Cs 1233 ehu strategic plan

Strategic Plan2013 - 2020

- In knowledge opportunity

The University Coat of Arms

2 Strategic Plan 2013 - 2020 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY

Foreword 4

The Current HE Environment 6

Mission 8

Vision 9

Values 9

Strategic Aims 10-14Student Experience 11Research and Impact 12People 13External Partnerships 13International Engagement 14Sustainability 14

Supporting Strategies and Activities 15

Key Performance Measures 16

Appendix: Strategic Targets for 2020 18

Facts and Figures 22

Contents

3EDGEHILL.AC.UK Strategic Plan 2013 - 2020

This document represents the fifthStrategic Plan produced during my timeas Vice-Chancellor and/or Principal. And it is being published at a time of great uncertainty in the sector; greateruncertainty than at any time in the pasttwo decades.

The last four Strategic Plans all containedmuch detail concerning Edge Hill’s visionand mission, our key strategic aims,operating objectives, performancemeasures and timescales, following theconventional planning model widelyadopted by businesses and organisationsacross all sectors since the 1970s. This isan extremely valuable exercise in terms ofboth process and outcome, but such anapproach can have its disadvantages.No-one should see targets as fixed orimmutable over a five- or seven-yearterm, and the need for constant reviewhas never been more paramount.

It is also the case that excessive detailcan sometimes diminish the effectivenessof communicating key messages andindividuals’ capacity to assimilate thesedrivers. In effect each of the past fourstrategic plans had very short implicitmessages; for 1993-1997 the priority was to survive and strengthen; from 1997-2002 and 2002-2007, tobecome a university and then acquireresearch powers; from 2008-13 tobecome a better university by growingboth our reputation and our size. It isperhaps a mistake that they were neverstated explicitly, though good progresswas made in each case. The priority forthe next quinquennium can be equallytightly defined – to demonstratesignificant relative progress in verychallenging times.

Any Strategic Plan must be properly grounded,and we have sought to give a clearunderstanding of the environment in which weoperate and how that environment may beshaped in the near future in our vision for 2020.

Foreword by the Vice-Chancellor and Chair of the Board of Governors


A simplified mission, building on theUniversity’s motto and our sense ofvalues, is supported by a set of six keystrategic aims: the student experience(the University’s key driver); researchcapacity and impact; externalpartnerships; international engagement;our people strategy (the vital deliverers ofour deliverables); and, essentially, how wewill secure and enhance our sustainabilityas an increasingly successful university.

In seeking to articulate how we mayachieve the continuing progress we aspire to, there is something to be said for looking beyond traditional process-oriented management theories.Effective structures and systems are vitalto any substantial organisation, and theyare no less essential here. But we areoperating in uncertain, even chaotictimes, and we must learn to thrive on, andto welcome and embrace, that chaos, toquote one of the pioneers of modernmanagement techniques (Peters 1997).This can only be achieved by engagingall staff and all stakeholders in thedevelopment of the University, enhancingtheir understanding and freeing them touse their initiative whenever possible,sharing in and helping to shape the futuredirection of their Edge Hill. To use afavourite quote, “Culture eats strategy forbreakfast” (Drucker 2006).

Dr John Cater and Michael Pinfold

March 2013

The power of many hundreds of staff, thousandsof students and tens of thousands of alumniand other stakeholders, all pulling in the samedirection, with the same understood, sharedand owned collective goals is far less resistiblethan any strategy document and key to oursuccess. We will continue to work to unleashthat power throughout the life of this Plan.


Any Strategic Plan must reflect the national and international HEenvironment. Since the completion ofthe previous Strategic Plan that coveredthe period from 2008-2013, the Universityhas enjoyed unprecedented growth,development and success, with sector-leading applications growth and recruitment, strong scores in theNational Student Survey, excellentfinancial outturns underpinningsubstantial capital investment, the UK’s highest-rated Ofsted performance,and a rapidly developing research culture.

But repetition is not guaranteed. TheStrategic Plan 2013-2020 will be played out in very different demographictimes, with the 18-21 age cohort in theearly phase of a 17.4% decline in theNorth-West region. With a static AgeParticipation Rate, this means that auniversity will have to increase its market penetration by one-fifth simply to stand still.

