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Annual Report Contents Page 03 20ANNUAL19-20 REPORT ANNUAL REVIEW AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SHORTLISTED FOR UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR* *Times Higher Education Awards 2020 PAGE 02 2019-20 ANNUAL REPORT CONTENTS PAGE 03 CONTENTS CHAIR’S DRIVING RESEARCH 04 FOREWORD 44 INNOVATION AND ENTERPRISE VICE-CHANCELLOR’S LIFELONG 06 REPORT 50 CONNECTIONS KEY RISK MANAGEMENT 08 HIGHLIGHTS 54 FRAMEWORK CONNECTED FINANCIAL 10 STRATEGY 56 REVIEW EVOLUTION OF OUR CORPORATE 12 ACADEMIC SCHOOLS 60 GOVERNANCE OUR CONNECTED RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMUNITIES BOARD OF GOVERNORS 14 63 LED BY TEACHING LIST OF GOVERNORS, 20 AND LEARNING 64 EXECUTIVE AND ADVISORS FOCUSSED ON INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S 26 EMPLOYABILITY 65 REPORT BRINGING SUSTAINABILITY FINANCIAL 32 TO LIFE 67 STATEMENTS DIGITAL AT 38 OUR CORE PAGE 04 CHAIR’S FOREWORD CHAIR’S FOREWORD THE YEAR IN REVIEW Colin Hughes Chair of the Board of Governors Our transition to remote teaching and learning in March 2020, our combined efforts to prepare a COVID-secure environment ahead of the new academic year, and our return to campus in September 2020 all served to inform our new ‘blended’ approach. Through a combination of virtual and on-campus delivery this model is not only offering a greater range of learning opportunities and increased flexibility to Few would deny that this our students, but it is also aligned with our has been a tumultuous commitment to become the UK’s foremost period for the UK’s Digital University. higher education sector and while Staffordshire On behalf of my fellow Governors, I would like to thank University is by no colleagues from across our Schools and Services for their means immune to the professionalism, dedication and commitment during the past 12 months. Their ability to remain flexible amidst challenges posed by a rapidly evolving landscape, and capacity to drive the the global coronavirus student experience forward through innovation, have pandemic, the 2019/20 proved invaluable to our University’s ongoing success. I academic year has am also immensely grateful to our Students’ Union and been one of continued the wider student body for their continued collaboration learning and positive and support during what has been an incredibly momentum for our challenging time for all. institution. Indeed, much Despite the obstacles we have faced we have pressed of the progress achieved on with our 2030 Strategy, preparing the way for by our Connected next-generation courses, next-generation learning University during the environments and, most importantly, a next-generation past 12 months has student experience. As we move towards a more agile, resulted either directly or innovative and lean operating model that leverages data and cutting-edge automation to enable us to adapt indirectly from innovation quickly to market demand, the future of our institution driven by the outbreak. looks extremely bright. CHAIR’S FOREWORD PAGE 05 We have also proceeded apace with our commitments as a Civic University, developing a framework to provide the foundations for our Civic University Agreement and Civic Engagement Plan. Staff from across our institution have continued to embed and enhance public and community engagement within their activities, helping us to better understand the impact of our work as a Civic University and share good practice, while supporting our local communities’ response to and recovery from COVID-19. Development of The Catalyst, a £40 online celebrations. Although these million apprenticeships and digital virtual events were not intended as skills hub located at our Stoke-on-Trent replacements for our physical Awards campus, is also making rapid progress Ceremonies, I felt they represented an with construction now in full swing. innovative way to recognise the many Scheduled to complete in autumn achievements of this year’s graduates, 2021, this ambitious project will support who have succeeded despite all the growth of local businesses while the challenges posed by a global facilitating our University’s aim to pandemic. deliver 6,500 new apprenticeships to our region by 2030. As I reflect on my first year as Chair of Staffordshire University’s Board of We were unable to host any physical Governors, I feel proud of our progress Awards Ceremonies in 2020 due to and optimistic about our long-term national restrictions. Our summer prospects. This has been a year like no and autumn events are among the other and despite the many hurdles highlights of our academic calendar, we have faced, I take heart from the so it was a great shame that external fact that we have a passionate and circumstances prevented us from dedicated team that is willing to go the gathering this year. Nevertheless, we extra mile to help not only each other must continue to prioritise the health, but also those beyond our campuses. safety and wellbeing of our community, which is why my fellow Governors Finally, I would like to thank my Board and I look forward to celebrating the colleagues, our Vice-Chancellor achievements of our graduates in Professor Liz Barnes CBE DL, and the person