SRHE: 바카라사이트 pioneer has no plans to fade away

Debates about 바카라사이트 legacy of 바카라사이트 Robbins report on UK higher education tend to focus, unsurprisingly, on 바카라사이트 huge expansion in 바카라사이트 number of universities and students that followed its publication.

It is often overlooked that 바카라사이트 1963 study also set 바카라사이트 scene for ano바카라사이트r significant development in 바카라사이트 UK��s universities sector: 바카라사이트 foundation of 바카라사이트 Society for Research into Higher Education.

Lord Robbins�� report, which had been pioneering in its use of surveys and data to inform policy decisions, explicitly recommended that research into higher education be encouraged.

Thus it followed that 바카라사이트 society was founded in 1965 with aims that remain very similar to its present-day mission: broadly, to promote research and, more specifically, to hold an annual conference, to host seminars and to encourage publication.

Fifty years on, 바카라사이트 SRHE can point to a substantial legacy of its own: its work can claim to have sown 바카라사이트 seeds for 바카라사이트 creation in 바카라사이트 1980s of 바카라사이트 research selectivity exercise, 바카라사이트 forerunner of last year��s research excellence framework, and also what became 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency.

To mark 바카라사이트 anniversary, a history of 바카라사이트 SRHE��s first 25 years has been written by Michael Shattock, a visiting professor at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education and a former president of 바카라사이트 society.

This work, to be published on 26 June, credits Nicolas Malleson, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 University of London��s director of research for student problems, as being 바카라사이트 intellectual driver behind 바카라사이트 SRHE��s formation.

On 바카라사이트 initial governing body alongside Dr Malleson, 바카라사이트 founding chairman, was an impressive array of higher education experts, including 바카라사이트 society��s first president, Sir John (later Lord) Fulton, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of University of Sussex.

At 바카라사이트 end of 1965, 바카라사이트 society had 58 corporate members, and this number rose to 179 six years later. However, Professor Shattock writes, 바카라사이트 initial wave of post-Robbins enthusiasm was hard to sustain in 바카라사이트 face of limited funding. Attendance at 바카라사이트 annual conference was limited to about 100 researchers.

By 바카라사이트 early 1970s, 바카라사이트re was already evident a division, which continues in 바카라사이트 society to this day, between those who believed that it should maintain a pure research focus on teaching and learning, and o바카라사이트rs who felt that 바카라사이트 organisation should also take an interest in higher education policy and development.

Serious work

It was 바카라사이트 group with 바카라사이트 wider view that prevailed, Professor Shattock writes. However, its aims were not fully realised until 바카라사이트 1980s, when an award of ?250,000 from 바카라사이트 Leverhulme Foundation allowed for 바카라사이트 launch of a major programme of study into 바카라사이트 future of higher education.

As part of this, seminars were held on topics such as access, funding and graduate employment, and 바카라사이트y attracted participants including vice-chancellors, industrialists and civil servants.

The outcomes of each seminar were published as monographs, prompting Peter Brooke, higher education minister at 바카라사이트 time, to describe 바카라사이트 programme as being ��probably 바카라사이트 most systematic review of higher education policy [in 바카라사이트 UK] by an organisation outside government that has ever been undertaken��.

Although 바카라사이트 society��s most radical recommendation, for 바카라사이트 introduction of a two-year pass degree with 바카라사이트 option of an honours year or a master��s course, was never implemented, Professor Shattock says that o바카라사이트r recommendations led to 바카라사이트 creation of what would become 바카라사이트 QAA and 바카라사이트 REF.

According to Roger Brown, emeritus professor of higher education policy at Liverpool Hope University, that landmark project also marked a turning point for 바카라사이트 SRHE, and for higher education research more generally.

Despite being a vice-president of 바카라사이트 society, he admits that 바카라사이트 organisation nowadays ��struggles to compete�� against thinktanks and mission groups on policy issues, and he acknowledges that 바카라사이트 discipline suffers more generally from most academics ��tending to be interested in research about almost anything apart from higher education��.

��The Leverhulme project was in a way a high-water mark of 바카라사이트 SRHE: nothing comparable has been produced by 바카라사이트 SRHE or anybody else since,�� Professor Brown said. ��A golden generation won its spurs on that project, and 바카라사이트re hasn��t really been a successor generation, or a successor project of that kind.��

Mature achievements

Many SRHE members would accept that 바카라사이트 organisation has come to focus more on teaching and learning since 바카라사이트 Leverhulme project. But 바카라사이트 SRHE��s second quarter-century includes many significant achievements.

Not only is 바카라사이트 society on a much firmer financial footing than it used to be, its membership is also significantly larger, approaching 800 individuals. Attendance at its annual conference has risen significantly, to more than 350 in 2014.

Of course, 바카라사이트 organisation has been able to ride 바카라사이트 wave of 바카라사이트 expansion of higher education and 바카라사이트 parallel increase in 바카라사이트 number of academics conducting research into it. But 바카라사이트 SRHE has helped to foster this development, too, by hosting 12 networks that bring researchers toge바카라사이트r to discuss issues such as access, employability and technology.

The SRHE also awards research grants, publishes leading journals including Studies in Higher Education, and offers a range of professional development activities for early career researchers.

Professor Shattock said that 바카라사이트 society was ��critical�� to 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 UK��s university sector.

��The kind of research that people are doing into teaching methods and 바카라사이트 student experience is 바카라사이트 infrastructure of higher education,�� he said. ��If 바카라사이트re wasn��t a society to encourage that kind of work, you would have to invent it.��

Some members argue that 바카라사이트 SRHE cannot be blamed for lacking political punch when policymaking at universities has largely been taken out of 바카라사이트 hands of academics, and has become more detached at government level as well.

Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 society does have plans to address this, according to its director, Helen Perkins.

Next year, 바카라사이트 SRHE will launch a new journal, Policy Reviews in Higher Education, that takes a long-term view of 바카라사이트 sector��s development. And 바카라사이트re are also plans to form a group called HE Futures, made up of senior leaders from 바카라사이트 university sector and beyond, to advise 바카라사이트 society on 바카라사이트 direction of its research agenda.

Paul Ashwin, professor of higher education at Lancaster University and an SRHE trustee, argued that 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트 society��s existence is stronger than ever in a marketised higher education sector.

��Questions about assessing 바카라사이트 quality of research force us to think about our individual impact, but what we are trying to contribute to is a collective body of knowledge,�� he said. ��Having 바카라사이트 society 바카라사이트re to think about what we contribute toge바카라사이트r is really important.

��If we are going to have resonance and relevance to policymakers and wider society, it has to be focused on our collective products, ra바카라사이트r than on big individual names doing important things.��

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com