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SRHE Annual Research Conference 12-14 December 2012
SRHE Newer Researchers Conference 11 December 2012
CALL FOR PAPERS AND CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
What is Higher Education for? Shared and contested ambitions
Celtic Manor, Newport in South Wales, United Kingdom
We are returning once again to the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales by popular request
from previous delegates and from many researchers who have yet to sample this
opportunity and hope to attend this year.
The SRHE extends a very warm invitation to all who wish to participate in one or both
of these conferences by submitting papers for presentation and/or by attending as a
delegate and contributing to the many different discussions and debates within this
vibrant three-day event.
Conference Theme and Call for Papers
The SRHE Annual Conference addresses a theme of special interest through the
contribution of keynote speakers from around the world, and provides a major
platform for the presentation and sharing of research in every aspect of higher
education.
This international conference draws participants from over 40 nations and supports
the sharing of knowledge and experience enriched by national and international
perspectives.
The theme this year focuses on a key question currently being asked about higher
education across the globe: What is Higher Education for?
This question has become rich territory for politicians, economists, financiers and
business enterprises, social commentators, journalists and broadcasters. The voice of
higher education has been muted and at times stifled by the imperative to react to
the demands of economic concerns and, in such a diverse and richly varied
environment, this “voice” can never be a single one. The need to define shared goals
and articulate a vision which responds to the challenges of economic, social and
political ambitions, and embraces intellectual and moral ones, has never been
greater.
The keynote speakers at this year’s SRHE Conference will examine many perspectives
on what Higher Education is for and speakers will explore the ways in which research
into higher education can support and strengthen shared ambitions and illuminate
contested ones, by taking a broad and multi-faceted view of the nature and purpose
of higher education.
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The Society for Research into Higher Education takes seriously its role of providing a
platform for wide-ranging academic discussion and bringing together researchers
from around the world to share and debate knowledge and ideas. Its annual research
conferences offer not just an opportunity for the presentation of current research
work and ideas in a variety of formats but also a highly participative forum in which
researchers with a range of different perspectives and experiences examine and
debate deeper theoretical and scholarly issues.
We will explore these ideas within the conferences, encompassing current debates
regarding policy, globalisation, economic and social challenges, governance,
leadership and management, pedagogic and learning development, quality and space
management, the student experience, e-learning and marketisation and examine
how these might apply to postgraduate as well as undergraduate study.
Call for papers
The information which follows refers only to the SRHE Annual Research Conference.
There will be a separate Call for Papers for the SRHE Newer Researchers Conference
which operates to a different format and later timescale for submissions.
Presentation formats
You are invited to contribute to this debate in a variety of ways: by presenting a
paper, sharing in a symposium based on your own and others’ research or scholarly
work (including work of a conceptual or theoretical nature) or by organising a round
table on any aspect of this year’s theme or your own research interests. Empirical
and scholarly research from a wide range of perspectives is welcome.
Research domains
Papers are invited for presentation under one of five broad research domains.
Submissions must be linked with one of the research domains specified and authors
should choose the domain which fits most closely with the content of the
presentation.
It is recognised that it is not always obvious which domain provides a best fit but
authors are encouraged to submit proposals in the domain in which they would like
their paper to be timetabled. Papers will be timetabled for presentation within these
research domains as far as possible.
Research Domains
• Academic practice ,work, careers and cultures
• Higher education policy
• Learning, teaching and assessment
• Student experience
• Management, leadership, governance and quality
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Research topics
The Conference welcomes submissions on all research topics and the selection of
papers for presentation is based on quality alone. However, the following broad outline
of topics, whilst in no way offered as prescriptive, may provide some useful initial
guidance.
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Policy
Exploring policy developments in:
• The economic profile of universities; the global economic crisis affecting higher
education
• Student fees, broadening of the social bases of universities, trends of
massification, widening participation, diversity and inclusion, system expansion
alongside economic challenges
• International student recruitment, globalization, mobility, global engagement,
competition
• E-Learning, flexible and distance learning, virtual learning and social networking
• Policy developments and assumptions regarding employment, skills, economic
development and social engagement, local, regional and international
communities
• Changes and challenges to the higher education curriculum and the role of
universities in, for example, the Bologna process and Melbourne Model
• Employment-related dimensions of quality assurance; the relationship of higher
education to businesses and employers
• The public and the private and the concept of higher education as a public good
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Learning
Exploring learning, teaching and student experience in:
• Academic and professional identities and roles within a massified, diversified and
globalised higher education sector; teaching, learning and widening participation
developments
• Changing student experiences of higher education and evolving identities of
students
• Pedagogic and learning debates about academic standards, practices and
literacies in the context of increasing numbers of international, older and parttime students; e-Learning, distance and flexible educational trends and
developments
• New learning spaces and facilities, the changing profile of academic disciplines
• Disciplinary developments in quality; the challenge of research assessment
regimes
• Space management and systems, distance education and e-learning.
