David Groenewegen
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groenewegendave.bsky.social
David Groenewegen
@groenewegendave.bsky.social
36 followers 76 following 140 posts
So, I guess I’m here now
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groenewegendave.bsky.social
Uniforum is one of the most useless exercises ever created. As “science” it’s on a par with Myers Briggs and astrology. I suspect an astrologer could do a more accurate summary of the state of a uni in most cases, based on the star signs of the staff.
timmclellan.bsky.social Tim McLellan @timmclellan.bsky.social · Sep 17
Private consultants are taking control of how public universities are evaluated and run.

My submission to the Senate university governance inquiry raises concerns about the impact of Nous Group and their dodgy UniForum data on our universities.

www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStor...

A thread
Image shows a screenshot of the conclusion of the linked Senate inquiry submission. This text can be found on page 10. The text is too long for alt text, but here is the first three quarters of the text: Conclusion Over the past decade, Nous Group’s UniForum data has quietly taken on the status of authoritative benchmark for the quality of a range of professional and academic services performed by public universities in Australia and across the world. This authoritative status is performed through scientific-looking graphs and scientific-sounding jargon designed to imply UniForum data is generated through rigorous methods and backed by expert consensus. This performance of authority is significant: it lends UniForum data an air of credibility and facticity that makes acting upon its results irresistible. When one begins to open the black box and examine how UniForum data is actually produced, however, it becomes difficult to justify the degree to which Australian university executives are relying upon it in their decision-making. My analysis is based on a review of publicly available documents, and it is therefore possible that Nous or its clients would point to things not in the public domain that address some of the conceptual and methodological flaws that I have highlighted in UniForum. But the fact that the underlying UniForum data and methodology is not in the public domain is itself one of the key causes for concerns. When the stakes are so high, it cannot be acceptable for Nous Group and its clients to simply tell university staff and governing councils, ‘trust us, these numbers are based on rigorous methods and analysis.’ The lack of rigor, external scrutiny, and transparency in UniForum’s underlying data and methodology would be a cause for concern in any public institution, but it is especially concerning in the context of universities where rigorous, transparent, and accountable knowledge production is a core part of what we do. ...
September 18, 2025 at 1:04 PM
groenewegendave.bsky.social
An excerpt from “The Saint Closes the Case” by Leslie Charteris. Written in 1930. Possibly not the “new” problem so often claimed.
Photo of Book excerpt: it is said that in these hectic days no item of news is capable of holding the interest of the public for more than a week; therefore journalists and news editors age swiftly, and become prematurely bald and bad tempered, Tatchi and Kruschen availing them naught.
August 9, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Reposted by David Groenewegen
yarnspinner.dev
Researchers from two Aussie universities are conducting a survey of creative workers whose work or income has been impacted by AI.

Original post on LinkedIn by @beneltham.bsky.social 👇

Contact ben.eltham@monash.edu to take part 💚
Screenshot of LinkedIn post by Ben Eltham, Lecturer at Monash University, posting (paraphrased for clarity): “Have you lost work or income due to AI? Researchers from Monash University and RMIT are seeking interviews with artists and creative workers whose work and income has been affected by AI. We are particularly seeking illustrators, photographers, cartoonists, composers, and voiceover artists. Interviews will be on Zoom or phone, and your rights are protected by a research ethics statement. Your names will not be disclosed in public research. Contact via email if you are interested in taking part. Address is Ben dot Eltham at Monash dot edu.”
May 27, 2025 at 8:00 AM
groenewegendave.bsky.social
When discussing the Grammys it is important to remember that Christopher Cross won more in 1979 than the Beatles did in the 1960s. Tells you all you need to know.
February 3, 2025 at 5:26 AM
groenewegendave.bsky.social
All first editions. I cannot tell you how annoying it is that W&N have not even kept the spine layout consistent, let alone the overall design. #michaelpalin
Photo of the spines of Michael Palin’s four volumes of diaries. On two of them the title is vertical and the years they cover is horizontal, and on the other two it is reversed, presumably by an idiot.
December 26, 2024 at 5:35 AM