once it is safe to do so. Executive and Senior Leadership Teams for their tireless efforts. Together, our I was, however, delighted to see the institution has achieved a great deal messages of encouragement and over the past 12 months and I am congratulations recorded by our staff, confident that Staffordshire University Students’ Union, honorary graduates will continue to go from strength to and others as part of our Class of 2020 strength over the coming years. SHORTLISTED FOR UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR* *Times Higher Education Awards 2020 PAGE 06 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S REPORT VICE-CHANCELLOR’S REPORT Professor Liz Barnes CBE DL Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Our students, staff and external partners have gone above and beyond in delivering an excellent student experience, adapting to new ways of working whilst juggling their existing responsibilities and – in many cases – increased family commitments. What I have found truly inspirational is the sheer number of people from our University who have also found time to help out in their communities – or in their fields of academic expertise – giving up their The UK’s higher valuable time to contribute to the fight against education landscape COVID-19. has shifted All the while competition within the higher dramatically over education sector has continued to increase, the past 12 months compounded by uncertainty on both the national and global stage. That we have succeeded in and whilst the global maintaining our standards and honouring our COVID-19 pandemic commitments, as well as building on progress made during recent years, is testament to the passion and has posed significant determination of our brilliant and friendly University challenges for our community. sector, the progress If I had to choose one word to describe the past 12 we have made in months, it would be ‘transformative’. In addition to The Catalyst in Stoke-on-Trent, mentioned by the realising our vision Chair of our Board of Governors in his foreword, we of becoming a truly have also made significant inroads elsewhere across our campuses. Connected University has been incredible Earlier this year our £5.8 million Health Innovation Centre secured £2.89 million as part of the UK to witness. Government’s ‘Getting Building Fund’. Located at our Centre of Excellence in Healthcare Education, Stafford, this project will comprise sector-leading clinical simulation and immersion suites that will enable both students and regional healthcare professionals to hone their skills whilst exploring and developing new patient-safety techniques. VICE-CHANCELLOR’S REPORT PAGE 07 EXCITING PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON With several other exciting projects on the horizon, such as our Nursery and Forest School Nursery and Forest School and the Centre for Crime, Justice and Security, our efforts to create a next-generation learning Centre for Crime, Justice and Security environment that befits the vision set out in our 2030 Strategy are now well underway, and Next-generation learning we can expect to see significant progress in environment this regard during the coming year. September marked the first Our approach to teaching and over the past year. The positive anniversary since the opening of learning has also helped to inform impact of our Civic University on our the Staffordshire University London our University’s broader direction local communities has never been so Digital Institute, and what a year through a selection of supplementary pronounced. it has been for our London-based initiatives designed to support our team. In the past 12 months we students, staff and local communities. I am also delighted with the have forged strong links with During the past 12 months, for recognition we have received as industry leaders and employers, example, we have developed and part of the Times Higher Education creating an Advisory Board with enhanced our careers support Awards 2020. Not only has our representation from a plethora offering with Unibuddy-powered colleague Matt Lewis been of sector’s biggest names. Our chat functionality for students; new selected as one of the ‘Outstanding Digital Institute has also continued mentoring initiatives for prospective Technician of the Year’ finalists, but to expand its offering of future- and existing students; and the we have also been shortlisted for the focused courses, which now include implementation of video interviewing ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Concept Art for Games and Film; software to help prepare our Local Community’ and ‘Outstanding Computer Science; Computer graduates for an evolving jobs market. Marketing and Communications Games Design; Cyber Security; Team’ awards. Esports; and Games PR and We have fostered new collaboration Community Management. with Staffordshire County Council’s Perhaps most encouraging, Redundancy Taskforce, extending however, is the fact that we have Perhaps the most significant our ‘Step Up to HE’ programme been shortlisted in the prestigious transformation achieved by to individuals facing redundancy ‘University of the Year’ category.
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