Nottingham Trent University Strategic Plan 2004 – 2010

Nottingham Trent University

Strategic Plan

2004 – 2010

Launched 29 March 2004

October 2007 Edition

Copyright in the whole and every part of this document belongs to NTU (the "Owners") and may not be used, sold, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or form or in or on any media to any person other than in accordance with the terms of the Owner's Agreement or otherwise without prior written consent of the Owner.

Table of Contents

1 Vice-Chancellor’s Foreword ...... 3 2 Executive Summary ...... 4 3 Nottingham Trent University – An Introduction...... 7 4 Mission and Aims...... 9 5 New Organisational Structure...... 10 6 Key Challenges and Opportunities ...... 13 6.1 Supporting HEFCE’s Aims and Objectives...... 13 6.2 Meeting the Needs of Corporate Clients...... 18 6.3 Collaboration and Integration ...... 19 7 Strategic Platform 1 - A Course Portfolio that Meets our Mission 20 7.1 NTU Academic Vision ...... 20 7.2 Preparing for the World of Work ...... 28 7.3 Attributes of the NTU Graduate ...... 29 7.4 Reviewing the Way We Work ...... 29 7.5 Flexibility and Customisation ...... 29 7.6 Flexibility in Delivery ...... 30 7.7 NTU on-line – E-learning ...... 30 8 Strategic Platform 2 – The Application of Market Intelligence .... 33 8.1 Aims ...... 33 8.2 Market Intelligence Strategy...... 33 9 Strategic Platform 3 - Freedom to Invest and Innovate...... 35 9.1 Financial Management ...... 36 10 Strategic Platform 4 – A Resource Structure to Drive the Business ...... 38 10.1 Human Resources ...... 38 10.2 Estate ...... 41 10.3 NTU on-line – IT Infrastructure ...... 44 11 Strategic Platform 5 - Gold Standard Customer Service...... 46 12 Strategic Platform 6 - Strengthening Organic Growth by Collaboration, Partnerships and Acquisitions...... 48 13 Making It Happen ...... 50 14 Achievement Aims to 2010 ...... 52

Table of Figures

Figure 6-1 - HEFCE Strategic Aims, as shown in the HEFCE Strategic Plan, April 2007, Publication 2007/09...... 13

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 2 of 54 1 Vice-Chancellor’s Foreword This is an ambitious plan. It has been designed to capture the aspirations of staff and students, to build the kind of university that they would like to be part of, now and into the future.

We are confident that we can deliver this strategy because it reflects staff’s commitment to students, to research and to society, and it builds on Nottingham Trent’s history of delivering education and research that make a real difference to people’s lives.

Many of the aims are not new. They are goals that the university community has always wanted to achieve but for a variety of reasons wasn’t able to. What is new is a strategy that will deliver the changes, and the courage to implement them.

In the past, aspirations were held back by an apparent lack of resources. In fact, the asset base is strong but it simply wasn’t used to maximum effectiveness. By realigning our assets and our energies on value adding activity, we will realise this vision.

The strategy is a long term plan that will build a basis for sustainable strength. We have been guided by the desire to build a university that will still be in excellent shape when we pass it on to our successors in the second or third decade of this century. The City, the County and the Region will benefit from this renewed strength.

We expect to be judged by the stakeholders of today and the future by our success in delivering these aims.

Professor Neil Gorman Vice-Chancellor

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 3 of 54 2 Executive Summary The Strategic Plan addresses a framework for 2004-2010. Our Mission is to deliver education and research that shape lives and society. Our aims are: 1. To develop confident and ambitious graduates equipped to shape society 2. To provide education that promotes both intellectual initiative and the highest academic standards to prepare students for life and career 3. To be the university of choice for business, industry and the professions in our areas of expertise 4. To be recognised both nationally and internationally for the effectiveness of our teaching and the relevance of our research 5. To transform the learning and working environment to create an inspiring and innovative culture 6. To have the courage and the will to implement change

Our key stakeholders are our customers and the society in which we live and work - regionally, nationally and globally. We will meet society’s changing needs by ensuring that the courses we offer and the research that we undertake is relevant to modern world issues. As a community, we will do all we can to nurture the kind of graduates who will not only make a contribution to society through their work, but will also make a positive impact on society as active global citizens.

Through the implementation of this strategy, and within our areas of expertise, NTU will position itself to be: • the university of choice for students who want to engage in all aspects of university life, to gain the skills, knowledge and self-confidence to succeed in their chosen profession, making a positive impact on the people they meet and the societies in which they live; • the university of choice for professionals who want to achieve higher, earlier in their career; • the university of choice for corporate clients who want a professional approach and concrete results from research, training and consultancy services and from the graduates they employ.

The ‘strategic platforms’ are six university-wide initiatives that are instigating change in the University, putting us in a position to deliver our mission: 1. A Course Portfolio that Meets our Mission (Section 7) 2. The Application of Market Intelligence (Section 8) 3. Freedom to Invest and Innovate (Section 9) 4. A Resource Structure to Drive the Business (Section 10) 5. Gold Standard Customer Service (Section 11) 6. Strengthening Organic Growth by Collaboration, Partnerships and Acquisitions (Section 12)

What matters to our students and other customers is the experience they have with the University. Through the effective implementation of these six platforms, we will achieve our aims and deliver education and research that make a difference: a strong course portfolio, delivered through gold standard customer service, informed by market intelligence, made possible through our freedom to invest and innovate, a resource structure that drives the business, and working in partnership.

Research that shapes lives and society is central to the mission of the University and to the achievement of its aims. The University values what research is, what it does and those who undertake it - not only within our own academic community, but also through communications with the wider research community with which the University increasingly collaborates. Research that is outward looking and characterised by its orientation to real-world influence enables the University to make a self-sustaining contribution to society, culture and the public interest. Therefore, the University needs an active research culture, in order to be a market leader in a knowledge-driven economy. The positive relationship between research and teaching is an essential part of this principle.

NTU is committed to acting as a business for the benefit of business and students, reaching beyond normal university-business interaction. We have aligned our portfolio of courses and research to match the priorities of society, current and future government priorities, and the strategy of the Regional Development Agency. The needs of the public sector are often neglected, and NTU is committed to addressing this gap and to meeting the needs of both the professions and the para-professions.

The entire portfolio of courses is continuously reviewed. The Course Portfolio that Meets our Mission strategic platform (Section 7) sets out our Academic Vision and how it will be achieved.

It is crucial to understand both the aspirations of students and the demand for skills and competencies in the workplace – both change. The Application of Market Intelligence strategic platform (Section 8) sets out our strategy for the application of market data to our course development and services.

In order to fuel our ambition and to create an innovative and inspiring culture, we need to earn the freedom to implement change. The Freedom to Invest and Innovate strategic platform (Section 9) outlines a strategy for income generation that will enable us to deliver and to exceed the expectations laid down by government regulatory bodies.

As with all businesses and institutions, we have two principal resources: human and physical. In order to mature into the type of university that we wish to be, it is important to invest in both. The Resource Structure to Drive the Business strategic platform (Section 10) sets out our strategy to create an inspiring working environment for students and staff.

We need to work more closely with the students’ union and with the University’s alumni to build a strong sense of community. The strengthening of the university community is a key element of the underpinning human resources strategy. The estates strategy will also help, through recognition of the need for social space in our buildings.

As a community, we need to recognise, value, develop and harness talent, not only in our students but also in our staff. We must remove the physical and cultural barriers that have divided groups of staff in the past, and provide staff with the training, technology and systems to support them in their roles.

A modern university has a broad range of customers. These include students, parents, employers, and sponsors. The Gold Standard Customer Service

NTU is determined to work collaboratively with leading partners in order to reach out to a wider student base, and to maximise returns from limited resources. The Strengthening Organic Growth by Collaboration, Partnerships and Acquisitions strategic platform (Section 12) sets out the principles that underpin NTU’s approach to collaboration. A key element of NTU’s strategy is working in partnerships with Further Education Colleges to build pathways from foundation degrees through degree courses and postgraduate training into the professions. Through these partnerships, NTU unites its commitment to outstanding professional training with its commitment to widening access.

The new organisational structure (Section 5) is designed to promote the delivery of the Strategic Plan. As from 1st August 2004, the University comprises four constituent colleges. Each college is led by a college management team which is responsible for the effective delivery of both courses and services within the college. The head of each college1 is a member of the University’s Senior Management Team and works to ensure that there is a common collegiate approach to implement the agreed strategy of the University.

Unnecessary bureaucracy is being driven out following a review of all university committee activities. There will also be a transfer of many administrative duties from academic staff to professional administrators, freeing up the time of academic staff to enable them to concentrate on delivering excellent teaching, research, and commercial activity.

The establishment of the four colleges has led to a more robust planning process, a clearer identification of the prospective students who will benefit most from the educational experience, and similar targeting of potential corporate clients and business partners.

‘Making it happen’ (Section 13) outlines our way of working to deliver the key milestones in Section 14.

1 In 2005, Heads of College were each assigned responsibility for particular University-wide services and activities, the posts were then renamed “Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of College”

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 6 of 54 3 Nottingham Trent University – An Introduction Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a large, diverse and vibrant modern university. It acquired university status under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Its origins can be traced to the Nottingham Regional College of Technology, the Nottingham College of Art & Design and the Nottingham College of Education. Trent Polytechnic was established in 1970 and renamed as Nottingham Polytechnic in 1989. The University has three sites. The City campus and the Clifton campus are within the city of Nottingham and are about four miles apart. The third site, the Brackenhurst campus, is just outside the picturesque town of Southwell.

NTU has 25,960 students, of whom 7,501 are part-time. Undergraduates account for 20,057 students and postgraduates for 5,9032. A significant proportion of the University’s income is non-HEFCE generated and there is a broad and distinctive range of non-standard programmes including professional and in-company schemes. The University has 2,527 staff3.

The University’s Board of Governors is chaired by John Peace - Chairman of Experian and Burberry and Deputy Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank.

The University is led by Professor Neil Gorman, who began his term of office on 1 October 2003.

NTU is a national and international player with a real commitment to the regional agenda.

NTU works actively with its regional community, supporting local priorities such as urban regeneration. Through our widening participation strategy, links have been established with over 150 schools and colleges across the East Midlands to improve the proportion of young people staying in education after the age of 16 and progressing to higher education. Over 32,000 pupils, parents and staff participated in our widening participation activities in 2005/06. NTU hosts the Aimhigher (Nottinghamshire) team and is a key partner in their work across the county.

NTU attracts students from all over the United Kingdom, and a significant number of students from other EU countries.

The recruitment of students from outside the EU was identified as a particular area for further development. In 2002, only approximately 4% of NTU students came from outside the EU4, yet some parts of the University had been extremely successful in international student recruitment5. This suggested that NTU had not fully exploited its international appeal and, in 2003, the University therefore launched an International Student Business Plan. The plan is now in its implementation phase, led by the Director of International Development.

In the autumn of 2004, the University formed a partnership with Kaplan Inc, one of the world’s leading education companies and a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company, to form Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC). NTIC prepares international students for advanced entry to undergraduate and

2 As of HESA return of December 2006. 3 As at 1 April 2007. 4 Based on UCAS domicile statistics for applicants for 2002 entry. 5 Students from outside the EU.

HESA performance figures demonstrate that Nottingham Trent University is in the top four universities in the UK for graduate employability in England and Wales. In 2006, 97.5% of our graduates with first degrees from full-time study were employed or engaged in further study or pursuing another ambition within six months of graduation6. The employability of NTU graduates is one of a number of indicators that serve to highlight the standard and quality of the University’s provision and have enabled it to maintain a consistent position in league tables and against HEFCE performance indicators. Entry standards, student success rates, and Quality Assurance Agency ratings of teaching quality also score highly. We have aligned our quality assurance systems to the best of sector approach, and we are particularly proud of the support that we provide to our students.