And it will be played out in very differenteconomic times. Whilst the banking crisisemerged not long after our last strategicplan was published, there was asignificant time lag before the full scale ofthe challenge was realised and still longerbefore higher education, operating onthree-year future cycles, began to beaffected. Paradoxically, the decision tointroduce full-cost fees gave universitiesanother strong year in 2011 as applicantssought to pre-empt a near-tripling of cost,meaning that the first three-year cycle ofmeaningful decline for universities lessstrong in the market did not begin inearnest until September 2012.

The implications over the triennium will be significant. For successful universities,able to recruit and retain to target andattract substantial numbers of ABB or better qualified students at a market(£9k) fee, the middle years of the currentdecade could be a time of opportunityand significant relative, if not absolute,progress. For less successful universities,unable to sustain market demand or fee levels, recruiting fewer and less well-qualified entrants, vulnerable tocompetition from new, perhaps mass,providers, the vicious circle begins in earnest.

Current HE Environment


The economic imperatives mean that thesector cannot presume to be sustained bythe state, and we may well see a lessgenerous system of student support, withconcomitant implications for marketdemand, later in the decade. Nor can wepresume ideological support, with thecurrent administration wedded toincreasing competition, the marketizationof higher education and the opening-up of awarding powers to both private andnot-for-profit suppliers. Continueduncertainty in the areas of professionaltraining, particularly teaching, butincluding social work and health couldalso provide a destabilising effect.

That said, the traditional market for full-time, post-school, campus-basedhigher education will remain as the routeof choice for a substantial majority. To prosper in this vital, but probablyscale-diminished, market, a university’sbrand and reputation will be crucial. This will extend from strong links with the ‘supply chain’ through to excellentmarketing and public relations, a clearsense of widely-owned and articulatedvision with realistic goals, an outstandingstudent experience delivered bycommitted and highly able staff on asector-leading campus, to positivegraduate outcomes.

Away from the key area of studentrecruitment there are other new as well as continuing challenges. There willundoubtedly be a further concentration of Research Excellence Framework (REF)and UK Research Council funding. TheGovernment has also been very clearabout the importance of the researchimpact agenda, with a track record moredifficult to establish for organisationswithout a significant research heritage.The challenge of being relatively late into the international market, and thedown-turn in international demand insome markets following UKBAinterventions are very real. However theseissues should not prevent us from seekingto establish significant research andinternational profiles, and, beyond the keyneed to recruit and retain strongly fromthe UK and EU and provide anoutstanding student experience, theseremain core University aims.

We start from a relatively strong position,but a position that has not been tested ina context as challenging as the one thatconfronts us. This strategy articulates howwe will rise to that challenge.


Edge Hill University– creating and harnessingknowledge to deliveropportunity

Edge Hill University will provide anintellectually stimulating, creative and inclusive environment for itscommunity. Teaching and learning of the highest standard, supported bypure and applied research of internationalsignificance, will provide a firm foundationfor its graduates, and other stakeholdersin a rapidly changing world. Aninternational perspective, knowledge andunderstanding, and a life-long capacity to learn and adapt, is the surest way of securing an individual’s and the nation’s future.

Mission University’s Mission Statement


Edge Hill University will:• Harness the creativity, knowledge and

commitment of its staff to promote its values and enhance its activities.

• Provide an outstanding student experience, underpinned by high quality learning and teaching, and further develop its strong sense of community.

• Build its research capacity, and, in particular, establish research centres in the areas of public policy and the creative industries in addition to a postgraduate medical institute.

• Strengthen its links to business and the region, and enhance student employability.

• Establish both national and international partnerships, which will enrich university life, deepen our understanding of the world, and benefit the region and, more broadly, the UK economy.

• Continue its investment in the campus and facilities to create an outstanding environment for these activities.

Our core values lie in our wholeheartedcommitment to our staff, students andpartners, and our constant efforts toimprove in all we do. Our approach isinclusive; we celebrate diversity, and willtirelessly strive to enhance the lifeopportunities that a good educationprovides for our students. The University will be both financially and environmentally sustainable, seeking always to reinvest its resources to enhance the student experience, its research capacity, and its engagementwith the public and third sectors, businessand the region, as well as its localcommunity. We will be decisive andfocused in all we do, and plan with a realistic ambition founded on our strong progress to date.

