THE YEAR IN REVIEW 2015 - 2016 THE YEAR IN REVIEW 2015 – 2016 “We will continue to focus on getting the simple things right: ensuring a good quality student experience, maintaining a campus that is high quality and fit for purpose and building our long-term reputation for excellent teaching and research.” Dr John Cater CBE, Vice-Chancellor THE YEAR IN REVIEW CONTINUING TO BUILD VICE-CHANCELLOR, DR JOHN CATER, REFLECTS ON A YEAR IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND SETS OUT OUR FUTURE AMBITIONS Being named Times Higher Education ‘University of the Year’ in 2014/15 was extremely successful in raising the public perception of the University – our task for this year has been to fulfil that perception as well as continuing to build on the benefits of a year in the academic spotlight. One of my personal aspirations and Skills (now the Department for Business, Energy has always been for Edge Hill to and Industrial Strategy) placed Edge Hill in the top two be acknowledged as one of the UK universities for ‘added value’ – where people are at region’s finest institutions and, the beginning compared with the end of their academic in the Sunday Times University journey – which means we’re making a real impact on League Table 2015, we were people’s lives. Add to this strong graduate employment the most improved university, figures and higher than average graduate salaries, and finishing in the top four in the we certainly seem to have delivered against the title of North West alongside Lancaster, ‘University of the Year’. Liverpool and Manchester. So, where do we go from here? In terms of ambitions Applications to study here increased following University for the future, I’d like to see further improvement in the of the Year, particularly in the Faculty of Arts and next Research Excellence Framework in 2021, following Sciences, which saw a 20% rise, and our conversion rate, our sector-beating progress in the last one. I’d also hope the people who ultimately choose to come here, went up to see our strong reputation for learning and teaching to one in three. Edge Hill also continued to rank highly and student experience – which I believe is outstanding for student satisfaction, coming top in the region and joint – reflected in the Teaching Excellence Framework in fourth in the UK in the latest National Student Survey, 2017. I also want to see Edge Hill feature in the World and maintaining our place in the top two among major University Rankings by the end of the decade. universities in the North West that we’ve held for ten of the last 11 surveys. We were also named the UK’s top If we are to capitalise on our tenure as University of the employer in the European Business Awards 2015/16, Year, we will continue to focus on getting the simple recognising our commitment to staff as well as students. things right: ensuring a good quality student experience, maintaining a campus that is high quality and fit for I’m very proud of these achievements but, for me, purpose and building our long-term reputation for the most important measure of how good we are as a excellent teaching and research. We will be judged as university is the personal progress our students make. an outstanding university every year, not just by the Last year, the Department for Business, Innovation Times Higher, but by our students, staff and stakeholders. 2015 AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER UNIVERSITY OF £30M SPORTS DEVELOPING THE THE YEAR COMPLEX OPENS CURRICULUM As the year commenced, Edge Hill A brand new Sports Centre was A number of new undergraduate held the University of the Year opened at the University by and postgraduate courses were title, awarded in the 10th annual Olympic heptathlete Katarina launched, including Music Times Higher Education (THE) Johnson-Thompson. Production, Popular Music, Awards. Cyber Security and Sports Coaching & Development. PALATINE COURT HIGHEST QUALIFIED The new Halls of Residence provide ATHENA SWAN AWARD INTAKE GET THEIR EXAM 168 new single-study en-suite RESULTS bedrooms, bringing the total number Edge Hill University has received a of students that can live on campus bronze award from Athena SWAN, Over 4,000 new students achieved to 2,259. the charter that recognises commitment the required entry grades to start to tackling gender inequality in programmes in 2015, a 5% increase STEM subjects in higher education. on the previous year. SAFEST UNIVERSITY In gaining the award, the University IN THE REGION has established an action plan to advance and promote the careers of Edge Hill has been ranked the safest women across a range of disciplines. university in the North West for the fourth year running, according to new survey results published by the independent Complete University Guide. CAMPUS CELEBRATES FOUR YEARS OF FLYING CHELTENHAM LITERATURE THE GREEN FLAG FESTIVAL Edge Hill’s beautiful campus retained Edge Hill visited the renowned a prestigious Green Flag award for the Cheltenham Literature Festival and fourth year running. sponsored the festival’s Fiction at 7 series, which provided an opportunity NEW FRONT ENTRANCE to hear a mix of well-known authors talking about their new books. The impressive front entrance to the It was also an opportunity to showcase main building was updated, restoring 7 Fictions, an anthology of work by the elegance of the 1933 original. Edge Hill Associates, containing seven short stories by staff, students and associates of the University. 