In the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise, NTU achieved four grade 5s, a feat unsurpassed by any other post–92 university. The research community is successful in gaining external research grant funding: Over the period 1999/2000 to 2005/06 our research income increased by 64% and there is a plan to further grow research income.

Professional programmes – both general and bespoke – are a particular strength of NTU. In its approach to professional training, NTU aims to equip professionals to achieve higher and earlier in their career.

NTU has a strong track record in designing and delivering education and training that meets the specific business objectives of corporate clients. A key element of programmes is the recognition that sponsoring companies expect concrete benefits - in terms of the performance of the individual, the team and the overall organisation.

The new strategy builds upon these strengths.

6 Based on respondents to HESA’s annual Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey (DLHE) and published in the Sunday Times University 2007 Guide.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 8 of 54 4 Mission and Aims The Strategic Plan addresses a framework for 2004-2010. In this section, we set out the mission, aims and strategic platforms that will drive our development over the decade.

Our society – globally, nationally and regionally – faces major challenges. We live in an era of fear – of war, terrorism, environmental destruction, crime, and economic uncertainty. Although society as a whole has never been richer, a huge proportion of the world’s population lives in grinding poverty and, in our own country, many people face multiple social deprivation.

What can we do as a university? For a start, we can ensure that the courses we offer and the research that we undertake is relevant to modern world issues. In addition, as a community, we must do all we can to nurture the kind of graduates who will not only make a contribution to society through their work, but also make a positive impact on society as active global citizens.

Our Mission: To deliver education and research that shape lives and society.

Our Aims: 1. To develop confident and ambitious graduates equipped to shape society 2. To provide education that promotes both intellectual initiative and the highest academic standards to prepare students for life and career 3. To be the university of choice for business, industry and the professions in our areas of expertise 4. To be recognised both nationally and internationally for the effectiveness of our teaching and the relevance of our research 5. To transform the learning and working environment to create an inspiring and innovative culture 6. To have the courage and the will to implement change

The ‘strategic platforms’ are six university-wide initiatives that are instigating change in the University, putting us in a position to deliver our mission. The Strategic Platforms are: 1. A Course Portfolio that Meets our Mission (Section 7) 2. The Application of Market Intelligence (Section 8) 3. Freedom to Invest and Innovate (Section 9) 4. A Resource Structure to Drive the Business (Section 10) 5. Gold Standard Customer Service (Section 11) 6. Strengthening Organic Growth by Collaboration, Partnerships and Acquisitions (Section 12)

What matters to our students and other customers is the experience they have with the University. Through the effective implementation of these six platforms we will achieve our aims and deliver education and research that make a difference: a strong course portfolio, delivered through gold standard customer service, informed by market intelligence, made possible through our freedom to invest and innovate, a resource structure that drives the business, and working in partnership.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 9 of 54 5 New Organisational Structure It is important that NTU has a structure that is stable but that can also adapt to market changes when necessary. The new model is therefore designed to provide an enduring college structure with flexibility in the underlying school structure. Most importantly of all, the organisational model is designed to drive the delivery of the Strategic Plan.

As from 1st August 2004, Nottingham Trent University comprises four constituent colleges, as structured below:

College of Business, Law and Social Sciences Nottingham Business School Nottingham Law School School of Social Sciences College of Art & Design and Built Environment School of Art & Design School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment7 College of Arts, Humanities and Education8 School of Arts and Humanities School of Education College of Science9 School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences School of Science and Technology

The colleges have been formed to promote synergies and strengths - both within the college and within the wider University. The college structure is helping us to better meet the needs of students and corporate clients, who increasingly seek a multi-disciplinary approach. The design of the colleges was informed by the findings of the reviews which examined the entire portfolio of courses. The schools in each college build upon our existing strengths.

This organisational model has enabled the effective distribution of a number of core services to colleges. Senior professional services managers have been assigned to support each college, and the number of staff allocated to support the senior manager is related to the size of the college. The model is helping to build closer working relationships between academic managers and professional services10. Service providers are developing a better understanding of local operational issues, and there will be a reduced administrative load on academic managers.

We are committed to investing in services and facilities that make a direct impact on the students’ learning experience. We will therefore limit our expenditure on management and administration – stripping out cost that does not add value. We need an organisational structure that enables us to be fleet of foot and responsive, and that encourages cross-university working. Within

7 In 2005, the name of the School changed from the School of the Built Environment to the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, following the launch of the new degree programme - BArch (Hons) - Architecture. 8 On 1 September 2006, the School of Arts, Communication and Culture became the School of Arts and Humanities, and the College of Communication, Culture and Education became the College of Arts, Humanities and Education. 9 On 1 September 2007, the School of Biomedical and Natural Sciences and the School of Computing and Informatics merged to form the School of Science and Technology in the College of Science. 10 All “support services” will now be known as “professional services” – in recognition of the professional contribution of non-teaching staff to the university community.

Each college is led by a college management team comprising: • Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of College • Academic Administration Manager • Associate Dean (Research & Graduate Studies) • Deans of School • Finance & Operations Manager • Human Resources Manager • Marketing Manager

The college management teams are responsible for generating and driving operating plans that deliver the implementation of the University’s strategy. The college management teams implement central policy and achieve key performance goals for their college and NTU.

Key to the success of the college is a real understanding of the college’s markets. The Head of College is responsible for ensuring that there is an effective team approach to identify opportunities and align the college’s energies on seizing and delivering on those opportunities.

All members of the college management team report directly to the Pro Vice- Chancellor and Head of College, and - in the case of the roles in Finance and Operations, Marketing, Human Resources, and Academic Administration - there is an additional dotted line accountability to the appropriate functional director.

The Dean of School is responsible and accountable for the development and delivery of outstanding educational programmes, ensuring the scholarly environment of the school. The Dean manages the school’s academic staff, with administration being undertaken principally at college level by professional administrators, thus freeing up academic staff time.

Admissions to the University are managed through a college-based system led by the Registry.

The head of each college11 is a member of the University’s Senior Management Team and works to ensure that there is a common collegiate approach to implement the agreed strategy of the University.

The University’s Senior Management Team comprises:

The Vice-Chancellor Chief Financial and Operations Officer Commercial Director Director of Organisational Development & Business Improvement Policy & Strategy Analyst Pro Vice-Chancellors and Heads of College (4) Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor for Academic Development & Research

NTU’s Senior Management Team is responsible for the collective leadership of the University and the implementation of the University’s agreed strategy.

11 In 2005, Heads of College were each assigned responsibility for particular University-wide services and activities, the posts were then renamed “Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of College”

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 11 of 54 The committees of the University have been aligned with the new structure. The Academic Board will continue to guide the academic function of the university colleges. The Executive Board has been phased out. Unnecessary bureaucracy is being driven out following a review of all university committee activities.

We have created a university-wide graduate school to coordinate our research training and research-based postgraduate programmes, presenting a unified image to the outside world12. The graduate school is organised on the basis of four constituent parts – one in each of the colleges. It is important that graduate school activity be an integral part of the work of colleges in order to encourage synergies between undergraduate and postgraduate and research activity. Each of the four Associate Deans for Research and Graduate Studies reports to the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of College but also has additional dotted line accountability to the Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor for Academic Development and Research who also has the role of Head of the Graduate School.

12 Vocational and professional post-graduate programmes will not be managed as part of the graduate school.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 12 of 54 6 Key Challenges and Opportunities 6.1 Supporting HEFCE’s Aims and Objectives Universities have an important role to play in addressing the economic and social challenges faced by the UK. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has therefore articulated its four core strategic aims as shown in Figure 6-1:

Figure 6-1 - HEFCE Strategic Aims, as shown in the HEFCE Strategic Plan, April 2007, Publication 2007/09. NTU will take a leading role in delivering the strategic aims of the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Our response to HEFCE’s aims follows the order in HEFCE’s strategic plan.

6.1.1 NTU Response to Enhancing Excellence in Learning and Teaching At NTU, we will value and reward strong and effective teachers. Our goal is to provide academic staff with the very best professional support. We have restructured our Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education making it mandatory for all new lecturing staff and are developing an MA Education which can be obtained on a CPD basis. We will increasingly transfer responsibility for administration from faculty13 to professional administrators, enabling academic staff to concentrate on delivering excellent teaching, research and commercial activity.

As evidence of the current quality of the learning experience at NTU, “excellent” grades have been obtained in ten out of the last eleven subject reviews undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, and we continue to build on our strengths in learning and teaching through developmental engagements. In the 2004 institutional Quality Assurance Agency review, Nottingham Trent received the highest commendation for its consistent commitment to supporting students and their learning, for its student- centred approach, and for the way NTU continues to drive forward the employability agenda to the benefit of students and other stakeholders. More

13 I.e. academic staff

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 13 of 54 recently, the 2006 QAA Collaborative Audit report praised the high quality of the University’s relationships with its partner institutions, staff and students, both overseas and in the UK.

We have established a particularly strong reputation in a number of prestigious areas of postgraduate and corporate provision. Our new strategy will enable us to go some way towards providing a similar level of facilities and services to undergraduate students, and to build on and share good practice from around the University. Our goal is that both the teaching estate and the technical support behind it should be best of class.

Staff within the University have a national and international reputation for their expertise in the area of assessment, recognised through both publications and consultancy. We are particularly proud of our innovative pedagogical practice in support of the development of employable graduates, which includes methods for the integration and embedding of employability skills within the curriculum. A new Learning and Teaching Strategy became operational in 2006 which strengthens the commitment to continued enhancements in the student learning experience.

We have aligned our quality assurance systems to the best of sector approach, and we are particularly proud of the support that we provide to our students through a strong range of student services and through the dedication of academic and professional staff working together in student-focussed teams.

Further details of our commitment to excellence in learning and teaching are given in Section 7.

6.1.2 NTU Response to Widening Participation and Fair Access By 2010, the Government wants up to 50% of 18 to 30 year olds to experience higher education14. This will be dramatically different from the situation back in 1962 when only about 6% of those under 21 participated in H.E. The government is also aiming to engage many more people who are already in work to improve their knowledge and skills so that, by 2020, 40% of all adults in work have higher education qualifications.

Currently, about 43% of 18 to 30 year olds go to university15. Around half of the population in England belong to the lower socio-economic groups, yet they represent only 28% of young full-time entrants to first degree courses16.. Despite concerted national efforts to address this persistent difference and a marked increase in the overall numbers entering higher education, the pronounced differences in the distribution of higher education students across social classes remains.

The East Midlands has historically had H.E. participation rates below those of most other English regions. Within region, young people from Nottinghamshire are less likely to progress to higher education than their counterparts in the other four counties. Within Nottinghamshire, there is substantial variation between different areas. Although confirmed data for recent years is not

14 White Paper, ‘The Future of Higher Education’, January 2003, Section 5 – key points and proposals, and HEFCE 2004/17 - widening participation and fair access chapter, Objective 1. 15 White Paper, ‘The Future of Higher Education’, January 2003, Section 1.9 using data based on the API measure of the proportion of 18 year olds entering H.E. by the age of 20. 16 HEFCE Strategic Plan 2006-2011. March 2006/13

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 14 of 54 available, informed estimates17 indicate that around 20% of young people from Nottingham LA18 progressed to higher education in the years 2003/04 to 2005/06; from Nottinghamshire LA the comparable figure was also low by national standards at around 30%. Within the City, the parliamentary constituency of Nottingham North is one of the most deprived in England; in 2005/06, 10.8% of Nottingham North’s 18-19 year olds were accepted onto a course of higher education through UCAS.

