Impact: the Story so far

Michael KellyDirector, LLAS

University of Southampton

Impact: the theory

Excellence is not enough

Farewell to the Ivory Tower

Mission

Foster world-class education in our subject areas

Help provide the best possible learning experience for students

Support our stakeholders

Impact: the theory

The Chrestomathic University

Teaching and research should serve social objectives

Universities should produce useful knowledge (Bentham)

Universities are accountable to the state and civil society

Impact: the practice

Research assessment to include significant additional recognition

‘where high quality research has contributed to the economy, society, public policy, culture, the environment, international development or quality of life’

HEFCE ‘REF2014 Impact pilot exercise’ (2010)

Impact: the practice

Embedding a ‘Culture of Impact’

• cultivate a shared understanding of the impacts of arts and humanities research and the importance of being able to demonstrate such impacts.

• communicate the impacts of arts and humanities research to stakeholders in an effective and accessible manner.

• encourage the academic community to realise the cultural, social and economic impact potential of their activities.

AHRC Impact Strategy

Impact: the practice

Evaluating the non-academic impact of social science research

– research leads to the production of different types of knowledge,

– research-based knowledge might have an impact by, for example, • including better informed public policy and decision-making,• improved professional practice and organisational decision-making, • different ways of thinking about the nature of social and economic

problems, • innovative solutions and improved public understanding and more

informed public discourse

ESRC International Symposium, May 2009

The Science news cycle

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1174

Closer to home

Impact on institution

– Student recruitment– Student satisfaction– Research funding– Financial solvency– Ratings– Reputation (local, national, international)

T.I.N.A.

Farewell note

At the same time as renewing itself in this way, the department of {name} - just like all of our other academic units - is expected to be research intensive and to be producing work of an international and world-leading quality.

No downsizing or excision of activity is welcomed by a University. However, at present, {name of department} is financially unsustainable at current levels of staffing and student recruitment.

Nevertheless the University has used this situation to prompt imaginative thinking and what we are proposing offers the possibility of a secure and sustainable future.

Making the non-academic case

Examples of impact on:

– local communities

– wider society:• Politically

• Economically

• Culturally

Research topics guaranteed to be picked up by the news media http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1175

Making the academic case

Examples of impact on:

– student learning – the national and international academic community – individual institutions: e.g.

• language and (inter)cultural expertise

• cultural enrichment

• internationalisation agenda

• exploitation of intellectual property