UK Data Archive Study Number 3457 Universities' Statistical Record, 1972/73-1993/94 : Postgraduate Records The UniversitiesThe UniversitiesStatisticalStatisticalRecordRecord- an introduction- an mtroduction(File USRfNTRO(File USRINTROwps) "ps) BackgroundBackground The UtuversmesThe UmverslllesStaustci]SlallsucalRecord (USR)Record was(USR)set "asup mset1968,up munder1968,theunder JointtheauapcesJomt auspicesof the of the UmvetWyUmversltyGranta CommmeeGrants CommIttee(UGC) and(UGC)the Comtnttteeand the Comnutteeof Vice-Chancellorsof VIce-Chancellorsand Prtnc@sand Pnnclpals(CVCP) (CVCP) ThM ImuattveThis Imllallvewas promptedwas promptedby the Robbmaby the RobbmsComnutteeComnutteeon H@eron EducatmnHIgher Educallonwhich, mwhiCh,1963,10had1963, had h@hghtedhIghlIghtedthe lack theof adequatelack of adequatestmsttcalslatlsucalmformanonIOformauonalmut higherabouteducauonhigher educallonand w,h]chandstressedwhIch strcssed the ]mpntance,the Imponance,for planmngfor planmngand @wyandmaktng,pohcy malang,of datsmgof deVlsmgarrangementsarrangementsto provideto comprehensweprOVIde comprehensIve statIshcsSlallsllcsfor tie futurefor the ThefutureComnutreeThe Comnuueehad alsohaddrawnalsoparhculardrawn partIcularattenuon atlenllonto the needto thefor needa systemfor a system which couldwhIchproducecouJd producemfortnatlonInformatIOnon the movementon the movementof studentsof studentsand M andinto,staffwttbmIOta,andWIthinout ofandiugherout of Iugher educaboneducation In the utuverauyIn the U1Uversltysector atsectorthat ttme,at thatdataIlme,collechondata collecbonat a nmonalat a nallonallevel revolvedlevel mvolveda series aofsenesamualof annual returns toreturnsthe UGCto the TheseUGC tookThesethetookformtheof formstmstrcalof slallsucaltables wluchlableswerewluchIatonouswere labonousand tlme-and tlme­ con.stmungconsummgfor the umversmesfor the uruverslUesto produce,to produce,and wluchandwerewluchseverelywere severelyhratted aahnutedto theasamountto the ofamountdetad of detall ‘. ) ) and crossandanalyslscross analySISthey couldtheyprovtdecould proVIdeAggregatedAggregatedSmhSttcSstausUcswere compdedwere complIedmamxdlymanuallyfrom thesefrom these returns forreturnsthe UGC’Sfor theownUGC'suse,ownanduse,madeandmoremadeWidelymoreavadableWIdely avaIlableotdy throughonly throughthe pubhcauonsthe pub!Jcattonsof the of the DepartmentDepamnentof Educahonof Educallonand %enceand SCIence(DES) (DES)Delays mDelayslhe preparation10 lhe preparabonof the dataof thefor datapubhcatlonfor pubhcatlon often mean<oftenhowever,meant, however,that the thatmfotmattonthe mformabonwas onlywasof Imtoncdonly of lustoncalinterest andIOterestthereforeand thereforehnuted m!JoutedlLS 10 Its usduhtessusefulness The UGC,ThemUGC,comtdtabonm consuJtaUonwth theWIthDES,theaccordmglDES, accordInglyy cormdercdcOOSlderedhow the howcollechonthe colleenonof stttdentof andstudent and staff Stahshcsstaff stattStlcscould Lxcouldimprovedbe improvedwhdst keepingwhl1st keepmgfornr-filhngform-fillmgto a nummum,to a rmmm!LT!'.,and It wasandproposed!t was proposedthat Lhat a new centrala newrecordcentralsystemrecordLxsystemdevelopedbe developedm a formmsuttablea form swtablefor cmhputerfor computeranalyms analysISThe choiceTheofChOIcethe of the UmversmesUmvemUesCentral CouncdCentral CounCIlon Adnuss]onson AdmISSIOns(fJCCA)(UCCA)as a Iocahonas a locauonfor the newfor therecordnewwasrecorda Ioglcalwas a logIcal one for ssvecalone forreaxmsseveral reasonsIt was a ItImdywascontrolleda body controlledby the untversmesby the U1UversluesUremaelvesthemselvesand m whoseand 10UItegntywhose IOtegmy the umversmesthe umvemlleswould, therefore,would, therefore,have confidence,have confidence,N alreadyIt heldalreadysomeheldof somethe mfonrtimonof the mformauon(collected(collected for ackmsslonafor adrmsslonspurpmespurposeson the UCCAon the apphcattonUCCA apphcallonform) neededform) forneededcompdutgfor complllOgan undergraduatean undergraduate record. record.an~ of and,course,of course,n had theIt hadtechmcdthe teeluucalresourcesresourcesm accommodateto accommodatethe estabhslunentthe estabhsluuentof a of a computerisedcomputensedrecord systemrecord system ‘l%e UCCAThehavingUCCAagreedhaVIngtoagreedundertaketo undertaketlus work-t1usthework.CVCPthesetCVCPup a setfmibdltyup a feaslblhtystudy Withstudythe WIthUGC,the UGC, the DES,thetheDES,Scomshthe ScolUshEducahonEducauonDeparhnentDepamnentand the UCCA,and the and,UCCA,by 1968,and, bywas1968,ablewasto recommendable to recommendto to utuversmesU1UvemUesthat theythatshotddtheyco-opineshouJd co-<>peratem the eatabhsbnrentm the estabhsluuentof the Umversmesof the UmvemuesStatlsttcaJStallsucalRecord onRecord on ) the understatingthe understandIngthat safeguardsthat safeguardswould Lxwouldbudt mtobe bUiltthe IOtaschemethe toschemeprotecttomcbwdualprotect mdlVldualcontldentlalmyconfidentIahty Known forKnownm firstfor twoIts firstyearstwosimplyyearsasSImply“ID” as(atandmg"ID" (standmgfor mdwdualwedfor mdJVlduahseddata) thedata)RecordthebeganRecordwthbegan WIth the collechonthe collectIonof the 1968of theundergraduate1968 undergraduateentrv cohortentrV andcohortgraduallyand graduallye.