Higher Education Acronyms
ACE Adult Continuing Education
ACFHE Association of Colleges of Further & Higher Education
ACU Association of Commonwealth Universities
ADAR Art & Design Admissions Registry
AGCAS Graduate Careers Advisory Services
AGR Association of Graduate Recruiters
AGWP Advisory Group on Widening Participation
AHPF Allied Heath Professionals Federation
AHRB Arts and Humanities Research Board
AHUA Association of Heads of University Administration
AISA Association of International Student Advisers
AMOSSHE Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education
AOC Association of Colleges
API Age Participation Index
ARC Academic Registrars Council
AP(E)L Accreditation of Prior (Experience/Experiential) Learning
ASRA Association for Student Residential Accommodation
AUA Association of University Administrators
AUACPF Association of University Administrators, Corporate Planning Forum
AUAEOSG Association of University Administrators, Equal Opportunities Steering Group
AUA S/NVQ Association of University Administrators SNVQ, National Support and Focus Group
AUCC Association for University and College Counselling
AUCSO Association of University Chief Security Officers
AUCF Average Unit of Council Funding
AUCL Association of University & College Lecturers
AUDE Association of University Directors of Estates
AUPO Association of University Purchasing Officers
AURIL Association for University Research and Industrial Links
AUT Association of University Teachers
BA British Academy
BA/BSc Bachelor of Arts/Science
BAAS British Association for the Advancement of Science
BAS British Association of Social Workers
BC British Council
BDA British Dental Association
BECTA British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
BMA British Medical Association
BTEC Business & Technician Education Council
BUAC British Universities Accommodation Consortium
BUFDG British Universities Finance Directors Group
BUFORG British Universities Finance Officers Research Group
BUFVC British Universities Film and Video Council
BUILA British Universities International Liaison Association
BUTEX British Universities Transatlantic Exchange Association
C of C Consortium of Care for International Students
C of UC Committee of University Chairs
CAD/CAM Computer Aided Design/Manufacture
CASE Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (Europe)
CAT Credit Accumulation & Transfer
CATE Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education
CATS Credit Accumulation & Transfer Scheme
CCAC Council of Church & Associated Colleges
CCETSW Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work
CE Continuing Education
CEC Commission of the European Communities
CHEAD Conference for Higher Education in Art and Design
CHEIA Council of Higher Education Internal Auditors
CICHE Committee for International Co-operation in Higher Education
COSHEP Committee of Scottish Higher Education Principals
CPD Continuing Professional Development
CPSM Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine
CSU Higher Education Careers Services Unit
CUBO Conference of University Business Officers
CUCO Commission on University Career Opportunity
CVCP Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals
CVE Continuing Vocational Education
CVU Council for Validating Universities
DENI Department of Education for Northern Ireland
DevR Development Research
DETR Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
DfES Department for Education and Skills
DHFETE Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment (for Northern Ireland)
DSA Disabled Student Allowance
EAUC Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges
ECCTIS Education Counselling & Credit Transfer Information Service
ECTS European Credit Transfer System
EEA European Economic Area
EFL English as a Foreign Language
ENB English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
EQUALL Equal Opportunities, Access and Lifelong Learning
EOHEN Equal Opportunities in HE Network
ERASMUS European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students
ESF European Social Fund
ESRC Economic and Social Research Council
ETAP Effective Teaching and Assessment Programme
EU European Union
EUPRIO Association of European Universities Public Relations and Information Officers
FAST Forum for Access Studies
FE Further Education
FEC Further Education College
FEDA Further Education Development Agency
FHEA Further and Higher Education Act 1992
FTE Full-time Equivalent
GDC General Dental Council
GLUM Group for Liaison on University Medicine
GMC General Medical Council
GNVQ General National Vocational Qualification
GSCC General Social Care Council
GTC General Teaching Council
H&CPEF Health and Care Professions Education Forum
HE Higher Education
HECS Higher Education Contribution Scheme
HEERA Higher Education External Relations Association
HEFC Higher Education Funding Councils
HEFCE Higher Education Funding Council for England
HEFCW Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
HEI Higher Education Institution
HEIST Higher Education Information Services Trust
HELQA Higher Education Liaison Officers Association
HESA Higher Education Statistics Agency
HETM Higher Education Technical Managers
HEURO Association of UK Higher Education European Officers
HNC/HND Higher National Certificate / Diploma
HPC Health Professions Council
ICSA Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
IiP Investors in People
ILAs Individual Learning Accounts
ILT Institute of Learning and Teaching
INSET In-Service Education of Teachers
