School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES) 2019 ... · SSEES’s latest Strategic Operating Plan (SOP) represents an update on its 2018/2023 submission, which saw SSEES reset

LONDON’S GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES)

2019 - 2024 Strategic Operating Plan

Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................... 2

STUDENT, STAFF & FINANCIAL SUMMARY ....................................................................................... 3

KEY ACTIONS & MILESTONES SUMMARY ......................................................................................... 4

SECTION 2 | EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................ 7

SECTION 3 | OBJECTIVES & ACTIONS ................................................................................................ 9

SECTION 4 | DOCTORAL EDUCATION & TRAINING ..........................................................................15

SECTION 5 | INTERNAL ENABLERS, BARRIERS & OPERATIONAL IMPACT ..................................17

SECTION 6 | SPACE & FACILITIES .....................................................................................................19

SECTION 7 | STOPPING & SHRINKING ...............................................................................................20

FURTHER INFORMATION

Mr Chris Harrop | Assistant Director | UCL SSEES Tel: 28804 | Email: [email protected]

Document Control

Version: 1_1_1 Date: 25/04/2019 Last Author: Chris Harrop

mailto:[email protected]

UCL SSEES Strategic Operating Plan 2019 - 2024

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SSEES’s latest Strategic Operating Plan (SOP) represents an update on its 2018/2023 submission, which saw SSEES reset and redefine our mission and strategy. Over the last 12 months, the School has made significant progress in executing its new strategy, and this SOP seeks to build upon this momentum. SSEES’s unique mission focuses on undertaking world-class interdisciplinary research and education on East Europe that crosses the social sciences, arts and humanities, coupled with a related emphasis to engage with, and in, the region. This mission is set within a wider academic and methodological framework of a pioneering Critical Area Studies ethos and approach. The achievement of the School’s mission is underpinned by six strategic objectives that cover SSEES’s key areas of activity, and the organisational priorities to suitably balance the School’s student community, maintain required academic capacity and to refresh the School’s intellectual community. Going forwards, the focus is on consolidating and stabilising the size of the SSEES’s student community, whilst seeking to further diversify the markets that the School recruits from is critical; however, the potential headwinds and impact of the UK’s planned departure from the European Union serve to present additional challenges to sustaining SSEES’s student recruitment. Sustainable growth to the School’s research portfolio remains a key target, together with rigorous and comprehensive preparations for the next REF, which is being assisted by various planned investments in the School’s research environment and culture. Enhancing the School’s student experience is a further key area of focus, amplified by the requirements of the Teaching Excellence Framework, which will be tackled from a range of directions. Underlying SSEES’s core research and educational objectives, is a significant emphasis on modernising how the School operates and functions, and ensuring the School maximises fully the benefits of its special and highly-valued status within UCL. A range of initiatives and reforms are planned and/or in-train that will ensure the School has the necessary foundations and capabilities to respond to and thrive in its changing external and internal operating environment, and which will also seek to address various deep-seated organisational challenges. Overall, the School’s latest SOP represents the next phase in realising our ambitious, but pragmatic vision, which will move the School forward and ensure we contribute fully to UCL’s mission and strategy. Professor Diane P. Koenker UCL SSEES Director


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STUDENT, STAFF & FINANCIAL SUMMARY

17-18 18-19 18-19 19/20 20/21 21/22

Actual Budget F1 Projection Projection Projection

Staff (FTE)

Academic 60 65 64 65 69 69

Research 6 8 8 13 12 12

Support Services 18 22 20 21 21 21

Total 84 95 92 99 102 101

Students (FTE Load)

UG 649 660 673 660 646 631

PGT 218 229 233 237 236 246

PGR 45 38 40 41 41 41

Total 912 927 946 938 923 918

Financials (£m)

Income 14.2 14.6 15.3 15.7 15.8 16.0

Expenditure 7.1 8.1 7.7 8.3 8.6 8.8

Contribution (£m) 7.0 6.5 7.6 7.4 7.2 7.2

Contribution % 49.7% 44.7% 49.9% 47.3% 45.5% 45.0%

Target Contribution (£m) 7.10 7.10 7.17

Variance (£m) 0.3 0.1 0.0


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KEY ACTIONS & MILESTONES SUMMARY

Key Actions

2019/20 2020/21 2021/22

Research & Impact

Progress REF preparations.

Launch Intelligence & Policy Unit

Visiting Fellows scheme established.

Submit REF submission

Launch International Doctoral Training Network.

Research grant capture in upper quartile of Area Studies Russell Group peers.

40%+ of academic staff holding grants.

Establish consulting and capacity training relationship with UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

Education & Student Support

Kick-off curriculum review process.

Prepare for official TEF subject area(s) submission.

Launch new UG Cultures, History & Societies degree programme.

Consistent improvement in UG and PGT student experience.

Complete curriculum review process.

Develop established online/MOOCS portfolio.

