acronyms
An alphabetical list, most with links to external websites, covering a broad range of organisations for art, design, media and higher education.
This section is no longer being updated (as of January 2012).
AAH Association of Art Historians
ACADI Association of Curators of Art and Design Images
ACE Arts Council of England
ADAM Art, Design, Architecture Media Information Gateway
ADCFTD Association of Degree Courses in Fashion Textile Design
(now known as the Association of Fashion and Textile Courses (FTC) - see below)
ADEPTT Art & Design: Empowerment of Part-Time Tutors
ADM-HEA Art Design Media HE Academy Subject Centre
AEEN Arts Entrepreneurship Educators Network
AGCAS Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Service
AGR Association of Graduate Recruiters
AHDS Arts and Humanities Data Service
AHRC Arts & Humanities Research Council
ALT Association for Learning Technology
AOC Association of Colleges
AOI Association of Illustrators
APHE Association for Photography in Higher Education
ARIAD Allison Research Index for Art & Design
BecTa British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
BERA British Education Research Association
BFI British Film Institute
BIDS Bath Information and Data Services
BUBL BUBL Information Service
BUFVC British Universities Film and Video Council
CAA Computer Aided Assessment
CAA College Arts Association
CADE Computers in Art & Design Education (link to jisc archive page)
CADISE Consortium of Art & Design Institutions
CAI Computer Assisted Instruction
CAL Computer Assisted Learning
CASPAR Computer Assisted Self and Peer Assessment Ratings
C&IT Communications and Information Technology
CBL Computer Based Learning
CBT Computer Based Training
CCSkills Creative and Cultural Skills - Sector Skills Council
CDELL Centre for Developing and Evaluating Lifelong Learning
CEBE Centre for Education in the Built Environment
CEMP Centre for Excellence in Media Practice
CETL Centre for Excellence in Teaching & Learning
CHArt Computers and the History of Art
CHEAD Council for Higher Education in Art & Design
CHERI Centre for Higher Education Research and Information
CHEST Combined Higher Education Software Team
CLA Copyright Licensing Agency
CLIP CETL Creative Learning in Practice Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
CLTAD Centre for Learning & Teaching in Art and Design
COVE Centre of Vocational Excellence
CRA Centre for Recording Achievement
CRAC Careers Research and Advisory Centre
CRUMB Curatorial Resource for Upstart Media Bliss
CSU Careers Services Unit (see HECSU)
CSUP Committee of Scottish University Principals
DACS Design & Artists Copyright Society
DAO Disability Arts Online
DEED Design Education Association
DELNI Department for Employment and Learning
DEMI Design for the Environment Multimedia Implementation
(DEMI is a TLTP funded research project)
DENI Department of Education for Northern Ireland
DfES Department of Education and Skills
DMAG The Digital Media Access Group
DHS Design History Society
DRS Design Research Society
EDINA Edinburgh Data and Information Access
ELIA European League of the Institutes of Arts
ELTHE Evaluation of Learning Technology in Higher Education
ELWA Education and Learning Wales
ESCALATE Education Subject Centre Advancing Learning & Teaching in Education
ESECT Enhancing Student Employability Coordination Team
ESRC Economic & Social Research Council
FACE Forum for Access and Continuing Education
FEDA Further Education Development Agency
(now replaced by the Learning and Skills Development Agency - see below)
FDF Foundation Degree Forward
FEFC Further Education Funding Council
(now replaced by the Learning and Skills Council- see below)
FDTL Fund for the Development of Teaching & Learning
FTC Association of Fashion and Textile Courses
GLAD Group for Learning in Art & Design
GLAADH Globasing Art, Architecture and Design History
HEA The Higher Education Academy
HEAT Higher Education Assistive Technology
HECSU Higher Education Careers Service Unit
HEDG Heads of Educational Development Group
HEDS Higher Education Digitisation Service
HEFCE Higher Education Funding Council for England
HEFCW Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
HEI Higher Education Institution
HE in FE Higher Education in the Further Education sector
HELP CETL Higher Education Learning Partnerships - Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
HEPI Higher Education Policy Institute
HERDSA Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
HERO Higher Education and Research Opportunities in the UK
ICOGRADA International Council of Graphic Design Associations
ILRT Institute for Learning & Research Technology
ISEA The Inter-Society for the Electronic Art
