connected. · strategic plan. vice-chancellor’s introduction education that works... by 2018 our...

Connected.

STRATEGIC PLAN 2013–18

Ambition 2018

This new plan builds on thehard work, dedication, andincredible talents of the manypeople who have positionedour University for the nextstage in its development.The new plan has beendeveloped through monthsof collaboration with staff,governors and stakeholdersas well as community andbusiness leaders. It istherefore a strategy groundedin diverse perspectives.

Our plan promotes excellence in studentlearning, experiences, andoutcomes. It focuses onstudent success, employabilityand improved retention aswell as diversity and theadvancement of ourreputation. Our plan also

We aim to:• be consistently the

best modern university in London

• be ranked in the top 100 universities in the UK

• be the university with the highest graduateemployment rate in the UK

• have three academic areasof international standing.

Professor Peter JohnVice-Chancellor and Chief Executive

concentrates on impactfulresearch which can benefitpeople, society, and theeconomy and aims to developstudents with the careercredentials they will need for success and leadership in the 21st century.

Despite the uncertaintysurrounding the HigherEducation sector, universitiescontinue to embody some of society's 'weightiestaspirations and highest deals' and remain anessential part of the publicgood. The entire Universitycommunity is thereforelooking forward to theopportunity to take part in this new and vibrantstrategic plan.

Vice-Chancellor’s introductionEducation that works...

By 2018 our aim is to have three academic areas of international standing and the highest graduateemployment rate in the UK.

3University of West London Strategic Plan 2013–18

The introduction of high cost undergraduate tuitionfees, the control of full-timeundergraduate entrants, theemergence of a market (bothopen and regulated), thepositioning of students ascustomers, the increasedcompetition through thearrival of new providers,and stricter immigrationregulations are all changingthe face of the sector.

Higher education in the UK hasentered a criticaltime in its history.

4 University of West London Strategic Plan 2013–18

The sector

Universities that fail to adapt to this

new world may not survive,while continuous disruption

may lead to the stifling of innovation for years

to come.

Universities that fail to adaptto this new world may notsurvive, while continuousdisruption may lead to thestifling of innovation for years to come. The key to success will stem from each institution’s ability toarticulate and understandits value proposition and theways in which it can generatebrand value. This will involvefostering new capabilities,developing alternative means of attracting revenue,integrating new technologiesinto the curriculum, aligningcosts more closely to theproposition, and enacting arange of new business models.

A key element will beto ensure that all ourundergraduate, postgraduateand professional courses haveeffective engagement withour local community andrelevant industry andprofessional bodies.

The will and the way

Our direction of travel is led by a clear and ambitious value proposition: To provide a high quality career-focusedstudent experience connected to the world of work andunderpinned by a guaranteed work placement.


employmentrate*

94%

*According to Employment Performance Indicators (EPI) figures published by HESA in 2013: Graduates who have studied an undergraduate degree programme

Despite the ongoingeconomic downturn, theLondon economy is wellplaced to lead the UK out ofrecession. A number of highlevel reports predict that by2018 the following areas of economic activity will bepivotal to the recovery ofLondon and the UK asa whole.

• Hotels and hospitality• Restaurants and leisure• Travel and tourism• Health and social care• Administrative and support• Managerial and financial• Business and legal• Marketing and sales.

• Advertising• Event management• Fashion and graphic design• Specialist photography• Film production and

post-production• Live theatre performance

and production• Journalism• Software development,

games, consultancy• Radio and TV

London: a unique city

London provides the principal gateway for internationaltrade and inward investment for the UK economy. It is also a major centre of global finance.


