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Is mór an t-athrú é suíomh na Tríonóide 104ú sna Rangú Domhanda QS ón mbliain seo chaite. Nuair a fógraíodh an nuacht, ní raibh mórán feirge le braistint ón gCóláiste – osna eile a bhí ann ó earnáil atá ag fanacht le fada ar maoiniú. Ní hé seo an fheidhm a bhí ann. Sa bhliain 2016, nuair a bhí titim mhór ann sna rangú QS agus Times Higher Education, chruthaigh an Coláiste stráitéis rangaithe, réiteach draíochta a ardódh an Tríonóid ón suíomh ainniseach. Tá cuma na faillí ar an bplean seo agus an Tríonóid lasmuigh den 100 is fearr. D’eascair an stráitéis as buairt shothuigthe. Dúirt Prof Brian Lucey ó Scoil Gnó na Tríonóide: “Ní cluiche iad rangú a roghnódh éinne chun imirt, ach níl aon rogha againn ach chun iad a imirt.” Siar i 2016, bhí an cluiche á chailleadh ag an Tríonóid. Ní raibh an rialtas sásta labhairt faoi maoiniú, ní raibh tuairisc Cassells foilsithe go fóill, bhí cuma ar an scéal gur fiú an stráitéis. Ach in ainneoin gur bhain an plean úsáid as chuile rud ó mhargaíocht go taighde, theip ar iarrachtaí an Phropaist. B’fhéidir go ndéanfaidh an titm seo stangaire den Tríonóid – cén chaoi ar theip ar na rangú i mbealach chomh huafásach? D’fhág mic léinn agus baill foirne a moltaí ar na meáin shóisialta. An ceacht atá ann don Tríonóid ná nach n-ionann an córas a smachtú agus feabhsúcháin cearta. Is beag an seans a bhí ag an gcur chuige chun níos mó brú a chur ar baill foirne a bhí róghafa cheana féin. Is léir nach raibh chun éirí le tóraíocht an Choláiste i ndiaidh mic léinn idirnáisiúnta nuair a bhí líon na mball foirne ag an leibhéal céanna. Bíodh is go bhfuil an locht ar an rialtas de bharr an easpa maoinithe, is léir go bhfuil soineantacht faoi leith ag baint le freagra na Tríonóide. Tháinig an stráitéis rangaithe seo chun cinn mar thoradh ar an éadóchas ach is botún ollmhór a bhí ann don choláiste nuair a lean siad le plean míéifeachtach a chuir margaíocht thar feabhsúcháin.