'Excellence' and Exclusion: The Individual Costs of Institutional Competitiveness

Area of Science:

• Higher Education Studies
• Sociology of Education
• Public Policy

Background:

• The United Kingdom's Research Excellence Framework (REF) represents a performance-based funding system.
• This system aligns with neoliberal ideology and New Public Management principles in higher education.
• The REF influences how universities respond to government demands for research accountability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the negative consequences of non-participation in the Research Excellence Framework (REF).
• To analyze the impact of the REF's competitive nature on academic research and freedom.
• To discuss the effects of the REF on higher education's instrumentalization and autonomy.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of policy documents and academic literature.
• Critical discourse analysis of neoliberalism's influence on higher education.
• Examination of the behavioral responses of universities to research auditability.

Main Results:

• Non-participation in the REF results in significant disadvantages for higher education institutions.
• The REF fosters a competitive environment that instrumentalizes academic research.
• There is a discernible diminution of academic freedom, autonomy, and critical inquiry due to the REF.

Conclusions:

• The Research Excellence Framework (REF) exemplifies the negative impacts of neoliberal policies on higher education.
• The system's emphasis on auditability and competition undermines core academic values.
• Higher education institutions face substantial risks when not engaging with the REF, affecting their research and academic integrity.