key agencies and organisations
This list is in alphabetical order.
We make every effort to ensure that all the links in the list below
are current. If you know of any links which should be added to this
list, please let us know: adm@heacademy.ac.uk
AimHigher
Aimhigher
is a national programme aiming to widen participation in higher
education by raising the awareness, aspirations and attainment of young
people from under-represented groups. The programme particularly
focuses on young people from disadvantaged social and economic
backgrounds, some minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities.
www.aimhigher.ac.uk/sites/practitioner/home/index.cfm
AISHE - All Ireland Society for Higher Education
AISHE
is a professional society whose goal is to bring together and support
those people who are concerned to advance higher education in the
island of Ireland.
www.aishe.org/
Association of Colleges (AoC)
The
AoC was established in 1996 to promote the interests of further
education colleges in England and Wales. Their website holds
information, guidance and advice on all aspects of the sector –
including the provision of higher education in further education
colleges.
www.aoc.co.uk
Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE)
The CoVE programme and National Skills Academys (NSAs) are part of
the Learning and Skills Council and aim to improve and develop skills
for employers. These programmes are focused on delivering vocational
skills that meet particular sector and industry needs through the
development and delivery of high quality, specialist training across a
range of sectors.
http://cove.lsc.gov.uk
CHED - Centre for Higher Education Development
Based
at the University of Cape Town. It is a cross-faculty unit that
contributes to continual improvement in the quality of higher education
through widening access, promoting excellence through the research-led
developments.
www.ched.uct.ac.za/
Creative & Cultural Skills
Creative & Cultural
Skills (CCS) is the Sector Skills Council for advertising, crafts,
cultural heritage, design, music, performing, literary and visual arts.
They are an “industry-led, campaigning organisation
operating across the United Kingdom” aiming “to secure world beating
creative enterprise and more diverse cultural industries.” For more information on the work of CCS go to their website at:
www.ccskills.org.uk
Edexcel
Edexcel
provides a range of vocational and academic further and higher
education courses. The edexcel website provides information for
students, staff, colleges, universities and employers involved with
edexcel qualifications.
www.edexcel.org.uk
Eduserv
www.eduserv.org.uk
ESRC/TLRP (Economic and Social Research Council
The
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's leading
research funding and training agency addressing economic and social
concerns. It aims to provide high quality research on issues of
importance to business, the public sector and government
www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/index.aspx
Foundation Degree Forward (fdf)
Foundation
Degree Forward support the development, delivery and quality assurance
of Foundation Degrees in further and higher education colleges. Their
website provides guidance for those developing and supporting
Foundation Degrees in the form of publications, case studies, details
of events and links to other useful sites.
www.fdf.ac.uk
GuildHE
GuildHE is one of the two formal representative bodies for Higher Education in the UK. It is a Company Limited by Guarantee and a Charity. It was founded in 1967 as the Standing Conference of Principals, registered as a company in 1992 and became GuildHE in 2006.
www.guildhe.ac.uk
HERDSA - Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Inc
HERDSA
is Australasia's leading society in the field of higher education and
brings together and informs anybody interested and involved in the
improvement of teaching, learning and policy in higher education.
www.herdsa.org.au/
Higher Education Academy
The
Higher Education Academy was established in 2003 to support learning
and teaching at Higher Education level in Universities and Colleges.
The Academy also advises on policies and practices that impact on the
student learning experience.
www.heacademy.ac.uk
JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee)
JISC is an independent advisory body that works with further and
higher education by providing strategic guidance, advice and
opportunities use to use ICT to support learning, teaching, research
and administration.
www.jisc.ac.uk/
Learning and Skills Council (LSC)
The
Learning and Skills Council is responsible for funding and planning
vocational training in England. The LSC is a non-departmental public body which began work in 2001, taking over the roles of the former Further Education Funding Council and Training and Enterprise Councils.
www.lsc.gov.uk
LFHE - Leadership Foundation for Higher Education
The LFHE (formerly known as HESDA)
provides a dedicated service of support and advice on leadership,
governance and management for all the UK's universities and higher
education colleges.
