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HE-BCI record 2015/16 - General guidance on Table 5: Social, community and cultural engagement: designated public events

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HE-BCI record 2015/16 - General guidance on Table 5: Social, community and cultural engagement: designated public events

Version 1.0 Produced 2016-01-28

  1. Table 5 should include analysis of social, community and cultural events intended for the external community. It is designed to measure the impact of activities where financial income is an inappropriate proxy for impact. Knowledge/facility related events, and in particular events designed to raise awareness of diversity should be recorded in this Table.
  2. Impact should be returned in terms of attendees and academic staff time.
  3. The following types of events should be excluded from this Table: open days, Student Union activity, simple trading activity and commercially operated conferences.
  4. Staff time should be calculated using the assumption that one day is equal to eight hours.
  5. Activities included in this Table do not have to have been funded by the higher education provider (HEP). Events held in both the UK and overseas should be included.
  6. Sub-head 2a: Public lectures

  7. It is recognised that it is not practical to collect FTE attendees or to attempt to gauge the indirect impact of such public events, although it seems unreasonable to suggest such events would be attended if they were not valuable. The use of academic staff time as a proxy for impact is not relevant in the context of public non-academic public lectures. Where no such staff time has been invested, the event may still be applicable to be recorded in Table 2, under Head 2b.
  8. Sub-head 2b: Performance arts (music, dance, drama, etc.)

  9. This Sub-head should include performances of music, dance, and the dramatic arts. Academic staff time should only be included for the event itself. Time committed to the preparation of the event through formal teaching and supervision of students during core studies should not be included.
  10. Sub-head 2c: Exhibitions (galleries, museums, etc.)

  11. This Sub-head should include permanent and temporary exhibitions held at museums and galleries owned by the reporting HEP. Academic staff time should only be included for the event itself. Time committed to the preparation of the event through formal teaching and supervision of students during core studies should not be included.
  12. Sub-head 2d: Museum education

  13. This Sub-head should include all forms of museum education held at museums and galleries owned by the reporting HEP, including lectures, workshops and children's clubs. Academic staff time should only be included for the event itself. Time committed to the preparation of the event through formal teaching and supervision of students during core studies should not be included.
  14. Sub-head 2e: Other

  15. Where the HEP holds alternative public events which cannot be categorised under Sub-heads a - d, it is requested that these events are returned under ‘Other’ and that that details of the nature of these events are listed in the free text cell located beneath Table 5 on the Excel spreadsheet. For further guidance on the nature of events that should be included please contact the Institutional Liaison team at HESA with details (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/liaison).
  16. Example 1:
    Event: Public academic lecture
    HEP contribution: Staff time
    Impact: Attendees
    Return: It is not practical to collect FTE attendees or to attempt to gauge the indirect impact of such public events, although it seems unreasonable to suggest such events would be attended if they were not valuable.

    Example 2:
    Event: Public lecture
    HEP contribution: Venue (and resources)
    Impact: Attendees
    Return: If no staff time has been invested decide whether the event should be returned in Table 2 Head 2b.

    Example 3:
    Event: Performance and exhibitions
    HEP contribution: Venue, resources and staff time
    Impact: Attendees (although students will also benefit from many of these interactions)
    Return: Staff time should only be included for the event itself, not the time committed to the preparation of the event through supervising students during core studies.


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