Comments on: REF dry run

By: Peter Cameron

Peter Cameron — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:16:31 +0000

It turns out that at least some of my predictions here were spot on!

By: Yiftach

Yiftach — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:29:02 +0000

We can refuse to sit in the REF panel as a group. We can ask non-UK mathematicians not to sit in the panel. We can talk to other academic organizations to do the same. We can ask mathematicians that have access to the media to explain our point. The goverment will have serious difficulties explaining why they insist on criterions that the professionals say that they are bad criterions.

By: Peter Cameron

Peter Cameron — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:20:58 +0000

It is very difficult to see what we can do. A petition against impact last year got tens of thousands of signatures, and the only effect was that 25% was reduced to 20%.

By: Yiftach

Yiftach — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:09:47 +0000

Peter every time you write about your administrators I find myself torn between being happy that things in my university are a bit better and worrying that this is the future. The only way we can fight these things is by uniting. As the union is very weak and unpopular in this country the only way I can see to unite is through our professional organizations, like the LMS.

If the LMS and other professional organizations would have recommended their members not to take part in the REF panels until the REF is reformed, e.g. impact is cancelled, then we would have had a chance. Making a big noise could have an impact (no pun meant), see what is going on with the NHS reform. Similarly, it would have been nice if the LMS would have given accreditation to degrees like other professions. That way watering down the standards would have been more difficult.