Top 50 in the UK for Research Power Winter 2015 • northumbria.ac.uk • #iwantNU Special Edition Forecast: A Bright Future NORTHUMBRIAUNIVERSITY NEWS Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The best stories from 2015 It’s been a great year for Northumbria Newcastle Business School’s victory brings a hugely successful 12 months for Northumbria University to a close. orthumbria University return to campus to visit students. You employment. Newcastle Business School’s recent innovation of individuals and teams was awarded the Business can read about all of these stories and “I am also delighted that Northumbria success at the Times Higher Awards will across all aspects of university life. School of the Year award much more in this special ‘Best of 2015’ University’s Newcastle Business School be covered in full in the spring 2016 Northumbria’s success at these at this year’s prestigious edition of Northumbria University News. won the Business School of the Year edition of Northumbria University News. awards follows a year brimming over NTimes Higher Education Awards 2015. Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive award at the highly prestigious Times The University, which has a global with great success stories. From the This accolade follows a year of of Northumbria University, Professor Higher Awards. This is an outstanding reputation for delivering some of the University’s key role in building the achievement and progress with positive Andrew Wathey, said: “It’s been an achievement, and one of which we can best business management education world’s biggest solar telescope and its results in the Research Excellence excellent year for Northumbria. We all be very proud.” in the UK, was also shortlisted for the innovative partnership with Unilever, Framework, National Student Survey have seen the University move forward Professor Wathey added: “What is Entrepreneurial University of the Year to its ground-breaking research to 2015, Sunday Times league table and on a variety of fronts, demonstrated particularly pleasing is that all of this award. cure insomnia and award-winning other key measures. in particular through the REF results shows that we are achieving across the The annual Times Higher Education creative students and staff, it’s been This year also saw the appointment announced in December last year whole of a quality-led programme. Our Awards are widely recognised as the an outstanding year for Northumbria of Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and in an improved showing in the investments and focus are paying off.” most prestigious award ceremony of University. Turn the page to discover a DBE as the University’s new Chancellor employability (DLHE) survey, where More reflections on our successful the higher education sector, attracting selection of our very best stories from and Apple’s Chief Design officer and we were ranked 7th in the UK for the year from the Vice-Chancellor are hundreds of entries every year that throughout the year… Northumbria alumnus Sir Jonathan Ive number of graduates in professional available in an interview on page three. exemplify the talent, dedication and REF results Interview with Northumbria INSIDEINSIDE double Tanni Grey- win Stan Calvert funding Thompson Cup again 19 5 44 NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY NEWS CONTENTS NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY NEWS 7 13 Originally featured in issue 7 17 26 Northumbria students are more satisfied – it’s official! Northumbria University students are more satisfied than the News: 1,2,4,8,9,23,26,40 average UK university student, according to the results of Interview: A year of achievement 3 the 2015 National Student Survey. Interview: he University has improved over half of Northumbria’s courses to our students’ feedback and are This is where I want to be 5 its ratings in almost every achieved above 90% satisfaction, with pleased to see a significant increase area, achieving a score of 88% Architecture, Fashion, Interior and in our students’ satisfaction, as well Business: 6,7,16,17,18,31 overall satisfaction – this is Graphic Design scoring particularly as improved performance in every T2% above the sector average. highly. question category compared to the Health: 10,11,15,27 The National Student Survey asks The University’s success in the previous year.” Science: 12-14 final-year students to rate their National Student Survey follows its experiences of studying at their chosen significant improvement in research DISCOVER MORE university, the quality of their course quality and graduate employability Research: 19-22 northumbria.ac.uk/news and the facilities they use. The answers rates. Northumbria achieved the Feature: can help prospective students to make largest increase in research power of Welcome to Northumbria 24-25 informed choices on the best places to any university in the country in last study. year’s Research Excellence Framework Feature: Northumbria has improved in 21 (REF) which evaluates the quality 100% Hanging with the Hastings 28-29 of the 22 questions and is now above of research in UK universities. The