Mobility & Global Engagement

Develop engagement with UCL Cities Initiatives.

Exchanges established in all East European countries.

New IMESS Consortium Agreement agreed.

Student mobility rates highest amongst Area Studies Russell Group peers.

Collaboration & Public Outreach

Secure hosting of ICCESS World Conference 2025

Recruit and appoint a Visiting Professor of Practice.

A SSEES public event one of top 10 most viewed UK academic broadcasts on social media.

Organisation & Management

Submit Athena Swan Bronze submission.

Complete TOPS transformation.

Prepare Athena Swan Silver submission.

Resources & Facilities

Launch alumni and donor engagement strategy.

Secure large gift(s).


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SECTION 1 | VISION MISSION 1.1 Founded in 1915, the School of Slavonic &

East European’s unique mission is to:

a) Critically research and analyse the interconnected social, political, economic, cultural, linguistic and anthropological dynamics that have moulded and continue to shape East Europe.

b) Provide an interdisciplinary research-led

educational experience at all levels of study that equips students with an unparalleled knowledge of East Europe and the latest linguistic, analytical and methodological skills to engage and interpret the Region and its position in the wider world.

c) Reach-out and interact with policy-

makers, practitioners and the public to aid and inform wider debates on and in East Europe.

1.2 In achieving the School’s mission, SSEES

will maintain and develop its position as a preeminent centre in the world for the study of East Europe and a leading global proponent of language-based critical area studies, working at the forefront of the discipline.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES & PRIORITIES 1.3 Underpinning SSEES’s enduring mission,

which is as relevant and important today as it was 100 years ago, are the following strategic objectives that will be the focus of the School’s energies over the current planning period:

a) Research & Impact – Conducting and

publishing world class interdisciplinary research, underpinned by a growing portfolio of funded grants and from which real-world impact is realised.

b) Education & Student Support – Delivering an interdisciplinary research-led portfolio of outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate education and training, underpinned by excellent student support, which draws

upon SSEES’s unique strengths and engages diverse cohorts of students in the latest developments in language-based critical area studies.

c) Mobility & Global Engagement – Expand and deepen the School’s network of strategic international partners, increasing opportunities for inward and outbound student and staff mobility.

d) Collaboration & Outreach – Running a rolling programme of external events and initiatives that critically engages policy-makers, practitioners and the public in the latest debates on and in East Europe and showcases the School’s research and education.

e) Organisation & Management – Evolving and flexing SSEES’s internal governance, management and operations to enable the School to maximise its resources and special status within UCL’s institutional structure.

f) Resources & Facilities – Stabilise and balance the size and shape of SSEES’s student community; proactively maximise the income-generating opportunities from research, consultancy, innovation, alumni and major donors; and secure investment in providing student and staff with world-class facilities and equipment.

1.4 Underpinning the School’s strategic

objectives are following key organisational priorities that shape the School’s approach and actions:

a) Securing and maintaining a stable and

diverse student community, which is appropriately balanced across the School’s programme areas.

b) Ensuring the School possesses critical academic capacity and capability that is also appropriately balanced across the School’s programme areas and aligned to current and emerging priority academic themes.


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c) Refreshing the School’s sense of intellectual and academic community amongst all staff and students.

ALIGNMENT TO UCL 3034

1.5 SSEES’s mission and strategic objectives

align and will make an important intellectual contribution to UCL 2034, in particular:

a) Principal Theme 1 – The School will

consolidate its profile as a leading international centre of academic leadership – both in relation to our research and education – in the study of East Europe and the wider field of language-based critical area studies.

b) Principal Theme 2 – The School will strive to utilise the opportunities that its unique interdisciplinary composition and environment provides to further integrate and connect its research and education, serving as an international exemplar within and beyond the area studies discipline.

c) Principal Theme 3 – The School will proactively seek to make critical contributions to today’s most pressing global challenges in fields such as security, conflict resolution, inequality, economic development and state building via our specialist and multidimensional understanding of East Europe and our ability to join and lead cross-disciplinary teams of researchers.


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SECTION 2 | EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT 2.1 The uncertainty and potential impact of the

UK’s planned departure from the European Union is the most significant external factor affecting the School’s strategy and operations to date. Of particular concern in this context is:

a) The future fee status and financial

support available to EU-domiciled students following BREXIT – The School recruits significantly from the EU (approximately 25% of overall intake), of which 40% of EU students come from East European Member States. Students from such East European countries are assessed to be most at risk due to their relative wealth and financial standing, whilst SSEES is committed to ensuring we recruit, educate and train students from the region we study. The School is keen to explore all potential avenues for supporting East European students to come to SSEES, including establishing possible scholarship schemes, together with undertaking enhanced marketing and student recruitment activities.

b) Access to European research funding is a further key issue - SSEES has been very successful in recent years in securing comparatively large amounts of European research grant funding, utilising our extensive network of European collaborators. We have continued to submit grant applications for consideration and will continue to seek and explore all means by which we can securing such funding in the future.

