Abbreviations / Acronyms
Organisations and terms which have been replaced, changed name, or cease to exist are marked with an asterisk *. They are included because they may continue to be referred to.
A
| ACE | Adult Continuing Education |
| ACE | Arts Council England |
| ACU | Association of Commonwealth Universities |
| AGCAS | Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services |
| AGR | Association of Graduate Recruiters |
| AHRC | Arts and Humanities Research Council |
| AHUA | Association of Heads of University Administration |
| AIRs* | accelerated & intensive routes (to Higher Education) - completed HEFCE-funded initiative |
| ALF | Access to Learning Fund |
| ALI | Adult Learning Inspectorate |
| AMOSSHE | Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education |
| AMRC | Association of Medical Research Charities |
| AMS | annual monitoring statement |
| AOC | Association of Colleges |
| API | Age Participation Index |
| APL | accreditation of prior learning |
| ASNs | additional student numbers |
| AUA | Association of University Administrators |
| AUCF* | average unit of Council funding |
| AUDE | Association of University Directors of Estates |
| AURIL | Association for University Research & Industry Links |
| AUT* | Association of University Teachers (now UCU) |
| AY | academic year |
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B
| BA | British Academy |
| BA/BSc | Bachelor of Arts/Science |
| BAAS | British Association for the Advancement of Science |
| BBSRC | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council |
| BIS | Department for Business, Innovation and Skills |
| BMA | British Medical Association |
| BME | black and minority ethnic |
| BPE | Beacon for Public Engagement |
| BTEC | Business & Technology Education Council |
| BUFDG | British Universities Finance Directors Group |
| BUFVC | British Universities Film & Video Council |
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C
| CABE | Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment |
| CAFAS | Council for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards |
| CATE | Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education |
| CATS | credit accumulation & transfer scheme |
| CETL | Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning |
| CFEE | co-funded employer engagement |
| CHEAD | Council for Higher Education in Art & Design |
| CHEIA | Council of Higher Education Internal Auditors |
| CHEMS | Commonwealth Higher Education Management Service |
| CHERI | Centre for Higher Education Research and Information |
| CIF | Capital Investment Framework |
| CIHE | Council for Industry and Higher Education |
| CKE | Centre for Knowledge Exchange |
| CNAA* | Council for National Academic Awards |
| COI | Central Office of Information |
| CPD | continuing professional development |
| CRE | Commission for Racial Equality |
| CUBO | Conference of University Business Officers |
| CUC | Committee of University Chairs |
| CURL | Consortium of Research Libraries |
| CVCP* | Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals (now Universities UK) |
| CVU | Council of Validating Universities |
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D
| DAPs | degree-awarding powers |
| DBERR* | Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (now BIS) |
| DCMS | Department of Culture, Media and Sport |
| DDA | Disability Discrimination Act |
| DEFRA | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
| DEL | Department for Employment and Learning (in Northern Ireland) |
| DELLS | Department for Education and Lifelong Learning and Skills (in Wales) |
| DENI* | Department of Education (for) Northern Ireland (now DEL) |
| DfES* | Department for Education and Skills (now BIS) |
| DH | Department of Health |
| DIUS* | Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (now BIS) |
| DLHE | Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education |
| DRC | Disability Rights Commission |
| DSA | Disabled Students' Allowance |
| DTI* | Department of Trade & Industry (now BIS) |
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E
| EAUC | Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges |
| EAZ* | Education Action Zone |
| EC | European Community |
| ECU | Equality Challenge Unit |
| EEA | European Economic Area (all EU member states plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) |
| EiC* | Excellence in Cities |
| ELQ | Equivalent or lower qualification |
| ELWa* | Education and Learning Wales (now part of the Welsh Assembly Government) |
| EP* | Electronic publication |
| EPSRC | Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council |
| EQUALL | Equal Opportunities, Access and Lifelong Learning (a HEFCE committee) |
| ERDF | European Regional Development Fund |
| ESECT* | Enhancing Student Employability Co-ordination Team |
| ESF | European Social Fund |
| ESRC | Economic & Social Research Council |
| EU | European Union |
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F
| FACE | Forum for Access and Continuing Education |
