When assessors move in

In the first four months of this year, Mike Kelly, head of social sciences at Greenwich University, spent up to 80 per cent of his working time concentrating on both the research and teaching assessment exercises.

"The RAE for my three subjects - sociology, economics and psychology - had to be with the funding council a week before the teaching assessors arrived. It was an all-consuming experience," he says.

Professor Kelly had also been involved in last year's HEQC audit. "These days if you're in a senior academic position then the amount of time you spend on these things is considerable and your own academic research slows down," he says.

It was not only Professor Kelly's workload that suffered as a result of the assessments. He estimates that two senior managers from sociology, economics and psychology also spent about half their working time between Christmas and April producing the assessments.

It was worse for the sociologists who had a visit in May. "Fortunately the assessments for psychology and economics are three years away so we have some breathing space," says Professor Kelly.

He believes the RAE is a straightforward process but for the forms that need to be checked and re-checked.

The TQA, however, involves combing back through records and committee meetings.

"Even for someone who is well prepared there is a lot to do," he says. "You have to write a long essay about the department from data that should be available.

" The problem is finding it."

Soon after the self-assessment is completed, it is time to bare the department to the assessors. "They arrived on Bank Holiday Monday in May and for that week their presence affected the whole school."