Analysis in the ‘Annual reviewof graduate vacancies andstarting salaries at Britain’sleading employers’ by HighFliers Research 2012 showsthat almost nine out of 10organisations are offeringgraduate vacancies in Londonfor 2012. A recent reportcommissioned by theUniversity (Oxford Economics,2012) further demonstratesthe impact the institutionmakes on the local (Ealing)

Through our strategicplanning process we havemapped our portfolio onto this emerging picture andidentified a number of areas of strength within theUniversity’s academic schools. These are represented in thediagram opposite and will bethe areas in which we willinvest our resources andenergy in coming years.

and regional (London)economies. Based on theFinancial Review 2011–12,the report outlines thatthe University makes acontribution of £55.8 millionof gross value added to theEaling economy and£73.5 million to the Londoneconomy. This economicimpact relates to a rangeof factors includingemployment opportunitiesand student spend withinthe local borough.


Through our strategic planning process we have mappedour portfolio onto this emerging picture and identified anumber of areas of strength within the University’sacademic schools.




In particular, we aim to make the new Claude LittnerBusiness School a major player in the national andinternational arena; and we will seek to make the London School of Hospitality and Tourism a beacon ofinternational quality at the highest level. In addition, a newInstitute for the Creative Industries will take forward thecreative agenda locally, nationally and internationally.

Service economy

Management and finance

Enablingtechnologies

Creative industries

Health careprofessionals

Socio-legalprofessions

Connectedprofessionals

UWL’s positioning and portfolio

VisionTo be a sector leadinginstitution specialising in theeducation and developmentof ‘creative professionals’.

MissionTo raise aspiration through the pursuit of excellence.

Specifically we will:• be consistently the best

modern universityin London

• be ranked in the top 100universities in the UK

• be the university with the highest graduateemployment rate in the UK

• have three academic areasof international standing.

Values and principles• Student-centred • Useful • Challenging • Inclusive • Open and accountable.

Core objectiveBy 2018 our aim is to havethree academic areas ofinternational standing and the highest graduateemployment rate in the UK.

The challenge

The new strategic plan will address these challenges and build on our successes. It is underpinned by a refreshed vision and mission, an overarching set of values and principles, a core objective and a series of catalysing themes.


Catalysing themes


1.Provide a highquality student

experience

2.Link learning to the world

of work

3.Create and

disseminate usefulknowledge

4.Be enterprising

andentrepreneurial

5.Be financially

andenvironmentally

sustainable

6.Improve

the infrastructure

7.Develop staff

expertise

8.Connect with

our community

9.Engage

with the widerworld

The challenge


Vision and coreobjective

Values andprinciples

Catalysingthemes

Inclusive Open andaccountable UsefulStudent

centred Challenging

Improve the infrastructure

Engage with the wider worldConnect with our communityDevelop staff expertise

Be enterprising andentrepreneurial

Be financially and environmentally sustainable

Provide a high quality student experience

Link learning to the world of work

Create and disseminate useful knowledge

VisionTo be a sector leading institution specialising in the education and development of ‘creative professionals’

Core objective

Connecting the plan

By 2018 our aim is to have three academic areas of internationalstanding and the highest graduate employment rate in the UK.


Provide a highquality student

experienceThis theme

emphasises the integration of learning and experience and itscentrality in developing

each student’s academic and vocational

abilities.

Theme 1:

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They also derive great valuefrom the academic andpractical activities theyexperience beyond the lecturetheatre and seminar room.This theme emphasises theintegration of learning andexperience and its centrality in developing each student’sacademic and vocationalabilities. The objectives alsochallenge us to integrateseamlessly the worlds oflearning, employment andacademia into a completeand unified experience.

We will:• develop new courses

that expand the impact of experiential learning and ensure the curriculum is fit for purpose

• have two academic schools which can claiminternational distinction for their work

• embed research/scholarship informed teaching across all courses and assessments

• expand models forinnovative hybrid or blendeddelivery systems, includingthe best of online/distanceeducation with intensiveface-to-face instruction.

We also recognise theimportance of creatingconnections, sharing ideas,collaborating on teaching and research, and cementingacademic partnerships. Thiswill push us to create ‘thirdspace’ – areas on our campus(St Mary’s Road and Paragon)for students, staff and othersto congregate beyond thearenas where they formallylearn or work in order toinnovate and incubate new ideas and practices.

