support workers conference support in a digital age

Support Workers Conference

Support in a digital age

University of Brighton overview

• Higher Education context

• University of Brighton response and strategy

• Student Services and disability team strategy

Higher Education - context

• Student undergraduate control numbers capped for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

• HEIs can recruit unlimited numbers of AAB and ABB equivalents

• HEIs can recruit unlimited international and post-graduate students

• Fees set for undergraduates – up to £9,000

• Office of Fair Access instructs universities to use a percentage of extra fee income on Widening Participation – this includes disabled students

Higher Education - context

• Nationally student applications decreased in 12-13

• Applicants unsure of the new system and applied later

• HEIs less able to predict numbers and what applicants would do

• Bursary and loan/grant offer varied across institutions

• Quality and career outcome still important

• HEI’s more customer/student focussed

• Student expectations and parents increased

• More students entered clearing

University of Brighton

• Applications decreased in line with sector – yet successfully recruited to control number and predictions

• Applicants confirmed intentions much later

• More students accepted through clearing

• Professional courses had a strong interest from applicants

• More effort put into pre –enrolment stage e.g. facebook groups

University Strategy 2012-15

“The University of Brighton is committed to conserving, generating, transmitting and sharing knowledge locally, professionally and globally, with a focus on its application for social purpose. We offer a higher education that contributes critically to citizenship and to the public good.

Our model of higher education is based on a spirit of enquiry and the active co-production of knowledge amongst staff and students, in learning, teaching and research.

We want Brighton staff and students to be known for their commitment to impact, community and sustainability in their chosen field.”

Principles at the heart of our plan

• Delivering a transformational student experience that is founded on research-informed learning communities of staff and students

• Expanding the volume and quality of high impact research

• Underpinning both strategies with sector-leading digital technology

Four connected themes in our plan

Learning to make a difference

Developing wealth; promoting welfare

Local roots; global presence

Sustainable practices

Learning to make a differenceOur offer to students

• Welcoming students from a wide range of backgrounds, nationalities, ages and previous educational experience

• Sharing a desire to make a difference; through our learning, research and professional practice

• Making students and staff part of a learning community where the physical and digital environment supports high value face-to-face learning with academic staff, student peers and external practitioners and partners

Learning to make a difference: Objectives and KPIs

Objective KPIs Projects/Activities

Transformational learning experience

•Increase NSS score for satisfaction with ‘Teaching on the course’ from 86% to 90%.•Reduce home non-continuation from 12.2% to 9%

•NSS results and action plan•Learning and teaching strategy•Digital and e/blended learning strategy•Retention strategy•Research-informed learning: sharing practice•Social and informal learning spaces

Learning university investing in staff

•Increase satisfaction with learning and development from 72% to 78% in staff survey •All academic staff have or will work towards a university teaching qualification or equivalent

•Staffing strategy•Staff engagement strategy•Equality objectives•Health, safety and wellbeing strategy•Academic workload planning

Learning to make a difference: Objectives and KPIs (2)


Engagement and impact

•All undergraduate courses offer opportunity for external engagement (e.g. work placement)•Grow REASE income by 10%

•Partnerships with Brighton, Hove and Hastings councils•Working through CUPP•Gatwick Diamond•New partnerships for health and education•New CPD unit

University of choice

•Move towards UCAS entry tariff score of 320 from 289•Continue to meet recruitment targets against funder contracts

•Ongoing development of the curriculum portfolio•Recruitment strategy•Marketing strategy•Access agreement and widening participation strategy•Student charter•Student experience focus

Student success •Increase employment rate for first degree leavers from 88.7% to 92%•Meet access Agreement targets for recruitment and retention

•Employability and career development plan•Student charter•Student communications strategy

Learning to make a difference: Objectives and KPIs (3)


Digital transformation

•Win sector award for excellence in use of digital technology for learning and teaching•Increase NSS satisfaction score from 85% to 90% for ‘access to general IT resources when I needed to’

•Digital strategy and e/blended learning strategy embedded in the learning and teaching strategy•Investment plans in IT