The Edge Hill community will:• embrace challenge

and seize opportunity• expect and celebrate creativity

and excellence• act responsibly and with integrity• show determination, resilience,

ambition and adaptability• work together to deliver our Vision

ValuesUniversity Vision 2020


Strategic Aims


Our strategic aims are gathered together underheadings that reflect both our vision and values.They are: Student Experience, ResearchCapability and Impact, External Partnerships,International Engagement, People and Sustainability.

We will measure our success in a range ofways, but attach a list of key performancemeasures which reflect the aims that follow.

• Provide an exceptional, student-centred experience founded on internationally significant research, pedagogic best practice, and personal commitment

• Seek to be ranked in the top 10 of mainstream English universities for student satisfaction as measured by the NSS

• Provide a focussed approach to student employability and entrepreneurship aiming to secure student employment rates in the top quartile/decile within the sector. We will enhance the employability of our students by enabling them to develop transferable skills and designing programmes which directly address employer’s needs

• Broaden its appeal and attract a wider geographical and social mix of students

• Continue recent strong improvements in student retention and attainment, with results significantly above HEFCE benchmarks

• Diversify its modes of delivery, building its emerging reputation for innovation in on-line teaching, continually refreshing its approach to take into account current and emerging technologies

• Broaden and develop its taught postgraduate capacity and offer in all three faculties

• Work collaboratively with the student body and the Student’s Union to understand and meet their needs

To enhance the Student Experience the University will:



• Further increase its research capacity through the recruitment of exceptional individuals and the nurture and development of its current staff

• Establish a pro-active approach to research impact as defined by the UK government

• Continue to enhance its research environment, through the provision of seminar series, national and international conferences, and the appointment and internal development of research leaders

• Selectively invest in projects to support new researchers, pump prime new initiatives and cross institutional research

• Broaden its pool of research supervisors, build a significant body of full and part-time postgraduate research students, and secure a larger proportion of UK external research grants

• Work to make our offer more distinctive and in particular will:- Establish research centres in the areas of the public sector and professional practice and creative industries with national and international impact

- Establish a Faculty of Health and Social Care Postgraduate Medical Institute with strong links to regional trusts, hospitals and health professionals

- Continue to develop the research capacity of the Faculty of Education with a focus on applied research and with a strong international strand

• Encourage other interdisciplinary research within the University to enhance its reputation and broaden its impact

• Facilitate and develop international collaborations

• Significantly improve its position amongst UK HEIs in the REF return beyond 2014

To improve its Research Capability and Impact the University will:


• Continue to communicate with and listen to its internal stakeholders, and work to ensure that decisions and plans are informed and influenced by all

• Encourage an outward looking, pro-active and entrepreneurial approach from its staff

• Ensure the future of the organization by identifying, nurturing and developing future leaders

• Reap the positive business benefits of a strategic approach to wellbeing so enhancing staff motivation and engagement

• Enhance the knowledge and expertise needed to deliver innovative and high quality learning and teaching

• Significantly improve research capacity, the business skills which enable knowledge transfer and provide structured support for new researchers

• Ensure that services delivered are high quality, flexible, add value and are fit for purpose

• Recognise and reward strong performance

To develop the capacity andcapability of its Peoplethe University will:

• Establish closer working relationships with stakeholders including schools, hospitals, businesses, government agencies and local authorities, and use these partnerships to enhance our student employability, applied research and provision of continuing professional development

• Establish a clear account of its expertise and a sound reputation as a useful resource for business and the public sector

• Increase the number of University knowledge transfer partnerships and promote translational research to meet the needs of business and society

• Continue to enhance the cultural and intellectual life of our local and regional communities through public lectures, drama and music performances

• Work with our alumni base, using them as ambassadors and influencers, and to establish links to business and the region

To extend and strengthen itsExternal Partnershipsthe University will:


• Embed international perspectives across the Institution

• Significantly increase the proportion of overseas students in our student body

• Provide linguistic, cultural, pastoral support and services to ensure that international students gain the maximum benefit from their time with us

• Provide opportunities and pathways for UK based students to study abroad

• Build and deepen relationships with key strategic overseas partners which will enhance student exchange, research opportunities and staff development

• Continue to recruit staff globally

• Continue to build a distinctive Edge Hill brand and outstanding reputation

• Refresh its academic portfolio at all levels to meet student and employer demand

