Northumbria University: State of the Nation 20026

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Northumbria UniversityState of the Nation 2002-6

• Prof Kel Fidler
• Vice-Chancellor

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Context

• In 2002
• Northumbria University had been the Times Best
  New University the previous year. However
• Student applications had been in a year upon year
  decline for over 5 years
• An audit of the University revealed a multitude
  of problems that needed addressing.
• We discovered a financial deficit of 4
• In response we re-branded, restructured the
  University, and established a new Vision, Mission
  and Strategies to tackle the challenges.

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• So what progress has been made?

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Vision

• Northumbria's Vision is to become one of the
  world's leading Teaching and Learning
  Universities, renowned for its innovation and
  research-based practice and exercising its
  regional, national and international role through
  an extensive network of locations and
  partnerships.

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Mission

• Our Mission is to meet the diverse needs of an
  international learning community and to
  contribute to society and its economic
  development through research, excellent teaching
  and high quality student support.

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Aims

• To achieve the Mission, Northumbria University's
  Aims are to promote
• challenging and innovative teaching and learning
  which empowers the active learner
• a commitment to research and scholarly activity
  in the generation and dissemination of knowledge
  and understanding
• opportunities and access to students with a
  variety of ambitions from different
  circumstances
• the employability, lifelong learning and
  continuing professional development of its
  students and staff
• a high-quality student experience, through a
  comprehensive network of student support and
  guidance services, and a range of social,
  cultural and sporting activities
• a strengthening of the economic, environmental
  and cultural life of the region through
  opportunities in higher education, creating
  partnerships, integrating with communities, and
  generating and disseminating valuable knowledge
• global recruitment and international activity
• the underpinning of its activities by the values
  of equity, diversity, collegiality and a concern
  for ethical behaviour and the welfare of the
  individuals and society
• prudent financial management and cost effective
  operation to sustain continued investment in
  University activities.

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Vision
Mission Aims
Growth
Business Dev
R C
Int Dev
L T
Regional
Supporting Strategies HR, Finance,Estates,
Information, Well being
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Updating the Plan

• Our Strategies
• Have been audited for achievements to date
• Have been reviewed for continued fitness for
  purpose
• Will be updated during 06/07
• Will be headlined in our new Corporate Plan
  2007/2012 to be published in 2007

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Growth

• Now have 29,500 students, 22nd in rank of 128 UUK
  members
• 37 increase in turnover
• Over 1,400 ASNs from HEFCE since 2002 and 240
  more for 06/07
• NHS contracts grown by over 30 in value
• 3,300 international students in UK, 21st in rank
  of size amongst UUK insts
• International income of 22m, virtually doubled
• Doubled overseas franchise student numbers from
  1,500 to 3,000
• Distance Learning provision has doubled

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Position in sector

• Taking four measures of business strength
• Size, by total student numbers
• Global reach, by number of international students
• Resourcing, by size of income
• Sustainability, by annual surplus

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• Only 8 of 128 UUK institutions perform better
  than Northumbria on three of these

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Northumbria is at the top for annual surplus
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Schools Growth Ambitions
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Learning Teaching

• Academic Portfolio
• Re-focussed and withdrawn over 90 programmes
• Withdrawn from weaker partnerships
• Triennial review of programmes completed
• Gap analysis of provision prepared
• Teaching in all of the 30 most popular subjects
  except music medicine

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Learning Teaching

• Academic Standards
• Excellent QAA Institutional Audit
• Excellent QAA Collaborative Provision Audit
• Excellent QAA Major Review of Healthcare
  Provision
• Excellent QAA Review of Research Degree
  programmes
• Excellent QAA Overseas Audit of the link with
  Parma
• Accreditations with over 30 professional bodies

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Learning Teaching

• Enhancement
• Appointment of LT Professors/Fellows
• CETL for Assessment and collaboratively in Health
  Music
• Appointment of 4 National Teaching Fellows
• 162 Applauding Promoting Teaching Awards
• 10 Learning Teaching Enhancement Groups

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Research Consultancy

• 1m per annum strategic investment fund
• Clear RC Strategy which seeks to meet and
  complement regional needs
• Strong links to Centres of Excellence
• Keen to contribute to Northern Way and Science
  City
• Modest Research income, some problems with
  European funding
• Share the sector's concern to achieve cost
  recovery through application of TRACs
• Strong PGR commitment with 350 students and
  studentships established
• Established One Stop Shop and Research Web Site
  to interface better with external stakeholders
• Strongly committed to partnership and
  collaborative research

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Widening Access Participation

• One of only 17 Universities to achieve all WP
  benchmarks
• Students from state schools 90.1 (bmk 87.9)
• Poorer backgrounds 31.2 (bmk 29.1)
• Drop-outs 9.6 (bmk 11.3)

