Glossary of terms: external governance

Terms and acronyms relating to a sector-wide organisations, agencies and groups.

The University uses sector-specific acronyms and terms in its internal and external communications - here is an alphabetical list of organisations and groups external to the University but related to its work, to help demystify some of those acronyms.

Acronym Name and link Description
Advance HE Advance HE (former Higher Education Academy) Advance HE is a member-led charity of and for the sector that works with partners across the globe to improve higher education for staff, students and society.

Three strategic goals support the priorities of our members and of the higher education sector:
  • Enhance confidence and trust in HE
  • Address systemic inequalities and advance education to meet the evolving needs of students and society
  • Support the work of our members and the HE sector.
AHRC  Arts and Humanities Research Council AHRC funds outstanding original research across the whole range of the arts and humanities.
AOR Aggregate Offshore Record The review of the Aggregate Offshore (AOR) record to ensure that the UK’s Transnational Higher Education (TNE) data is fit for purpose.
AS Athena Swan Charter Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research.
BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BBSRC invests to push back the frontiers of biology and deliver a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future.
CMA  Competition and Markets Authority The Competition and Markets Authority is the principal competition regulator in the United Kingdom. It is a non-ministerial government department in the United Kingdom, responsible for strengthening business competition and preventing and reducing anti-competitive activities.
CUC Committee of University Chairs CUC is the representative body for the Chairs of UK universities and promotes the highest standards of governance across the UK Higher Education sector.
DfE Department for Education The Department for Education is responsible for children’s services and education, including early years, schools, higher and further education policy, apprenticeships and wider skills in England.
DHLE Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (Survey) The survey captures information about the activities and perspectives of graduates three and a half years after they completed their studies.
EAUC Environment Association for Universities and Colleges EAUC is the leading body for sustainability in the post-16 education sector in the UK and Republic of Ireland. 
EPSRC Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council EPSRC creates knowledge in engineering and physical sciences for UK capability to benefit society and the economy.
ESCR Economic and Social Research Council ESRC is the UK’s largest funder of economic, social, behavioural and human data science.
ESFA Education and Skills Funding Agency The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE) responsible for administering funding to deliver education and skills, from early years through to adulthood.  
FHEQ Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications (of Degree-Awarding Bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) The Qualifications Frameworks set out a hierarchy of qualification levels and describes the general achievement expected of holders of the main qualification type at each of the levels.
FQ-EHEA Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area National qualifications frameworks are developed to be compatible with the overarching framework of qualifications of the European Higher Education Area, which was adopted in 2005 and consists of three cycles (e.g. bachelor, master, doctorate).
HE-BCI Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Annual survey sent to HESA used to measure interactions between the HE sector and both business and wider communities
HERA Higher Education and Research Act (2017) An Act to make provision about higher education and research; and to make provision about alternative payments to students in higher or further education.
HESA Higher Education Statistical Agency HESA collect, assure and disseminate data about higher education (HE) in the UK on behalf of their Statutory Customers. As the trusted source of HE data and analysis, HESA play a key role in supporting and enhancing the competitive strength of the sector.
HESES Higher Education Students Early Statistics A collection of aggregated student data which takes place in December of each year and is used as the basis for allocation of teaching funding by the Office for Students
ITT Initial Teacher Training A data collection of individualised student data sent to the Department for Education about all students on teacher training programmes at the institution
NERC Natural Environment Research Council NERC is the driving force of investment in environmental science.
OfS Office for Students The Office for Students is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Education of the United Kingdom Government. It acts as the regulator and competition authority for the higher education sector in England.
OIA Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education  OIA is an independent body set up to review student complaints about higher education providers in England and Wales.
Ofsted Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills Ofsted inspect services providing education and skills for learners of all ages. Ofsted also inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people.
QAA Quality Assurance Agency The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is an independent charity working to benefit students and higher education, and one of the world’s experts in quality assurance. QAA outlines 12 starting-point principles for securing academic standards and assuring and enhancing quality.
QS QS World University Rankings  QS Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is the leading international league table offering unrivalled data, expertise and solutions for the global higher education sector.
RE Research England RE is responsible for funding and engaging with English higher education providers, to create and sustain the conditions for a healthy and dynamic research and knowledge exchange system in the higher education sector.
REC Race Equality Charter  REC aims to help universities and research institutes in their work to improve the representation, progression and success of Black, Asian and minority ethnic people in higher education.
REF Research Excellence Framework The Research Excellence Framework assesses the quality of research in UK Higher Education Institutions. The REF informs the selective annual allocation of funding for the period between exercises (c. 6 years), awarded by the four UK higher education bodies. The assessment provides accountability for public investment in research and produces evidence of the benefits of this research in the form of case studies.
STFC Science and Technology Facilities Council STFC supports fundamental research in astronomy, physics, computational science and space science.
TEF Teaching Excellence Framework The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a national scheme run by the Office for Students (OfS) that aims to encourage higher education providers to improve and deliver excellence in the areas that students care about the most: teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies.
TRAC Transparent Approach to Costing A methodology used as part of an annual data collection on the costs of delivering higher education.
UKRI UK Research and Innovation UKRI invests in research and innovation to enrich lives, drive economic growth, and create jobs and high-quality public services across the UK.
UKVI UK Visa and Immigration A part of the Home Office, UKVI makes decisions about who has the right to visit or stay in the country, and manages the register of sponsors.