Higher Education Committee

The Higher Education Committee (HEC) serves a dual function of advising the Association for Art History on matters of concern within the Higher Education sector and supporting advocacy efforts within a broader network across HE.

The Association for Art History has always had an important role in advocating for art history within Higher Education. We are building on this legacy with the work of the Higher Education Committee and the development of a larger network of academics across the United Kingdom whose aims are to promote the subject across institutional and departmental boundaries, and to ensure its continued vitality within the university sector.

Like many other arts and humanities subjects, art history is increasingly charged with contributing to conversations around a range of policy and operational areas including:

• Government higher education policy
• Excellence and exchange frameworks such as REF, TEF and KEF
• Staff and student recruitment
• Open Access
• Faculty workloads, security, division of responsibilities and career development
• Diversity, inclusiveness, non-traditional students and staff

The Higher Education Committee has created resources related to some of these aims.  These include guidance on teaching art history online; a report on casualisation in our field and recommendations for best practice in this area; and a resource portal and bibliography on anti-racism and decolonising art history.

The HEC is also responsible for the Higher Education Network (HEN). Click here to find out more about HEN and how to get involved, or get in touch with your regional contact via the links below.