| FAQ | frequently asked questions |
| FD | foundation degree |
| FDF* | Foundation Degree Forward |
| FDGMP* | Fund for the Development of Good Management Practice |
| FDS* | First Destination Survey (now the DLHE) |
| FDTL | Fund for the Development of Teaching & Learning |
| FE | further education |
| FEC | further education college |
| FEESS | Further Education Early Student Statistics |
| FEFC* | Further Education Funding Council (now the Skills Funding Agency and the Young People's Learning Agency) |
| FEFCW* | Further Education Funding Council for Wales (now part of the Welsh Assembly Government) |
| FOI | Freedom of Information Act |
| FPE | full-person equivalent |
| FTE | full-time equivalent |
| FY | financial year |
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G
| GCSE | General Certificate of Secondary Education |
| GDP | gross domestic product |
| GMP | good management practice |
| GR | generic research |
| GTP | Graduate Teacher Programme |
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H
| HE | higher education |
| HEACF* | Higher Education Active Community Fund (now funded via our Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund) |
| HE-BCI | higher education-business and community interaction (survey) |
| HE-BI* | higher education-business interaction (now HE-BCI) |
| HEEON | Higher Education Equal Opportunities Network |
| HEEPI | Higher Education Environmental Performance Improvement |
| HEERA | Higher Education External Relations Association |
| HEFCE | Higher Education Funding Council for England |
| HEFCW | Higher Education Funding Council for Wales |
| HEI | higher education institution |
| HEIF | Higher Education Innovation Fund |
| HEIFES | Higher Education in Further Education: Student Survey |
| HEPI | Higher Education Policy Institute |
| HEPS | Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability |
| HEQC* | Higher Education Quality Council |
| HEROBC* | Higher Education Reach-out to Business and the Community Fund |
| HERRG | Higher Education Regulation Review Group |
| HESA | Higher Education Statistics Agency |
| HESDA* | Higher Education Staff Development Agency |
| HESES | Higher Education Students Early Statistics |
| HEW | Higher Education Wales |
| HLSP | Higher Level Skills Pathfinders |
| HMSO | Her Majesty's Stationery Office |
| HNC | Higher National Certificate |
| HND | Higher National Diploma |
| HR | human resources |
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I
| ICT | information and communication technologies |
| IIP | Investors in People |
| ILR | individualised learner record |
| ILT* | Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education |
| INSET | In-Service Education and Training |
| IP | intellectual property |
| IQER | Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review |
| IRC | Inter-disciplinary Research Centre |
| ISR | individualised student record |
| IT | information technology |
| ITT | Initial Teacher Training |
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J
| JACCC* | Joint Advisory Committee for Church Colleges (now the JACCUC) |
| JACCUC | Joint Advisory Committee for Church Universities and Colleges |
| JACS | Joint Academic Coding System |
| JCPSG* | Joint Costing and Pricing Steering Group |
| JIF* | Joint Infrastructure Fund |
| JISC | Joint Information Systems Committee (of the UK higher education funding bodies) |
| JMAC* | Joint Medical Advisory Committee (now UK Healthcare Education Advisory Committee) |
| JPPSG* | Joint Procurement Policy and Strategy Group |
| JREI* | Joint Research Equipment Initiative |
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K
| KIS | Key Information Set |
| KPT | key performance target (refers to HEFCE corporate plan) |
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L
| LAD | Learning Aim Database |
| LEA | Local Education Authority - The County council, Metropolitan District or London Borough with responsibility for education |
| LFHE | Leadership Foundation for Higher Education |
| LGM | leadership, governance and management |
| LLN | Lifelong Learning Network |
| LSC* | Learning and Skills Council |
| LTSN* | Learning and Teaching Support Network |
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M
| MA/MSc | Master of Arts/Science |
| MaSN* | maximum student number |
| MRC | Medical Research Council |
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N
| NAB | National Advisory Board |
| NAO | National Audit Office |
| NARIC | National Academic Recognition Information Centre |
| NATFHE* | National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (now UCU) |
| NCIHE* | National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education |
| NCT | national co-ordination team |
| NDPB | non-departmental public body (otherwise known as 'quangos') |
| NDT* | National Disability Team |
| NERC | Natural Environment Research Council |
| NESTA | National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts |
| NFER | National Foundation for Educational Research |
