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The Society for Research into Higher Education

Monthly Archives: January 2014

Vicky Gunn


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The bright new world of academic careers?

Vicky Gunn

Scotland’s universities, like many in the rest of Europe, are busy trying to navigate the emergent waves relating to academic careers. New contractual systems are coming in like a Spring Tide, washing away previous obligations and replacing them with new ones, in some cases loosely and in others profoundly, tied to performance.  This performance is not just in a general category (eg research or teaching or service) but across several categories (publications, grant income, teaching excellence, leadership, management, administration, esteem, knowledge exchange and impact.) 

Additionally, early career high fliers are being promised reductions Continue reading →

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Reputation in Ashes

Rob Cuthbert – Editor, SRHE News

This editorial is in affectionate memory of policy
making for English higher education, whose
demise is deeply lamented.

The signs of decline had been evident in the recent series of policy decisions, especially the ‘Not-the-Higher-Education-Bill’ series in 2011-2013. England had claimed a dubious victory in the infamous ‘White Paper Test’ by simply telling everyone how marvellous the result would be, without actually playing the game. In the legislative series after the White Paper Test, matches were repeatedly scheduled then cancelled with nothing more to show than the odd shred of policy, until England captain Alastair Willetts finally announced that the series had been won and it would not be necessary for his team to take to the legislative wicket at all. Nevertheless he was repeatedly caught in slips without scoring… Continue reading →