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Management
Exploring leadership, governance and management development and quality in:
• Government-led and other global and national policy developments: their impact
on governance, leadership and management in higher education
• New public management, new managerialism, professional and academic
identities
• The strategic management of higher education: curriculum, finances, staff and
students, equality, diversity, ethnicity, widening participation and globalization
• Collegiality versus power and control in the academy, competing cultures
• The changing role of the university and its governance and public profile
• The relationship between higher education and employment: the skills debate
• League tables, research, teaching and assessment regimes, quality assurance
systems, benchmarks and processes, student and staff quality monitoring in
higher education
Global contexts
Exploring Policy, Learning and Management topics in national and international
and global contexts.
Author submissions
All submissions are subject to a blind peer review process. Proposals are invited for:
Individual Papers
Each paper accepted for individual presentation will be allocated a minimum of 30
minutes for presentation and discussion.
Discussion Workshops
If the number of abstract submissions is as high as in recent years contributors may
be invited to present their work, along with other contributors, in the format of a
discussion workshop. These workshops will not offer the opportunity for full
individual presentations of papers, but will provide time for discussion of papers
submitted on related themes.
Symposia
These provide the opportunity for presentation of related papers on a single theme;
the minimum number of papers is 4 and a maximum is 6 papers per symposium.
Symposia submissions can be made by one individual and all papers can be submitted
together. Alternatively, a planned symposium can be set up and contributors may
then add their papers individually using the online submission system. Proposals
must state clearly the rationale for the theme, the names of the convenor and/or the
chair of the symposium, a discussant, if appropriate; the names and details of all
participating presenters plus the title of each presentation planned. The symposium
proposal should include an abstract and a paper for each presentation.
Round Tables
These comprise discussions of linked contributions for which there is an overall
chair/discussant and a minimum of three paper presentations for each session. The
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Roundtable format may be especially suitable for ‘work in progress’ submissions,
providing a platform for discussion with other researchers working on related topics.
Proposals for roundtables must make clear what links the presentations and must
include an abstract and a paper for each presentation. The proposal must include the
name(s) of the chair/discussant and all participating presenters.
Timetable for submissions
All proposals must be submitted electronically, via the SRHE website at
www.srhe.ac.uk/conference2012 Authors will find here all the instructions needed
on what is required in making a submission.
The deadline for submission of all proposals for the SRHE Annual Research
Conference is Friday 29 June 2012. This date will enable all decisions on acceptances
to be communicated to authors in good time for presenting authors to register for
the Conference by 30 September 2012.
Registration as a conference delegate by 30 September 2012 allows presenters to
take advantage of the early booking discounts offered and have accommodation at
the Celtic Manor Resort guaranteed and will enable international delegates
especially the opportunity to take advantage of the best travel deals.. Conference
registration will remain open up to the date of the Conference but accommodation
may need to be at adjacent hotels for late bookings.
Call for papers- Format for submissions
To maintain the high quality of papers presented at the conference, and ensure that
the review process has access to a sufficient level of detail on paper proposals to take
an informed view, submitting authors are asked to provide a short paper for peer
review in two parts.
Please note that both parts will be required at the point of first submission, but there
will be no subsequent call for fuller papers for accepted abstracts.
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Part 1 Abstract: a 150 word summary of the proposal which will be printed in
the published conference programme and also made available at conference on
the CD Rom.
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Part 2 Outline: a maximum 1000 word paper (not including references) to be
available at conference on the CD Rom and conference website.
The Society uses a bespoke electronic submission website for Conference and all the
data entered at the point of initial submission flows through to the final programme.
Authors are asked to take care that important information is entered carefully and
correctly (e.g. the title of the paper on which the abstract is based, the name of the
authors and their affiliations as they should appear in the conference proceedings,
the name of the person or persons who will be presenting the work at the
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conference, again with the affiliations as they should appear in the conference
proceedings, email addresses etc).
Submissions must be made under one of the research domains specified and authors
should choose the domain which fits most closely with the content of the
presentation.
Papers will be timetabled for presentation within these research domains.
Research Domains
• Academic practice ,work, careers and cultures
• Higher education policy
• Learning, teaching and assessment
• Student experience
• Management, leadership, governance and quality
Conference Venue
Celtic Manor has gained the reputation of being one of the finest conference and golf
resorts in Europe and is set in 1400 acres of panoramic parkland in the Welsh Usk
Valley. For delegates who wish to extend their stay, the resort offers many other
activities which can be found on their website: http://www.celtic-manor.com
Location: Celtic Manor is only 90 minutes from London Heathrow, 45 minutes from
Bristol and Cardiff-Wales International Airport and 5 minutes from the Severn Bridge
(M4 Motorway). It is located close to inter-city rail services at Newport, with direct
trains to Cardiff, London Paddington, and Birmingham.