ITT Initial Teacher Training
IUCC Inter-University Committee on Computing
JANET Joint Academic Network
JISC Joint Information Systems Committee
JMAC Joint Medical Advisory Committee
LA Library Association
LAN Local Area Network
LEA Local Education Authority
LGPS Local Government Pension Scheme
LLL Life Long Learning
LTSN Learning and Teaching Support Network
MAC Management and Administrative Computing (Initiative)
MAN Metropolitan Area Network
MaSN Maximum Student Number
MBA Master of Business Administration
MCI Management Charter Initiative
MIS Management Information Systems
MRC Medical Research Council
MSF Manufacturing Science Finance
NATFHE National Association of Teachers in Further & Higher Education
NCVQ National Council for Vocational Qualifications
NESTA National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts
NICHE National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (Dearing Committee)
NERC Natural Environment Research Council
NFER National Foundation for Educational Research
NHS National Health Service
NHSC National Health Service Confederation
NHSE National Health Service Executive
NIACE National Institute for Adult Continuing Education
NIHEC Northern Ireland Higher Education Committee
NINB Northern Irish Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
NISS National Information Services and Systems
NISW National Institute for Social Work
NMC Nursing and Midwifery Council
NUS National Union of Students
NVQ National Vocational Qualifications
ODA Overseas Development Administration
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OFSTED Office for Standards in Education
OLF Open Learning Foundation
OFSET Office for Standards in Education & Training
ORSAS Overseas Studentships Awards Scheme
OU Open University
PFI Private Finance Initiative
PGCE Postgraduate Certificate in Education
PGR Postgraduate Research
PGT Postgraduate Taught
PI Performance Indicator
PICKUP Professional, Industrial & Commercial Up-Dating Programme
PISG Performance Indicators Steering Group
PMPA Public Management and Policy Association
QAAHE Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
QCA Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
RAC Regional Advisory Committees
RAE Research Assessment Exercise
RAGNET Research Administrators Group Network
RCN (I) Royal College of Nursing Institute
RDA Regional Development Agency
REDG Regional Educational Development Group (NHS)
RGO Regional Government Offices
RHA Regional Health Authority
RSA Royal Society of Arts
SAM Subjects Allied to Medicine
SCONUL Standing Conference of National University Libraries
SCOP Standing Conference of Principals
SCOPFOG Standard Conference of Principals and Finance Officers Group
SCOPVEG Scottish Vocational Education Council
SCUIO Standing Conference of University Information Officers
SEDA Staff & Educational Development Association
SFC Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education
SHEFC Scottish Higher Education Funding Council
SHHD Scottish Home & Health Department
SI Statistical Indicator
SKILL National Bureau for Students with Disabilities
SLA Service Level Agreement
SLC Student Loans Company
SNB Scottish National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
SOED Scottish Office Education Department
SRHE Society for Research into Higher Education
SROC Student Records Officers Conference
SuperJANET Super Joint Academic Network
TCA Tertiary College Association
TEC Training & Enterprise Council
TEMPUS Trans-European Mobility Scheme for University Studies
THES The Times Higher Education Supplement
THETO The Higher Education Training Organisation
TQM Total Quality Management
TTA Teacher Training Agency
TUCO The University Caterers Organisation
UACE Universities Association for Continuing Education
UCAS Universities & Colleges Admissions Service
UCEA Universities and Colleges Employers Association
UCELNET Universities and Colleges Education Law Network
UCET University Council for the Education of Teachers
UCISA Universities & Colleges Information Systems Association
UCoSDA Universities' and Colleges' Staff Development Agency
UDACE Unit for the Development of Adult Continuing Education
UfI University for Industry
UKCC United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
UKCGE UK Council for Graduate Education
UKCOSA UK Council for Overseas Student Affairs
UKERNA UK Education Networking Association
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UNISON The Public Services Union
UPA Universities Personnel Association
USA Universities Safety Association
USS University Superannuation Scheme
VFM Value for Money
VLL Vocational Lifelong Learning
WAB Wales Advisory Board for Local Authority Higher Education
WAN Wide Area Network
WHERE Women in Higher Education Register
WNB Welsh National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
WOED Welsh Office Education Department
WTO World Trade Organisation
WUS World University Service
Associations outside the UK
AACRAO American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
AAUA American Association of University Administrators
APPA Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers (USA)
ANUPA Association of Nigerian University Personnel
ATEM Association for Tertiary Education Management (Australasia)
CASE Council for the support and Advancement of Education
CAUBO Canadian Association of University Business Officers
IAU International Association of Universities
IMUA International Meeting of University Administrators
NAUA Nordic Association of University Administrators