Changing academic policy: a journey from deep frustration to morbid fascination

Presenters

• Simon Hettrick

Abstract

Trying to get sensible policies adopted across academia is difficult. Universities are resistant to change - possibly even by design. With power spread so thinly, it can take a long time, and the changing of a lot of minds, to get a new policy enacted. Once policies are in place, it takes even longer to get people to follow them. There are entrenched power struggles to avoid, arcane decision making processes to understand, and very little support for anyone who wants to change the way a university works - even if everyone involved wants the change.

I started my work in academic policy armed with a PhD in laser physics, which turned out to be even less helpful than it sounds. I have learned a lot about how decisions are made in universities and by funders, and I have ended up with a community and evidence-led approach which has been both successful. In this short talk, I will distil some of my experiences and detail my approach to policymaking in an attempt to save the frustration of others who are trying to make universities work better.