Theme 1Provide a high quality student experience

For our students to derive maximum value from the timethey spend with us we must ensure there is a continuum of intellectual, professional and personal developmentwhich extends beyond the boundaries of the academicenvironment. Students, we believe, learn best when they are able to apply the knowledge they have to real life situations.



Link learning to the world

of work

This theme emphasises the

employability that will be central to everything

we do with our students.

Theme 2:

employmentrate*

94%

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For all students we willemphasise the importance of the development of careerand employability skills andhow these connect to thecurriculum and potentialemployers. This will involve a focus on creative problemsolving as well as providing a grounding in thefundamentals of their chosendisciplinary path. Whetherworking in the creativeindustries, law, hospitality,events, management,accounting and finance,marketing, computing andtechnology, social sciences,the health professions orforensic science every studentwill have the benefit of aguaranteed work placement.

We will:• identify key industry

partners and employersof graduates for allcourses and engagethem meaningfully incurriculum review andstrategic goal setting

• provide two-wayexchanges of academicsand industry to ensure the curriculum remainsrelevant and is linked to work force needs

• offer high-quality,personalised employmentadvice and support withguaranteed mentoring

• integrate all workplacement learning within their assessed mode of study

• develop the Centrefor Employability andEmployer Engagement.

We will also encourage a new approach toinnovation so we can ‘jump-start’ careers across our disciplinaryfields. Generating ideas for real products andservices, and presentingthem as genuine businessopportunities will be the hallmark of theirexperience with us. This will involve inculcating the entrepreneurial capacity to identifypromising opportunities for university-industrycollaboration andembedding business linksacross the curriculum.

Theme 2Link learning to the world of work

Employability will be central to everything we do with our students. The lifetime investment they make in theireducation needs a tangible reward and at UWL we will build on and extend our excellent record for employabilityand employer engagement.


*According to Employment Performance Indicators (EPI) figures published by HESA in 2013:Graduates who have studied an undergraduate degree programme

Create anddisseminate useful

knowledge

Theme 3:


This theme emphasises the bank of knowledge at the

University’s disposal totransfer to students.

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It is imperative that wecapitalise on our strategicposition at the University/Business interface; a positionwe occupy with pride. This is based upon our aim toprovide our students and our partners’ solutions tocontemporary challenges.

Translating knowledge into practice requires aneclectic mix only collaborationcan deliver. Our location in west London puts us at the heart of an unrivalledregion of expertise andindustry that maps perfectlyto the strategic areas we wish to promote and expand.We believe that teaching,learning, research andenterprise are interdependentwith knowledge providing

We will:• actively encourage and

pursue research andscholarly collaboration

• facilitate and support inter-disciplinary andcollaborative approachesto research through theInstitute for Practice,Interdisciplinary Researchand Enterprise (INSPIRE)and ensure academicschools are connected to the Institute

• expand and increase thefunding sources for ourresearch, focusing uponpromoting collaboration

• extend the opportunity forresearch by increasing thevolume and breadth ofexpertise in a supervisorycapacity through highcalibre internal andexternal appointments

• encourage current staff to complete doctoratesand make it an essentialcriterion for newappointments in key areas.

the links in the chain. As we move forward thisknowledge will be generatedand disseminated through the seamless integration of expertise derived withinand beyond the Universityand the boundaries betweenteaching, learning andresearch will be blurred. Our students on placementopportunities will developsolutions to contemporaryissues in organisations whowill fund further research and development within the University which in turn influences policy whichbecomes embedded in thecurricula of the future.

Theme 3Create and disseminate useful knowledge

The continued transformation of the University’s profileand reputation is predicated upon the deliberate andcontinuous acquisition, processing and dissemination of knowledge. We recognise that the innovation, insight,intellect and expertise of our staff and students will continueto be the engine for knowledge creation and transfer.


