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Polytechnic of North London (1976 - 1992)
When the SSRC closed the Survey Unit in September 1976, I, along with several other colleagues, was made redundant. Luckily, in May of that year, I had been appointed Principal Lecturer in Sociology at the then Polytechnic of North London (now part of London Metropolitan University) to design and head up the Social Planning and Research option of a new four-year BA Applied Social Studies degree (the other option being Social Work) This was to be the first ever undergraduate degree specialising in the training of social researchers: students could also qualify for the Diploma of the Market Research Society provided they met certain criteria. The Council for National Academic Awards approved the submission first time round and the first undergraduates were admitted in September 1977. Graduates from this degree course now hold senior positions in social research in the UK including at least five full professorial chairs.
In October 1976 I launched Survey Analysis Workshop (postgraduate, professional, hands-on, part-time, evening ) the first ever evening course in the Faculty, based on the survey analysis and SPSS elements of the SSRC Summer Schools in Survey Methids. There's a separate note on the history and development of the course. In Feb 1977, I also launched a sister course Survey Research Practice, taught entirely by senior practitioners from major research organisations.such as SCPR/Natcen, NOP and Gallup.
In October 1976 I launched Survey Analysis Workshop (postgraduate, professional, hands-on, part-time, evening ) the first ever evening course in the Faculty, based on the survey analysis and SPSS elements of the SSRC Summer Schools in Survey Methids. There's a separate note on the history and development of the course. In Feb 1977, I also launched a sister course Survey Research Practice, taught entirely by senior practitioners from major research organisations.such as SCPR/Natcen, NOP and Gallup.
Survey Research Unit (1978 - 1992)
Following a proposal to set up a Centre for Applied Social Research the Survey Research Unit was formally established as a research unit of the Department of Applied Social Studies on May 1st 1978, with John Hall as Unit Director. Closely modelled on the SSRC Survey Unit (which had been closed by SSRC in 1976) it provided advice and assistance on survey methods to academic, public and voluntary sector colleagues and attracted more than £1 million in externally funded research grants and contracts and £400K in internally funded research assistantships and fellowships.
These are listed in Survey Research Unit Projects 1978 - 1985 and Survey Research Unit Projects 1985 - 1992.
Research staff recruited and trained in SRU made significant contributions to teaching: many of them, together with undergraduate students working in SRU as temporary assistants or demonstrators, went on to occupy senior positions in social research. (See Survey Research Unit: Staff )
There is an extensive list of publications and survey data sets deriving from this work.
SRU also provided specialist post-graduate training in survey methods via two related postgraduate courses (part-time, evening) Survey Analysis Workshop and Survey Research Practice.
Following the withdrawal of ILEA rate-borne research funding and the "Harrington" affair, a new senior management imposed totally inappropriate business models and undermined the professionalism, autonomy and discretion of successful research entrepreneurs, many of whom, including John Hall, took early retirement in March 1992. The Survey Research Unit closed with immediate effect, as did both postgraduate courses, Survey Analysis Workshop and Survey Research Practice. The BSc Social Research was discontinued a year later.
These are listed in Survey Research Unit Projects 1978 - 1985 and Survey Research Unit Projects 1985 - 1992.
Research staff recruited and trained in SRU made significant contributions to teaching: many of them, together with undergraduate students working in SRU as temporary assistants or demonstrators, went on to occupy senior positions in social research. (See Survey Research Unit: Staff )
There is an extensive list of publications and survey data sets deriving from this work.
SRU also provided specialist post-graduate training in survey methods via two related postgraduate courses (part-time, evening) Survey Analysis Workshop and Survey Research Practice.
Following the withdrawal of ILEA rate-borne research funding and the "Harrington" affair, a new senior management imposed totally inappropriate business models and undermined the professionalism, autonomy and discretion of successful research entrepreneurs, many of whom, including John Hall, took early retirement in March 1992. The Survey Research Unit closed with immediate effect, as did both postgraduate courses, Survey Analysis Workshop and Survey Research Practice. The BSc Social Research was discontinued a year later.
