ANNUAL REPORT 2009 MOVING FORWARD A University of Opportunity In 2009, a year which will inevitably be development activities across the full On behalf of the Board of associated with recession, the University range of technologies. Governors, I take great pleasure chose to lead by example and to rise to The newly formed continuing in recommending this report to the challenges posed in a proactive and professional development company, you. The Annual Report provides innovative manner. In this increasingly i-CD Ltd, became fully operational this a valuable insight into the challenging climate it was deemed vital year in response to the requirement to achievements of staff and students to take steps to strengthen our institution fuel business recovery in the region. i-CD and is an opportunity to reflect on by consolidating and enriching our core is working with employers to maximise the progress made during 2009. undergraduate offering, identifying and the skills of their workforce to aid I am particularly proud of the concentrating on areas in which we excel, business profitability and performance. University’s engagement and and ensuring that we are ‘fit for purpose’ participation within the region. in both the short and longer term. The entrepreneurial culture at the University of Wolverhampton has grown The University’s ‘can do’ culture Arguably the most innovative and is now considered to be at the enables individuals to make a development has been the complete heart of the University’s mission. Our real difference within their local refocusing of our undergraduate portfolio Knowledge Transfer Partnerships initiative community, whilst University culminating in the launch of Learning has seen an increased take-up of over initiatives have an enormous, Works, to be introduced in September 40% in the last year, contributing to the positive impact on the cultural this year. This fresh approach will enrich future success of the region. and economic landscape of the the student learning experience via West Midlands. Many areas of excellence have an enhanced, employer-responsive been recognised during this period. The strength of our partnerships curriculum ensuring our graduates Academic quality and standards were enables us to be a force for leave us as highly employable, digitally highly commended following an official positive change regionally, literate and innovative individuals with inspection by the Quality Assurance nationally and internationally. an important competitive edge in the Agency and our students continued to We equip our graduates with the increasingly challenging job market. rate highly the quality of our learning skills to compete on a global level. Equally exciting is the University’s new resources in the National Student The University continues to drive Innovation and Enterprise Strategy. Survey. In the Research Assessment innovation in teaching and learning. Developing and enhancing current Exercise, Wolverhampton was one Entrepreneurship and enterprise activity in this area, two new Innovation of the two most improved post-92 permeate our highly-successful and Enterprise Hubs will be created universities with all eleven subject areas teaching, research and knowledge at either end of the Wolverhampton entered having elements deemed to be transfer activities, reflecting the Internationally Excellent and eight having Telford Technology Corridor, creating demands of our rapidly elements graded as World Leading; an environment that will stimulate and changing economy. encourage enterprise, entrepreneurship an achievement of which we can be and innovation in the region. This will justifiably proud. I hope that you enjoy reading more about our achievements not only present fresh opportunities We are now in an excellent position and developments. for our students and graduates but will to move forward with confidence to also provide local businesses with the meet the challenges which undoubtedly incentive to raise their research and lie ahead for the whole Higher Education sector. Professor Caroline Gipps Michael Elliott Vice-Chancellor Chair of the Board of Governors CONTENTS 2 3 Advancing our learning and teaching Our innovative approaches 5 Enquiring minds Our research profile 7 Stimulating enterprise and commerce Our links with business 9 Keeping good company Partnerships with educators and industry 11 Becoming citizens of the world Our international activity 13 Recognising achievement Staff and student successes 15 A selection of our honours Our Honorary Graduates 2009 19 Our strength in numbers Staff/student numbers and financial overview 21 Leading change Our Management and Governors 3 Learning and Teaching ADvAnCinG our learningand teaching Like any successful organisation, the University of Wolverhampton appreciates that firm foundations are essential for future growth and advancement. During 2009, we accomplished a great deal in order to consolidate and strengthen our position. A review and refocus of our core curriculum, and the academic framework in which it is delivered, has ensured that our staff and students can all benefit from an enriched learning environment. Learning and Teaching 4 Strong academic foundations new Schools of thought We believe that we have excellent academic foundations The School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences to underpin learning and teaching across the University. and the School of Legal Studies joined forces to form the new This belief was confirmed by national education watchdogs, School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications. Students the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Following their official now benefit from being part of a bigger School with more inspection, the QAA highly commended the University’s resources, a larger peer group and greater cross-fertilisation academic quality and standards. of ideas between complementary disciplines. The audit team expressed their confidence in the The School of Health became responsible for the subject areas management of academic standards and the high quality of of Social Work and Social Care, forming the new School of learning experiences available to students. Several areas of Health and Wellbeing. Students now benefit from greater good practice were highlighted, including study skills support, inter-disciplinary learning across these related fields. Learning and Information Services and IT Services, as well as the work of the Quality and Academic Standards Division. Mastering new skills One of the first postgraduate initiatives of its kind, Masters+ Students voice their approval was launched by the University in 2009. As part of our Further evidence that we have successfully built on our core commitment to increasing the employability and leadership skills strengths came from our students, who registered their of our graduates, Masters+ delivers a set of skills workshops approval in the National Student Survey 2009. The Survey designed to develop the career potential of postgraduates. revealed that student satisfaction had increased at the The pioneering Masters+ programme provides students University for the second year running, with overall with practical, contemporary and industry driven courses not satisfaction rising from 76% in 2008 to 78% in 2009. typically delivered within a taught postgraduate course. Our students placed the University’s learning resources as industry conscious institutes above the national average, with 84% of students saying they 2009 saw the creation of two new industry focused Institutes. were satisfied compared to the national average of 80%. The Institute of Gaming and Animation and the Institute of The University also maintained a high satisfaction rate for Media Arts were formed to address industry demand to deliver access to IT facilities, with 90% of students saying they could cutting-edge technology and design solutions underpinned with access facilities whenever they needed to. In addition, 80% expert knowledge and internationally recognised research. of students reported that they were satisfied with the teaching The Institutes will advance the design and delivery of on their course. undergraduate and postgraduate courses, placing a clear emphasis on industrial and commercial relevance in order to A responsive curriculum produce capable graduates with the potential to shape the In 2009 the University launched Learning Works, which future of Britain’s media and creative industries. reviewed and refocused all our undergraduate courses. We responded to input from students, employers and nursing exemplary practice professional bodies, simplified our course structures, clarified During their annual monitoring exercise for 2009, the Nursing our course content and reviewed all our course titles. and Midwifery Council (NMC) praised the standard of nursing The result is an enriched undergraduate portfolio which education at the University of Wolverhampton. draws upon our past and present successes, and places The University’s approach to practice placement learning an increased focus on employability. To equip our students received particular praise and was officially judged as for the world they face upon graduating, the curriculum ‘outstanding’, having achieved a consistently high performance. promotes three graduate attributes: digital literacy, knowledge As a result of the inspection, the School of Health and Wellbeing and enterprise, and global citizenship, thus giving rise to the was invited to share its expertise in this area at the NMC Wolverhampton Graduate. national