c) Continuity of the Erasmus Plus mobility schemes is a further concern. We believe that all of our key EU-based partners remain committed to collaborating with SSEES to support student and staff mobility, and we have engaged directly with Student & Registry Services and the Globa Engagement Office as to official communication with our partners. Mobility is central to the School’s mission and thus any reduction in resources and/or opportunities would be extremely detrimental. Our regular communication, liaison and networking with our strategic EU-based partners, in additional to the official work of the

University, has been constructive and this will continue into the future.

d) The potential current and future impact on the recruitment and retention of EU staff. We have not yet experienced any observed difficulty with either the recruitment or retention of EU staff; however, we remain vigilant to any such developments. The School is grateful that UCL has been proactive and generous in its support to EU colleagues.

2.2 There has been no discernible change in

Russia’s political, economic and social conditions over the last 12 months, with no further barriers put in place hindering our engagement with our key strategic partners, such as the Higher School of Economics (HSE). We remain in close liaison with our key partners in Russia and will continue to closely monitor the domestic position as to the Government’s appetite for engaging with ‘Western’ HEIs in developing the sector, particularly in relation to the support and future of the Federal Government’s 5/100 programme, which is designed to support and support globally-leading Russian HEI’s.

2.3 Within Central and Eastern Europe, in some

particular countries, specifically Hungary, the climate facing the Higher Education sector and its domestic academy is becoming more challenging. The School will continue to campaign for academic freedom across the region and ensure our collaborations and networks with our relevant partner institutions are defended and strengthened.

2.4 Domestically, any potential future changes to

England’s undergraduate student fees and financial support arrangements, particularly measures that reduce fee rates for Arts and/or Social Sciences degrees and/or cap student numbers is viewed as the most prominent external issue on the horizon. Any such changes would likely alter the School’s financial model and would further challenge our ability to deliver sustainably our extensive and unique portfolio of specialist East European languages. Until further details of any possible future funding landscape become clearer, it is challenging to comment in any


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further at this current juncture; however, the School does intend to highlight to politicians and policy-makers the importance of maintaining and sustaining SSEES’s specialist expertise in any ensuing consultations and debates, working closely with relevant learned societies (in particular BASEES) and other similar specialist institutions.

2.5 The UK Government’s heightened

concern as to the security and intelligence threat posed by the Russian State is a potential external opportunity for the School. The renewed concern will

require the UK Government, particularly the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD), to enhance its analytical, policy-making and communications capacities, which are recognised to have previously waned. The School’s plans for enhanced public policy and consulting activities, together with our specialist language provision and wider specialist education and training, connects to this agenda and we plan further engagement with key stakeholders to seek to play a suitably active role in any such capacity-building by the UK Government and other actors.


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SECTION 3 | OBJECTIVES & ACTIONS

# Approach Actions

1. Research & Impact 1.1 Deliver a world-leading

comprehensive REF 2021 submission that consolidates and enhances the School’s profile and QR revenues.

a) Undertake regular and systematic reviews of proposed REF outputs, involving external assessors where relevant.

b) Participate in institutional REF preparation exercises. c) Deploy a dedicated REF ‘Fighting Fund’ to support the

development of the School’s submission, including providing for additional support and teaching buy-out to staff.

d) Run a discipline-specific series of seminars and training events on academic publishing in the Area Studies.

e) Via School’s academic workload planning policies and procedures, ensure research time is protected and maximised.

1.2 Expand the School’s research grants portfolio so that research income per Research & Teaching FTE is in the upper quartile amongst Russell Group peers in the Area Studies and an increasing proportion of staff are holding grants.

a) Undertake discipline-specific horizon scanning exercises of future funding opportunities and potential partners on a systematic basis (at least once per academic year).

b) Implement and maintain new internal peer review policies and procedures.

c) Target submitting at least one large Global Challenges research grant proposal each academic year.

d) Establish and deploy an internal ‘SSEES Seedcorn’ research fund to facilitate the development of initial proposals and collaborations, particularly amongst ECR colleagues.

e) Via the School’s academic workload planning policies and procedures, suitably support funded Principal Investigator time.

1.3 Expand opportunities for out and in bound staff mobility to support research collaborations.

a) Establish and launch a high-profile SSEES Visiting Fellows scheme, which secures external donations and gifts/.

b) Maximise the coverage of Erasmus Plus exchange agreements with partner institutions.

c) Seek further direct access to Global Engagement Office Faculty funds for developing activities and initiatives.

1.4 Develop the School’s network of research centres and groups to ensure their alignment with research priorities and strengths.

a) Complete and implement a review of the current composition and management of the School’s research centres and groups, including the level of funding and other support provided.

b) Maintain and develop the role, activities and profile of the FRINGE centre, including seeking further internal funds to facilitate its activities.

c) Launch and establish a new interdisciplinary Intelligence & Policy centre, which will be a fulcrum and umbrella for applied research, engagement and impact.