The key message from research is that students from lower socio-economic groups who achieve good A-levels are just as likely to go to university as young people from better-off backgrounds19. However, educational attainment and progression is strongly related to, but not directly determined by, social class and social deprivation. The need to make an impact on educational attainment at an early age supports the case for an integrated approach to education and for reach out work to address misapprehensions about who does and can go to university, and raising the aspirations and achievements of young people.

Since the mid 1990s, the University has been an active, committed partner in the process of raising the educational aspirations and attainment of local young people; firstly, by securing and running one of the first HEFCE-funded widening participation projects and - following the introduction of mainstream WP funding - by tailoring our outreach strategy to address this local and regional task and to complement partners’ interventions.

Key features of NTU’s outreach work, led by our Progression Partnerships team, are: • A clear focus on raising attainment and raising aspirations • Activities which engage not only children but also their families and teachers • Coordination with other partners, most recently as a partner in Aimhigher (Nottinghamshire) • A ‘Continual Presence’ strategy rather than a series of ‘one-off’ events • A programme for schools and children in later primary years as well as through secondary school and into FECs20 • A compact scheme in which potential H.E. students from under- represented groups are identified by schools and FECs, guaranteed offers, and supported through their Level 3 studies and into NTU • Extensive, varied and remunerated engagement of current NTU students in our outreach activities. Alongside this HEFCE WP outreach-funded programme, NTU has led the development of a range of separately funded programmes through which undergraduate students are trained and then work in schools on a regular basis, known as the ‘Students in Classrooms’ programme. This has attracted considerable national interest and, at the invitation of DfES21 and TDA22, NTU staff have played significant roles designing and developing national schemes, including the contracted development of training materials and guidance for

17 Attainment and Higher Education Progression: A Study of Widening Participation Trends in Nottinghamshire. Mike Kerrigan, Aimhigher Nottinghamshire, December 2006. 18 Local Authority. 19 White Paper, ‘The Future of Higher Education’, January 2003, Section 6.3. 20 Further Education Colleges. 21 Former Department for Education and Skills, now the Department for Children, Schools and Families. 22 The Training and Development Agency for Schools.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 15 of 54 other HEIs23. Since 2002, well over 1,000 placements have been undertaken by NTU students. These are often the first university students that pupils have ever met one-to-one.

Internal evaluation evidence continues to confirm the value derived by both participants and their teachers; indeed, the University is never able to meet all schools’ requests for outreach activities. The compact scheme has grown exponentially since its inception, with a better than 60% success rate and 295 compact students enrolling in September 2006. Being well prepared, these students have above average in-course progression and completion rates. Also encouraging is the fact that we now have many more NTU students than can be accommodated wanting to work on ‘Students in Classrooms’ and other outreach activities. In 2005/06, just over 500 NTU students worked with our Progression Partnerships team.

Evidence of the effectiveness of differing intervention approaches highlights the benefits of sustained work with carefully identified target groups. Development of our outreach work and strategies for increasing participation from currently under-represented groups in the Region will be informed by such evidence.

In addition to the extensive programme of outreach activities, the University introduced a new bursary scheme in September 2006 following approval by the Office for Fair Access. This means-related bursary scheme provides financial assistance to new students from low income families and provided support for more than 40% of new entrants in 2006/07. Eligible students with family homes in Nottinghamshire receive an additional bursary.

6.1.3 NTU Response to Enhancing Excellence in Research Research that shapes lives and society is central to the mission of the University and to the achievement of its aims. The University values what research is, what it does and those who undertake it - not only within our own academic community, but also through communications with the wider research community with which the University increasingly collaborates. Research that is outward looking and characterised by its orientation to real-world influence enables the University to make a self-sustaining contribution to society, culture and the public interest. Therefore, the University needs an active research culture, in order to be a market leader in a knowledge-driven economy. The positive relationship between research and teaching is an essential part of this principle.

The long-term aim for the University is to achieve sustainable growth both in the quality and volume of research. In the shorter term, we must: • Identify areas for selective investment where we can be satisfied, on evidence, that growth is sustainable; • Develop the University’s research effort so as to maximise performance in the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) and encourage sustainable research outside the remit of the RAE process; • Maximise the impact of research on the University’s mission and reputation. We see research as an agent for beneficial change within the University: • Contributing to the University’s capacity to invest and innovate, with properly managed research providing a stimulus for growth;

23 Higher Education Institutions.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 16 of 54 • Adding to the depth, breadth and diversity of our intellectual portfolio: informing undergraduate courses; driving new developments in postgraduate education, capable of attracting a diverse and expanding population of taught and research postgraduate students; • Enhancing gold standard customer service through a thriving and dynamic University Graduate School accelerating the careers of an increasingly diverse body of postgraduate students. The University’s research strategy is supported by an implementation plan, the key elements of which are: • The need for more robust information and process management to support the University’s effort; • Improved levels of support to researchers and to research students; • The performance expectations which the University has of its researchers, demonstrating the collective will to maximise the benefits of research. The University will sponsor specific initiatives to support the implementation of its research strategy, including: • A promising researcher scheme; • A research leave/sabbatical scheme; • A visiting scholar scheme; • Competitive bursaries for MPhil/PhDs; • Competitive bursaries for taught masters24.

6.1.4 NTU Response to Enhancing the Contribution of H.E. to the Economy and Society Through our commitment to widening participation and access, and through the excellence of our learning, teaching and research activity, NTU will make a major contribution to the economy and to society. In addition, NTU is active in a range of activities that enhance our contribution to the economy and to the societies in which we live and work.

In a knowledge-based economy, the UK’s economic competitiveness and improvements in our quality of life depend on the effectiveness of knowledge sharing between business and higher education. A knowledge-based economy also requires high levels of skills and competencies in order to deliver that knowledge. Good links between universities and businesses will help to tackle the low skill levels that hold back national productivity25.

NTU is committed to acting as a business for the benefit of business and students, reaching beyond normal university-business interaction. We will focus on the twin aims of business creation and knowledge transfer by working within regional educational networks to: • Align our portfolio of courses and research to match current and future government priorities – as well as those of the Regional Development Agency – in such areas as health and social care, food and drink, the creative industries, transportation, and the environment.

24 The full text of NTU’s research strategy is published on the NTU Staff Intranet. 25 White Paper, ‘The Future of Higher Education’, January 2003, Section 3.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 17 of 54 • Enhance communication and partnerships with business locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. • Produce educational solutions to meet business and economic objectives, maximising the use of the University’s knowledge base. • Respond to the Region’s priorities for economic growth through, for example, such ventures as BioCity26 to provide opportunities to develop market sectors which have previously had low impact in the Region. • Target specific geographic areas where gaps in the economic development cycle can be addressed through the intervention of higher education to raise personal and professional expectations and aspirations. • Create the capacity for business intervention through access to and leverage of funding sources. • Extend the opportunities for staff and students to interact with industry, business and the professions. • Enable knowledge transfer by providing a route for businesses to access the IP, expertise, and facilities of the University through networks27 and through growth of placement opportunities for students. • Respond to the challenge set out in the DTI Innovation Report of defining innovation as “the successful exploitation of new ideas” by extending successful programmes such as the HIVE28 in order to encourage students and staff to be creative and entrepreneurial, and to nurture potential for new business ideas. We are implementing a Corporate Responsibility Programme to broaden the contribution of staff and students to the local and regional community. We will also seek to extend the range of training programmes to support key government social initiatives through such projects as the Connexions29 and the Youth Justice Board programmes.

In 2005, Nottingham was designated as one of six Science Cities in England. The Vice-Chancellor is Chair of the Nottingham Science City Development Board. Nottingham Trent University is working with partners across the City and the East Midlands to support the further development of Science and Technology in the Region and to promote that Science nationally and internationally.

GameCity - a festival dedicated to the technology and culture of videogames - is a major NTU-led action as part of the Science City framework; GameCity is providing a focus for economic and social capital development in the City of Nottingham.

6.2 Meeting the Needs of Corporate Clients At NTU, we recognise that when employers invest in staff training, they expect concrete benefits - in terms of the performance of the individual, the team and the overall organisation. We are particularly proud of the programmes that we design to meet the specific business needs of individual companies and other bodies. For example, in our approach to professional training – which often

26 BioCity, Nottingham, is the UK’s largest bioscience innovation and incubation centre. 27 E.g. Nottingham Knowledge Network (NKN) and Nottingham Creative Network (NCN). 28 The Hive is NTU’s enterprise centre. Since 2001, the Hive has helped 105 new ventures to start up. The Hive has an exceptional business survival rate of 91%. Over £7 million revenue has been generated by Hive companies. The average age of entrepreneurs is 27. A number of Hive businesses have been singled out for major national awards. 29 NTU is a major provider of training to Connexions advisors. Connexions offers a range of guidance and support for 13 to 19 year olds to help make the transition to adult life a smooth one.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 18 of 54 incorporates experiential learning covering different fields of practice - we aim to accelerate the learning process to equip professionals to achieve higher and earlier in their career.

Professional programmes – both general and bespoke – are a key area of expansion for NTU, building on our established expertise.

A further key area of opportunity is that of building on our relationships with multi-national companies to promote international awareness of NTU.

6.3 Collaboration and Integration Education is a continuous process. Too often in the past, there has been duplication and gaps in the learning process – e.g. between ‘A’ level and undergraduate provision. Schools, colleges and universities need to work together in order to provide integrated support to learners.

For many years, universities and colleges have worked in competition with one another. Competition has brought benefits in terms of a heightened awareness of consumer needs and expectations. However, competition has also led to duplication and to inefficiencies.

The time is now right for universities and colleges to work together in regional alliances in a number of key areas. Where the regional economy needs a certain area of provision, but student demand for such courses is limited - for example, traditional engineering - it will be logical to concentrate such provision in one or more centres of excellence in the region. Similarly, regional collaboration will facilitate the undertaking of cutting-edge research that would not be economically viable on a piece meal basis. It may also be possible to provide a greater range of services to students through a regional partnership approach.

Further details of our approach to collaboration are given in Section 12 - Strategic Platform 6 - Strengthening Organic Growth by Collaboration, Partnerships and Acquisitions.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 19 of 54 7 Strategic Platform 1 - A Course Portfolio that Meets our Mission This is the primary strategic platform. Following the launch of the Strategic Plan in March 2004, the University’s course portfolio was revised, and the entire course portfolio is continually reviewed to ensure that it delivers against the following aims: 1. To develop confident and ambitious graduates equipped to shape society 2. To provide education that promotes both intellectual initiative and the highest academic standards to prepare students for life and career 3. To be the university of choice for business, industry and the professions in our areas of expertise 4. To be recognised both nationally and internationally for the effectiveness of our teaching and the relevance of our research

The NTU Academic Vision, incorporated for the first time in the April 2006 edition of the Strategic Plan, details how the Strategic Plan’s ambitions are being taken forward in each of NTU’s nine Academic Schools.

7.1 NTU Academic Vision NTU’s academic vision is that of a leading professional university which – through a profound understanding of student and employer needs – develops and delivers educational programmes that challenge, stimulate and stretch our students, making them highly sought after in the graduate employment sector and inspiring students to join us in a lifetime engagement with learning and discovery.

Through development of the NTU student experience, we seek to develop the ‘rounded graduate’ with the confidence, drive and commitment to make a positive impact on the societies in which they live and work.

