Abbreviations and Acronyms
Here we provide a list of useful Acronyms and Abbreviations. If you wish to submit any other Acronyms or Abbreviations, please e-mail: Continuum
A | B | C | D| E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
- AA - Action on Access/ Area Adviser
- ABRC - Advisory Board for Research Councils
- ACCAC - Awdurdod Cymwysterau, Cwricwlwn ac Asesu Cymru (Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales)
- ACE - Adult Continuing Education
- ACFHE - Association of Colleges of Further & Higher Education
- AF - Area Forum
- AGCAS - Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services
- AGR - Association of Graduate Recruiters
- AGWP - Advisory Group on Widening Participation
- AH - Aimhigher
- AMA - Advanced Modern Apprenticeship
- AMR - Annual Monitoring Report
- AoA - Action on Access
- AoC - Association of Colleges
- AP(E)L - Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning
- APC - Association of Principals of Colleges
- API - Age Participation Index
- APL - Accreditation of Prior Learning
- ASG Area Steering Group
- AUA - Association of University Administrators
- AUCL - Association of University & College Lecturers
- AUT - Association of University Teachers
- AY - Academic Year
B
- BA - British Academy
- BA/BSc - Bachelor of Arts/Science
- BME - Black and Minority Ethnic
C
- CASE - Council for the Advancement and Support of Education
- CAT - Credit Accumulation & Transfer
- CATS - Credit Accumulation & Transfer Scheme
- CCEA - Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment
- CE - Continuing Education
- CER - Continuing Education Record
- CETL - Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning
- CHEST - Combined Higher Education Software Team
- CHERI - Centre for Higher Education Research and Information (Open University)
- CIHE - Council for Industry and Higher Education
- CoVE - Centre of Vocational Excellence
- CPD - Continuing Professional Development
- CRLL - Centre for Research in Lifelong Learning (Caledonian and Stirling Universities)
- CURL - Consortium of University Research Libraries
- CVCP - Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals now Universities UK
- CVE - Continuing Vocational Education
D
- DDA - Disability Discrimination Act
- DELNI - Department of Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland
- DfES - Department for Education and Skills
- DHA - District Health Authority
- DHFETE - Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment (for Northern Ireland)
- DoH - Department of Health
- DSA - Disabled Student Allowance
E
- EAN - European Access Network
- EAZ - Education Action Zone
- EC - Excellence Challenge
- ECCTIS - Education Counselling & Credit Transfer Information Service
- ECU - Equality Challenge Unit
- EiC - Excellence in Cities
- EQUALL - Equal Opportunities, Access and Lifelong Learning (HEFCE committee now subsumed by NPB)
- ERA - Education Reform Act 1998
- ESECT - Enhancing Student Employability Coordination Team
- ESF - European Social Fund
- ESRC - Economic and Social Research Council
- EU - European Union
F
- FACE - Forum for the Advancement of Continuing Education
- FAST - Forum for Access Studies
- FD - Foundation Degree
- FE - Further Education
- FEC - Further Education College
- FEFC - Further Education Funding Council (now LSC)
- FESR - Further Education Statistical Record
- FHEA - Further and Higher Education Act 1992
- FTE - Full-time Equivalent
- FY - Financial Year
G
- GNVQ - General National Vocational Qualification
H
- HE - Higher Education
- HEA - Higher Education Academy
- HEA - Higher Education Adviser
- HEC - Higher Education Corporation
- 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
- HEIF - Higher Education Innovation Fund
- HEIST - Higher Education Information Services Trust
- HESA - Higher Education Statistics Agency
- HESES - Higher Education Students Early Statistics
- HLTT - Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism industry
- HMI - Her Majesty's Inspectorate
- HMSO - Her Majesty's Stationery Office
- HNC/D - Higher National Certificate/Diploma
I
- IAG - Information, Advice and Guidance
- IIP - Investors in People
- ILAs - Individual Learning Accounts
- ILR - Individual Learner Record
- ITT - Initial Teacher Training
J
- JANET - Joint Academic Network
- JISC - Joint Information Systems Committee
K
- KT - Knowledge Transfer