Conference programme
The Conference programme will include a varied and diverse range of contributions:
• peer-reviewed paper presentations, symposia, roundtables
• plenary sessions addressing the main Conference theme from a range of
perspectives with input from invited speakers of world renown
• a forum for international delegates to discuss and share research knowledge and
interests
• open discussion workshops exploring current research topics organised and led
by convenors and members of the Society’s special interest Networks
• a linked one-day conference for postgraduate students and newer researchers in
higher education to be held at the same venue on Tuesday 11 December 2012
Conference timetable and events
SRHE Annual Conference is a participative event at which delegates presenting their
own work also participate in the discussions in plenary sessions and the
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presentations of the work of others. The Conference programme is planned on the
basis that delegates will attend the whole event over the three days.
The SRHE Annual Research Conference will begin on the morning of Wednesday 12
December 2012 (11.00 am) and will end after lunch on Friday 14 December 2012
(3.00pm)
The SRHE Newer Researchers’ Conference will begin on the morning of
Tuesday 11 December 2012 and will end with a drinks reception in the early evening.
Networking with colleagues is an integral part of the SRHE Conference and social
events are carefully structured to offer excellent opportunities for participants to
meet and converse in a relaxed atmosphere. This year, there will be a number of
events:
Welcome Drinks Reception on Wednesday 12 December, open to all
participants at the Conference, followed by the chance to take dinner at one of four
restaurants in the resort and arrange to meet with specific colleagues or mingle with
other delegates at tables set aside for conference delegates. For resident delegates
this dinner is included in their conference fees. Non-resident delegates may also take
dinner at the hotel on this evening for an additional fixed charge.
Conference Gala Dinner on Thursday 13 December at the Celtic Manor Resort.
There will be a pre-dinner drinks reception sponsored by Routledge/Taylor and
Francis and the cost of the dinner (£42.00) includes a three-course menu and wine.
The senior overseeing chef at the Hotel is an award winning restaurateur who has
been awarded a Michelin star for his associated restaurant nearby.
Conference Registration
To register for the SRHE Annual Research Conference 2012 and/or the Newer
Researchers Conference please register online via the Conference website at
http://www.srhe.ac.uk/conference2012
Special discounts on delegate fees are available to SRHE members. Early registration
also attracts discounts and guarantees accommodation at the Celtic Manor Resort.
After the early registration deadline date accommodation may need to be at adjacent
hotels.
To obtain the ‘early registration’ discount and have accommodation at the Celtic
Manor guaranteed you must register by 30 September 2012.
SRHE Membership offers a wide range of opportunities and important benefits; our
highly valued SRHE NEWS, published quarterly, which provides a digest of news,
comment and analysis from around the world; free and highly discounted Journal
subscriptions and access to research grants are just some of the many benefits.
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SRHE Membership Non-members of SRHE wishing to take advantage of member
discounts for conference can join the Society at the time of registering, or before at:
http://www.srhe.ac.uk/joinus/individualmembershipbenefits.asp
Delegate Accommodation
Full details of all delegate fees and options can be found on the conference website.
Residential Rates
All delegates choosing the residential package will have single occupancy
accommodation reserved for two nights, 12 and 13 December 2012. This package
includes breakfast, lunch, teas and coffees throughout, the Welcome Reception, and
dinner on the Wednesday evening, the pre dinner evening drinks reception on the
Thursday and attendance at all Conference sessions and plenary events.
Dual occupancy is also offered at a discounted rate and additional nights before and
after the conference can also be booked at special rates.
The Society has secured preferential rates for delegates taking the residential
package and we strongly advise Conference delegates to take this option as it will
represent a substantial saving on overall costs.
Accompanying partners; Delegates who wish to bring partners are welcome to do so
at a reasonable additional cost. Details can be found when booking on-line.
Non-residential Rates
Delegates not taking the residential package and requiring accommodation for the
duration of the Conference will be responsible for making their own accommodation
arrangements at prevailing commercial rates. The non-residential package includes
attendance at all sessions and plenary events, lunches, teas and coffees and the
Welcome Drinks Reception.
Day Delegate Rate
A day delegate rate is available for the middle day of the Conference, Thursday 13
December, only. This rate includes attendance at all sessions and plenary events,
lunch, teas and coffees on this day only.
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Further Information
For all abstract submissions, conference registrations, further information and
updates on the Conference please access the Conference website at
http://www.srhe.ac.uk/conference2012
If you require any further information or assistance, please contact the SRHE
Conference Team:
Email: [email protected]
Conference Director: Helen Perkins Director, SRHE
Conference Organiser: Francois Smit, [email protected]
Society for Research into Higher Education
73 Collier Street, London N1 9BE
Tel +44 (0) 20 7427 2350 Fax +44 (0) 20 7278 1135
http://www.srhe.ac.uk
Registered Charity No: 313850
Company Limited by Guarantee: 868820
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