ISSoTL International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
ISTE International Society for Technology in Education
JANET Joint Academic Network
JISC Joint Information Systems Committee
JCALT JISC Committee for Awareness Liaison and Training
JCAS JISC Committee for Authentication and Security
JCEI JISC Committee for Electronic Information
JCIEL JISC Committee for Integrated Environments
JCN JISC Committee for Networking
JDS JISC Distributed Image
JIDI JISC Image Digitisation Initiative
JISC-ASSIST JISC Activities, Services and Special Initiatives Support Team
JWCS JANET Web Caching Service
LFHE Leadership Foundation for Higher Education
LLN Lifelong Learning Network
LTDI Learning Technology Dissemination Initiative
LSC Learning and Skills Council
LSDA Learning and Skills Development Agency
MAU Monitoring and Advisory Unit
MeCCSA Media, Communications & Cultural Studies Association
MIMAS Manchester Information & Associated Services
MLE Managed Learning Environment
NACADA National Academic Advising Association
NACHE National Association of Ceramics in Higher Education
NAFAE National Association for Fine Art Education
NAHEMI National Association for HE in the Moving Image
NAJSDE National Association of Jewellery and Silversmith Design Education
NALN National Arts Learning Network
(now incorporated into ukadia - see below)
NGCE National Graduate Council for Entrepreneurship
NCT National Co-ordination Team
NCWE National Council for Work Experience
NERF National Education Research Forum
NESLI National Electronic Site Licence Initiative
NESTA National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Art
NIACE National Institute of Adult Continuing Education - England and Wales
NISS Network Information Services and Systems
NLN National Learning Network
NSA National Skills Academies
NSEAD National Society for Education in Art & Design
NTFS National Teaching Fellowship Scheme
NWDAF North West Disability Arts Forum
OFFA Office for Fair Access
OLF Open Learning Foundation
OCSLD The Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development
PALATINE Performing Arts Learning and Teaching Innovation Network
PICTIVA Promoting the use of on-line Image Collections in Learning & Teaching in the Visual Arts
POD Professional & Organizational Development Network in HE
QAA Quality Assurance Agency
QCA The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
RAE Research Assessment Exercise
(superseded by REF)
REF Research Excellence Framework
RDN Resource Discovery Network
RIBA Royal Institute of British Architects
RIN Research Information Network
RSN Radio Studies Network
SC Subject Centre
SACWG Student Assessment and Classification Working Group
SCET Scottish Council for Educational Technology
SCRAN Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network
SCRE The Scottish Council for Research in Education
SDT Scottish Disability Team
SEED Scottish Executive Education Department
SSDA Sector Skills Development Agency
SENDA Special Educational Needs Disability Act
SEDA Staff and Educational Development Association
SFC Scottish Funding Council
SLA Service Level Agreement
SMCA Scottish Media and Communication Association
SNAS Supporting New Academic Staff
SRHE Society for Research into Higher Education
SWANDS The South West Academic Network for Disability Support
TASI Technical Advisory Service for Images (now known as JISC Digital Media)
TC Technologies Centre (JISC)
TLRP Teaching and Learning Research Programmes
TLTP Teaching and Learning Technology Programme
TLTSN Teaching and Learning Technology Support Network
TL&A Teaching Learning & Assessment
TQEF Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund
TRAC Transparent Approach to Costing
TRILT Television Radio Index for Learning & Teaching
TSL Technology Supported Learning
UCAS Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
UCET Universities Council for the Education of Teachers
UCFICA Universities Consultative Forum for International Collaborative Activity
UCoSDA Universities and Colleges Staff Development Agency
(replaced by HESDA in 2000)
UCISA Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association
UCU University and College Union
Ufl University for Industry
UKADIA United Kingdom Arts and Design Institutions Association
UKAPE United Kingdom Association for Publishing Education
UKCGE United Kingdom Council for Graduate Education
UKCISA UK Council for International Student Affairs
UKERNA United Kingdom Education & Research Networking Association
UKOLN United Kingdom Office for Library and Information Networking
UKSEC The National Network for Enterprise Educators
UMI Use of Metropolitan Area Networks Initiative
UVAC University Vocational Awards Council
VCAS Video Conferencing Advisory Service
VLE Virtual Learning Environment