L
- LAC - Looked After Children
- LAE - Liberal Adult Education
- LAN - Local Area Network
- LEA - Local Education Authority
- LLL - Life Long Learning
- LLN - Lifelong Learning Network
- LLSC - Local Learning and Skills Council
- LSC - Learning and Skills Council
- LSDA - Learning and Skills Development Agency
M
- MaSN - Maximum Student Number
- ME - Minority Ethnic
- MIS - Management Information Systems
- MLE - Managed Learning Environment
N
- NAB - National Advisory Body
- NABCE - Non-Award Bearing Continuing Education
- NAFE - Non-Advanced Further Education
- NAHT - National Association of Head Teachers
- NAO - National Audit Office
- NATFHE - National Association of Teachers in Further & Higher Education
- NCRT - National Communications Resource Team (Aimhigher)
- NCT - National Co-ordination Team for Teaching and Learning
- NCVQ - National Council for Vocational Qualifications
- NDT - National Disability Team
- NFER - National Foundation for Educational Research
- NIACE - National Institute for Adult Continuing Education
- NIAO - Northern Ireland Audit Office
- NIHEC - Northern Ireland Higher Education Committee
- NISS - National Information Services and Systems
- NOCN - National Open College Network
- NPB - National Partnership Board
- NTET - National Target for Education and Training
- NUS - National Union of Students
- NVQ - National Vocational Qualifications
O
- OFFA - Office for Fair Access
- OFSET - Office for Standards in Education & Training
- OFSTED - Office for Standards in Education
- OLF - Open Learning Foundation
- OU - Open University
P
- P4P - Partnerships for Progression
- PCT - Primary Care Trust
- PGCE - Postgraduate Certificate in Education
- PGR - Postgraduate Research
- PGT - Postgraduate Taught
- PI - Performance Indicator
- POD - Prince of Darkness
- PQ - Parliamentary Question
Q
- QAA - Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
- QCA - Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
R
- RA - Action on Access Regional Adviser
- RAC - Regional Advisory Committees
- RAE - Research Assessment Exercise
- RC - Regional Consultant
- RDA - Regional Development Agency
- RF - Regional Forum
- RGO - Regional Government Offices
- RHA - Regional Health Authority
- RPB - Regional Partnership Board
- RSA - Royal Society of Arts
S
- SAM - Subjects Allied to Medicine
- SCES - Subject Classification for Education Statistics
- SCOP - Standing Conference of Principals
- SCOPVEC - Scottish Vocational Education Council
- SCR - Short Course Record
- SEDA - Staff & Educational Development Association
- SENET - Skills and Education Network
- SHA - Special Health Authority
- SHEFC - Scottish Higher Education Funding Council
- SI - Statistical Indicator
- SLA - Service Level Agreement
- SOED - Scottish Office Education Department
- SRHE - Society for Research into Higher Education
- SSC - Sector Skills Council
- SuperJANET - Super Joint Academic Network
T
- TCA - Tertiary College Association
- TCS - Teaching Company Schemes
- TEC - Training & Enterprise Council
- TEED - Training, Enterprise and Education Directorate (of the DfES)
- THES - The Times Higher Education Supplement
- TLA - Teaching, Learning and Assessment
- TLRP - Teaching and Learning Research Programme
- TQM - Total Quality Management
- TTA - Teacher Training Agency
U
- UACE - Universities Association for Continuing Education (now UALL)
- UALL - Universities Association for Lifelong Learning
- UCAS - Universities & Colleges Admissions Service
- UCEA - Universities and Colleges Employers Association
- 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
- UKADIA - UK Arts & Design Institutions Association
- UKCC - United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
- UKERNA - UK Education Networking Association
- USCAS - Universities Standard Classification of Academic Subjects
- USR - Universities Statistical Record
- USS - University Superannuation Scheme
- UUK - Universities United Kingdom
V
- VET - Vocational Education and Training
- VFM - Value for Money
- VLE - Virtual Learning Environment
- VLL - Vocational Lifelong Learning
W
- WAB - Wales Advisory Board for Local Authority Higher Education
- WAN - Wide Area Network
- WBL - Work-Based Learning
- WOED - Welsh Office Education Department
- WP - Widening Participation
- WRL - Work Related Learning
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