www.lfhe.ac.uk/
Lifelong Learning Networks
The
Lifelong Learning Networks are an initiative set up support vocational
progression into and through Higher Education. The Networks comprise
partnerships between further and higher education institutions on a
generally regional basis. There is, however, one national network
dedicated to the Arts (NALN).
www.lifelonglearningnetworks.org.uk
Making Practice Based Learning Work
Aims to enhance the quality of student experiences whilst on practice, i.e. work-based placements. A key part is a resource section containing materials that can be used by anyone involved in many aspects of practice based student supervision, including preparation and support.
www.practicebasedlearning.org/home.htm
MOVE - A Lifelong Learning Network for the East of England
MOVE
is an organisation funded by the Higher Education Funding Council of
England (HEFCE) to maximise opportunities for learners in the East of
England to progress to Higher Education through vocational routes. MOVE
works with Universities, Colleges, employers and other organisations
across the region to help provide additional, flexible and vocational
progression and learning opportunities to meet the needs of a wide
range of people who could benefit from Higher Education.
www.move.ac.uk
National Academic Recognition Information Centre for the UK
The
UK NARIC is the National Agency for the Department for Education and
Skills (DfES). It is the only official information provider on the
comparability of international qualifications from over 180 countries
worldwide. The UK NARIC services provide the essential assistance in skills integration and progressions towards employment and further studies in the UK.
www.naric.org.uk/
OCSLD - The Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development
The Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development (OCSLD) is one
of the UK’s largest and most established providers of staff and
educational development for further and higher education. They
currently run up to 200 staff development courses each year, drawing on
a national network of specialist consultants.
www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd
POD – Professional & Organisational Development Network in HE
The
POD Network developes and supports practitioners and leaders in higher
education dedicated to enhancing learning and teaching. While POD members come primarily from the U.S. and Canada, the
membership also represents twenty-three other countries.
www.podnetwork.org/
Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)
The
QAA is an independent body, established in 1997, to “safeguard the
public interest in sound standards of higher education qualifications
and to inform and encourage continuous improvement in the management of
the quality of higher education.”
www.qaa.ac.uk
Reseach Councils links
National and international links found on BULB Link Catalogue of Internet Resources
bubl.ac.uk/link/r/researchcouncils.htm
Sector Skills Development Agency
The Sector Skills
Development Agency (SSDA) is responsible for funding, supporting and
monitoring the network of Sector Skills Councils (SSCs). See below for the 3 SSCs related to art, design, media.
The SSDA is a non-departmental public body with its main base in South
Yorkshire and representatives across the UK. For more information on
the work of SSDA go to their website at:
http://www.ssda.org.uk
SEDA - Staff and Educational Development Association
SEDA is the professional association for staff and educational
developers in the UK, promoting innovation and good practice in higher
education. SEDA is seen by many as the shaper of thought and initiator of action
in staff and educational development, not only in the UK but in the
international domain also.
www.seda.ac.uk/
Skillfast-UK
Skillfast-UK
is the Sector Skills Council for apparel, footwear, textiles and
related businesses. They “exist to help employers compete in a global
market, by ensuring access to a skilled workforce…” For more information on the work of Skillfast-UK go
to their website at:
www.skillfast-uk.org
Skillset
Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for
the Audio Visual Industries (broadcast, film, video, interactive media
and photo imaging). They
aim “to make sure that the UK audio visual industries have the right
people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time,
so that our industries remain competitive.” For more information on the work of Skillset go to
their website at:
www.skillset.org
SRHE - Society for Research into Higher Education
An
independent society which aims to improve the quality of higher
education through the encouragement of debate and publication on issues
of policy, on the organisation and management of higher education
institutions and on the curriculum, teaching and learning methods.
www.srhe.ac.uk/
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
UCAS is the central organisation that processes applications for full-time undergraduate courses at UK universities and colleges.
www.ucas.com
Universities UK
Universities
UK is the representative body for the executive heads of UK
universities and is recognised as the umbrella group for the university
sector. It works to advance the interests of universities and to spread
good practice throughout the higher education sector. Universities UK
is a Company limited by guarantee with charitable status.
www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/
University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC)
UVAC
is a not-for-profit organisation set up by the higher and further
education sector in 1999 to support and champion higher vocational
learning.
www.uvac.ac.uk