Times Higher Education (THE) has announced a big rebranding and updating of its University Impact Rankings. Although the rankings, according to THE, have been highly successful and influential, data collection and processing of policy documents and research publications have become extremely complex and expensive.
In addition, the influx of new institutions and compression of scores within a few points has led to considerable volatility, which undermines the value of the rankings to early adopters.
The rankings will be rebranded as the Sustainability Impact Ratings, although they will continue to use their “gold standard framework.” Eventually, the scores will be presented in branded groups based on percentiles or performance indicators.
These changes will be part of the creation of a membership network that will include newsletters, webinars, and sharing of best practices. There will be an annual subscription charge that will cover advice from data experts, certification, and marketing support. Subscriptions will be free for universities in low-income countries.
THE expects that there will be further changes to the new ratings framework.
Source: Times Higher Education