Nottingham Trent University recruits students and staff locally, nationally, and internationally. As part of the international community of research and scholarship, we welcome and value diversity, and we work with all students to help them to achieve their full potential irrespective of social background. Through partnerships and collaborations, we are proud to offer pathways into the professions for non-traditional learners.

Research that shapes lives and society is central to the mission of the University and to the achievement of our aims. Research is spearheaded by the network of Associate Deans for Research and Graduate Studies across the University’s four colleges.

The University values what research is, what it does and those who undertake it, not only within our own academic community, but also through communications with the wider research community with which the University increasingly collaborates. Research that is outward looking and characterised by its orientation to real-world influence enables the University to make a self- sustaining contribution to society, culture and the public interest. We therefore need an active research culture, in order to be a market leader in a knowledge- driven economy. The positive relationship between research and teaching is an essential part of this principle. [The full text of the University’s research strategy is published on the NTU intranet30.]

30 http://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/research_directions/strategy/index.html

Our engagement with business, industry and the professions is such that we will generate a significant proportion of income from non-governmental sources giving us the freedom to further invest in facilities and services to the benefit of students.

It is within this framework that the University’s nine academic schools – which cover nine broad professional and/or disciplinary fields - develop and deliver education and research that shape lives and society. The schools are characterised by a drive to work in partnership with others - internally and externally, nationally and globally.

7.1.1 The School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences (ARES) The School is the Region’s leading provider of land-based and allied education with a strong vocational focus. We are proud of our heritage which began with the Nottinghamshire Farm Institute in 1947. We have a national reputation for ground-breaking initiatives and projects that address national priorities, and we have an outstanding record for student progression. The quality of our provision is recognised by the QAA, Ofsted, external examiners, and students.

Our vision is to create an environment for learning and research that is inspiring, nurturing and demanding. We will achieve a national and international reputation as a provider of gold standard education in specified areas of animal, equine and related sciences and environmental provision. We will become the regional centre for businesses, organisations and community groups that impact on and contribute to the rural economy in order to support sustainable rural life in the East Midlands.

We will achieve this vision through a proactive and innovative approach to developing and delivering academic provision, and through the achievement of excellence in the student learning experience, in the culture in which staff work and develop, and in our reputation as a provider of animal, rural and environmental education. We will expand third stream activities, promulgate an inclusive culture that values and respects the contribution from the whole community to the success of ARES, and we will develop a research culture across the School. We will attract a more diverse student population through the recruitment of international students and the inclusive marketing of provision.

Responsive to employers’ and students’ needs, we will provide a dynamic curriculum with flexible opportunities for student entry and progression. We will further expand post-graduate provision and further diversify the course portfolio, extending further education provision to support the Government’s skills development agenda.

We will work in partnership with employers and professional bodies, with other leading universities overseas, and with regional, national and international professional and subject networks.

At the heart of the rural community, through partnerships such as these, we will help to build a sustainable future for our School, for the rural economy, and for the environment.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 21 of 54 7.1.2 The School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment The School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment31 is a leading provider of design and built environment professionals. The School offers the complete range of education and research services to meet the needs of the whole lifecycle of the designed and built environment – from Architecture, Design, Civil Engineering, Construction Management and Surveying, to Property Management and Development. The School has more graduate student members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) than anyone in the world. The School is also a centre of excellence in industrial and product design. Inter-disciplinary and inter-professional team-working is key to the School’s success and to the employability of its graduates.

The School has very strong links with employers. Educational provision is designed in partnership with industry and the many professional bodies who recognise and accredit the School’s degrees, and the School is characterised by the very strong graduate employment record of its alumni.

As a professional school, working closely with industry, a significant proportion of the School’s income will be from non-governmental sources.

At the heart of the School’s provision is affinity with industry, and a commitment to professional practice and to the sustainability of products and buildings. The School has strong international links and prepares its graduates for professional practice in this country and overseas.

The portfolio of programmes will be expanded, with growth in postgraduate and international students, supported by growth in the School’s research strengths.

7.1.3 The School of Art & Design The School is acknowledged internationally as a leader in Art and Design education. Building on its global reputation for creativity, innovation and design excellence, the School will maintain its focus on continuous review of the academic portfolio and maintenance of excellence in pedagogy and programme delivery.

At the heart of the School’s ethos is a passion for creativity and a commitment to learning through doing and making.

The School is a dynamic, creative community which continually develops new thought and practice across all areas of provision. The boundaries between creative disciplines both inside and outside the School will be constantly reviewed, challenged and redefined.

As a flourishing multi-cultural and global presence in its field, the School draws inspiration from the richness of its community in the development of provision that meets the diverse needs of students and society – locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Building on its reputation for academic achievement, creative innovations, and its high employability profile, the School will evolve its provision still further through internal development and external partnerships.

The School has an outstanding reputation for its connections with the creative industries – in graduate employment, knowledge transfer, and research. The creative industries are rapidly evolving and becoming one of the most important

31 This is the new name of the former School of the Built Environment.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 22 of 54 sectors in the national economy. Anticipating and influencing such changes, the School will grow and strengthen its interactions with employers and research institutions.

The career and business success of alumni demonstrate the School’s pre- eminence in the development of team working, enterprise and other professional skills. The School is therefore unashamedly ambitious for its students, for the quality of its provision, and for the NTU Art & Design community.

The School will further develop in students the key skills of business, management and leadership whilst maintaining their personal practice and subject abilities. Industry-based projects, work experience and placements will continue to have an important role in students’ preparation for creative practice32.

The School will grow recognition and partnerships regionally, nationally and internationally, broadening its portfolio of third stream activity, consultancy and entrepreneurship.

Anticipating the shifting dynamics of creativity and society, the School’s ambition will be to lead thought and practice in Art and Design on a regional, national and international stage.

7.1.4 The School of Arts and Humanities The School of Arts and Humanities33 will build on its position as the heartland of education and research that explores and develops an understanding of human experience and culture.

The School has a multi- and interdisciplinary focus with shared academic core values. The School is characterised by its wide range of international links and collaborative projects. All programmes combine intellectual rigour with the development of high level analytical, communication and organisational skills that equip students to enter graduate employment and/or to pursue postgraduate study.

Professional programmes - through close partner working with employers - equip students with the high-level skills sought both by sector-specific graduate employers and by graduate employers more widely. All programmes inspire students to engage with a lifetime journey of learning and discovery.

Building on its strength in Broadcast Journalism, the School is expanding its provision in Journalism. Responding to the growing importance of China in the modern world, the School has also increased its Chinese language provision.

7.1.5 The School of Education The mission of the School of Education is to drive excellence in teaching, learning and development - not only in schools and colleges, but wherever educational and developmental activities take place.

The School’s mission is pursued through activities that develop knowledge and understanding of teaching, learning and development, and the contexts in which

32 In 2004/05 the School was ranked first overall in the UK by the Higher Education Statistics Agency for the number of students who successfully gained programme-related work placements. 33 This is the new name of the former School of Arts, Communication & Culture.

Acknowledged as a leader in pedagogic practice, actively engaged in the development of national educational policy, the School will be the lifelong partner of choice for students and employers.

Through a whole-school approach that identifies and exploits synergies internally and externally, the School of Education will understand and meet the needs of its diverse customer base.

The School will create a Joint Honours programme to build on its strength in education related programmes, offering a flexible and vocationally focussed opportunity to develop knowledge, expertise and skills which will prepare students for a range of careers and professional opportunities, with education, training and development as the underpinning focus.

The School will drive excellence in children’s services working in synergy with the other constituent schools of NTU and with external agencies.

The School will further develop its partnerships with educational providers, proactively advising partners on services that meet their particular needs – designing provision that is flexible, outward looking, and innovative, delivering real value to partners. The course portfolio will therefore include more modular, flexible and off-site delivery, e-learning, action learning, and facilitation.

The School’s provision will be underpinned by research and by the School’s pre-eminence in the practice of teaching. The School’s research community and culture will be based on externally-funded initiatives and School- and University- based projects that extend expertise, influence, and curricular strengths.

Current initiatives that illustrate the School’s academic vision include the potential inclusion of Master-level credits in PGCE programmes to engage trainee teachers with CPD from the start of their training, and the development of programmes with LEAs to meet local educational needs.

7.1.6 Nottingham Business School (NBS) Nottingham Business School is a full-service business school, which integrates research, education and consulting in partnership with leading companies and organisations across the world.

Within the context of the University’s mission to deliver education and research that shape lives and society, the Nottingham Business School’s specific mission is: “Advancement of business and industry by development, application and diffusion of innovative business practices for growth.”

The outstanding reputation of NBS as an effective partner for the business community has been built on the application of our core values in a competitive business environment. NBS’ core values are accessibility, responsiveness to customer requirements, flexibility in approach, development of practical solutions which are business-focussed, underpinned by intellectual rigour and organisational integrity.

Research – To fulfil our mission, Nottingham Business School focuses on applied research. Working with leading companies and organisations, NBS generates new knowledge and insights for business through a rigorous, independent and

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 24 of 54 connected approach. NBS excels in a number of areas which are at the forefront of modern business and management thinking including: • Applied Economics and Policy; • Finance, Risk and Investment; • Public Service Management; • Human Resource Management; Organisational Development; Talent Management; Reputation Management; Management Learning; • Innovation and Technology Management; Operations Management; and Marketing and Retail Management.

NBS’ expanding ESRC-accredited PhD and DPA programmes constitute a significant international contribution to research with more than 150 candidates currently registered.

NBS’ position is also strengthened by its strong associations with industry and international business, and professional bodies such as the CIM, CIPD, CIPFA and others, servicing all major industrial and business sectors – automotive, transport, energy, banking and finance, retail, leisure retail, service and public service.

Education – NBS’ educational programmes are designed to create and develop a graduate and professional workforce for employers and enhance career opportunities for employees and executives through enriched and innovative instruction, project work, and work-based learning.

NBS is also at the forefront of talent development and capacity building in order to solve problems within partner companies, by delivering corporate management and specialist education to underpin company strategy and organisational learning, tailored to suit specific need – delivered in many countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.

NBS, as a member of the European Foundation for Management Development and the Association of Business Schools, is committed to playing a leading role in developing management and business education in the UK and internationally.

Consultancy – The aim of our consultancy work is to help private businesses to grow and to be more successful, and to help public organisations to increase their efficiency and public value. NBS has a distinctive reputation for professionalism and integrity in advising private and public organisations on how to improve performance and adapt to change.

The hallmarks of our consultancy work are: working with companies to develop and implement practical improvement strategies with a deep understanding of specific business sectors, provision of insight, and assisting companies to innovate. By applying our research-informed expertise to find the best solutions for our clients, we help them grow and compete more effectively. NBS staff are committed to delivering practical consultancy and advice that make a difference for the client.

7.1.7 Nottingham Law School (NLS) Through a profound engagement with every level of the legal professions, Nottingham Law School (NLS) develops and delivers education designed to equip graduates to achieve higher and earlier in their career. Developing and

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 25 of 54 exploiting internal synergies, NLS will take a whole-school approach to further develop the professional orientation of all provision. In 2006, NLS launched a new professionally-focussed LLB which, coupled with the School’s highly- successful placement programme, enhances the employability of students.

NLS is proud of its status as a full-service law school, and the Foundation Degree in Law - offered through a close collaboration with New College Nottingham (NcN) - encapsulates the School’s determination to provide pathways to the legal professions for non-traditional learners.

NLS undertakes research that makes a major contribution to the practice of law - nationally and internationally – and the School uses all its engagements with the professions to strengthen and to enrich its educational offering. In addition, Nottingham Law School will add value through the development of the NTU student experience – which will include, for example, a focus on first class careers support and the expansion of the pro bono clinic – building on the School’s expertise in experiential learning.