| NIACE | National Institute of Adult Continuing Education |
| NIHEC | Northern Ireland Higher Education Council |
| NSS | National Student Survey |
| NTI | New Technology Institute |
| NUS | National Union of Students |
| NVQ | National Vocational Qualification |
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O
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
| OFFA | Office for Fair Access |
| OFSTED | Office for Standards in Education |
| OGC | Office of Government Commerce |
| ONS | Office for National Statistics |
| ORSAS | Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme |
| OSI* | Office of Science and Innovation (now part of BIS) |
| OST* | Office of Science and Technology (became Office of Science and Innovation) |
| OTTP | Overseas Trained Teacher Programme |
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P
| PAC | Public Accounts Committee |
| P4P* | Partnerships for Progression (joint initiative between the HEFCE and the then LSC) |
| PCFC* | Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council |
| PFI | Private Finance Initiative |
| PGCE | Postgraduate Certificate in Education or Professional Graduate Certificate in Education |
| PGR | Postgraduate Research |
| PGT | Postgraduate Taught |
| PHARE | Poland and Hungary Assistance for Economic Restructuring |
| PhD | Doctor of Philosophy |
| PI | performance indicator |
| PPARC* | Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council |
| PPP | public/private partnership |
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Q
| QAA | Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education |
| QCA* | Qualifications and Curriculum Authority |
| QR | quality-related research (funding) |
| QTS | qualified teacher status |
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R
| R&D | research and development |
| RAE | Research Assessment Exercise |
| RAS | Research Activity Survey |
| REF | Research Excellence Framework |
| REFI | Review of exceptional funding for institutions |
| RDA | Regional Development Agency |
| RIN | Research Information Network |
| RLN* | Research Libraries Network |
| RRAA | Race Relations (Amendment) Act |
| RSLG* | Research Support Libraries Group |
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S
| SCONUL | Society of College, National and University Libraries |
| SCOP* | Standing Conference of Principals (now GuildHE) |
| SDF | Strategic Development Fund |
| SENDA | Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 |
| SFC | Scottish Funding Council |
| SFEFC* | Scottish Further Education Funding Councill (now SFC) |
| SHEFC* | Scottish Higher Education Funding Councill (now SFC) |
| SIS | strategically important subjects |
| SIVS | strategically important and vulnerable subjects |
| SLC | Student Loans Company |
| SME | small to medium-sized enterprise |
| SORP | Statement of Recommended (Accounting) Practice (accounting in HE institutions) |
| SPA | Supporting Professionalism in Admissions |
| SRHE | Society for Research into Higher Education |
| SRIF | Science Research Investment Fund |
| STEM | science, technology, engineering and mathematics |
| SWOUT | sandwich year-out student |
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T
| TDA | Training and Development Agency for Schools |
| TDAPs | Taught degree-awarding powers |
| TESS | teaching enhancement and student success |
| TLTP* | Teaching and Learning Technology Programme |
| TQA | Teaching Quality Assessment |
| TQEF | Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund |
| TQI* | Teaching Quality Information (now public information about higher education) |
| TRAC | Transparent Approach to Costing |
| TRAC(T) | TRAC for teaching (a national framework for costing teaching, based on TRAC principles) |
| TTA* | Teacher Training Agency (now the TDA) |
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U
| UACE* | Universities Association for Continuing Education |
| UALL | Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (formerly UACE) |
| UCEA | Universities and Colleges Employers Association |
| UCET | Universities Council for the Education of Teachers |
| UFC* | Universities Funding Council (formerly University Grants Committee) |
| Ufi | University for Industry |
| UGC* | University Grants Committee |
| UKADIA | UK Arts & Design Institutions Association |
| UKCISA | UK Council for International Student Affairs |
| UKCOSA* | United Kingdom Council for Overseas Student Affairs (now UKCISA) |
| UKERNA* | United Kingdom Education & Research Networking Association (now JANET(UK)) |
| UKRO | UK Research Office |
| UOA | unit of assessment (in Research Assessment Exercise) |
| UUK | Universities UK (formerly the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals) |
| UVAC | University Vocational Awards Council |
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V
| VC | vice-chancellor |
| VFM | value for money |
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W
| WP | widening participation |
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Last updated 28 October 2011