2008 News
- News Archive
St Mary's Research Acknowledged by GuildHE
"The School of Communication, Culture & Creative Arts entered the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise with 9.5 equivalent FTE staff from the programmes of Applied Linguistics, Drama, English, and Professional and Creative Writing.
The School is very pleased with the results of the exercise that were announced today.
10% of the research submitted by the School was awarded the highest possible accolade of 4*, which is defined as research of ‘quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour’.
A further 10% of the research was awarded 3*, defined as research of ‘quality that is internationally excellent in terms of significance and rigour’. 35% of the research was awarded 2* which is ‘quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour’. 30% of the research was awarded 1* for ‘quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.’
The School submitted all its research under the English Language and Literature Unit of assessment because it was felt that this best represented the nature of the various aspects of creative and scholarly work undertaken by the whole school. The results achieved by the School in this unit of assessment are by far the best results for any of the institutions of a comparable size and history in England."
Professor Brian Robinson Head of Communication, Culture and Creative Arts
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"The newly published Research Assessment results for 2008 have rated 75% of the submissions made by the School of Theology Philosophy and History at St Mary’sUniversity College to be either ‘World Leading’ or of ‘International Standing’.
95% of the works published by over a dozen academics met the exacting standards of the subject panel with the result that St Mary’s is now a sector leader among Church Colleges in Theological research."
Dr Anthony Towey Head of Theology, Philosophy and History
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The GuildHE press release follows:
Professor David Baker, Chair of GuildHE and Principal of University College Plymouth St Mark and St John spoke of his delight at the successes of GuildHE members - “The Research Assessment Exercise has achieved its aim of recognising excellence wherever it may be found. We are proud to see demonstrated that our colleagues specialising in unique niches have been acknowledged for their world class and internationally renowned successes.
It is also important to appreciate the message that high quality research is a part of every academic community and that the applicability and impact of research work is also a necessary factor in its development and its recognition.
On behalf of GuildHE members, I want to thank all the academic colleagues who have - for the past year - read, considered and judged the work of their peers and have taken such care in coming to balanced views based on these new and testing criteria. The research output of the UK secures our global position as a key destination for students worldwide and the staff achieving this success from all the 159 institutions submitting for assessment should be congratulated.”
Alice Hynes GuildHE Chief Executive Officer said “We are especially delighted to see the success of the University of Winchester one of those recent awarded Research Degree Awarding powers. There has been notable world class showing from GuildHE Specialist Institutions such as Norwich University College for the Arts and University for the Creative Arts as well as Dartington College of the Arts now within the University College Falmouth.
There has been world class presence identified in Buckinghamshire New University, St Mary’s University College and York St John University. The land-based institutions of Harper Adams and the Royal Agricultural College also held their own for international presence within the University competition in their field and GuildHE institutions especially have featured in the education research UOA.
Of course this is only the first half of the story as the translation of grading into funding will demonstrate the real institutional impact and potential for successful research bidding in the future. These results do reaffirm a small block of significant research-led institutions but demonstrate the operation of this higher education ecology where excellence can be found within the academic culture of a wide range of providers.”
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St Mary's RAE Results in the Guardian