+mdede,,-pandeduntil mthuntIltheWIth the nrtmductmtmtroductlOnof the Postgraduateof the Postgraduateand StaffandRecordsStaff Recordsm 1970 IDand1970the andmtegratlonthe IntegratIonof the Umverstyof the Umversltyof of London Londonrerurns mrel1lmS1971,m n 1971,contautedIt conlalOeddetads ofdelallsall studetusof all studentsand academdacadenuc-relmdand academlclacadenuc-relatedstaff at staff at those umversmesthose U1Uvemttesm GreatmBntautGreatfundedBnlalObyfundedthe UGCby theplusUGCthe plustwo theunwersmestwo umvemllesm Northernm NorthernIreland Ireland The processingThe processmgof first desttnahonof first desnnattondata whichdata,hadwhichprewouslyhad prevlOuslybeen gatheredbeen gatheredbv unwersltvbv umversltvcareers careers advtsorsadVIsorsfor Uteuforownthetruse,ownwasuse,takenwasovertakenby USRover bym USR1972 10 1972 in 1977 Infollowmtg1977 follOWInga pdot prqecta pIlotbasedprojectonbasedthe 1975-76on the 1975-76acadermcacadenucyear a tifthyear recorda fifthwasrecordset wasup toset up to provtde proVIdecourse-badcourse-basedmfomtahonmformatIonon mlra-muralon e'\.tra-muraland pst-cxpenenceand post-expenenceactrmy maCtIVItyumversmesIn uruverslUesKnown Known as the Contmtungas the ContlOulOgEducahonEducatIOnRecord Record.It comprisedIt compnseda retrmpectwea retrospectIvecount ofcountsbon ofcoursesshon coursesm each 10 each academtc"cadenucyear, andyear,wasanddesignedwas deSIgnedpick up pickthe%upareasthoseof areasaca&nucof acadenucactwWy actIVItynot alreadynot coveredalready coveredby the by the !nchwduahsedIOdJVlduahsedrecords recordsIt also replacedIt also replacedtwo ewstmgtwo eXIstIngdata collectiondata collecllonewrclses"erclses(conducted(conductedby the by the Um\JerslmesUmverslllesCouncd CounCIlfnr AdultforandAdultConmtumgand ConunumgEducattonEducatton(UCACE)(UCACE)and the andDES)theF1mlly,DES) FInally,m 1985,10 1985, USR undenook the collection of university income and expenditure information and student load calculations (fonnerly combined in the UGC's "Fonn 3" return); although initially these records were used principally by the UGC for planning purposes. they became increasingly used by universities themselves as management information and fonned the basis. from 1987 onwards of "University Management Statistics and Perfonnance Indicators". Data collection Whilst some of the personal data on undergraduates was obtained via UCCA from the application form. all other data for new students and staff was provided annually by universities, together with updating information for those already on the records, and leaving information for those tenninating their studies/service. A "snapshot" date of 3 L December was chosen to allow for any changes (eg to choiGe of course) which might take plaGe during the first term, so that the statistics might reasonably be said to represent the academic year, and to ensure as much consistency as possible between universities. The university officer responsible for USR returns was the Registrar/Secretary, a member of whose staff was designated the USR Correspondent in each record area. Thus, typically, USR would have contact in each university with members of staff from Registry/student records, Postgraduate Office, PersonneiiEstabiishrnent Office, Careers Advisory Service, Adnit Education Department, Finance Office and, as computerisation developed in universities, with administrative data processing officers. Full details of the operational procedures for each of the Records is given in the relevant volume of the reference manuals. However, with the exception of the Continning Education Record (where each year's return is complete in itself), they shared many similar characteristics designed to minimise the burden on universities: a "muster" of the students/staff to be updated (an "expected graduates muster" in the case of the First Destination Record); an automatic mxlate process whereby the university needed only to deal with non~sta..'ldard records (eg st".Jdents repeating a year)~ COtnputci validation, including relationship checks between certain fields; error listings pinpointing problems; and feedback in the form of summary tables for universities to check. At litis point, if satisfied with the tables, the correspondent was required to certifY - on behalf of the university - that the figures correctly represented the position at the date in question. Until that cenification was made, no statistics would be released in respect of that university