NLS will offer added value through contextual input with a direct relevance to the practice of law – including business and finance. In 2006, the School saw the successful launch of the joint honours programme in Law and Criminology. In addition, the School will offer a range of joint honours programmes including Law with Business and Law with Languages - Spanish or Mandarin Chinese, for example.

In September 2007, in partnership with Kaplan UK Ltd, NLS launched Nottingham at Kaplan Law School (NKLS) in London. Initially, NKLS will offer the NLS Legal Practice Course and Graduate Diploma in Law. It is intended that the course offering will be widened. The unique relationship between NLS and Kaplan places NLS courses at the heart of the London market, whilst retaining capacity in Nottingham to meet regional and national demand.

Building on the relevance of English Law internationally, the School will continue to develop the international offering, including the development of in-country programmes and progression routes from overseas colleges.

A two-year degree will be explored; the School will embed its range of academic masters programmes, and will seek to grow its PhD community.

7.1.8 The School of Science and Technology34 The School has an established record as a leader in the development and delivery of science and technology, providing an inspirational learning environment that enables staff and students to reach their full potential.

We have a national reputation for the quality of science teaching and an international research profile. We promote external recognition of the excellence of the work of the School through the activities of our staff, students and alumni and will continue to strive for greater acclaim in the future.

Research in the School is of the highest quality, attracting very significant funding from research councils, charitable foundations, government and industry. NTU is one of the top post-1992 universities for science research, contributing to society through the excellence of our research, and enriching the

34 On 1 September 2007, the School of Biomedical and Natural Sciences and the School of Computing and Informatics merged to form the School of Science and Technology in the College of Science.

The School embraces a wide range of science and technology, equally valuing traditional and more modern fields of study, and the opportunities for interdisciplinary courses, research and enterprise these create. An example is the newly-established BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences, which will offer a unique opportunity to study ‘minors’ from a range of subjects as diverse as astronomy, forensics and sports science alongside the more traditional ‘majors’ of biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.

We take a school-wide proactive and innovative approach to developing courses that are industrially relevant, professionally accredited, provide opportunities for accredited work-based learning experiences that are delivered in flexible ways that meet changing market needs. Our confident and ambitious graduates are highly-employable ambassadors for their subject and for NTU.

The School is committed to the continued expansion of its international links through institutional collaboration, staff appointments and student recruitment. An example is a recently-established Libyan link involving staff development, sponsored research students, a collaborative Masters course and technical training.

The School will build on opportunities that the national centre for excellence – the Centre for Effective Learning in Science (CELS) - has enabled for educational development, pedagogic research and outreach; encouraging enthusiastic participation in science education from primary and secondary level, through Foundation Degree to PhD study, and as part of lifelong learning for practitioners.

The School has benefitted from considerable recent capital infrastructure investment, including the Natural Sciences Research Centre, the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Centre and the Computing & Informatics teaching and research facilities. The School will plan for further strategic investment in science teaching facilities to ensure all students benefit from a similar level of provision.

We will continue to build on our solid financial base, to provide financial headroom and flexibility to invest in the pursuit of intellectual, research, scholarly, and business opportunities. The School is entrepreneurial and outward-looking, actively seeking further opportunities for commercial exploitation of research through, for example, collaboration and partnerships. Much of the research undertaken within the School is of direct relevance to industry and we are therefore well positioned to capitalise on opportunities for exploitation of intellectual property and other third stream activity.

7.1.9 The School of Social Sciences The driving ambition of the School of Social Sciences is to harness the vitality of a diverse social science base to shape and influence individuals’ lives, communities and society.

The School’s educational provision will continue to be underpinned by research, which addresses substantive issues of social concern through the conduct of rigorous, theoretically-informed empirical social science, to inform improvements in policy and practice. The School will continue to build upon its research strengths in Psychology and Social Policy, as well as its emerging strengths in

The School will maintain its extensive partnerships with the public sector, private sector, and the community, in both teaching and research. Professional programmes will continue to be developed in collaboration with employers, preparing graduates for professional practice. The School opens up opportunities through flexible delivery methods and - through rigorous academic and professional training - provides real pathways into graduate employment, to the benefit not only of students but also to the professions. The School will be the provider of choice for students and employers in the Social Science-related professions who aspire to excellence in professional practice.

The postgraduate community will be expanded both by growing the numbers of research postgraduates and through the development of a comprehensive suite of taught postgraduate programmes. The School is particularly proud of its success in widening participation and will further this at postgraduate level by linking to CPD and professional doctorates, making a reality of lifelong learning.

7.2 Preparing for the World of Work The employability of our graduates has long been a key element of NTU’s popularity with students, parents, and the world of work. HESA35 performance figures demonstrate that Nottingham Trent University is in the top four universities for graduate employability in the UK. 97.5% of our 2006 graduates with first degrees from full-time study were employed or engaged in further study or pursuing another ambition within six months of graduation. We will build on this by: • Offering internships and/or key skills development as an integral part of all courses. • Using simulations and transactional learning to reflect the modern world of professional life. • Taking theory into practice through skills development relevant to the modern world. • Embedding career management, entrepreneurship and creativity into the delivery of the curriculum. • Bringing virtual faculty36 into the University from professional life to help deliver our courses. • Incorporating international and multi-cultural perspectives into our curricula. • Offering stimulating work-based projects of real value to the outside world as part of level 337/postgraduate/practice masters programmes.

35 The Higher Education Statistics Agency. 36 I.e. academic staff 37 I.e. the final year of first degree programmes.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 28 of 54 7.3 Attributes of the NTU Graduate We expect both NTU graduates and postgraduates to have the following qualities and skills: • Extensive knowledge of a profession or discipline(s), including relevant professional knowledge and skills, and informed respect for the principles, values and ethics of their chosen profession or discipline. • Ability to express themselves with confidence, both orally and in writing. • Good analytical, problem-solving, and numerical skills. • Good visual presentational skills relevant to their profession or discipline. • Proficiency in the use of all major technology and software relevant to their profession or discipline. • Capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry and self-directed learning. • Proficiency in finding, evaluating, and managing information. • Ability to plan work and to use time effectively. • Ability and confidence to work effectively and collaboratively in teams. • Leadership capacity, including a willingness to engage in constructive public discourse, and to accept social and civic responsibility. • International awareness and openness to the world, based on understanding and appreciation of social and cultural diversity and respect for individual human rights and dignity. • Intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for lifelong learning. The elements set out in Section 7.2 and the target attributes detailed in Section 7.3 have been integrated into our course validation and quality assurance procedures.

7.4 Reviewing the Way We Work To create the best environment for the development of these attributes within available resources, we have built a structure for the administration and delivery of modules and courses that supports our aims. We will ensure that the way in which we assess our students adds value to their learning experience. We will also use technology to streamline assessment procedures, where appropriate. Both of these measures will free up staff time to pursue scholarly activity. These issues were examined as part of the Academic Structure and Processes Review and are now being taken forward.

7.5 Flexibility and Customisation It is extremely difficult for a 17-year old to choose both the course of study and the future career that is right for them. In addition, students will increasingly want to choose modules from a wide range of disciplines. Where flexibility is unrestricted by external requirements, it is important that universities facilitate student choice, but also provide a strong underpinning of careers education to ensure that all students acquire a coherent and useful portfolio of skills and knowledge. To facilitate both flexibility and customisation:

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 29 of 54 • Wherever practical, level 338 of undergraduate programmes will be based on a core and electives model, the electives linking into professional specialisms and/or areas of research expertise. • NTU will explore working with other leading providers in order to offer a wide range of electives. • Electives will usually be selected after students’ arrival at NTU, so that students’ choices can be supported by professional guidance. • Consideration will be given to a university-wide system of elective choice that is managed centrally. • Students who feel that they may be interested in training as teachers will be able to take education-led electives to explore whether teaching will be the right career choice for them. • Consideration will be given to the central management of joint honours programmes. • Consideration will be given to the accreditation of voluntary work39.

7.6 Flexibility in Delivery It is vital that we offer ‘second-chance’ routes into higher education for those who missed out when they were younger. There must be more flexible ways of learning that respond to the needs of people who have to combine study with work and family commitments. NTU will explore a variety of different modes of delivery including: • Accelerated two-year Honours Degrees. • Graduate conversion courses. • A wider range of four-year integrated courses that lead directly to professional accreditation. • Opening up higher education to more people via NTU on-line.

7.7 NTU on-line – E-learning NTU is committed to providing students with a rich and blended learning environment and will use on-line technologies to enhance learning outcomes for all students, whether on-campus or studying at a distance or by flexible mode.

To facilitate this, NTU will provide a managed learning environment that integrates the students’ virtual learning environment with academic services, such as the Library and Student Services, and administrative systems, such as Banner40, CHRIS41 and Timetabling. The intention is to provide students with seamless on-line access to all services that are required for successful study at NTU. By September 2008, a new Virtual Learning Environment will be in place, replacing the in-house-developed VLP, which will be the main platform for student learning. All these enterprise systems will be supported by a robust, scalable and reliable networking and server infrastructure. Students have access to over 1,000 personal computers on campus, and wireless networking is now readily available across campus, in residences, and within the city of Nottingham.

38 I.e. final year. 39 This bullet point was included for the first time in the October 2007 edition. 40 Student records system using SCT Banner software. 41 HR system.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 30 of 54 At NTU, our goal is to mainstream the use of appropriate technologies into aspects of learning and teaching. To support staff in the achievement of this goal, we will provide a range of ongoing professional development opportunities, focussing both on pedagogy (during academic staff induction, the PGCHE42 and courses provided by CASQ43) and specialist training on the virtual learning environment and other technologies. In addition, a range of services, such as educational design and curriculum development, will be offered through internal central agencies and the College and School structures. Students will also receive support to become effective learners in an on-line environment.

Students will experience a consistent interface to their modules of study, with all modules having at least a basic and up-to-date on-line component comprising module information, a notice board, a resource repository and a means of communication between students and their lecturers.

Principles to deliver NTU’s e-learning strategy

Good practice in on-line learning is realised through a combination of collaborative environments and interactive resources that engage the learner. E-learning will complement existing forms of learning including printed material and will rely heavily on the inspirational and professional commitment of teaching staff.

The achievement of appropriate learning outcomes should be the primary consideration in any redesign of programmes or modules to incorporate on-line elements.

Resources deployed as paper-based documents should also be deployed electronically, where appropriate and feasible, in order to maximise student access to programme materials and resources.

In accordance with School Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategies, priorities and educational needs will guide the selection of programmes and modules, for the development of more than basic on-line treatment.

The use of on-line technologies will not be uniform across the University, to reflect the diversity of the student learning experience and different pedagogies. Each School will need to determine the appropriate mix of media and methods to meet the educational objectives of their modules and programmes.

Programmes, or disciplines or major sequences where this is more appropriate, should reflect a coordinated approach to design and implementation of on-line teaching and learning. This should be based on a planned strategy for each module offered to move from traditional or current practices and resources to delivery that integrates on-line components.

Proposals for development of on-line components of programmes and modules should include plans for monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance, including an explanation of how information about student performance and feedback and staff self-evaluation of modules and programmes will inform University-wide practice.

42 Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education. 43 The Centre for Academic Standards and Quality.

