择“优”录取:顶尖大学博士招生录取决策研究

Merit-Based Admissions:On the Decision-Making in Doctoral Admissions in a Top University

通过对国内某所顶尖大学博士招生过程的分析,考察“申请一考核”制下博士招生录取决策的形成过程和实践逻辑。研究发现,顶尖大学博士招生是多重制度逻辑下对“优秀”的情境化评判,“优秀”不仅和申请者获得学业成功所具备的个人素质相关,而且与组织目标及其成员对某些特征的偏好和需求有关。博士招生委员会对于“谁应录取”和“凭何录取”的解释,往往是出于对多维度因素的实际考量。对“优秀”的评判和录取并非纯粹的智性过程,学科文化、风险规避、效率逻辑、人际关系、身份认同、个体偏好等情境因素会对决策过程及结果产生动态影响。个体权力与团体共治、评价标准的多元性与共识程度、规则限制与自由裁量构成了决策背后的主要张力。尽管面临诸多限制和矛盾,招生委员会仍能通过一套务实的评价与决策机制实现程序公平、择优原则、集体共治、个人意愿之间的相对平衡,但组织协调与博奔可能导致录取结果的不确定性和不可预测性。

Based on an analysis of the doctoral admissions in a top university in China,this study explores the process and the practice-based logic of the decision-making in doctoral admissions under the"application-examination"system.The research results show the following:The doctoral admissions in the top university are a contextual judgment of"excellence"under multiple institutional logics;"excellence"is not only related to applicants'qualities for their academic success,but also related to the organizational goals for doctoral admissions and the preferences and needs of organization members for certain characteristics;the doctoral admissions committee's interpretation of"who should be admitted"and"why"is often based on the practical consideration of multiple factors;the judgment of"excellence"is not purely an intellectual process,and contextual factors such as disciplinary culture,risk avoidance,the efficiency-oriented logic,interpersonal relationships,the identity,and individual preferences have a dynamic effect on the decision-making process and results;and the balance between individual power and collective governance,between diversity and consensus in evaluation criteria,and between rule-based restrictions and discretion constitutes the major tensions behind the decision-making.Despite limitations and contradictions,the admissions committee can still use a pragmatic mechanism for evaluation and decision-making to achieve a relative balance between procedural fairness,the principle of merit-based selection,collective governance and personal will,but the organizational coordination and competitions may result in uncertain and unpredictable admissions.