1.5 Further enhance engagement with the Institute for Advanced Studies, the European Institute and UCL Public Policy.

a) Provide equitable financial support to the IAS and play an active role in its leadership and management.

b) Provide equitable financial support to the European Institute and play an active role in its leadership and management.

1.6 Improve research support and advice to research-active staff.

a) Maintain the annual Personal Research Allowance (PRA) provided to Research & Teaching staff at £1,250 per annum, and look to provide for further increases in further years, with a target of providing £2,000 PA in the future.


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# Approach Actions

b) Hold research development drop-in sessions for academic staff.

c) Implement the School’s revised sabbatical and research leave policies and procedures.

d) Via School’s academic workload policies and procedures, provide suitable time to appropriately support and facilitate research and impact activities.

1.7 Maximise and expand internal and external doctoral research funding opportunities.

a) Complete and implement a review of the School’s approach to and resources for providing financial support to PGR students.

b) Proactively engage and prospective with potential donors and sponsors to support the School’s PGR community.

c) Develop enhanced relationships with ESRC and AHRC London DTPs to ensure the School is suitably involved and represented.

1.8 Explore and develop proposals to establish collaborative Language-Based Areas Studies international doctoral training network.

a) Develop proposals to create a new form of doctoral training network with current key UK and international partner institutions, including those currently engaged in the AHRC CEELBAS Centre for Doctoral Training that the School leads.

b) Explore potential external funding opportunities for such a network, including the provision of studentships and mobility funding.

2. Education & Student Support 2.1 Embed the concepts and

principles of an interdisciplinary critical area studies Connected Curriculum into all aspects of the School’s teaching provision.

a) Develop a process for comprehensively reviewing the School’s curriculum and seek to launch this in the next 12 to 18 months.

b) Launch a new Undergraduate project-based learning module and explore its wider attractiveness and applicability.

c) Aim to provide all Teaching Fellows with ‘Scholarship Time’ within their workloads.

2.2 Proactively engage and contribute to the next TEF exercise, making ‘Sliver’ (or higher) quality contributions to each subject area that the School is submitted to.

a) Review and reflect on the feedback and lessons learnt from the 2019 TEF subject area pilot.

b) Develop improved ways of working for engaging with lead departments for each subject area SSEES contributes to (Economics, History, Politics and Languages).

c) Develop and maintain comprehensive record of TEF supporting evidence to include in future submissions.

2.3 Review current Undergraduate and Postgraduate degree portfolio to ensure it remains contemporary and attractive.

d) Identify a group of international competitors against which to compare and benchmark the quality, reach and marketing of the School’s provision.

e) Utilise available internal and external market intelligence to shape the future positioning and branding of the School’s programmes.

2.4 Develop new interdisciplinary Undergraduate degree programmes.

a) Develop and launch a new cutting-edge interdisciplinary Cultures, History & Societies (CHS) undergraduate degree programme.

2.5 Further embed mobility opportunities into the School’s curriculum.

a) Expand the School’s network of partner institutions providing student exchanges across East Europe, particularly in countries where we have no/limited representation, such as some Baltic States and Ukraine.

b) Maximise the coverage of Erasmus Plus exchange agreements with partner institutions.


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# Approach Actions

c) Explore the potential for offering additional optional fieldwork and trips to students.

d) Launch and establish a new International Masters in Comparative Russian & Eurasian Politics with HSE St Petersburg.

e) Continue discussions as to establishing a new Undergraduate Global Economics degree programme in partnership with HSE St Petersburg, Pompeu Fabra and at least one (1) leading institution in East Asia (China).

2.6 Enhance internship and placement opportunities available to Undergraduate and Postgraduate students.

a) Utilise external networks via the School’s Alumni Association, Advisory Board and other relevant forums to explore, identify and establish suitable internship opportunities for students.

b) Develop and promote the School’s research volunteering scheme, ensuring such opportunities are equitably open and available to all interested students.

c) Engage with East European embassies and other diplomatic and political actors as to specialist postgraduate internship opportunities.

2.7 Promote and expand language learning across the School’s programmes, UCL more widely and amongst other institutions.

a) Improve the presence and promotion of available language modules to students within and across UCL.

b) Liaise and build enhanced relationships with other relevant departments and schools to promote SSEES’s languages.

c) Open-up and promote the School’s language modules to auditing PGR students requiring enhanced language training from across and out-with UCL.

2.7 Develop and launch new non-standard teaching provision to provide tasters and introductions to the School’s programmes.

a) Develop and run ‘taster’ MOOCs targeted at international postgraduate students.

b) Run and test online language training. c) Run a pilot undergraduate summer school.

