The assessment of universities in Argentina and Australia: Between autonomy and heteronomy

The field of university assessment, including quality assurance, is structured by power and conflict, and shaped by technologies of assessment such as self-studyby academic units, numerical performance indicators and whole institution evaluation and ranking. In reconstructing and comparing the recent evolution of assessment practices in Argentina and Australia we detect a common neo-liberal approach to assessment, supported by global agencies such as the World Bank.Assessment policies and practices are used toadvance neo-liberal agendas, often incontradiction with national traditions inhigher education. In both countries moreexternalised and institution-centred forms ofassessment have facilitated the reformedgovernment heteronomy vis-à-vis theuniversities, the rise of business-stylemanagement inside them at the expense ofparticipatory governance, the transformation ofintellectual autonomy into corporate autonomy,and the reduction of diversity and academicindependence. However, some forms of universityassessment can be used to facilitateinternally-controlled reflection withinacademic units, directed towards educationalobjectives.