2016 NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY CHANCELLOR’S BETTER AT HOME FESTIVAL LECTURE SUITE LAUNCH OF IDEAS Broadcaster, writer and presenter The first of its kind in the UK, Edge Hill held its first Festival of Clare Balding visited Edge Hill the Better at Home Suite is an Ideas, featuring a diverse range of to deliver a major event in the innovative training resource for events exploring culture, health University calendar, the annual families of children and young and society. The theme for the Chancellor’s Lecture. people with long-term and 2016 series was Imagining complex medical needs developed Better, which explored ways for in partnership with the charity communities, arts and healthcare WellChild. to develop and flourish, even in times of austerity and inequality. SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS Edge Hill’s Excellence Scholarship Awards were presented to students EXTREME ATHLETE displaying determination, commitment RICHARD PARKS DELIVERS and achievement in their chosen field, PUBLIC LECTURE at a presentation evening held on campus. Richard Parks, former Welsh rugby international turned extreme adventurer, broadcaster and writer, visited Edge Hill to deliver PRESIDENT OF THE BPS a public lecture titled Living Life DELIVERS GUEST LECTURE to the Extreme: Sport, Achievement, Endurance as part of the University’s The President of the British Celebrating Sport events. Psychological Society, Professor Jamie Hacker Hughes, visited Edge Hill to deliver a public lecture titled The Role and Relevance of Psychology in Today’s RECORD LABEL World, as part of the Festival of Ideas. INNOVATION Edge Hill’s industry-led, not-for-profit SUFFRAGETTE SCREENING record label won Highly Commended TO MARK 131ST BIRTHDAY in the 2015 Times Higher Awards ‘Excellence and Innovation in the A free screening of the critically- Arts’ category. The Label Recordings EDGE HILL MONOPOLY acclaimed film Suffragette took released singles by bands Oranj Son place on campus, coinciding and Feral Love, supported with film, A special edition of the board game, with the anniversary week of the marketing and events created with based on the best-loved places on University’s opening as the first non- student participation. campus such as Hale Hall, the Rock denominational teacher training Garden and the Hub, was launched college for women 131 years ago. and delivered to each Hall of Residence in time for Christmas. FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL TOP EMPLOYER BEST STUDENT SHAKESPEARE’S IN THE UK EXPERIENCE COMPLETE WALK IN THE NORTH Edge Hill was named as the WEST Edge Hill played an essential role in UK’s top employer in the an international tribute to one of the European Business Awards. world’s most famous playwrights, by Edge Hill was identified as offering The University was the only UK supporting Liverpool’s participation the best student experience in the Ruban D’Honneur recipient in in The Complete Walk organised North West in the Times Higher the Employer of the Year category by Shakespeare’s Globe. 37 short Education UK Student Experience in this year’s coveted awards. films played on screens at city Survey. The University also centre venues marking the 400th climbed four places in the national anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. table to reach the top fifth of all universities surveyed. PGMI AWARDED £500,000 CONTRACT Edge Hill University’s Postgraduate SIR CHRIS HOY VISIT Medical Institute was awarded a coveted £500,000 contract by Health STUDENTS RAISE Britain’s most successful Olympian, Education England to supply medical THOUSANDS Sir Chris Hoy, delighted local primary leadership training for the whole THROUGH NSS school students when he visited of the North West region. Edge Hill to introduce and sign copies Students helped raise thousands of his new illustrated fiction series, for the Edge Hill SU RAG (Raising Flying Fergus. and Giving) and three other charities, by completing the National Student Survey to provide feedback about their university experiences. The University pledged to make a charity donation of £5 for every survey completed and, as a result CHINESE NEW YEAR of this initiative, over 50% of final CELEBRATIONS year students filled in the survey raising £7,200. HALLY MCHALLFACE The Confucius Institute celebrated UNVEILED AS NAME OF Chinese New Year by transforming NEW HALLS OF RESIDENCE the Hub into a Chinese Street Market showcasing many different Edge Hill’s April Fool story was aspects of Chinese culture, food included in the Times Higher rankings and entertainment.