2.8 Remould and enhance the School’s student support structures, policies and procedures.

a) Develop and update the role of the School’s Undergraduate & Postgraduate Tutors.

b) Complete the recruitment and embedding of a new dedicated Student Support Officer into the School to support student progress and wellbeing.

c) Review the School’s personal tutoring system, looking at different models adopted within and beyond UCL.

2.9 Improve the provision of student information.

a) Review and enhance the provision and usage of Moodle, making use of the full functionality of the latest Moodle release.

3. Mobility & Global Engagement 3.1 Develop and deepen network

of strategic academic partners.

a) Identify, develop and maintain a network of up to ten (10) key academic partner institutions, with whom the School will closely collaborate.

b) Refresh the IMESS Consortium Agreement. c) Develop new collaborative academic programmes at

Undergraduate, Postgraduate Taught and Postgraduate Research levels.

3.2 Promote in and out bound student and staff mobility.

a) See Sections 1.3 and 2.5. b) Set and work towards a target for the proportion of

students undertaking some form of mobility during their studies.


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# Approach Actions

3.3 Promote the importance of engagement in East Europe within UCL

a) Increase engagement with the Global Engagement Office on the basis of SSEES operating outside of the Faculty structure and have different approach to internationalisation leadership and management.

b) Secure one East European city (potentially Warsaw) being selected and supported via UCL’s cities initiative, with a SSEES colleague serving as the academic lead.

4. Collaborations & Outreach 4.1 Develop and deliver an

engaging and impactful annual programme of public events and lectures.

a) Complete the revision and implementation of internal events planning, management and approval processes to ensure the delivery of an effective and joined-up programme of events.

b) Hold at least three (3) large public lectures or events per academic year, which are widely publicised and disseminated through the latest technologies.

4.2 Securing the hosting of the 2025 International Council for Central & East European Studies (ICCEES) World Congress

a) Develop and submit a comprehensive bid to host the 2025 ICCESS World Congress at UCL, which would see approximately 2,000 delegates from around the world converge on campus.

4.2 Leverage the growing external profile and impact of the Post-Soviet Press Group to showcase SSEES.

a) Develop new and creative formats for publishing and disseminating the Press Group’s outputs and facilitate further interaction.

4.3 Develop proposals for a new policy and intelligence centre on East Europe, which will be a fulcrum and umbrella for applied research, engagement and impact.

a) Develop and launch a new Intelligence & Policy Unit, which will support the School’s policy, consulting, CDP and engagement activities.

b) Liaise with Enterprise & Innovation, UCL Public Policy and other relevant units and services to support the development and launch of the Unit.

4.4 Seek to appoint a high-profile Visiting Professor(s) of Practice to connect and support external collaboration with non-academic partners.

a) Search and recruit from outside of academia a high-profile Visiting Professor (s) of Practice in the School, who would support the new Intelligence & Policy Unit.

4.5 Maintain and update the School’s web and social media profile to remain contemporary and cutting edge.

a) Continue to develop and enhance the School’s website design and content on UCL’s latest CMS, using the latest analytics and feedback available.

b) Expand the use of video and other more interactive formats to promote the School online, supported by a dedicated Digital Presence Officer.

c) Develop a School’s presence on Chinese and Russian specific social media platforms.

5. Organisation & Management 5.1 Refine and consolidate

leadership and governance structures to support School priorities and maximise available resources.

a) Evolve the School’s governance framework to ensure it is flexible and fit-for-purpose.

b) Consider how students and staff can be further engaged and integrated in the School’s governance and management.

c) Develop and publish a clear statement comprehensively specifying SSEES’s position within UCL and other related governance arrangements and features.

5.2 Engage in the first wave of TOPS amongst Faculties.

a) Seek and secure SSEES’s place in the first wave of Faculty TOPS implementation.


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# Approach Actions

b) Develop and rollout a dedicated SSEES ‘Blueprint’ for the School’s professional services, which recognises the School’s unique status and structures within UCL.

5.3 Refresh and re-energise the School Advisory Broad.

a) Complete the recruitment of new external members to join the Advisory Board.

b) Develop and maintain a proactive schedule of business for the Advisory Board, which ensures that the knowledge and expertise of Board Members is most effectively utilised to the benefit of the School.

c) Seek to further utilise Advisory Board Members as ambassadors and external advocates for SSEES where appropriate.

5.4 Establish proactive local appraisal, develop and succession planning policies and procedures.

a) Implement and monitor the School’s new appraisal policy and procedures.

b) Ensure the School’s dedicated Staff Development Fund is maximised.

c) Complete an overarching succession planning exercise for the School.

5.5 Standardise and enhance the appointment and management of Language Teaching Fellows.

a) Complete the implementation of the School’s 2018 Language Teaching Fellows Review in consultation with affected staff.

5.6 Promote equality, diversity and inclusion across all aspects of the School’s organisation and operations.

a) Develop and submit an application for Athena Swan bronze accreditation.

