Political Economy of University Evaluation

Abstract

　 As in many other OECD countries, the evaluation of higher education institutions has recently become a policy issue in Japan. While attention has been given to better methods of evaluation, it is important to analyze the structure and actual function of evaluation as a social and political process. From this perspective, this paper examines the social and economic backgrounds of the rising interests surrounding evaluation, the organizational characteristics of the evaluation process, and its social and economic consequences.

　 Recent forms of evaluation can be divided into three major types : market, voluntary, and agency. Japan, along with a few other OECD countries, has recently created an evaluation system based on the agency model. As a result, this paper argues that Japan will suffer from contradictions between social expectations and what can actually be achieved. It will be essential for the new organization to involve voluntary participation by academics and to integrate the information produced by the market.