• Seek to develop new markets and to diversify income

• Pay close attention to the recruitment and subsequent retention of its students

• Generate significant out-turns for investment

• Retain substantial cash balances to protect against a turbulent environment

• Continue to invest in the campus to enhance the student experience and our research profile

To extend and strengthen its International Engagement the University will:

To build Sustainability the University will:


The Corporate Plan is supported by thefollowing principal strategies and theirimplementation plans: • Learning and Teaching Strategy

(Academic Board, revised after 3 years)

• Research (Academic Board,revised after 3 years)

• Enterprise Strategy (Academic Board, revised after 3 years)

• International Strategy (Academic Board, revised after 3 years)

• People Strategy (Resources Committee, revised after 3 years)

• Estates Strategy (Resources Committee, revised after 3 years)

• Finance Strategy (Resources Committee, 5 year strategy, revised annually)

Annual academic planning will specify the challenges, expectations and risksinvolved for academic areas, but withinthe framework determined by theStrategic Plan.

It will be the responsibility of theDirectorate to deliver the aims of this strategy through specificimplementation plans.

The Directorate will also monitor deliveryof the plan and report annually toAcademic Board and the Governing Body.

The University Governing Body will usekey performance measures to monitorand measure institutional performance;these now follow.

Supporting strategies and activities

Progress towards achieving theUniversity’s vision needs to be measuredthrough an agreed series of KPMs. To the right we have arranged these undersix headings: Student Experience (with aspecific set of KPMs for Learning andTeaching), Research and Impact,Partnerships International, People,Sustainability which map onto thestrategic aims above.

Learning and Teaching• NSS and internal survey ratings• Graduate employability• Proportion of good degrees• Student retention rates• Student entry tariffs• National teaching awards

Student Experience• Student Union NSS ratings• Volume of SU activities

(societies, events, etc)• Organisation and management

score in NSS• Student satisfaction with

campus environment• % of Estate in condition A/B• % of first year students housed

on campus

Research and Impact• Proportion of academic staff

returned in the REF• REF ratings by academic return• External research grant income• Number of full-time PGR students

and their completion rates• Grant income from industry

and commerce• Quality of REF Impact case studies

Key Performance Measures


Partnerships• Number of active UK strategic

partners (including schools, trusts and hospitals)

• Volume of CPD work delivered• External footfall on campus, including

to Sporting Edge and the Arts Centre• The number of KTPs and other

enterprise partnerships with external businesses

• Size of active alumni base

International• Proportion of total tuition fee income

from overseas students • Percentage of OS students at

Edge Hill campus• Number of student registrations at

OS campuses• Number of international

research collaborations• Proportion of non-UK academic staff• Number of home students

studying abroad

People • Staff turnover • Outcome of staff survey • Participation in performance review

and development• Equal pay audit• Sickness absence

Sustainability• Ratio of applications to places • Conversion rates• Scale of retained surplus • Levels of borrowing • Proportion of staff costs • Cash balances


As is clear from the discussion of the HEenvironment we live in turbulent times. Itis difficult to predict what thatenvironment will be like in 2 years, andrather pointless trying to guess its state in2020. As a consequence determiningspecific achievements for 2020 is almostimpossible, and of course a majorhostage to fortune for those managersthat will still be in the University at thatstage. Moreover it is far from clearwhether such specific plans shouldappear in a publicly available document.

On the other hand a long-term strategycan appear vacuous when couchedentirely in generic terms. Therefore wethink it would be sensible to illustrate theMission by a set of aspirations that arerepresented below and which may requireannual discussion. We also recommendthat the Strategy itself is reviewed everytwo years to ensure that it remainsrelevant.