The key benefits of this strategic approach to e-learning are:

• The ability to provide more flexibility to students regarding the time, place and pace of their learning. • The opportunity to offer a more diversified product portfolio that reaches new markets - domestic, corporate and international. • The opportunity to enhance the skills of students by using on-line technologies and working in virtual teams thus enhancing employability and developing life-long learning skills. • A consistent virtual learning environment for students and staff, reducing the costs of training, maintenance and support. • A managed learning environment that links all enterprise systems, thus maximising efficiencies, providing the most up-to-date student and staff data, and reducing administrative costs. • The opportunities to support innovative learning and teaching strategies through appropriate resourcing and leveraging of investments in content development and new technologies. • A skilled academic workforce that is at the leading edge of using technologies to enhance learning and teaching. • An enhanced reputation aiding the University to be the preferred choice for business and the professions in appropriate areas of expertise.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 32 of 54 8 Strategic Platform 2 – The Application of Market Intelligence Universities are knowledge organisations, and effective knowledge management is a key goal for NTU. A university that truly values its market intelligence – sharing, utilising and applying it effectively for the benefit of the organisation – will achieve and maintain outstanding performance.

In order to develop a course portfolio that continues to meet the needs and expectations of students and employers and in order to deliver gold standard customer service, we need precise information on students’ and employers’ current and future aspirations. The focus is not merely on the collection of data but on the intelligent application of that data to everything we do as a university.

The intelligent application of market knowledge is an approach that should be applied to all our business, both home and overseas – from undergraduate courses to in-company programmes and commercial services.

8.1 Aims At present, the higher education sector is off pace in the use of market intelligence, and this creates an opportunity for NTU to take the lead. We need to ensure that: • All new courses and major redesigns of service are informed and underpinned by market intelligence. • Gap analysis is undertaken to identify key opportunities. • We are able to access, analyse and evaluate all internal data quickly and easily and that the data we hold are accurate and complete. • Effective student feedback mechanisms are in place to help us to improve the student experience and to encourage ‘life-time learning’ with us. • A coordinated approach is adopted to manage all aspects of our relationships with major companies. • We seek continuous improvements by benchmarking ourselves against the best in class - be that international universities, the private sector or other public sector organisations.

8.2 Market Intelligence Strategy Our future approach to market intelligence will encompass: • Ensuring fully-integrated management of all internal data. • Managing a culture change which encourages colleagues to share information. • Upgrading existing systems - for example, including additional data fields, enquiry tracking and the communication features of the Banner44 system. • Rationalising databases. Where there is more than one database collecting the same or similar data, the systems will be integrated.

44 Student records system using SCT Banner software.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 33 of 54 • Instigating systems to assess buyer satisfaction for clients of our research and consultancy services. • Ensuring that appropriate feedback loops are in place from the student complaints process to inform the future development of courses and services. • Forging strategic partnerships to help us source market intelligence - for example, with banks, insurance companies and organisations that have products aimed at the youth market. • Establishing a central database of competitor information which the University can share via the network.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 34 of 54 9 Strategic Platform 3 - Freedom to Invest and Innovate The higher education sector is dominated by government funding and control. As government funding has shrunk, the level of control has increased45. In order to fuel our ambition and to create an innovative and inspiring culture, we need to earn the freedom to implement change. This will allow us to deliver and to exceed the expectations laid down by government regulatory bodies. Freedom depends on securing funding through extending our range of activities. This will enable us to invest in our teaching programmes, to attract leading research teams, and to nurture and support new research talent. These are all critical to the continuing development of the University.

NTU has already implemented a third stream activity46 strategy in order to generate 40% of turnover from non HEFCE-sources by 2007/08. Other factors, such as the introduction of variable fees for undergraduates, can invalidate proportionate income targets. The third stream income target of 40% equated to 8% growth per annum which was exceeded in 2005/06 with 10% growth. By 2010, we aim to significantly increase the proportion of non-governmental income. In addition, an international student recruitment strategy is also in place which is targeting significant increases in the number of international students.

Primarily through the outsourcing of the management of residential accommodation – which delivered an extraordinary surplus of £19 million in 2001/02 – NTU has had a strong balance sheet with good liquidity and very low long-term borrowings. Significant investment funds have therefore been made available to support these strategies.

The financing of the estate strategy has resulted in a requirement for long-term borrowing and we have ensured that such borrowing can be supported by increased revenue income and/or operating efficiencies. All borrowings have been considered within the context of the risk management policy and have been arranged on terms approved by the Finance Committee and Board of Governors. We are also maximising opportunities for external funding from grant sources, as well as through innovative partnerships.

Through effective controls, insightful reporting and process changes, we will continue to rigorously control/reduce costs. This will include initiatives such as ensuring that we fully utilise our purchasing power.

We are driving forward this activity through the quarterly business reviews of colleges and services and through the university-wide graduate school. Risk management and financial management are two of the key performance goals of college heads.

The Freedom to Invest and Innovate strategy is based on the following principles: • Return on Investment. • Profit for reinvestment. We will seek to maximise profits from our commercial activities and will expect to generate a minimum of 10% net profit on turnover on all appropriate transactions. We will also aim to

45 Budd, A (2003) ‘The Universities and Money’. Lecture delivered at Sheffield University, 21 October 2003. 46 “Third stream” income includes, for example, full-cost postgraduate programmes, international student recruitment, tailor-made training for companies and other organisations, and commercial research and consultancy services.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 35 of 54 deliver a corporate annual operating surplus of at least 3% on university turnover in accordance with current HEFCE recommended practice. • Asset Utilisation. • Sustainability. Research and development will be aimed at providing products and services that generate sustainable profits. • Diversity. A diverse portfolio of products, markets or clients to manage risk. • Alignment with corporate strategy. Investment decisions will be made not only on the individual merits - financial or otherwise - of the opportunity, but also on whether that opportunity aligns with the mission and aims of the University. • Assessment of risk. Individual opportunities will be considered against the University’s overall risk exposure. • New business development. We will deliver the Freedom to Invest and Innovate strategy through: • Creating an inspiring physical and business environment. • Business Processes. Innovative ideas will be encouraged from all staff in all parts of the University. Business processes are being streamlined to ensure that submission of ideas and initial feedback - approval or otherwise - is simple and fast. Organisational structures and hierarchies will not form a barrier to innovation. • Staff development. Initially, existing high performing individuals and teams will be identified and trained. Training will focus on developing the skills needed to spot market opportunities, to make markets and to manage product development. Business planning, project management and customer relationship management will all form part of the training programme. • Incentives. Rewards will be developed to ensure that success for the individual means success for the University and vice-versa. Incentives could include rewards for individuals or teams; financial or non-financial rewards - for example, bonus or research sabbatical – and career-related rewards - by linking into promotion opportunities and the awarding of academic titles.

By aligning financial reporting to the strategic planning process, we will develop key milestones against which progress towards strategic objectives will be measured.

9.1 Financial Management Key elements of the underpinning financial strategy are:- • To ensure that effective financial management supports our aims and plans. • To facilitate overall financial control and to provide management with financial information for effective decision making on a monthly basis including47: • income and expenditure statements, with comparisons to budget and prior year;

47 The University is now moving towards a real-time business position.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 36 of 54 • cash flow forecasts and balance sheet; and • information on capital expenditure. • To set parameters for the annual budgeting process, together with regular financial forecasts, as well as for longer-term targets. • To set, relevant to NTU’s strategic and operational plans, key performance indicators and to produce monthly reports that monitor progress. • To produce robust costing and pricing policies by using the connectivity between the finance, HR and Facility management IT systems to gain a greater understanding of our cost base. • To operate continuous value for money assessment which is embedded into our internal processes and procedures. • To ensure that appropriate risk management policies are in place and that the key risks are identified, evaluated and controlled. • To monitor that appropriate financial controls are in place. This will be measured by seeking incremental improvements in both external and internal audit reports. • To focus senior management on important issues and trends through exception reporting, regular re-forecasts and key performance indicators analysis.

A Consistent Approach to Business Planning Standard business plan formats have been developed to facilitate consistent analysis of new proposals. All new capital proposals will be fully costed and will be required to achieve return criteria. Post-project reviews will be undertaken to identify and share successful practice and to ensure that mistakes/failures are not repeated.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 37 of 54 10 Strategic Platform 4 – A Resource Structure to Drive the Business As with all businesses and institutions, we have three principal resources: human, information48 and physical. In order to mature into the type of university that we wish to be, it is important that we invest in all three. The Resource Structure to Drive the Business strategic platform sets out our strategy to create an inspiring working environment for students and staff.

10.1 Human Resources NTU is a people business. We rely almost entirely on our staff to deliver our mission. We therefore understand the need to invest in our people, and we will work with our staff to create an environment that enables everyone to add value in all that they do.

We will maximise the talent within the University, and strengthen and revitalise that talent through new staff where appropriate. We will employ creative policies and practices that enable flexibility, responsiveness, and high levels of performance, and develop an organisation at ease with managing change.

When drawing up this strategy, account was taken of the views of our staff as expressed in a MORI survey completed in 2003. The Strategic Plan is continuously reviewed and updated, and reviews draw on the findings of subsequent surveys and on changes nationally.

10.1.1 Culture We will create an environment that is inclusive, supportive and focussed on success, building on the high levels of pride and loyalty that already exist within the University. We recognise our responsibility to ensure that our staff can enjoy their work without risk to their health or safety. Our goal is that staff will be proud to work for NTU and will take pleasure in contributing to its success and the success of our students, acting as ambassadors throughout both their working and leisure hours. We will: • Ensure all staff operate with a combined sense of purpose, acknowledging that the strength of the whole is greater than that of any one individual. • Encourage team-working throughout the University, unfettered by organisational/structural boundaries. • Work to create a strong sense of community amongst our staff, recognising both the supportive and creative benefits of such a community. Communication processes will be introduced to address the challenges faced in maintaining this community spirit across a multi- campus organisation, and in maintaining a feeling of belonging amongst “virtual” staff across the world. • Promote the use of language and behaviour that encourages respect and empathy, recognising that the benefits of a strong and supportive environment will be felt by the University, its staff, and its students. • Remove bureaucratic decision making processes at all levels of the University, and encourage individual ownership and accountability.

48 The Information Management Strategy was incorporated in this document in the October 2007 edition.

Our Values As a community, we share a number of core values. In order to achieve NTU’s aims, we will all be committed to:

• being supportive and inspirational to our students • valuing and respecting each other • working effectively in teams • taking responsibility for our actions • striving for continuous improvement • sharing our knowledge, skills and expertise with colleagues • embracing change • making a real difference • having a real sense of ambition and enjoyment

10.1.2 Resourcing A first class university is built on people with first class skills. We will continuously review our staffing base to ensure that we can meet our strategic aims. Our approach to recruitment, retention, and succession planning will be crucial to our future success.

Recruitment We will: • Market NTU, both within and outside the H.E. sector, as the employer of choice for staff dedicated to providing customers with the highest standard of service, identifying and exploiting our unique selling points as an employer. • Employ robust and creative recruitment processes to ensure the identification and appointment of the best person for every job. • Form partnership arrangements with national and international employers (within sector and beyond) to keep our staff base highly relevant to their particular disciplines and professions, targeting 20% of our staff having had significant relevant exposure to their related profession outside the sector, within the previous 5 years. • Establish a “virtual” cadre of staff to allow for maximum expertise, maximum flexibility and manageable cost. • Identify balanced ways of employing staff to provide flexibility to the University and acceptability and security to the employee. • Acknowledge staff turnover as a legitimate tool to manage the quality and relevance of our staff base. • Manage staff in a way that results in leavers maintaining a relationship with NTU with a view to possible future mutually-beneficial working relationships.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 39 of 54 Retention We will: • Recognise each individual’s areas of strength and expertise, and look to align these with the aims of NTU to maximum mutual benefit. • Assist staff to add value to and to manage their CV, and to help NTU invest in their future. • Encourage career breadth as a means of retaining and motivating good staff, but not at the expense of customer service.