6. Resources & Facilities 6.1 Maintain a stable student

community for the next 2/3 years.

a) Explore and develop running a dedicated, high-impact SSEES-specific student recruitment campaign, in partnership with and supported by CAM, which is principally targeted at Home and EU students.

b) Work with Student & Registry Services and Political Science to develop and enhance the arrangements of referring declined undergraduate Political Science applicants to SSEES.

c) Develop proposals for potential scholarship and financial support schemes to encourage East European students to study at SSEES following BREXIT.

d) Annually review all student dropout cases to identify any trends and future mitigations.

6.2 Diversify the countries and markets from where the School recruits students.

a) Undertake a series of engagement and outreach events with secondary school teachers across London and the South East of England to develop the profile of SSEES amongst prospective Undergraduate students.

b) Target enhanced student recruitment from North America, particularly at the postgraduate level, through an integrated marketing and profile-raising campaign.

6.3 Maintain a Staff Student Ratio of between 14 and 16 per academic and proactively address academic workload issues.

a) Monitor SSRs during the annual planning process. b) Maintain present levels of support for colleagues on

sabbatical and research leave. c) Review the use and deployment of Postgraduate

Teaching Assistants (PGTAs) in supporting the School’s teaching, learning and assessment activities.


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# Approach Actions

6.4 Execute targeted academic staff recruitment programme, which support the School’s engagement in REF, TEF and KEF.

a) Recruit high-calibre, REF-ready academic staff that will develop and strengthen key identified research and educational priorities, which presently encompass:

Eurasian politics, economics and business;

Comparative literature and cultures of Central and Eastern Europe;

Applied Quantitative Methods in Economics and Social Science; &

Gender Economics. b) Successfully embed the School’s new Professor of

Economics and utilise their leadership skills and experiences.

6.5 Develop and execute strategy for seeking private gifts and donations to support the School’s mission and activities.

a) Identify and document a roster of prospective funding-ready projects and initatives that could be supported by external donations and gifts, such as PGR scholarships, the Visiting Fellows scheme, and mobility grants.

b) Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy to attract and engage donors to specific projects, including producing a dedicated prospectus and promotional materials.

c) For the Director to undertake visits to key international locations with high numbers of SSEES graduates to raise the School’s profile and develop the international alumni network.

6.6 Secure minor works capital funding for refreshing the interior of the School’s premises and supporting enhanced provision for agile working.

a) Develop and implement a comprehensive space management and accommodation policy for the School.

b) Develop and submit an annual minor works business case for refreshing key areas of the School’s premises.

c) Utilise available School resources to develop and enhance the Building, particular in financial years where the School exceeds its contribution targets.

6.7 Secure expanded and enhanced dedicated PGR accommodation.

a) Develop available internal space to maximise PGR hot-desking.

b) Liaise with the SSEES Library as to the potential scope for reconfiguring available space and providing additional facilities for PGRs students.

6.8 Implement new security controls to the Building.

a) Liaise with Estates to put in place improved campus card access controls across the Building.


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SECTION 4 | DOCTORAL EDUCATION & TRAINING 4.1 The School aims to recruit a

multidisciplinary community of high-calibre doctoral students, and provide specialist training and support to produce the next generation of experts who are able to analyse and understand East Europe using a variety of lenses and methodologies. A vibrant and diverse PGR community is central to our strategy of being a pioneer of critical language-based area studies, and to our wider external reputation and position as a centre of disciplinary and intellectual leadership.

4.2 The School has an approximate community

of 60 active PGR students (including CRS) at any one time, who are based principally in our Politics & Society and Languages & Cultures programme areas. The size of the community has remained relatively stable in recent years and going forwards our target is to maintain this, which is a position that is comparatively strong compared to other UK Area Studies units (based on PhD student to academic staff ratios), whilst seeking to attract and recruit students of the highest calibre to join SSEES.

4.3 Since 2014, SSEES has been the lead

institution for the CEELBAS (Central & East European Language Based Areas Studies) Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), which is funded and accredited by the AHRC and is a partnership with the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Manchester, whilst we also participate and benefit from the London ESRC and AHRC doctorial training partnerships.

4.3 SSEES PGR students are all now coded

under Social & Historical Sciences for regulatory and quality assurance purposes, although our students undertake research and training across the social sciences, arts and humanities.

4.4 Our latest available PGR performance data

is unfortunately mixed. The School’s last recorded PGR satisfaction rating, as from PRES, was 70%, which was disappointing and below internal UCL and wider sector benchmarks. However, our submission rates remain robust (88% for latest relevant cohort) and our REF preparations are

targeted at further maximising our PhD completions by the next REF census date.

