Leigh (and anyone else lucky enough to be distanced from the RAE)

Apologies for the UK-centric presumption of my e.mail.

Briefly, RAE stands for Research Assessment Exercise.  It is a system of assessment of research outcomes of all subject areas of all UK Universities that takes place every five years.  Universities submit in selected subject areas (in 2001 there were 69 of them) on the basis of numbers of research students, research grant income, general 'research culture' of a department, centre or School and individual output -- academics are invited to submit their four best research outcomes (books, articles etc.).  Not all academics are submitted.  Some institutions tend to narrow the submission to only their high fliers; others are more open in their system of inclusion -- a question of quality and quantity balance.

The 'submission' then goes to subject-specific panels who then grade it from 1 (being the lowest) to 5* (being the highest).  This then informs how government money to support research is dished out.  Generally speaking, high scoring institutions or departments get more money, low scoring get little or none.

For some the RAE is useful in helping to define a department's profile and, or course, ensure continued financial support of research.  For others it is a pain in the neck, detracting from time which could be better spent getting on with actually doing research.  It's a thorny issue within academia, a sector which seems to be beset by systems of checking, quality assurance etc. etc..

You can get more info. and the results of the 2001 RAE at www.rae.ac.uk

Hope that helps (and is an accurate representation -- do correct any misrepresentation, readers).

guy julier


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Leigh George [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 22 January 2002 19:16
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: Design History in the RAE
>
> As a graphic design historian working on her PhD in the U.S. interested in
> the comparing the development of design history on this side of the Atlantic
> to that in Britain, I find this line of discussion quite engaging. However,
> I am not familiar with the particular institutional initiatives you discuss.
> For those of us who don't know, could you please explain the REA and the
> UoAs? Thank you in advance.
>
> Best,
>
> Leigh George
>
> Art History Department
> Binghamton University, State University of New York
>
>
> on 1/22/02 3:45 PM, Nicholas Oddy at [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> > Dear Guy,
> >
> > Nothing like the DHS to put the po back in face. Outside of the few places
> > that have the opportunity to specialise in design history as a discrete
> > discipline the subject is mainly an element of practice based design degrees
> > and it seems only logical that it should be represented as such in the RAE
> > returns of those institutions that deliver it as such. Equally, I consider
> > that this is representative of how the subject should represent itself
> > nationally given its place in art and design education and the hybrid nature
> > of design history as a whole. These days one could question the validity of
> > UoA 60 as the natural home of design historians outside of practice based
> > art and design degrees as much design history seems to be veering more
> > towards being a branch of cultural studies than art and architectural
> > history, therefore UoA 65 seems a sensible choice. Whatever the implications
> > to the subject's status I would be interested to know how returns made under
> > UoA 64 were assessed compared to those in UoA 60 and again to UoA 65. Surely
> > they must have been treated differently? Were any comparisons made?
> > Presumably there are members of this list who could tell us, but perhaps
> > they are sworn to secrecy?
> >
> > Nicholas Oddy
> >
> >> Colleagues
> >>
> >> Okay, so we've been told to get serious.  Here's a serious question.>
> >>
> >> Do colleagues have any reflections on the performance of design history as a
> >> discreet academic discipline in the light of the recent Research Assessment
> >> Exercise in the UK?
> >>
> >> A quick scan of the UoA60 History of Art, Architecture and Design results
> >> gives a varied picture of institutions that I know of where design history
> >> research takes place.  Meanwhile, I imagine that many design historians -- as
> >> I was -- were submitted in UoA64 Art and Design and perhaps some in UoA65
> >> Communication, Cultural and Media Studies.  Is this dissipating the subject's
> >> opportunity to represent itself nationally?  Does it matter?  Do other UoAs
> >> provide more comfortable homes for colleagues doing research in design
> >> history?  Do colleagues feel that design history was sufficiently represented
> >> on the UoA60 assessment panel?  Any other thoughts?
> >>
> >> allbest
> >> guy julier
> >>
> >> _________________________________________________________
> >> Professor Guy Julier PhD, MA(RCA)
> >> The Leeds School of Art, Architecture and Design
> >> Leeds Metropolitan University
> >> Leeds LS1 3HE
> >>
> >> tel. + 44 (0)113 283 5990