Succession Planning We will: • Review our approach to career management and promotions, ensuring their capacity to aid retention, maximise the talent within the University, and reward strong performance. • Produce an action plan to look at creative ways of managing the challenge of the age-profile of the University, considering ways in which we can combine the benefits of continuity (from within NTU) and new-blood to revitalise. • Introduce a fast-tracking programme to meet both short-term and long- term succession needs, identifying those staff with high potential and making additional investment in their future.

10.1.3 Reward NTU recognises the motivational value of strong reward systems, and the need for such systems to adopt a holistic approach. A pick and mix approach to rewards and incentives will provide the flexibility to align all staff effort to the aims of NTU (targeting a close alignment with personal values and beliefs) whilst maintaining costs within acceptable parameters.

We will: • Value and reward strong and effective teachers. • Review the contractual arrangements for all staff to ensure their suitability to the future operational intent of NTU. Contractual provision will be made to enable 52 week, 24/7 capability49, performance reviews and incentives, and business contact/secondment commitments. • Introduce remuneration structures for all staff that allow pay to be linked to the contribution of the individual, the appropriate market rates, and the financial position of the employer. • Introduce a job evaluation system capable of enabling comparisons both within and outside sector, and of demonstrating equal pay for work of equal value for all posts. • Introduce a range of flexible benefits (both financial and non-financial) with the capacity to motivate a broad range of staff to perform to their full

49 Naturally, this does not mean that we expect staff to work longer than their contractual hours. Our intention is to put in place systems and processes to provide maximum flexibility for our students and business partners - wherever they are in the world and whatever time zones they operate in. Should any of these developments require changes to existing contractual arrangements, appropriate discussions would take place with trade unions and staff.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 40 of 54 potential. These benefits will be designed to reflect the values of the University, such as team-based reward arrangements. • Review our approach to the awarding of academic titles, ensuring such titles are highly sought-after, but hard-won. Academic awards allocation will be on demonstration of high level subject expertise plus ongoing contribution to the success of NTU.

10.1.4 Performance and Personal Development NTU aims to be a high performance organisation, encouraging, measuring and rewarding success. The creation of a strong performance culture at all levels will lead to NTU being a university of national and international renown, attracting the highest calibre staff, fulfilling individuals’ desire for job satisfaction and personal growth, and delivering the highest standards of learning and teaching to our students.

We recognise that high-level performance must be supported by a strong commitment to professional development, and that this commitment must be shared jointly by both the individual and the University.

We will: • Operate a Performance Development and Review system for all levels of staff, designed to measure performance against agreed objectives and an identified competency framework. • Underpin promotion and other reward systems with these review mechanisms, ensuring the embedding of a performance culture throughout NTU. • Agree annually with staff ways in which their contribution can be enhanced, ensuring responsibility for personal development is accepted by both the individual and the University. • Develop a continuous improvement ethos based on strengthening those competencies and skills aligned to university aims. • Improve our procedures and our managerial capability to ensure that all staff make a full contribution to the University. • Value strong leadership and management, recognising the importance of a wide range of skills to the success of the University. • Recognise people as the most significant assets within the University, thereby acknowledging both the need for investment in such assets and a subsequent return on that investment. • Identify and target those skill gaps that impact disproportionately upon the performance of both the University and the individual. Areas such as IT skills, managerial skills and those related to income-generation will be targeted as a priority.

10.2 Estate The principal goal of the underpinning estate strategy is to create an inspiring working environment for students and staff.

The estate strategy will enable the creation of a Property Development Plan which will focus on providing a range of development opportunities, aimed at

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 41 of 54 improving the quality of buildings and facilities. The estate strategy is built on the following key elements: • High year-round utilisation. The age and lay-out of NTU’s buildings, historical under-funding and other operational issues all contributed to poor usage of the property portfolio. This position was further exacerbated by very low occupation rates outside term time. A key objective is to at least double utilisation rates over the plan period. In order to facilitate high utilisation, buildings will be managed by the University centrally and not by individual colleges. • Timetabling/Utilisation System. An up-graded version of ‘Facility’ software has been installed and use of the system will be extended to the entire University. The system will improve information on room usage and enable more effective tracking and decision making for timetabling and allocation processes. A very important benefit to students from this system has been the generation of on-line timetables. • Developing flexible space. In our refurbishment and transformation of buildings, we will create space that is specifically designed to meet the needs of learning and teaching yet is capable of multiple arrangements and combinations within it. • Supporting team working. We will build resources that allow sharing and that support inter-disciplinary research. We will also bring together service functions in suitable accommodation to better serve the University. • Opening up space. Our aim is for staff to be accommodated in fit-for- purpose accommodation. We want to create an environment that promotes interaction between colleagues. It is also important that we adopt building methods that enable reconfigurations of space to be carried out much more quickly and at lower cost. • Opening up higher education. To enable NTU to serve the needs of non-traditional students, the estate strategy will facilitate the provision of services throughout the calendar year, 24 hours a day in response to market need. • Caring for our buildings. The estate strategy includes a variety of activities, in addition to capital projects, that reflect the need for a fundamentally different approach to managing our assets. This includes a shift away from the reactive policies of the past to planned maintenance and replacement. Best practices, life cycle management and value engineering will be embedded into our processes and methodologies. • Caring for the environment. Sustainability is increasingly important. The University has made a commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and minimising waste and will develop environmental policies to help achieve this commitment. We have a successful record of working with the local authorities on transport development and we will continue to work with them to optimise traffic flow in the city centre.50 • Providing a safe environment. The appeal of campus to both students and staff derives from the perception of a safe and attractive environment. This emphasises the need for the campus to be capable of supporting the community it serves through the availability of a wide range of services and facilities beyond 9 to 5.

50 In 2005, a new bus service was introduced linking the City and Clifton campuses. Our City campus has the benefit of a major tram stop, and an extension to Nottingham’s tram system is currently under development which will also provide a major tram stop for our Clifton campus.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 42 of 54 • Linking to the local community. The campus serves not only those working, studying and living within it, but also the wider local community, who benefit from the opportunities NTU offers in terms of social, recreational and learning facilities. • Financing. Historically, the University has had a strong balance sheet with good liquidity and minimal debt. This position has been leveraged to raise capital and to support investment in infrastructure and to make key professional and academic appointments to deliver the aims of the Strategic Plan. We will also strive to underpin our ambitious plans through grant funding. We will at no time embark upon capital projects without secure finance already in place. In evaluating capital projects, we will undertake rigorous analysis with a view to identifying major risks and opportunities. We will undertake projects that exploit revenue growth possibilities and facilitate cost and other efficiencies. We will use these capital appraisal techniques as a tool in prioritising needs and the timing of the programme of works. • Dynamism. The estate strategy is a dynamic process that will recognise changing needs in the prioritisation and selection of preferred options for development. The prioritisation of projects is not set in stone and may alter subject to the availability of funding, changing business needs and logistical requirements. The initial strategic analysis identified the following key project areas: • The transformation of Newton, Newton Yard and Arkwright. Both Newton and Arkwright are 2* listed buildings which lie at the centre of the City campus. Both buildings, and particularly Newton, are very solid buildings which hold the potential to accommodate the lion’s share of learning and teaching accommodation on the City campus. An exciting project has been identified which will turn what is currently a rather tired area into the heart of the vibrant city centre university quarter. • Expansion of professional programmes. The Business School and Law School have performed very strongly in recent years but their expansion of third stream activity was constrained by space limitations. Accommodation on Park Row, Nottingham, has been acquired to allow such revenue growth and to assist decanting. • Decanting space. A robust decanting plan has been implemented to facilitate estate regeneration. • Renovation and refurbishment. Significant renovation and refurbishment is planned for other buildings - such as George Eliot and Erasmus Darwin at Clifton, and certain buildings at Brackenhurst – towards the end of the plan period. Further refurbishment of the Chaucer Building is also planned. • Disposals. The University will keep buildings peripheral to the core estate under review with a view to disposal of redundant land and buildings from time to time. York House and Victoria Studios on the City campus and parts of Clifton and Brackenhurst are probably not core to our activities and are likely to be disposed during the plan period. • Student accommodation. A number of years ago, we began a programme to ensure that an adequate amount of quality accommodation was available for our students. The Gill Street complex51 completed the programme on the City campus. The Brackenhurst campus saw a significant upgrade and renovation of its student facilities in 2005. The

51 Opened in September 2004.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 43 of 54 Clifton campus accommodation is of a good standard and meets student needs. Clifton has potential space to build further accommodation, should demand require. • Building the university community. We will endeavour to incorporate additional prayer rooms and social space into our buildings. • Sporting and recreational facilities. There is increasing demand from students, staff and the local community for indoor and outdoor sporting and recreational facilities. Limited availability of additional space, together with a very strong range of external amenities in the city centre makes it unviable to create such facilities on the City campus. Sports and recreational facility development will therefore be focussed on the green field Clifton campus. The appointment of the Director of Sport & Lifestyle has enabled us to better leverage our sporting and recreational facilities to the benefit of students, staff and community. • Out-sourcing. NTU has successfully pioneered the out-sourcing of student accommodation to the benefit of all concerned. We will consider other areas of operation for similar schemes provided that it results in improved service to students and safeguards for staff.

10.3 NTU on-line – IT Infrastructure We believe that NTU should be a leader in the application of technology to education and learning. Our long-term vision for the overall e-strategy is that we will inspire our students and staff by the way in which we use the latest technology to deliver better services.

However, we are not interested in using technology for its own sake. We will use the latest technology within modern working practices to: • support student learning • streamline administration • eliminate queuing • deliver faster, more accurate, more accessible information, and • build a sense of community. The first key stages in the e-strategy were implemented in the summer of 2004. On 1 October 2004 a completely new web site was launched. On-line services at NTU now include: payments; enrolment; student accommodation and publication of examination results. On-line individual timetables were introduced in autumn 2005. A new Library Management System was installed and put into production for the commencement of the 2005/06 academic year. In August 2005, on-line induction materials were introduced for new students.52

We will continue to progressively automate our administrative and business processes as part of our commitment to gold standard customer service.

We need to make changes to our business processes in order to achieve this vision. Change will be driven forward by a series of interlocking projects:

Project 1 Identifying systems and processes that will be used throughout the University

52 It was originally intended that the first NTU e-shop would be launched from November 2004. However, following further cost-benefit analysis, it was agreed that e-shops would not be launched at the present time.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 44 of 54 Project 2 Linking and aligning IT initiatives to the University’s business through the development and implementation of an Information Management Strategy Project 3 Requiring University IT systems to be integrated to facilitate the sharing of information and promote process efficiency Project 4 Communicating the value that the use of IT delivers to the organisation Project 5 Capitalising upon the workforce’s talents using innovative IT tools Project 6 Implementing IT performance measures that assess the health of the services we deliver, the development of the IT organisation and the satisfaction of our customers

The Information Management Strategy will describe how we will use IT to unite the different parts of the University – the academy and professional services – through streamlined business processes, and how we will use IT to provide a seamless service to all our customers, both internal and external.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 45 of 54 11 Strategic Platform 5 - Gold Standard Customer Service Traditionally, universities have shied away from the word ‘customer’. At NTU, in a fee-paying age, we feel that the time is right to make this word part of our discourse and to commit to gold standard customer service, building on and sharing existing good practice.

It is not just students who are customers. Amongst others, the term ‘customer’ includes parents, employers, sponsors, and the funding council. It is important that those with whom we do business feel valued enough to come back as ‘repeat buyers’ and that they feel happy enough to recommend us to others.