4.3 Our approach to supporting and enhancing

our doctoral community, with a particular emphasis on improving our PGR experience, focuses on:

a) Reviewing and maximising our

financial support for PGR students – The School presently have several streams of funding for PGR study; however, we want to ensure such resources are maximised and most effectively targeted.

b) Enhance our engagement in the ESRC and AHRC London DTPs – Funding for further studentships via our CEELBAS CDT has now unfortunately concluded and to help replace this we need to increase our success in securing funding from the main ESRC and AHRC DTPs. This will be facilitated by engaging more closely in each DTP’s activities/management, gaining a much better understanding of how they operate, and improving our internal processes for submitting prospective students into the various studentship competitions.

c) Develop a new international East European doctoral training network – We are actively exploring how SSEES can lead the establishment of a new form of international doctoral training network, incorporating our key strategic partners across East Europe, that will support specialist PGR collaborative training and supervision. Such plans are still at an early stage, but we consider that we can develop an attractive and viable proposal that will offer partner institutions and prospective doctoral students a unique opportunity to conduct specialist collaborative training and research.

d) Develop our PGR facilities – To compete effectively for high-calibre students we need to improve the School’s facilities, particularly study space, that we provide to our PGR students. In the last 12 months, we have opened-up a refurbished PGR hot-


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desking facility, which has been extremely popular, and we want to build further upon such measures.

e) Build a closer and more cohesive PGR community – We are working with our PGR representatives to explore what new events and support we can provide to more closely bind our PGR students together as a cohort and provide them with a greater voice and presence in the School. Due to the disciplinary diversity of the research undertaken, together with space issues, the collective strength and identity of our PGR community has been limited and we are committed to addressing this.

f) Improved PGR pastoral and wellbeing support – The wellbeing of PGRs is consistently identified as a key challenge and we are investigating what additional support the School can provide to assist our PGR students throughout their studies. In particular, specialist wellbeing and mindfulness training is presently being considered, for example, whilst

further support and training for supervisors has also been identified as an area for further work in this domain.

g) Identify and support training needs more effectively – We will review our approach to Training Needs Analysis (TNA) to ensure the process is working most effectively for the benefit of our students and their training, and consider whether there is any core training central to the School’s ethos and conduct of critical language-based areas studies that we should deliver locally within SSESS.

4.4 In addition to these specific steps, the

School more broadly seeks to ensure its PGR students are embedded firmly into our academic community and are, essentially, treated and supported as members of staff/faculty, following continental European models more closely. This ethos and approach aims to correctly recognise the importance of PGRs to SSEES and support their development as Early Career Researchers (ECRs).


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SECTION 5 | INTERNAL ENABLERS, BARRIERS & OPERATIONAL IMPACT 5.1 The key internal issues affecting SSEES’s

plans and performance focus on:

a) Status – SSEES’s formal internal status as sitting outside of the Faculty structure provides the School with a range of critical material benefits, not least significant autonomy, flexibility and integration. However, the School can be left of out-of-loop as to decisions, information and resources compared to the Faculties, which can require additional leadership and management time and energy to address. Over the last 12 months, the School has worked to further engage internally to ensure greater understanding and awareness of SSEES and its position within the UCL ‘ecosystem’, which we consider is having a positive impact, and we plan to further continue and build upon these efforts to ensure our voice and non-financial contribution to UCL is amplified.

b) Structures – Owing to SSEES’s unique

internal status a range of organisational and operational structures and systems remain too often complex. Over the last year, for example, we implemented reforms to the School’s leadership and management structures that has sought to ensure time, energy and expertise is better orientated towards the School’s priorities, which have been constructive; however, we continue to be challenged with securing interest in key School roles. Further consideration of the School’s programme and module coding, which remains too influenced by the School’s previous departmental make-up, via the Academic Model Project, would also be advantageous as to supporting key aspects of our educational operations.

UCL SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS

VP Office / Professional Service Support Required

Communications & Marketing Support to develop new, targeted student recruitment campaigns, particularly in relation to Politics & Sociology.

Culture Further explore potential opportunities to engage on joint initiatives and projects that promote SSEES and the region we study.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Further support and advice to complete and submit the School’s Bronze Athena Swan application.

Estates Advice and support as to how to maximise the School’s premises within the context of the UCL’s space norms.

Dedicated support for an on-going portfolio of minor works projects and enhancements.

Agree enhanced cleaning regime that takes account of the Building’s unique features.

Specific support to develop a proposal for hosting a major international academic conference in 2025.

Finance & Business Affairs Support to model and plan the impact of BREXIT on the School’s financial model and to develop mitigation plans.

Human Resources Advice and support for consolidating and enhancing the School’s community of Teaching Fellows.

Continued support for helping EU colleagues obtain necessary UK immigration status following BREXIT.

Information Services Further embed the ‘Central, but Local’ model of IT support.

Specialist SharePoint development and deployment advice and support.


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VP Office / Professional Service Support Required

Legal Services Bespoke support and advice when entering into contractual arrangement with East European partner institutions.

Library Services Continued engagement to ensure the SSEES Library remains the premier specialist collection in the UK and beyond.

