APPRAISING APPRAISAL - SOME TENSIONS AND SOME POSSIBILITIES

Appraisal of academic staff is now a formal part of university procedu res. Prior to its introduction mere was much exhortation as to the ben eficial effects appraisal would bring, and equally forceful arguments about the harmful effects of imposing it as a means of exercising tigh ter managerial control. The paper presents the findings of an investig ation of the academic appraisal programme in the University of Ulster. Consideration of two forms of appraisal, manageralist and development al, with their associated perspectives on the nature of professional p ractice, its assessment and improvement, provide the context within wh ich the University of Ulster's programme can be considered. The eviden ce reveals inconsistency, tension and uncertainty about the programme and its effects: the reader is invited to judge the virtues of the dif ferent perspectives and the degree to which the programme's intents an d operations meet, or fit, with any of them.