AEC U-Multirank Working Plan (2014-2017)
AEC and its members now face an important decision: should we go forward, engage with U-Multirank and potentially be the first arts-based discipline to develop field-based indicators, or should we turn away from engagement and hope that ranking, whatever its position in higher education more generally, never fully encroaches upon our territory?
AEC Council’s response to this dilemma is to recommend a cautious engagement and a phased approach, including carefully placed opportunities for review and, if necessary, withdrawal. There are three phases overall: the initial phased was extended to November 2015, a further development is currently taking place until November 2016 and a final phase in 2017, would each be dependent upon approval by the GA. If completed, the whole process would lead to the publication of field-based indicators for music in 2017/18:
Phase 1: November 2014 – November 2015 – Completed
- Creation of a AEC Multirank Working Group in order to identify the existing indicators that could work for music, indicators which would require some change and indicators which would require complete change
- Development of a draft proposal of potential indicators that could be used in the field of higher music education
- Presentation of the first proposal of the potential U-Multirank indicators for higher music education during the AEC Annual Congress in Glasgow in November 2015
AEC members approved the progression to Phase 2 in the General Assembly 2015
Phase 2: November 2015-November 2016
- Continuation of activity of Working Group, proposing and refining indicators and titles for dimensions and commencing an internal ‘pilot’ exercise with up to 10 AEC institutions
- Results of this Pilot incorporated into a small ‘demo’ version of how a field-based ranking for Music might work within in U-Multirank
- Feedback on this at the 2016 Congress, leading to possible inclusion of Music as a new Field within the U-Multirank system in 2017
AEC members vote on whether to proceed to Phase 3 in the General Assembly 2016
Phase 3: November 2016- June 2017
- Using indicators and dimension titles that have been developed, collection of data from as many AEC institutions as wish to participate in U-Multirank.
