SCASS
NEWSLETTER 2003/04
No.4
Spring 2004
This newsletter is going to
all Deans of Arts and Social Sciences in the UK: if your faculty is not
a member of SCASS, please contact Dr Jenel Virden (J.Virden@hull.ac.uk)
Contents
ONE VOICE
Campaign against White Paper
Scass Committee
Consultations
Collaborations
Membership
The biggest effort
of 2003 went into compiling and campaigning around the ONE VOICE document:
this is a digest of evidence sent in to the Roberts Committee. If you
did not see a copy it is displayed on the SCASS
website
(www.scass.org.uk) or obtained electronically from (renton@cardiff.ac.uk).
Over 300 copies were distributed in 2003 and requests are still being
received: given extra impetus by the letter published in The Guardian
on October 21st 2003:
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Susan Bassnett (Opinion, Higher, October 14) could have written an informed column if she had read the One Voice document, produced by synthesising the views of 29 arts and social science organisations, which contains their views of the RAE. Instead she presents her, English, prejudices about funding (it is different in the rest of the UK) and her personal guesses about how academics actually view the RAE. Not a good advertisement for research, whether individual or team-based, in the humanities. Sara
Delamont AcSS |
Campaign against White Paper (England)
Campaign against White Paper (England) Scass has been part of the campaign - organized by the RGS - against the research concentration proposed for England. This is a multi-disciplinary campaign - and the basic premise was carried by the Financial Times on August 23rd 2003
Published on October 21st 2003
in The Guardian
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Sir, Your report on the proposed changes to the university research funding system (August 16) claimed that state funding for top-rated departments will be spread wider across the sector. The spread remains, however, relatively limited and research funding concentration is still a priority for the government. More than £21m has been deducted from departments judged to have research of "national excellence in virtually all research activity" in the government's own assessment measures. There has been a 43 per reduction of funding for these departments since 2001-02. the reduction is putting the continued existence of some departments in jeopardy. A quarter of all research-active staff in the UK - 12,000 academics - are working in these departments. While the extra funding for the top-rated departments is welcome, reducing the funding for other outstanding departments is unnecessary and unproductive, and appears to amount to a policy of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
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The current SCASS Committee
is:
Dr.Sara Delamont Cardiff School of Social Sciences (Convenor)
Professor Brad Hooker Philosophy Department, University of Reading
Mr.Alvara Jaspe School of Modern Languages, Magee College Campus,
University of Ulster
Ms.Ann Kettle Department of Mediaeval History, University of St.Andrews
Dr.Phil Leonard Department of English, The Nottingham Trent University
Dr.Frances Mannsåker Pro-vice Chancellor's Office, University
of Lincoln
Dr.Michael Naughton Department of Sociology, University of Bristol
(Treasurer)
Prof.John Simons Humanities and Arts, Edge Hill University College
Prof.Patricia Thane Institute of Historical Research, Senate House,
London
Dr.Jenel Virden American Studies, University of Hull
Dr.Matthew Watson Department of Political Science, University of
Birmingham
As usual SCASS has been busy writing and submitting evidence to enquiries and consultations. 2002/03 saw the first call for evidence to Roberts, and then the response to the draft report, but that was by no means all.
SCASS also put in opinions and evidence to the Funding Council consultation on the management of postgraduate research students, the OST fellowship scheme consultation, the Degree Awarding Powers consultation, and the BA endangered and emerging subjects enquiry.
SCASS continues to work with the Academy of the Learned Societies in the Social Sciences, the Council of Deans in Arts and Humanities (CUDAH), the History in Universities Defence Group (HUDG) and other bodies.
There is a big question here: is the voice of the SCASS disciplines weakened because there are so many learned societies and defence organisations: at least 150? Should one body, akin to Save British Science, be created?
Would such a body have more impact?
Membership
If your Faculty or School is not currently in membership, please join
or rejoin. We are only as strong as our membership base. If your learned
society is not affiliated, please ask the President or Chair to affiliate:
Jenel Virden of American Studies at Hull email J.Virden@hull.ac.uk
can provide an application form:
Can you help SCASS?
Yes: ensure everybody and society you are part of is a paid up member.
Yes: publicise SCASS in your HEI
Yes: Join the Committee
Wales and Scotland
Wales SCASS Cymru (WSC) and Scott SCASS need revitalising: if you are
in Wales and can help please contact Dr Sara Delamont at Delamont@cardiff.ac.uk
If you are in Scotland, please
contact Ann Kettle at St Andrews: email ajk@st-and.ac.uk