Appendix: Strategic Targets for 2020


Learning and Teaching Aim by 2020

NSS ratings NSS ranking within top decile for sectorGraduate employability Employability within top decile/quartile for sectorProportion of good degrees Exceeding expected benchmark from entry tariffStudent retention rates To exceed HEFCE benchmarksNational reputation Further increase number of National Teaching Fellowships

Research Aim by 2020

Progress on REF 50% of academic staff returnable in next REFImpact Agenda Range of well-developed impact cases for eachprojected UoAResearch Environment Doubling current grant income (in real terms) Postgraduate Community Minimum of 36 PhD completions from GTAsInterdisciplinary Research Institute for Public Policy and Professional Practice,

Institute for Creative Enterprise, Postgraduate Medical Institute and Clinical Trials Unit established with national and international impact and strongly supporting prospective REF returns

Applicable Research Develop practice based research expertise in professionalareas, e.g. Education, Health and Social Work

International Aim by 2020

OS students on campus Between 5 and 10% of students on campus from OSOS partnerships Develop the Confucius Institute so that it is nationally

recognised as a centre for Mandarin teacher trainingSeek to establish shared branch campuses for Education and Health in China

International perspectives Deep engagement with China and also the USAOperating UG and PG curriculum frameworks that have an international dimension Increase number of staff with international experience


Partnerships Aim by 2020

Employer engagement Continue and embed the work undertaken under the current HEFCE initiative to secure external training contracts with significant private sector companies

Knowledge Transfer Extend the number and range of KTPs, with 10 new Partnerships ones completed and a specific emphasis on the

creative industriesDistance learning activities Extending the activities of the Health TEL team into

other professional programmes and supporting on-campus learning

Staff Aim by 2020

Performance management Performance Review is completed annually for all qualifying staff

Excellent delivery A Customer Service Excellence Award (or similar) is achieved by all relevant service departments

Resource management Accurate, timely, high quality and relevant staff related data is available in real time for managers

Staff engagement Achievement of positive outcomes in IiP assessment, and recognition Equal Pay Audit and annual Staff SurveyStrategic delivery Achievement of all Key Performance Indicators as

identified in the People Strategy and reported on in the HR Annual report

Staff recruitment All staff recruitment is underpinned by robust methods of assessment and selection testing


Estate and Finances Aim by 2020

Annual surpluses To be no less than 10% of turnover (reviewed annually)Cash reserves To be in excess of £25m or 25% of turnoverBorrowing levels Not to exceed £40m or 40% or turnoverInvestment on campus Major infrastructure to be completed by 2020

Major strategic projects• Completion of Sporting Edge development• Provision of on-site residential accommodation for all year one students who require it• Creative Edge Building and Institute for Creative Enterprise established in the

Faculty of Arts and Sciences• Establishment of Postgraduate Medical Institute and Clinical Trials Unit in

Faculty of Health and Social Care• Establishment of Confucius Institute in the Faculty of Education, and develop a

strong national reputation in Chinese education policy• Create the Institute for Public Policy and Professional Practice


Founded in

Student Numbers(Higher Education Statistics Agency 2012)

10,110

1885

full-time

12,240part-time

14,605 undergraduate

7,745postgraduate

including those studying offsite and in the workplace

93.4%

Sunday Times University Guide

Best in the North Westfor Teaching Excellence

(STUG, 2013)

National Student Survey, 2012

Top in the North West for Personal Development

and Assessment & Feedback

Top Four in Englandfor largest percentage increases

in applications to study in 2012/2013(UCAS, 30th June 2012, refers to full, English universities)

of Edge Hill studentsfind work or further study

within six months of graduation,significantly exceeding the

national average (HESA Destination of Leavers Survey 2011/2012)

3timesShortlisted for

in five years2007/8, 2010/11 & 2011/12

University of the Year THE Awards

(Times Higher Education Awards)

Top in the North West for largest percentage increasein applications to study in 2012/2013(UCAS, 30th June 2012, refers to full, English universities)

Top two in the North Westfor Graduate Employment (Higher Education Statistics Agency, 2011, all graduates, full & parttime, first & foundation degrees)

Rated in the UK Top sixfor Courses & Lecturers by studentsreviewing their experiences (Whatuni.com, 2011)

Applications have increased from 4,511 in 2000 to 18, 867 in 2012 – an increaseof 502% in the last decade(UCAS, 30th June 2012, percentage is based on a relative increase, taking into account thereduction of UCAS applicants’ choice of institutions from six to five)

Ofsted

Grade 1“Outstanding”in all areas of initial teacher training(Ofsted, 2011)

Edge Hill UniversitySt Helens road

Ormskirk L39 4QPUnited Kingdom

Tel: 0(44)1695 575171edgehill.ac.uk

Version 1.0Published July 2013

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Cs 1233 ehu strategic plan