Internationalisation •Increase proportion of students from outside EU from 6% to 12%•Improve international non-continuation rate in line with current home students

•A new International strategy to draw together and prioritise activity, with a focus on research and communities of practice as well as recruitment•International College

Developing wealth; promoting welfare Research and knowledge exchange that makes an impact

• Building on our status as a leading post-92 institution for research quality (RAE 2008, REF 2014 and beyond)

• Research active across all subject areas

• All academic staff engaged in research and scholarly activity will produce a portfolio of outputs that meets our agreed average quality thresholds for relevant units of assessment

• International recognition for our research

• Maximum impact on the student experience through our research and teaching, supported by our economic and social engagement work

Developing wealth; promoting welfare: Objectives and KPIs


Research ambition •Be in top 60 in REF 2014 quality league tables•Volume of REF-able staff increase to 40% for 2019 REF

•REF planning•Research strategy•HEIF5 strategy•Doctoral college•Academic workload planning and development


•All undergraduate courses offer opportunity for external engagement e.g. work placement•Grow REASE income by 10%

•Partnerships with Brighton, Hove and Hastings councils•University sponsored academies•Gatwick Diamond•Partnerships for health and education•Working through CUPP

Developing wealth; promoting welfare: Objectives and KPIs (2)




•Digital strategy and embedded e/blended learning strategy for research as well as learning and teaching•Investment plans in IT

Internationalisation •Increase proportion of students from outside EU from 6% to 12%•Improve international non-continuation rate in line with current home students

•International strategy•International College

Local roots; global presenceOur partnerships

• Expanding our partnerships across Sussex and beyond

• Developing new partnership strategies for Health and Education

• Widening our national and international reach to share our values around the globe

Local roots; global presence: Objectives and KPIs



•All undergraduate courses offer opportunity for external engagement e.g. work placement•Grow REASE income by 10%

•Partnerships with Brighton, Hove and Hastings councils•Gatwick Diamond•Partnerships for health and education•Working through CUPP

Internationalisation •Increase proportion of students from outside EU from 6% to 12% •Improve international non-continuation rate in line with current home students

•A new International strategy to draw together and prioritise activity, with a focus on research and communities of practice as well as recruitment•International College

Sustainable practicesHow we work

• Sustainability is a core value

• Efficient, timely and consistently high quality standards

• Investing in our people

• Effective and timely communications with staff and students

• Developing distinctive identities for our five campuses with our Estates strategy

• Offering consistently high quality experiences and services in every location

• High quality resources, catering and accommodation for students

• Financial sustainability, probity and value for money

Sustainable practices: Linked objectives and KPIs


Learning university investing in staff

•Increase satisfaction with learning and development from 72% to 78% in staff survey•All academic staff have or working towards teaching qualification or equivalent

•Staffing strategy•Staff engagement strategy•Equality objectives•Health, safety and wellbeing strategy•Academic workload planning and staff strategy



•Digital strategy•Investment plans in IT

Sustainable practices: Linked objectives and KPIs


Sustainable campuses

•Cut carbon emissions by 50%•Maintain top 10 position in Green League

•Carbon Management Plan•Sustainable development strategy•People and Planet League status•Estates strategy

Financial viability and the conditions for growth

•Average historical cost surplus maintained between 4% to 6% total income •Maintain liquidity between 90-120 days of expenditure

•Budget updates•Financial strategy

Student Services and disability team strategy

Targets for disabled students feature in the University’s access strategy e.g. students no longer contribute to the payment of educational psychology reports

Student success and retention, transformational learning, digital literacy, internationalisation and external engagement are key elements of the Student Services strategy

Disability and dyslexia team review

Developing new enquiry and case management system

Improved management and reporting systems

Milestones and targets

Comparator institutions

DSA receipt by academic school (Full-time students)

Part-time students in receipt of DSA

Comparator institutions

DSA receipt by academic school (Part-time students)

Questions?

support workers conference support in a digital age

Documents

students welcoming students

clearing slide

disabled students

learning community

brighton staff

digital age slide

model of higher education

university strategy