In our relationship with students, we believe that providing a gold standard service includes making demands – intellectual as well as behavioural and attitudinal. Studying at NTU is preparation for entry into professional life. We will therefore have high expectations both of our students and of ourselves as providers of services.

We will actively look to best practice within the public sector as well as to exemplars in the corporate world in order to provide the best service for our various customers.

Customer care will drive organisational change. We will play to our natural strengths as a professional university with outstanding links to employers.

We will be proactive to meet what are not just changing preferences, but steadily more demanding ones. We will strive to deliver gold standard customer service by: • Transferring much of the responsibility for administration from academics to professional administrators, enabling academic staff to concentrate on excellent teaching, research and commercial activity. • Ensuring that the customer care competency that is now an expectation of academic staff is properly implemented and monitored, with appropriate training to support this aspect of the role. • Implementing a model that recruits, develops, values and rewards excellent professional administrators, many of whom work as an integral part of the constituent colleges of the University. • Increasingly designing our services on the basis of market intelligence. • Implementing standardised operating procedures throughout the University. • Using customer sensitivity as a key element in the recruitment of all staff. • Investing in the customer care training of staff who have direct customer- facing responsibilities. • Providing front of house staff with the technology and systems to support them in their role. For example, one of our goals is to equip reception officers with on-line information on classes, events and services. • Driving the performance of all services through the communication and monitoring of service standards. • Endeavouring to give all staff the experience of engaging directly with users of the services provided by the University.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 46 of 54 • Transforming the learning environment. Our goal is that both the teaching estate and the technical support behind it should be best of class. • Using Facility software to automate timetabling processes. The goal of this project was for students to be able to access their timetables on-line, and this has now been achieved. • Using technology to streamline administration. Our goal is to eliminate queuing. On-line enrolment was successfully implemented for the 2004/05 academic year, and we aim to progressively automate administrative and business processes.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 47 of 54 12 Strategic Platform 6 - Strengthening Organic Growth by Collaboration, Partnerships and Acquisitions Working together with public and private sector partners, we will transform our capacity to deliver key strategic objectives. We are committed to organic growth enabled by collaboration. However we will, where appropriate, create capacity through acquisition. Successful collaborations and partnerships will be mutually complementary in their objectives. They will be characterised as:

• being designed to benefit the customer • being project-driven • having realistic inputs and outputs, involving risk and gain to all partners • being delivered within the resources that are available • having performance criteria that are realistic, transparent and truthful

The key elements of our collaboration strategy include: • Actively working with other universities and Further Education Colleges (FECs) in the Region to develop flexible structures to enable students to progress between institutions and benefit from the best learning experience available. • Helping to address inequalities in society by reaching out to a broader range of students in partnership with other universities, FECs and other agencies. • Working collaboratively with other universities and other research bodies through joint bids for funding, and joint appointments across a range of disciplines. • Working in partnership with other organisations to provide knowledge transfer in areas of priority to society, including health and social care, food and drink, the creative industries, transportation, construction and the environment. • Taking a strategic approach to technological innovation, relying on business pull informed by links with our principal business networks and the regional development agenda. • Working with other universities in the Region to develop opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for the benefit of the regional economy. Our goal is to link SMEs into our national and international networks. • Playing to our strengths in knowledge exchange, recognising that we will often add most value by playing an interpretative role between the business community and more research intensive universities in the Region. • Diversifying and increasing our income from third stream activities by developing a customer-responsive corporate education model to provide customised education and training solutions, delivered by external as well as internal faculty53, in partnership with the corporate and public sector, nationally and internationally. Through this model, we will enhance our capacity to innovate in educational design, enabled by e-learning. We will develop a core faculty that is expert in designing education and training programmes to deliver defined business objectives.

53 I.e. academic staff

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 48 of 54 • Further developing international networks to provide consultancy services to developing economies to increase capacity in higher education. We will achieve this goal through the joint development of programmes with partner institutions, the provision of learning materials, and the development of faculty through exchange schemes and joint appointments. • Keeping separate and distinct the financial and academic aspects of international collaborations. • Through joint enterprises with international partners, offering continuing professional development services through a blend of off-shore and on- shore provision enabled by e-learning. • Working in partnership with international organisations to provide educational services to international students who wish to study abroad in the English language.

NTU is exceptionally well placed to play a central role within regional partnerships with other universities, FECs and employers to develop a network of provision across the Region which could contribute substantially to developing the education and skills base of a broader range of students.

A strong range of Foundation Degrees delivered in flexible modes and focused on employment-informed areas of expertise will be at the heart of this provision.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 49 of 54 13 Making It Happen In order to deliver the strategy, we will strive to: • Work with other leading providers to provide first class innovative learning and teaching services, underpinned by research and scholarship. • Focus on research that renews and strengthens our teaching. • Have high expectations both of ourselves, as providers of services, and of our students. • Be the leading university in understanding students, clients and employers by: o Providing market research for all new courses and revalidations; all major redesigns of service delivery; the evaluation of marketing communications; sector evaluations - such as country/industry – and market segment evaluations - such as the part-time/mature student/CPD/postgraduate markets. o Collecting and analysing the implications of data on market trends; competitor activity; economic and demographic trends; social-demographics; lifestyle trends - such as student buying behaviour - and school curriculum changes. o Combining traditional methods of market research with new technologies to create a faster and more effective interaction with key consumers through e-mail satisfaction surveys; e-mail surveys of those who drop out of the recruitment cycle; and exit questionnaires for students who drop out mid-course. o Working closely with partners to source market data. • Provide all customers with gold standard customer service by adopting best practice from the public and private sectors. • Provide services in response to market need throughout the year, 24 hours a day. • Build a strong sense of community. • Be a multi-cultural university, preparing our graduates for global success, recruiting students from a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds. • Recruit a significant proportion of our faculty54 from overseas and have strong partnerships with leading overseas universities. • Be the employer of choice for staff dedicated to providing customers with the highest standard of service. • Work as a team across the University, having removed physical and cultural barriers between different groups of staff. • Generate profit for reinvestment, creating the freedom to invest and innovate. • Build an inspiring physical estate. • Use the latest technology and work practices to increase the speed of service, and to reduce costs. • Share information and other resources to promote greater efficiency. • Spend the minimum of time in committee meetings, and provide colleagues with succinct and precise information.

54 I.e. academic staff

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 50 of 54 We will accept the fact that innovation entails risk, and that not all projects will succeed. We will have the courage and the will to implement change, and we will lead by example.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 51 of 54 14 Achievement Aims to 2010 By the end of this plan period, we will have implemented: Achievement Aim 1. A new system for academic award allocations to staff by August 2004. [Progress Report: The interim changes agreed at Academic Board in October 2004 already start to address the points made in 10.1.3; further work in this area will take place]. Achievement Aim 2. A new web site launched by August 2004, enabling on- line enrolment and other forms of e-business. [Progress Report: This has been achieved. On-line payments were operational from April 2004 and on-line enrolment was successfully launched in August 2004. In addition, a completely new web site was launched, to complement re-branding, on 1 October 2004. The new web site incorporates on-line booking of student accommodation. In addition, a regeneration web site was launched in July 2005 to keep staff informed of the progress of estate regeneration projects]. Achievement Aim 3. Facility timetabling software to be used by all parts of the University by September 2004. [Progress Report: All parts of the University are now using Facility to some extent apart from the agreed exclusion of Professional Legal Studies which will migrate to Facility in due course]. Achievement Aim 4. Extend the Bonington Building by September 2005. [Progress Report: The work on the Bonington Building is now complete]. Achievement Aim 5. Upgrade and renovation of Brackenhurst student residential accommodation by September 2005. [Progress Report: First phase rooms were available for autumn 2005 and the project is now complete]. Achievement Aim 6. Transferral of much of the responsibility for administration from academics to professional administrators by 2005/06. [Progress Report: The first phase of the Academic Structure and Processes Review, implemented in 2004/05, has begun the process of transferring responsibility for administration from academics to professional administrators. This will be a gradual process and colleagues are encouraged to continue to bring forward suggestions for the streamlining of administrative tasks.] Achievement Aim 7. Course Portfolio Review changes in readiness for the academic year 2005/06. [Progress Report: This has been achieved through the first phase of the Academic Structure and Processes Review, implemented in 2004/05] Achievement Aim 8. Findings of our review of the structure of the academic year by 2005/06. [Progress Report: This has been achieved through the first phase of the Academic Structure and Processes Review, implemented in 2004/05]

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 52 of 54 Achievement Aim 9. Findings of our review of the structure and nature of modules to deliver a consistent approach across the University by 2005/06. [Progress Report: This has been achieved through the first phase of the Academic Structure and Processes Review, implemented in 2004/05] Achievement Aim 10. A system of assessment methods that avoids over- assessment by 2005/06. [Progress Report: This has been achieved through the first phase of the Academic Structure and Processes Review, implemented in 2004/05] Achievement Aim 11. A new communication strategy for the NTU brand by the end of 2005/06. [Progress Report: The new brand has been implemented across the University.] Achievement Aim 12. Gold standard customer service (as measured by surveys of students and other customers) by 2006/07. [Progress Report: A Head of Customer Service has been appointed to lead the implementation of improved service standards in Estates and Resources. The implementation of gold standard customer service is also being taken forward across the University through initiatives such as the launch of new electronic processes including on-line results, on-line payment, and on-line booking of student accommodation.] Achievement Aim 13. Campus-wide network access using both wireless and conventional technologies by 2006/07. [Progress Report: The wireless network is now live at NTU and across Nottingham.] Achievement Aim 14. All principal administrative and library functions to be on-line by 2006/07. [Progress Report: On-line services at NTU now include: payments; enrolment; student accommodation and publication of examination results, and timetables. A new Library Management System has been implemented. From August 2005, induction materials were provided on-line for new students.] Achievement Aim 15. All programmes will offer a basic up-to-date online e-learning component55 by 2008/09. In addition, strategically selected clusters of modules and programmes will be developed which go beyond the basic level of e-learning provision by 2006/07. Achievement Aim 16. Generation of 40% of turnover from non HEFCE- sources by 2007/08. [Progress Report: NTU has already implemented a third stream activity56 strategy in order to generate 40% of turnover from non HEFCE- sources by 2007/08. Other factors, such as the introduction of variable fees for undergraduates, can invalidate proportionate income targets. The third

55 Students will experience a consistent interface to their modules of study, with all modules having at least a basic and up-to-date online component comprising module information, a notice board, a resource repository and a means of communication between students and their lecturers. 56 “Third stream” income includes, for example, full-cost postgraduate programmes, international student recruitment, tailor-made training for companies and other organisations, and commercial research and consultancy services.

© 2004-2007 NTU All Rights Reserved Page 53 of 54 stream income target of 40% equated to 8% growth per annum which was exceeded in 2005/06 with 10% growth. By 2010, we aim to significantly increase the proportion of non-governmental income.] Achievement Aim 17. A strategy to achieve success in RAE 2008. [Progress Report: a robust strategy is in place for the submissions to the RAE in November 2007.] Achievement Aim 18. Regeneration of the Newton and Arkwright buildings, creating an inspiring learning and working environment for students and staff in the heart of Nottingham for completion in 2009. Achievement Aim 19. Further regeneration of the Clifton site, creating an inspiring learning and working environment for students and staff by autumn 2010. Achievement Aim 20. Double utilisation of the University’s estate by 2010. Achievement Aim 21. National and international recognition for our focussed research programmes as judged by grant income, publication rates and contract research profile. Achievement Aim 22. National and international recognition for our excellence in learning and teaching as judged by national criteria, international student recruitment and visiting professorial programme. This will be supported by the provision of a robust distance learning programme.