Lost in the Metrics: The Human Cost of Performance Culture in UK Alternative Higher Education

Abstract

This study explores the lived experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic (B.A.M.E) academics working in a UK alternative higher education provider (AHEP), with a specific focus on the pervasive theme of metrics and performance. While the wider research examined multiple aspects of working in AHEPs, this article reports only on findings relating to performance cultures, given their prominence in the data and growing significance in higher education debates. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 20 B.A.M.E academics across six campuses, the study employed a thematic analysis supported by NVivo software. Participants consistently described teaching as being reduced to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as attendance, retention, and progression, often outside their control. The dominance of these measures was perceived to erode professional identity, undermine autonomy, and exacerbate stress and burnout. Career progression was reported as tightly bound to KPI performance, with systemic inequities further constraining opportunities for B.A.M.E academics. These findings resonate with existing critiques of performativity and audit culture, while also highlighting how alternative providers intensify these dynamics. The study concludes that accountability frameworks must be rebalanced to value the human side of teaching, with institutional and policy reforms required to ensure that widening participation agendas are not undermined by rigid, metrics-driven cultures.