University Performance Before and During Economic Crises

This book briefly analyzes the performance of selected Italian universities during a pre-crisis period and an economic crisis period, on the basis of graduate characteristics and graduate placement statistics. The Electre model is used to produce eighteen university rankings according to three different scenarios (Neutral, University, and Job), three different roles ascribed to the key criteria (overeducation and mismatching), and two years corresponding to two postgraduation placement sampling surveys carried out in a pre-crisis period (2006) and during a crisis period (2011). The eighteen rankings are based on Economics/Statistics and Political & Social Sciences graduates. The rankings vary according to both the scenarios considered and graduate characteristics. Some differences are noted between the two fields of study. The book will be of interest for statisticians interested in evaluation issues, policymakers concerned with university comparisons and rankings, and future students and graduates wishing to make the best choice when selecting their university course. In addition, the new methodology adopted will be relevant for scholars in Statistics and Engineering.

Rosalinda Allegro received her PhD from the University of Palermo and currently works as a statistician at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia (Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Sicily) in Palermo. She has previously worked at the Department of Economic Science, Business, and Statistics at the University of Palermo and in public and private companies as a statistical consultant. Her work focuses mainly on Quantitative Social Research and Biostatistics and she is co-author of scientific papers in these fields. This book is one of the outcomes of her activity at the University of Palermo.

Ornella Giambalvo is Full Professor in the Department of Economic Science, Business, and Statistics at the University of Palermo. Her work focuses mainly on social statistics, sampling surveys, the construction of statistical indicators, and studies on statistical education. She is referent for the University of Palermo in the AlmaLaurea interuniversity consortium, with responsibility for collecting survey data for the assessment units and the committees dealing with teaching activities and career guidance. She is a member of both the AlmaLaurea Scientific Committee and the CRUI (Italian Conference of Rectors) Scientific and Technical Committee for Soft Skills. This book is one of the outcomes of her activity on these scientific committees.