A Merry-Go-Round of Evaluations Moving from Administrative Burden to Reflection on Education and Research in Romania

Abstract

This chapter asks how evaluations in Romanian universities can be made more meaningful. To answer this question, we develop a number of recommendations based on an analysis of 186 interviews with a cross-section of decision-makers, professors, students and administrators in 5 Romanian universities, as well as an examination of key policy documents in this area. We argue that Romanian faculty members, students and administrators are caught in a “merry-go-round” of evaluations. There are no less than 10 different evaluation instruments at national level, imposing a total of 294 external standards on universities. These national standards are typically complemented by evaluation procedures at university, faculty and departmental level. Interviewees argue that the main problem is that the evaluations fail to achieve substantial reflection on higher education and scientific research. More concretely, they consider that (1) the current evaluation practices are too bureaucratic and irrelevant, (2) that academics and students do not feel ownership of the evaluations, and (3) existing standards are inconsistent. Accordingly, we provide three objectives for future policy-making in this area. We think that policy-makers could focus on (1) simplifying the procedures, (2) allowing professors and students to set more of their own standards in education and research, and (3) applying a more consistent and open concept of ‘quality’.