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HE-BCI record 2018/19 - General guidance on Table 5: Social, community and cultural engagement: designated public events

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Version 1.0 Produced 2019-07-26

  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.

  2. Impact should be returned in terms of attendees and academic staff time. We realise that it is not generally practical to gauge the ultimate impact of public events, although it seems reasonable to assume that events would be attended only if they were of some value to the attendee. 

  3. Need to have regard to an exchange of knowledge i.e. The following types of events should be excluded from this Table: open days, Student Union activity, simple trading activity and commercially operated conferences. You should have regard to an exchange of university generated knowledge having taken place. The following types of events should be excluded from this table as they do not meet this test: open days, Student Union activity, simple trading activity. Further, activities where the primary purpose is widening participation or student recruitment should not be returned either.

  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

  6. This Sub-head should include public lectures and talks, the content of which involves intellectual input from the HEP. Academic staff time should only be included for the event itself. Time committed to the preparation of the event should not be included.

    7. Sub-head 2b: Performance arts (music, dance, drama, etc.)

  7. 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.

    8. Sub-head 2c: Exhibitions (galleries, museums, etc.)

  8. 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 or the development of exhibition materials. Time committed to the preparation of the event or the materials through formal teaching and supervision of students during core studies should not be included.

    9. Sub-head 2d: Museum education

  9. 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.

    10. Sub-head 2e: Other

  10. 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 details of the nature of these events are listed in the free text cell located beneath Table 5 on the Excel spreadsheet. For example festival events, guided tours, fashion week, non-provider owned museum and gallery exhibitions. In case of a query whether an event should be included please contact the Liaison team at HESA with details (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/liaison).

    11. Example 1:
    Event: Public academic lecture
    HEP contribution: Staff time
    Impact: Attendees
    Return: A simple count of attendees should be returned.

    Example 2:
    Event: Performance and exhibitions
    HEP contribution: Venue, resources and academic staff time
    Impact: Attendees (although students will also benefit from many of these interactions)
    Return: Academic 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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