satisfaction or at the sector average in five of the University has also seen an increase Law: 30 six categories within the survey. In in graduate employment rates, with • Business Leadership and particular, Northumbria is doing better 94% of graduates in work or further Corporate Management Feature: than the sector in the categories of study within six months of graduation • Business with Logistics and Students volunteer 30,000 hours 32 teaching, assessment and academic according to the latest Destination of Supply Chain Management Culture: 33-37 support. Leavers of Higher Education survey. Students are particularly happy with Professor Andrew Wathey, Vice- • Computer Forensics Books: 38 the University Library, IT and learning Chancellor and Chief Executive of resources reporting 91% satisfaction Northumbria, said: “Our successes in • Film and Television Studies with library resources and services the National Student Survey, following The Conversation: 39 • French with Business and 89% saying they have been able to the strong performance in the Research Sport: 41-44 access IT resources when needed. Excellence Framework signals that our • Nursing Studies/Registered Many courses achieved the top strategy to transform Northumbria Nurse Child score of 100% satisfaction, including into a new kind of excellent university Business Leadership and Corporate is paying real and visible dividends • Operating Department Management; Computer Forensics; – especially in the core academic Practice 377516_12/15 Film and Television Studies and activities of teaching and research. Nursing Studies (Child). In total, “We place great emphasis on listening * The Complete University Guide 2016 Northumbria courses in the UK top 30… ** The Sunday Times University Guide 2015 th th 8th 11 th th th 13 Library5 and Land and 12 13 Information Property Building * Management ** Management * Physiotherapy ** Education ** Architecture ** th th 19 th th 19 th 22nd 17 18 19 Food Science** Art and Design ** Civil General Nursing ** Town and Engineering* Engineering * Country Planning ** Winter 2015 • northumbria.ac.uk • #iwantNU INTERVIEW 3 A year of achievement It’s been a year of achievement NEW and progress for Northumbria. for Best of edition We ask Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Andrew Wathey, to reflect on the successes and the challenges ahead. What kind of year has it been for that has made the biggest difference to Northumbria? the conversations we are having with our It’s been an excellent year for Northumbria. stakeholders and partners. We jumped from We have seen the University move forward 80th to 50th in research power, making us the on a variety of fronts, demonstrated in biggest riser in the sector. This is helping to particular through the REF results announced attract strong partners, and highly-qualified in December last year and in an improved students and staff, building Northumbria’s showing in the employability (DLHE) survey, global profile and appeal. where we were ranked 7th in the UK for Sticking with research, it’s worth mentioning the number of graduates in professional our investment in multi-disciplinary employment. It has also been an excellent activity across the University. Six multi- year for student recruitment, with a markedly disciplinary research themes have so far higher number of well-qualified students been agreed, under the working titles: entering Northumbria. As The Sunday Times Being Human; Integrated Health and Social University Guide 2016 commented, we are Care; Bioeconomy; Digital Living; Extreme now the top post-1992 institution for entry Environments; and Future Engineering. standards. These themes will use our research strengths I would also identify 2015 as a year in in individual disciplines to provide us with which the student experience and delivery of a focus for future growth and success. They improvement programmes saw a significant will also help to promote our best researchers upswing. This was clearly demonstrated and teachers, and support their work at all by the positive results of the 2015 National career stages. The focus on research will Student Survey where we improved in 21 of continue, with new waves of investment in the 22 questions. With an overall satisfaction target areas and more broadly, including score of 88% we are also ahead of the sector greater postgraduate research opportunities, average. We followed this by being ranked and linked to this we will also be building 30th in The Sunday Times University Guide our commitment to masters-level (taught 2016 for satisfaction across the three core postgraduate) education. Teaching indicators (Teaching, Assessment Professor Andrew Wathey and Feedback, and Academic Support). This is the ‘Best of 2015’ edition of What is particularly pleasing is that all Northumbria University News. What are of this shows that we are achieving across your favourite stories this year? a feature about our students clocking up higher education sector to new providers. the whole of a quality-led programme. Our The appointment and inauguration of 30,000 hours of volunteering, and a number of 3.