Academic excellence for business and the professions Moving forward A year of progress City is a special place in the world of higher education. We’re a leading global university, committed to academic excellence, focused on business and the professions and located in the heart of a great global city. We are proud of our Victorian heritage and value our roots in the Northampton Institute, the Inns of Court School of Law and Saint Bartholomew’s College of Nursing. Our links with the City of London are strong, through our Chancellor, the Lord Mayor and the Livery Companies, which have long supported us in many ways and over many years. We are now among the top five per cent of universities in the world and fortunately, in the increasingly competitive UK higher education sector, our courses are among the most popular, not least because we are in the top ten in the UK for graduate level employment and in the top five for starting salaries. During 2013 we made significant progress implementing our Strategic Plan to achieve our Vision for City in 2016: to be a leading global university, ranked among the top two per cent in the world and recognised globally for the quality of our education, research and enterprise. Contents Our major investments are bearing fruit. Within the Report, we describe our success in international academic recruitment; our significant estate and infrastructure projects; our excellent 2 Turning the Vision into reality student satisfaction (City was the most improved English 4 Enhancing education university in the National Student Survey); our submission to the Research Excellence Framework which will go a long way to 8 Fostering research securing our academic reputation and discretionary Government 12 An enterprising approach funding over the next five years; and our developing ties with our community. 14 Broadening horizons 16 Connecting communities I hope you enjoy reading about our achievements in education, research and enterprise and our contributions to the City, 20 Developing relationships Islington, London and the world. 22 Recognising excellence 24 Governance at City 26 Financial summary 28 The year ahead Professor Paul Curran Vice-Chancellor, City University London A year of progress 1 2013 has been another progressive year the Research Excellence Framework is for City University London as the impact determined. Our submission to the national of our transformational Strategic Plan Research Excellence Framework included started to materialise. We are firmly on the work of 426 members of academic staff track to being a leading global university covering 12 areas of expertise. positioned among the top two per cent of universities in the world. We are especially grateful to the Lord Mayors of London, Alderman Sir Roger Under Professor Curran’s strong leadership Gifford and Alderman Fiona Woolf we continue to make significant investments for their dedication to supporting the in people, particularly world-leading education of our students in their capacity academic staff, our estate, our infrastructure as Chancellors of the University. and our overall student facilities and experience. I encourage you to read about I would also like to take this opportunity them and the positive effects they are having to thank our other friends, supporters on City, our growing academic standing and all members of our dedicated staff. and our stature as a major employer and Some of you have been with us since our thought-leader in London and beyond. foundation in 1894, others since we gained University status in 1966 and others more I am particularly proud of our world-leading recently. We appreciate your friendship and and internationally excellent research commitment and I look forward to your performance. This is reassuring as the support through 2014, which I am sure thrust of our development is to strengthen will be another year of progression for City further our academic excellence while University London. retaining our traditional strengths in providing education focused on and relevant to business and the professions. Research performance is a major determinant of universities’ reputations and will be even Mr Rob Woodward more relevant in 2014 as the outcome of Pro-Chancellor, Chair of Council City in 2013 City’s pioneering Continuing In the 2013 Professional Development National portfolio generated income of 85% Student over £6M Survey, over 85 per cent of City students indicated that overall, 426 they were satisfied with the academics £6M quality of their education across 12 areas of expertise City University London’s On the cover: Professor David submission to the national Bolton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, 2countries2 with James Perkins, Vice-President Research Excellence TOP 5 (Education) of the Students’ Union Framework included the City was ranked The University’s database in Northampton Square work of 426 members of among the top 5 of alumni contacts grew to This page: Professor Paul Curran, academic staff, working UK universities for comprise 94,000 former Vice-Chancellor across 12 areas of expertise graduate salaries students from 202 countries 2 Turning the Vision into reality Turning the Vision into reality One year on, City’s Strategic Plan continues to underpin the University’s investment in excellence Since its approval by Council in March Ask the same question of Professor Susan 2012, City’s Strategic Plan 2012–2016 has Ayers, whose research focuses on the “ Cass Business School is provided a focal point for activity across commonly occurring but often overlooked undertaking some of the most the University. 2013 was a year of significant trauma experienced by women following a progress, as this Annual Report attests: our distressing birth and she too emphasises the exciting research in Europe – investment in academic excellence inspired opportunities that exist at City: “There is so it is exploratory, open to new an outstanding submission to the Research much relevant research going on here. The ideas and I liked how many of Excellence Framework; improvements to School of Health Sciences is undertaking our Information Services provision reaped innovative work with technology. Research the academics are trying to take rewards with our National Student Survey is also being carried out into maternal help a holistic point of view on the results and ambitious changes to our estate and midwifery care, both of which are world of business.” generated an air of excitement across the important to birth trauma.” Given a mandate campus. As this handful of highlights from to establish the Centre for Maternal and Professor Peter Fleming, 2013 demonstrates, effective implementation Child Health with colleagues at City, Susan is Professor of Business and Society is generating impressive results. excited about its potential impact. “Now I can contribute directly to midwifery education Investment in academic staff and I hope our research can influence the By the end of 2013, 141 new academic staff next generation of midwives,” she says. Investment in our estate had been recruited by the University. This Implementation of the Strategic Estate marked the end of a remarkable period Investment Plan began in earnest in 2013, of change, in which the proportion of as several major construction projects were academic staff undertaking world-leading launched. Over the next five years, up to or internationally excellent research more £130 million will be invested in our estate, than doubled. These new colleagues are bringing redundant spaces back into use and already enriching our research community creating outstanding new academic facilities. and contributing to education and enterprise activities across the University. At the start of the 2013/14 academic year, To gain an insight into what draws new and returning students were greeted ambitious academics to City, we asked two by a rejuvenated campus at Northampton new members of staff why they joined the Square and an entirely new facility for the University and what they aim to achieve Cass Executive programmes at 200 Aldersgate. while they are here. At our main site in EC1, the first element of the three-phase Lecture Space project has Coming to City from New Zealand via delivered stunning new education spaces, Melbourne, the University of Cambridge created from long-neglected basement areas and Queen Mary University of London, of the University Building. Professor Peter Fleming specialises in the role of employment in our lives. Schools have also benefited from the He explores how people cope with the first phase of the Strategic Plan’s estate pressures imposed by modern working investment. The undergraduate programme practices and examines their impact on at Cass Business School now has enlarged, our relationships and wellbeing. “I find our refurbished accommodation in the Drysdale society extremely puzzling; I’m constantly Building, while The City Law School and trying to understand our behaviour in the School of Health Sciences have seen regards to work and the sociological substantial investments in academic office aspects of organisations that govern space through improvements in the Tait society,” he explains. “With my research, Building and the complete refurbishment I’m able to take a step back from the of the Gloucester Building. everyday processes and try and make sense of the society in which we live.” From top: Professor Susan Ayers, Professor of Maternal and Child Health; Professor Peter Fleming, Professor of Business and Society Turning the Vision