The North East Wales Institute of Higher Education Annual Review 2005/06 AELOD O / MEMBER OF Contents Page 1 Foreword by Trefor Jones CBE Page 2 Introduction by Professor Michael Scott Page 4 Year in Brief Page 5 Market Led Page 8 Student Centred Page 10 University Page 12 International Significance Page 14 Open to All Page 15 Sustainability Page 17 NEWI and the Welsh Language Page 18 Performance Page 19 NEWI’s Board of Governors Page 21 Corporate Governance Page 23 Financial Statements Foreword by Trefor Jones CBE I am delighted to present this Annual Review for the academic year 2005/06. As you will see from the pages that follow this was a particularly exciting and eventful year for the Institute. One problem when producing an Annual Review is deciding what to include and what to leave out. This year has been no exception. In common with all other higher education institutions, many developments take a number of years to come to fruition as associated activities are spread across a number of years. Consequently, we have been a little flexible with the timescale for this Review and have included an update for events following August 2006 where appropriate. You will also notice that this year the Review follows the five aspects of the Institute’s vision. It also provides reports on the Institute’s progress against key performance indicators and contains reports on the Institute’s sustainability performance and progress against the Institute’s Welsh language scheme. Corporate governance and financial statements are also included. Trefor Jones CBE Chairman of NEWI’s The stories and statistics provided in this Review pay Board of Governors testament to the tremendous work undertaken by all the staff and students of the Institute. I am very grateful for all their hard work and dedication and I look forward to another successful year at NEWI. Vision and Mission NEWI is a full member of the University of Wales and it or its Values predecessors have been providing higher education to the • Respect for the individual, for the expression of ideas and people of Wrexham and North East Wales for nearly 120 years. the pursuit of knowledge; During that time its character like that of the community it serves has changed, although its commitment to the people of • Education, academic and professional integrity; Wrexham and North East Wales has remained constant. In recent years the character of the Institute has been expressed • Care for students, colleagues and customers and the formally through a number of statements. anticipation of their needs and requirements; Mission • Organisational commitment to the pursuit of excellence and To provide quality higher education and research in a loyalty to the Institute as a community of learning. welcoming, friendly and supportive environment to meet individual, local, national and international needs. Vision To become a market led, student centred university of international significance, which is open to all. This Annual Review examines the Institute’s progress by mapping activities against each element of the vision. www.newi.ac.uk 1 Introduction by Professor Michael Scott Principal & Chief Executive A year of growth and celebration Widening Participation and Enterprise activities have never been far away from the agenda and these areas have grown rapidly The past year was one of success and improvement across a over the last 12 months. NEWI had a 28% increase in its student broad range of areas. It saw a growth in NEWI’s student numbers numbers in 2005 many of these students coming from both at the Institute itself and in our collaborative partners; a backgrounds where there is no history of higher education. At the developing research base, increased third mission activities and same time NEWI has been reaching out to businesses with its a higher international reputation. This was supplemented by graduate and student work placement schemes, its organising of continuing improvements to the Institute’s estates and further key business events and its support for graduate start-up high profile visits. companies. The NEWI Innovation Centre, which houses start-up businesses, has been full to capacity almost since it opened and The Institute spent much of the year under scrutiny; a challenge now has a waiting list for potential tenants. which all members of the Institute took seriously. The pathway towards obtaining taught degree awarding powers is always long Research has been taking on an international footing this year and arduous. However, NEWI’s progress towards that goal with visiting professors coming to the Glyn O Phillips continues with confidence and determination. The immense Hydrocolloids Research Centre from India and Japan. Staff from amount of hard work put into that process placed NEWI in good the Institute’s Centre for Applied Internet Research (CAIR) also stead for its imminent quinquennial Institutional Review. organised the first International Internet Technologies and Applications conference in 2005 which attracted delegates and NEWI’s estate has never looked better. Much work has been speakers from all over the world. The Institute is currently spent on landscaping the previously underutilised quadrangle. preparing for its submission for the Research Assessment The result is a delight to students and members of staff and has Exercise in 2008. been developed to support NEWI’s firm commitment to environmental sustainability and increased biodiversity. These October 2005 included a royal visit to open officially the recently considerations were also high on the agenda when the Institute refurbished entrance hall and the Nick Whitehead Theatre. HRH undertook further developments of the campus included a new the Duchess of Gloucester was repeating her mother-in-law’s visit water-based hockey pitch of international standard and a 52 years ago. During her visit the current Duchess was shown the £130,000 investment in a new theatre for the theatre and renovated Nick Whitehead Theatre which has been named after performance degree. The Human Performance Laboratory also Wrexham’s Olympic champion and Fellow of NEWI. The theatre received an investment of £80,000. The new equipment and has been equipped with a state of the art sound system and video facilities will not only be used by the students of the two new link. In addition to its role as a lecture theatre this theatre will now be used for film showings, developing its role as a multi-functional sports degrees, but has also attracted a lot of interest to be used resource for the Institute. as a resource by professional sports people and the Wrexham Maelor Hospital. The North Wales School of Art and Design has The entrance foyer now has a memorial window in the memory of also received a huge investment, totalling nearly one million NEWI’s former Principal Professor J. O. Williams. Other changes pounds, enabling all the art facilities to be housed at Regent are a lift in the foyer which allows visitors easy access to NEWI’s Street which has consequently undergone a major refurbishment art gallery, Gallery 103; a new reception; and a bookings office for and expansion. the sale of tickets for events at NEWI. NEWI’s commitment to the social and economic development of The Institute’s Welsh language scheme has been approved by the the region and to the building of a wider community of learning in Welsh Language Board and is to be launched officially in Wrexham led it to organise the Wrexham Science and Technology December 2006. It has three main priorities: to increase the Week in collaboration with local partners which enabled the provision of Welsh medium programmes, to ensure that the Wrexham Science Festival to maintain a presence in the town and Institute is able to offer a bilingual service to the public and to in preparation for its full resumption in 2007. NEWI events promote the learning and use of Welsh within the Institute. attracted thousands of people on to the campus across the week Reports on progress are to be submitted to HEFCW through the with its range of talks, events and the family Scientriffic day. Strategic Plan, to Governors and the Welsh Language Board through annual reports and to the general public through the Institute’s Annual Review. 2 The North East Wales Institute of Higher Education Introduction by Professor Michael Scott Principal and Chief Executive The Institute continues to provide an important gateway into higher education for many from a socially excluded background. Its student profile differs significantly from traditional universities. 70% of its students come from families with incomes of £17,000 or less. 12% of the full-time student population is in receipt of the Disabled Students Allowance, compared to a UK average of 4% and a Welsh average of 5%. Yet against this background over 90% of the Institute’s full-time students are in meaningful employment within six months of graduating from NEWI. The Institute was also able to ensure that the number of students on NEWI programmes and number of credits including franchise partners rose to record levels. The year also saw recognition of the Institute’s research and scholarship and its market based nature. In a league table of institutions in Wales whose work is cited by other academics NEWI came second only to Cardiff University. Throughout 2005/6 there was a range of initiatives and developments which continue to demonstrate NEWI’s proactive approach to learning and teaching. NEWI had three projects accepted by the Change Academy and two development projects with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (LFHE). In June 2006 the Institute was awarded a LFHE Fellowship. In order to enhance learning and teaching excellence and promote best practice the Institute introduced its own Fellowship scheme in 2006.