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Be enterprising and entrepreneurial

This theme demonstrates how

integral our enterprise and entrepreneurial

activity is to, our students’ development.

Theme 4:

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The challenge is to seamlesslyintegrate enterprise, whetherfor financial or social return,into everything we do. We will invest and rewardinnovation wherever it occurs. We will pro-activelyencourage entrepreneurshipthrough the curriculum; the students union; staffdevelopment and through all our engagements withstakeholders. Innovation and opportunity will betranslated into solutions thattransform and regenerate by connecting knowledge and social capital with a ‘real-world’ understandingand change-delivering culture of useful knowledge.

• integrate all enterprise-related activities into a pan-University Centre for Enterprise andEntrepreneurship.

We will:• integrate enterprise

and entrepreneurship intothe academic curriculum by strengthening thecollaboration betweenschools, INSTIL and theCentre for Employabilityand Employer Engagement

• increase the opportunitiesfor staff to gain businessand enterprise experience

• through the Centre for Employability and Employer Engagement and in particularvolunteering establish avibrant culture supportiveof social enterprise

Theme 4Be enterprising and entrepreneurial

The economic growth of the country, the region and the University are all entwined in an inherent capacity toidentify, facilitate and deliver enterprise and entrepreneurialactivity. As a result, our students, our areas of expertise, our location, and our innovative ethos will thrive in anenterprising environment.



Be financially and

environmentallysustainable

This theme demonstrates how theUniversity’s financial and environmentalsustainability will

deliver better value formoney to students.

Theme 5:

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Financial stability is essential to the delivery of our academic mission andalso to create confidence in the institution from ourstakeholders. To be financiallystable we must generatesurpluses sufficient to supportinvestment for the long termfuture. This means that wemust diversify our incomestreams, optimise all incomeopportunities, control ourcosts and plan our capitalinvestments to ensure that wedo not over reach ourselves.Philanthropic support is alsoessential for UWL not onlybecause it provides additionalfinancial resources but also because it is a publicrecognition of our success.

• operate robust costcontrols and test proposalsfor new activities to ensurethey fit strategically andare financially sustainable

• manage our staff costs appropriately

• implement transparent budget-setting processesinformed by sectorperformance indicators and benchmarking

• seek continuous value for money via economy,efficiency and effectiveness

• reduce our environmental impact and embed energy-efficient working practices.

As well as achieving financial sustainability we will enhance ourenvironmental credentials so that we can lay claim to being a ‘green’ institution.

We will :• have a defined

University-wide riskmanagement process foridentifying, evaluating andmanaging the significantrisks faced by the University

• underpin the risk registerswith specific, measurable,achievable, realistic and timely (SMART)performance indicators

• ensure our fees arecompetitive and fair to attract students and offer outstanding value for money in terms ofstudent experience

Theme 5Be financially and environmentally sustainable

In order to deliver a value for money experience to our students and give them maximum benefit from their fees, UWL will be well-managed and operate efficiently and effectively. It will also improve significantly environmental credentials.



Improve theinfrastructure

This theme underpins how we

are improving the infrastructure,

with a focus ontechnological and IT

excellence.

Theme 6:

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Our buildings, and the spaceswithin them, need to beincreasingly multi-functional if we are to achieve the mostintensive use of our resourcesand to meet the needs of the University as a dynamiclearning environment. This will mean providing access to IT systems and servicesthat support the flexible use of technology and helpstaff and students find theresources they need instantly.

Staff and students are morelikely to find the applicationsand indeed the content that they wish to use fromresources freely available onthe Internet. This will meanthat UWL’s value propositionwill have to be even higherand our role may need toinclude content aggregation

improve space utilisation andspace management whileensuring that all learningand teaching spaces aredeveloped to the highestpossible specification.

This will be augmented bythe establishment of a‘Student Village’ in SouthEaling. This exciting newdevelopment will provide highquality accommodation toover 500 students and willbe vital in providing incomegeneration from conferencesand other activities.

and validation as well ascreation. What is cleartherefore, is that UWL willneed to provide access to IT systems and services tosupport the flexible use oftechnology and help staff and students find theresources that they need.

