History UK (HE)

Michael Hicks attended last Saturday’s plenary session of this organisation, formerly the History at the University Defence Group (HUDG), at London University’s Senate House. History UK (HE) represents Heads of History Departments and lobbies for academic History alongside the Royal Historical Society and the Historical Association. This last year has been taken up with A Level reform and mitigating the governments open access research policy. The Research Excellence Framework 2014 is now past and the next one, REF 2020, is the next challenge. After the business meeting, there were presentations from the civil servant responsible for the National Student Survey and KIS data and from staff at University College London and Lincoln University using social media in teaching. Inevitably, perhaps, they needed more staff and more money, but doubtless some of the ideas will filter into Winchester’s own innovative courses.