Recent achivements of UKCASA

• Nominated UKCASA representatives as proposed Chairs /Members of the Research Excellence Framework expert panels including Area Studies (Panel 27).
• Assisted an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) project through which the Council will develop a tool to match research applications with potential referees from the ESRC Peer Review College.
• Participated in a consultation with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) on the shape of the forthcoming Research Excellence Framework (REF) sub panel for Area Studies from December - July 2010. This process involved two consultations with our member associations over several months, recommendations to HECFE, and planned responses to consultations by HEFCE. This culminated in a meeting with HEFCE’s REF Project Team Manager and UKCASA representatives in July 2010.
• The achievement of a single Unit of Assessment in Area Studies (Panel 27, of 36, Main Panel D, REF 2014) to include broad coverage in relation to RAE 2008 sub-panels 47-50 (American Studies and Anglophone Area Studies; Middle Eastern and African Studies; Asian Studies; European Studies) which received a total of 828 FTE and 3,425 outputs in 2008.
• Contributed case studies for consideration for inclusion in the HEFCE meeting on impact of humanities research, on Monday 14th June 2010. UKCASA later briefed member associations on the content of that meeting.
• Briefed members on the content of HEFCE’s meeting on the impact of Social Sciences Research held on 23rd Sept. 2010.
• Briefed members on the British Academy/ESRC meetings on impact and on the outcomes for research funding post Comprehensive Spending Review held 27th October 2010.
• Consulted member associations and briefed the British Academy on member’s experiences in relation to government changes in regulations for entrance visas to the UK.
• Advised members of the processes of application and deadlines to REF Panels, Chairs, Members and Users.
• Advised members of forthcoming changes in relation to Quality Assurance procedures and the consultation processes involved. Also advised members of forthcoming changes in arrangements for the Higher Education Academy’s Subject Centres post 2011.
• Over the last three years UKCASA has invited members to briefings by the key educational and governmental institutions involved in Higher Education and Area Studies in the UK including HEFCE, ESRC, the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
• Contributed to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) review of the Area Studies Benchmark Statement 2008.
• UKCASA has also worked together with other non member learned societies, agencies and professional associations to promote research and teaching on Area Studies.

Outcomes of the REF Impact Pilots

The outcomes of the REF Impact Pilots are out at : http://www.hefce.ac.uk/research/ref/impact/.

Two reports have been published:

1. Findings of the Pilot Expert Panels
2. Feedback from the HEIs involved in the Pilot

Invitation to comment on future of quality assurance

Joint statement on the future of the quality assurance system
HEFCE, Universities UK, GuildHE and the Quality Assurance Agency invite comments on the development of the quality assurance system.

To read this item in full visit: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2010/quality.htm