The estates strategy will seethe St Mary’s Road campusredevelopment with a c£50million investment. This willinclude the building of a newstate of the art library, a newmulti-functional auditorium,a new students’ unionbuilding and new social,learning and teaching spaces.All will have controlledcommunity access makingthe University a ‘hub’ forlocal activity of all kinds. Inaddition, we will continue to

Theme 6Improve the infrastructure

In an increasingly competitive market it is vital that we offer a unique physical and technological environment. Our estates and IT strategy is designed to align theinfrastructure with the strategic goals of the transformedorganisation in order to help deliver a high quality student experience with strong local business andcommunity links.


We will:• deliver a high-speed

wireless network capable of supporting the increase in morewirelessly-enabled devices

• evolve the classroomtechnology to supportemerging ways of learning

• deliver learning content, information and applications to adiverse range of devices,accessible from anywhereat any time

• improve the IT and digital-literacy of UWL staff (to reach a commonminimum standard)

• support distance learningstudents, especially those overseas

• design more flexiblelearning and social spaceand achieve continuedefficiency gains in the way we utilise space

• recruit and retain anoptimum level of resilientand adaptable in-houseexpertise, dedicated to themanagement of the estateand apply best practicestandards to all activities.

Theme 6Improve the infrastructure (cont)



Develop staffexpertise

This theme highlights our staff’scontribution to theUniversity’s success

and our focus on developing staff

expertise.

Theme 7:

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As a university committed to implementing bestemployment practice, we need to continuously engageand develop our staff throughour workforce strategy. Keyareas include: improvinginternal communication,developing new terms andconditions of employment,ensuring salary increases arecontingent upon productivitygains, developing a robustcareer path and rewardsystem, and enhancingknowledge and skills so they are aligned withinstitutional objectives.

We will:• improve and extend

communication across the University through amore imaginative use oftechnology and throughmore conventional means

• achieve Investors inPeople status

• engage with staff througha regular annual survey

• improve the IT literacy andskills of all staff in order tomeet national benchmarks

• introduce a performancemanagement system tiedto a reward scheme.

Learning and developmentstrategies will aim to ensurethat staff are equipped todeal with the University’schanging external demandsand that staff are engagedwith their colleagues.In particular, the academicworkforce will be aligned tothese new ways of workingthrough a relevant andmodernised employmentframework. This frameworksupports promotion and progression for allacademic staff.

Theme 7Develop staff expertise

The University’s reputation and success depends uponeffective strategies to recognise, reward, develop, engage andmanage its workforce. The continuous development of ouracademic and supporting staff is vital to the long-term healthof the institution. All staff need to be sufficiently flexible torespond to changes in income streams, improve the ability to generate income, and respond flexibly to the increasinglycompetitive market for higher education in London.



Connect with ourcommunity

This theme highlights the

University’s localcommunity engagement

and the rewards exposure to the

workplace bringsto students.

Theme 8:

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We celebrate and support thediversity of the communitiesthat surround us and we willcontinue to see them ascentral to the vibrancy andvitality of the ongoing success of the University. This includes a range ofstakeholder communities,business connections, andcultural avenues.

We are proud to build on ourdeep foundations in Ealing,Brentford and other areas ofwest London and aim todevelop a range of state ofthe art specialist facilities tomeet local needs. This willinclude a new communitylibrary, a performance spaceand film theatre, and newretail facilities. This willemerge alongside new ways of engaging with ourcommunities, embracing newtechnologies and utilising new forms of connectivity.

• continue to invest inlocal businesses andsupport local initiativesand provide incubationspace and businessmentoring and advicefor regional businesses,charities, cultural andvoluntary organisations

• express our communityspirit through sharedactivities and events in the arts, music,performance, health and hospitality.

