Annual Review 2010-11
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Annual Review 2 0 1 0 / 1 1 CONTENTS | 01 AnnuAl Review 2 0 1 0 / 1 1 Contents 02 Foreword 04 Student body profile 05 Employability 06 Student achievements 09 Staff profile 10 Staff achievements 12 Academic portfolio and developments 13 Quality and standards 14 Estates 15 Access and widening participation 16 International 17 Research and enterprise 19 Honorary fellows 20 Professorial appointments 22 Financial summary 24 Governance and management 02 | FOREWORD Introduction Below: Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Strike left, and Chairman of the University Board, Stephen Henwood “ We believe that the University of Cumbria is in a good place to 2010/11 was an important year for higher levels of student satisfaction. face these new the University of Cumbria. It marked The progress we have made has been challenges and a year of significant progress as the achieved against a background of strategic development programme further structural reorganisation within to continue initiated in 2009/10 was taken forward the university, resulting in the transfer and significant changes were put into of our further education provision to to build on effect. These developments resulted in two new providers, Askham Bryan the introduction of new organisational College at Newton Rigg and Carlisle the successful structures, refreshed governance College in Carlisle. All this has been arrangements and a review of our done within a volatile HE policy and turnaround strategic direction. It was a year in funding environment which has which we performed increasingly affected all three of our major HE of the last 18 strongly with some excellent financial funding contracts. months.” and academic achievements. During 2010/11 we initiated a review The year saw us achieve a significant of the strategic plan. Following financial surplus, for the first time consultation, the University Board since our creation in August 2007. We agreed new Mission and Vision also saw excellent outcomes from a statements, together with an outline QAA Institutional Audit and from an strategic plan, in March 2011. The institutional Ofsted visit of our initial University Board agreed that the plan teacher education. These external provided an appropriate foundation assessments are vital as a confirmation upon which the senior management of the high quality of our academic team could develop detailed business programmes. There has also been a and operating plans for 2011/12 and significant increase in satisfaction levels which provided the necessary flexibility from the National Student Survey, with for future aspirations. Given the overall satisfaction increasing by five per volatile and changing external policy cent. We are determined to continue environment, the University Board this direction of travel to achieve ever will consider further the strategic FOREWORD | 03 plan in 2011/12. A business plan under consideration. Given the without recognising the significant was developed and agreed by the introduction of the new fee regime, contribution of our interim Vice University Board in July 2011. the implementation of the new Chancellor Professor Graham Upton student number controls and the yet who was in post for the whole of In our planning for 2010/11, we to be formally confirmed position of the period covered in this review. sought to anticipate and then respond TDA students, the University Board The contribution made by Graham to the significant changes facing the has, in its plans and risk assessments, to the development of the university higher education sector. The updating made prudent planning assumptions is inestimable, and the university of the strategic and business plans including financial planning. It is also benefitted enormously from his provided an appropriate response to supporting strategic investments experience and his inimitable style of the major changes to HE as initially in business critical areas, including leadership. It is a pleasure to recognise indicated in the Browne report on marketing and recruitment and that contribution here. Graham left the future of higher education and enhancing the international office. the university at the end of July 2011 then set out in the White Paper New enterprise structures have also having played a significant part in ‘Students at the Heart of the System’. been implemented and these are the appointment of our new Vice The Government’s comprehensive being developed further to support a Chancellor Professor Peter Strike who spending review provided the strategic significant increase in both the level and will oversee the next phase of the context for the faculty portfolio impact of our enterprise activities. The university’s development. reviews, begun during 2010/11, as we development and implementation of model and address the likely impact of a new estates strategy is a priority for With such good foundations to these changes on student recruitment. 2011/12 to support the improvement build on, and working together, we This work will continue in 2011/12 as of the quality and utilisation of the are confident that the University we seek to ensure our offer is demand estate in support of enhancing the of Cumbria will go from strength driven and student focused. student experience and improving to strength whilst maintaining the sustainability. In advance of this during student experience, the quality of our In addition, as one of the largest 2010/11 significant investment has academic programmes and continuing providers of teacher education we been made to improve the provision to meet the needs of the communities have sought to engage closely with the of IT equipment for students and staff which we serve. 2010/11 has been an Government and Teacher Development and the quality of classroom audio- exceptional year, and we look forward Agency (TDA) as Government policy visual equipment. With these steps in with genuine enthusiasm to the in relation to teacher education and place, we believe that the University of challenges of 2011/12. training has evolved. There is still a lack Cumbria is in a good place to face the of clarity in relation to policy, although new challenges and will continue to the teacher education Green Paper build on the successful turnaround of in June 2011 begins to provide more the last 18 months. clarity on policy intentions. It would be inappropriate to finish We have significant health care without acknowledging two important contracts and have continued to contributions. Firstly from our staff work closely with the NHS locally and who have continued to demonstrate regionally. We recognise that in the exceptional dedication and support new ‘free market’ there will be both throughout a period of great upheaval. opportunities and challenges. With our They have resolutely maintained strong reputation and areas of niche their commitment to the university provision in healthcare, we are already and despite the significant financial planning for this new agenda, and will challenges and the major change Professor Peter Strike seek to capitalise on its potential. programme, they have continued to Vice Chancellor focus on our core business. As a result, The University Board, through its our students continue to deliver great strategic, financial and academic achievements that build on our national planning has been mindful that the and international reputation, and university and HE sector is facing interest in studying at the University of a continued period of significant Cumbria continues to be high. change and uncertainty, with And secondly, it would also be Stephen Henwood Chairman of the University Board major policy changes planned or inappropriate to end this review 04 | student body profilE Student body profile the univeRsity enRolled 11,751 students This equated to 8,198 full-time equivalent (FTE) students of which 6,556 FTEs were home/EU undergraduates and 1,486 FTEs were home/EU postgraduate. 7,012 FTEs were full-time and 1,186 FTEs were part-time. The university enrolled 820 FE students. 1,486 FTE home/ EU postgraduates 156 Other FTE 8,198 6,556 FTE home/EU undergraduates FTE students univeRsity enRolled 820 FE students Full-time and part-time FTE students 7012 14.5% of FTE 1186 students study part-time 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 full-time part-time EMPlOyABIlITY | 05 Employability 9/10 of our graduates are in emplOyment or further study, six months after graduating*. * Results taken from DlHE survey 2009/10 (latest figures available at time of going to print) 06 | STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS Student achievements On a return visit to the Brampton Road campus, Ian Wharton, a globally- successful graduate, inspired current students on multimedia design courses. He graduated from the campus in 2006, already showing signs of exceptional talent in his field. ‘Solar’, the short animated film Ian produced with friend and co-student Edward Shires for his degree show, Jessica lucas discusses her work with Ian Wharton went on to win the Royal Television Society regional and national student award for best short film. Since graduating, he has worked with some of the world’s top brands and creative teams. He was also recognised as one of the ‘young Guns 8’ by the Art Directors Club in New york. ADC young Guns is a global, cross- disciplinary competition that identifies today’s vanguard of young creative professionals, age 30 and under. left: Peter Hrebik (front) with Glen Walsh of Rocket Consulting ltd Peter Hrebik, 25 and originally a BSc (Hons) in Applied Computing from Poprad, Slovakia, chose to study and secured a job with Rocket in Cumbria because he had friends Consulting Ltd, prestigious specialists in the area. On arriving in Carlisle he in the design and implementation spent the first two years improving of warehouse management and his English language and working as logistics execution systems using SAP a doorman at nightclubs in the city. software and mobile data entry radio Three years on, he graduated with frequency (RF) devices.