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Business/Regional Development

• 3.2m SDF grant, 1015k to Northumbria(Urban
  Regeneration)
• Consultancy training increased by 19
• 30 new business start-ups since 03/04
• IP Commercialisation (e.g. µ-wave holography)
• 2 patent applications and 3 successful proof of
  concept applications since 03/04
• Corporate Learning Partnerships (e.g. Severstal)
  now bring in over 1.5 million per year and are
  increasing
• Centres of Excellence (e.g. Photo-Voltaics)

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Business/Regional Development
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Human Resources

• Implementation of Pay Modernisation Framework
• Workload Planning Model agreed and being
  implemented by all Schools
• Rationalised staffing levels to just above the
  average for the sector
• Leadership Foundation Fellow Award
• Achievement of Hefce Self Assessment, one of 17
  Universities
• Hefce RDS Monies mainstreamed
• Development of e-tool for Impact Assessment

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Finance

• Transformed financial awareness management
• 39 income growth to 151m for 05/06
• Reserves grown from 91m to 140m
• Generated 65m of cash from operating surplus
• Sold 11m assets
• Secured 25m in capital grants
• Spent 76m on capital assets
• Repaid 33m in loans
• Increased working capital by 12m
• Converted operating surplus from -4 to 8

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Estates

• One of the most exciting new estate developments
  in sector A spectacular extension (THES),
  The development will give one of the best city
  campuses in the country (The Guardian)
• 102m committed to City Campus East West
• Withdrawn from Carlisle Longhirst
• Major upgrade programme
• Pandon refurbishment
• Student Services accommodation
• Library transformation
• Refurbished over 100 teaching rooms
• CETL, Applied Sciences
• Creation of Management suites, student hubs, open
  plan School offices
• New entrance to Ellison Building
• Additional catering outlet in Northumbria
  Building entrance

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Information

• Implementation of a major student system, SITS
• Purchased over 4,000 PCs in last 3 years!
• Wireless coverage across campus
• Remote access via Desktop Anywhere
• One of the largest VLEs in Europe
• Harnessing mobile technologies eg BBs
• Creation of Internet Cafés and nomad points
• Investment in NORA, a library search engine which
  enables search for subject information from
  multiple sources at the same time
• Memory sticks to first years equivalent to 200
  disks
• Infrastructure new 16 terabyte filer, new
  citrix servers for specialist applications,
  backup generator against extended power cuts
• Successful test of Disaster Recovery protocols
• Online enrolments and payments for 06/07
• Insight

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Well being the Student Journey

• One of only 2 Universities with a wellbeing
  strategy
• Repositioning of entry requirements to minimum
  240 pts, average now 257 points, more than half
  of courses at 260
• The 25 decline in applications 1992-2002 wholly
  reversed with a further 3 growth this year
  against a sector decline.
• Access agreement accepted by OFFA
• THES awards shortlisting for our support for
  International Students
• Meeting FT UG recruitment targets

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Well being the Student Journey

• Retention improved by 1 per year for past 3
  years
• Equality of opportunity indicators show fair
  treatment
• International Barometer shows students are
  highly satisfied
• Employability 94 of students in work or further
  study within 6 months of graduation, above UK
  average.
• Percentage in graduate work and study higher than
  average
• Added 1,350 new en-suite student bedrooms in City
  Centre
• Growing national reputation for Northumbria
  Sport. 10th in BUSA League last year.

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Areas to address

• Research standing and income
• Dependence on clearing
• Becoming more corporate
• Holistic, student centred services and support
• Continue to improve communications
• Reducing bureaucracy and time spent in committees

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Summary

• Tremendous progress has been made since the
  creation of the new Vision Mission
• University is in a strong financial and academic
  position

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How has this been achieved?

• Supportive Board of Governors
• Enquiring, Testing, Challenging yet supportive
  EF and Audit Committees
• Hard work and commitment in our Academic Schools
  and Service Departments, led by our Deans and
  Directors
• A strong Senior Management Team

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Current
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New
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Key future challenges

• Demographics
• Impact of 3k tuition fee cap removal
• Upward pressure on pay scales due to PMF and pay
  agreement
• Highly competitive international market
• Strengthening of research base and income
• Strengthening of University position and brand
• Further Campus estate development
• Development funding

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Corporate Plan 2007-12

• Virtuous circle
• Good facilities
• attract more good staff
• .who attract good students in good numbers
• who provide the financial headroom
• for good facilities

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Initial thoughts

• Steady growth of 2 above inflation
• Maintain target of 6 surplus
• Develop high quality student market - 1.5 pa
  growth
• Manage staff costs to 58 of income
• Maintain overseas income
• EU students
• Improve the quality of our offer
• Focus our provision