Stephen Frosh

Prof Stephen Frosh used to work in the Science Faculty of Psychology at Birkbeck College in London. He now finds himself in the Arts and Humanities faculty heading up a new discipline called Psycho-social studies. In this conversation Stephen describes some of the process of audit that produces this unintended consequence and argues that what is needed is courageous re-invention, and on no account should academics lose their nerve.

SF: "... I think for instance here at Birkbeck, our audit culture is still laborious and bureaucratic but it’s much better than it used to be partly because the people involved are trying to think how to make it work. We should not be intimidated.

The person I teach most with is just coming out of the probationary period and she had to do the teaching certificate (a lot of people complain about it). She was observed and assessed doing some teaching with me of psychoanalysis to psychology students. What we did was to work in small groups and have an observed conversation: unstructured, unprepared, responsive to students – it was risky. The rather tight-looking observer from the Life Long Learning department gave her a distinction! There was a willingness from the observer, and an unwillingness from us to be completely phased. I’m not denying the power of audit here, but there is something that people can use more. It’s not quite as bad as it has to be, we must take hold of its power. "


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