Further discussion as to how the SSEES Library’s space and facilities can be developed to support the optimal use of the Building.

OVP Advancement Further advice and support to develop and execute our alumni and donor engagement strategy.

The School is keen to secure further dedicated resource/support in relation to alumni and giving to support our ambitions in this domain.

OVP Education & Student Affairs TEF preparation advice and support.

Support to identify and embed good practice in education provision into the School’s teaching, learning and assessment methods and activities.

OVP Innovation & Enterprise Advice and support as to the establishment of a new Intelligence & Policy Unit.

KEF preparation advice and support.

OVP International Support expanding and deepening our relations with key external partners.

Specialist advice and support to develop our current/planned internationalisation and mobility initiatives.

Further discussion as to how SSEES can directly access funds dedicated to support Faculty global engagement initiatives.

OVP Research Research development advice and support.

Horizon-scanning and intelligence on prospective grant opportunities.

REF preparation advice and support.

Planning Support to model and plan the impact of BREXIT on the School’s financial model and to develop mitigation plans.

Student & Registry Services Further support to turnaround student applications in a timely and accurate manner.

Liaison as to systems for referring suitably-qualified declined undergraduate applicants from other UCL departments (specially Political Science) to the School.

Engagement to consider how the recording and management of the School’s academic portfolio could be streamlined and enhanced.

Continued support to develop current and new collaborative provision.

Further advice and support as to developing our targeted Widening Participation activities.


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SECTION 6 | SPACE & FACILITIES

6.1 The SSEES Building continues to operate at full capacity and consequently creative solutions to maximising available space are being adopted. Improved internal office facilities to support agile working continues to be a particular focus, which requires both refreshing office accommodation and providing enhanced mobile IT provision. Presently a series of minor works projects are in-train to support this agenda, which the School’s current advantageous financial position has helped to finance, and this emphasis will continue into the future.

6.2 Additionally, the School would like to further

explore with the Library how the SSEES Library’s space is being utilised to ensure all of the Building’s available accommodation is optimised towards supporting the School’s mission and objectives, particularly concerning study space and language learning. Any potential major configuration of such space in the current Library area would likely require some major/structural work to the building to facilitate suitable access.

6.3 Despite launching new hot-desking facilities,

SSEES continues to have a critical lack of PGR study space, which hinders both the School’s research environment and student experience. As part of UCL’s wider research and estates strategies, SSEES strongly supports proposals for expanding PGR study space on the Bloomsbury campus.

6.4 Furthermore, moves to provide additional

flexible research space are also strongly supported. Due to the current limitations of the SSEES Building, some research staff use the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) and other facilities, for example, and should we secure a major grant involving Research Assistants and similar we would be in an extremely difficult position to host such staff.

6.5 The School has already engaged in

preliminary discussions as to the development of the next UCL estates strategy and as part of this we considered a range of creative and innovative solutions to addressing our current and future space issues. The importance of SSEES’s current colocation is critical to the School’s health

and success; however, we are open to considering all possible future space and accommodation options that would provide staff and students with the modern space and facilities that are required.

SECTION 7 | STOPPING & SHRINKING 7.1 A key underpinning emphasis of SSEES’s current strategy is to consolidate and direct the School’s

activities and resources in a more focused and joined-up way, avoiding non value-adding activities where possible.

7.2 Over the 12months, we will be principally focused on the following activities/areas:

# Activity/Issue Aim Rational / Outcome(s)

1. Research Seminars & Other Similar Events

Consolidate Further consideration will be given to the planning, frequency and impact of our present range of research seminars and events, which currently require a large degree of time and resources to support.

2. Teaching Fellow Recruitment & Employment

Consolidate Further action will taken to consolidate and stabilise the School’s community of Teaching Fellows, which presently require a significant amount of HR-related support and processing, particularly in relation to contract changes and recruitment.

3. Language Teaching Fellows Contractual Management

Consolidate In the last 12 months, the School completed the first phase of consolidating the contractual positions of our Language Teaching Fellows. We now plan to complete the second phase of this project, which is designed to further reduce the number of additional contracts and/or amendments.

4. Leadership & Management Roles

Consolidate Continued work will be taken forward to ensure SSEES’s leadership and management roles, which require a significant amount of academic time to discharge, are as fit-for-purpose as possible and that we have the correct division and balance of responsibilities between academic and professional service staff.

5. Enhanced demand management of PGT Economics & Business Applications

Reduce The School has presently experienced a surge of approximately 100% in international applications to our PGT Economics & Business degrees, which were already significantly oversubscribed. The handling and processing of such a volume of applications requires significant resources and we will exploring what further measures we can implement to proactively manage and reduce this volume.

Documents

School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES) 2019 ... · SSEES’s latest Strategic Operating Plan (SOP) represents an update on its 2018/2023 submission, which saw SSEES reset