This comes on top of thesignificant impact theUniversity makes to the local economy through thespending power of its students,the array of volunteeringactivities in which they engage,and through the positivefinancial contribution we will continue to make to the local economy.

We will:• increase opportunities

for all students to engagewith their disciplinethrough internships, civicinvolvement and otherextra-curricular activities

• increase the volume ofvolunteering by workingwith and through ourregional authorities

• work with local authorities,community groups andother stakeholders toembed our academic and professional activitieswithin the community and respond to their needs

Theme 8Connect with our community

At UWL we believe passionately that the communities that surround us are as important to us as any other facetof the institution. The complexity of connections with ourregion and locality will provide the springboard for arenewed perception and engagement with us.



Engage with thewider world

This theme emphasises the chance

the University offersstudents to explore

and engage in careerenhancing opportunities

across the world.

Theme 9:

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Currently, our links areprimarily to the Indian sub-continent. In the coming years we will belooking to extend ourinfluence particularly in China, Malaysia, the MiddleEast and the USA and extend the range of subjects and modes of study offered to our partners overseas.

In expanding our globalfootprint through newcollaborations we will seek to draw on expertise across anumber of disciplines including:hospitality, tourism, businessmanagement, engineering,psychology, nursing, healthstudies and the arts. We willalso aim to internationaliseand globalise our curriculum

• develop strategicrelationships in China,South East Asia, theMiddle East and the USAsupportive of both inboundstudent recruitment andincreasingly ‘in-country’access to our qualificationsand expertise

• sustain and extendpartnerships in the Indiansub-continent to extend ‘in-country’ accessibility

• enhance placement andemployment supportprovided by the Centre for Employability andEmployer Engagement toencapsulate internationalopportunities for all our graduates.

at home and be at theforefront of the emergence ofthe global citizen connectingto the many internationalcommunities in our regionand beyond.

We will:• create a campus in

west London which is welcoming andsupportive to the needs of students irrespective of their country of origin

• internationalise thecurriculum to support the development of ‘global graduates’

Theme 9Engage with the wider world

Our location in west London offers enormous opportunitiesfor the University to engage with partners and studentsacross the world. Our campuses are in a critically importantregion of the capital and our strategy will exemplify ourcommitment to global engagement.


Key Performance Indicators


2018 target1 % of staff with Higher Education Academy (HEA) membership 100%2 Employment Indicator (HESA Table E1a) 96%3 NSS results – overall satisfaction 86%4 Aggregated league table position <805 Staff Student Ratio (SSR) 16.06 Publications of a minimum 1* rating (adjusted against REF 2104 guide) 2007 Research bids value (£m) 10.08 % of academic staff with a doctorate 50%9 Research income 2.010 Number of registered MPhil/PhD students 13011 Operating surplus as a % of income 10%12 Staff costs as a% of income <53%13 Green league table 1st14 % of estate classed as condition A (St Mary’s Road) 95%15 To remain within -5%/+3% of the SNC tolerance Yes16 IT strategy (Dell ranking) 417 Ratio of academic to support staff 47:5318 NHS income/contracts value (£m) 10>19 St Mary’s Road campus redevelopment Completed20 Overseas recruitment (intake headcount) 1,400

Conclusion

The achievement of the objectives outlined in this plan will require growth in the institution’s existing resource base from multiple sources, including enterprise income,private giving, corporate and alumni support, state funding(where available) and international partnerships.

It will also mean ensuring that all recruitment targets aremet and that courses that lie outside national jurisdictiongrow and develop. These will be serviced by high qualityacademic staff adept at blending scholarship and researchwith high quality teaching carried out in state of the artfacilities. With the necessary income in place, we areconfident that the core of this new strategic plan will enable the University of West London to continue itstransformational growth.

University of West London Strategic Plan 2013–1836

University of West London Strategic Plan 2013–18 37

Notes


Notes

connected. · strategic plan. vice-chancellor’s introduction education that works... by 2018 our...

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