INTERACTIVE PRINT. Download the free Layar App. interactive content

Transcription

1 STRATEGIC PLAN

2 INTERACTIVE PRINT Download the free Layar App Scan this page Discover interactive content 2

3 TOGETHER OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS ARE DISCOVERING INNOVATIVE WAYS TO CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THE BETTER. PROFESSOR PAUL BOYLE PRESIDENT & VICE-CHANCELLOR 3

4 OUR FOUNDATION AND VALUES Our University was founded almost a hundred years ago in the aftermath of the Great War. The men and women who built this new institution hoped that it would be not only a living memorial to the darkness of their recent past, but a beacon of hope for the future. Their aim was that sacrifices made in war should be commemorated through education and research that would change the world for the better. We are delivering this ambition. 4

5 Our values reflect our motto: ut vitam habeant, so that they may have life. To do justice to the hopes and the expectations of those on whose shoulders we now stand, we strive to make a difference in everything that we do. Today our University is a lively, energetic and global community, in which dedicated and talented people are anticipating, working towards and helping to shape the future. We are committed to undertaking research that saves, improves and enriches lives, and to fostering a teaching and learning environment that transforms the prospects of our students and those they will go on to influence. Our values inspire and permeate this strategic plan, and include: Sharing a commitment to excellence Respecting and appreciating people in a culture of trust and integrity Championing academic freedom and the importance of constructive debate Recognising and celebrating achievement and success Ensuring that the decisions we make about education are always student-centred Nurturing innovation and solving problems creatively Being aware that we work better when we work together Acknowledging that without mistakes, change and innovation are impossible Being accountable for our actions and promises Leading by example and doing what we say we will do 5

6 WHAT MAKES US DISTINCTIVE? We aim above all for excellence. Already one of the very best British and global universities, we enjoy an enviable record of research discoveries, a flair for teaching innovation and proven success in broadening access to higher education. We are long-established yet focused on a future that will see us pioneering a distinctive elite of research-intensive institutions, open to all who have talent, in which... 6

7 1 EXCELLENCE AND INTERDISCIPLINARITY in research and learning are not simply espoused but delivered 2 The SYNERGY BETWEEN RESEARCH AND LEARNING is truly at the core of our activity 3 A commitment to INNOVATION, ENTERPRISE AND PARTNERSHIP underpins everything that we do 4 A STUDENT-CENTRED APPROACH AND WIDER PARTICIPATION are fundamental commitments, not afterthoughts 5 We do everything we can to recognise DIVERSITIES, achieve EQUALITIES and enable all of our staff and our students to be PEOPLE WHO FLOURISH 6 We are proud of our LOCAL IMPACT AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR CITY AND REGION 7 A growing GLOBAL PRESENCE is matched by A FOCUS ON INTERNATIONALISATION that expands the horizons of all of our staff and students 8 A WELCOMING AND COHESIVE CAMPUS EXPERIENCE facilitates collaboration and fosters a distinctive sense of partnership between staff and students 7

8 THIS IS WHO WE WILL BE... As a discovery-led University, we will be ever more focused on innovation. We will make a real difference: the excellence of our research, teaching and enterprise will transform people s lives. By being more adventurous, more ambitious and more insistent on the value of our distinctive qualities, we will have an even greater impact upon global scholarship and education. In every area, we are already developing bold initiatives that put our University at the forefront of change. 8

9 1 EXCELLENCE AND INTERDISCIPLINARITY Across all disciplines, we conduct fundamental and applied research that inspires and delivers change, as well as providing an outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate education. With a renewed focus on collaboration, networks and interdisciplinary strengths, including a suite of new Research Institutes, we will achieve a step-change in our grant capture, greater influence for our research outputs, a shared culture of transformative teaching and learning, and an even stronger culture of interaction in which interdisciplinary research and learning are not simply espoused but delivered. 3 INNOVATION, ENTERPRISE AND PARTNERSHIP Impact, innovation and the co-production of knowledge inform everything we do. We will increase our collaborations with businesses, the public sector and the third sector, and will vigorously support student enterprise. We will continue to seek partnerships, both locally and internationally, that take our research and learning into new regions and in new directions. To show how universities can bring together cutting-edge science, industry, education and training, we aim to establish a National Space Park to drive innovation in space and Earth observation science. 2 SYNERGY BETWEEN RESEARCH AND LEARNING In our educational ecosystem, research and learning are intertwined and equally valued. Our researchers are in the classroom and our students engage in research. With the Pathways project, we are introducing a new curriculum offering greater choice and flexibility, so our students enjoy an even better, research-enriched education at a level of specialisation that suits them. In the future, our students and partners will gain even greater benefit from our focus on the synergistic links between great research and great teaching. 4 A STUDENT-CENTRED APPROACH AND WIDER PARTICIPATION Our approach begins with a question: How will this benefit our current and prospective students? Our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds; all are supported to help them fulfil their potential. With an award-winning approach to career development, a strong commitment to wider participation and a passionate commitment to ensuring our students future success, we will do even more to ensure that all Leicester graduates discover the wisdom and creativity they need to be leaders in the knowledge economy. Scan this page CONTINUED NEXT PAGE 9

10 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE 5 DIVERSITIES, EQUALITIES AND PEOPLE WHO FLOURISH We will do more to celebrate and reward individual achievement and encourage everyone to contribute to our shared success. Our aim is to ensure that all of our staff know what they are doing well and what they could do better. Our culture of cooperation between colleagues is also a great foundation for the spirit of innovation and experimentation that is vital to improvement. We will take a lead in ensuring equality and developing a culture that not only respects but also values and celebrates difference, because we know that this will help us unlock talent. 6 LOCAL IMPACT AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR CITY AND REGION We will remain an anchor for economic, social and cultural development and continue to drive innovation, business development and local enterprise. We will maintain and expand our role as a major employer and an incubator of local talent. We will also develop and vigorously pursue an agenda of social responsibility and sustainability based on the benefits that our expertise and imagination bring to enhancing Leicester s future. To make an even greater difference, we will launch a new campaign PROUD focused on ways in which we can help our city meet its most significant environmental, social and educational challenges. 10

11 7 GLOBAL PRESENCE AND A FOCUS ON INTERNATIONALISATION Given their stake in what is one of the UK s most international universities, our students and staff must be increasingly mindful of their duty to address global challenges and opportunities, especially in those regions and areas of expertise where we can best make a difference. By focusing on significant and longterm relationships with strategic anchor partners, we will aim, above all, for lasting and practical impact. We will also ensure that our students wherever they are benefit from a truly internationalised approach to their learning. As part of our global initiative, we will develop new research and teaching centres in places including China, Indonesia, Iraq and Kurdistan and focus our strategic partnerships in areas and regions, such as postconflict societies, where we can make a real difference. 8 WELCOMING AND COHESIVE CAMPUS EXPERIENCE Ours is an enviably close-knit campus, in the heart of the most multicultural city in the UK. Broad in our scope and ambitions, we are also small enough to care and to foster the connections and conversations that make us distinctive. As partners in education, our students and staff will work together on the improvement of teaching, learning and the student experience to a degree unparalleled in other institutions. While preserving this special character, our new estates master plan will create a transformed university at the heart of the Leicester Educational Quarter. Scan this page 11

12 THESE ARE OUR COMMITMENTS AND PRIORITIES We have identified four key pillars of activity, which will be underpinned by a series of ambitious delivery plans, engaging all of our colleges, departments and divisions. We will hold fast to our values and commitments. Our priorities will be refreshed as we learn from our successes, and respond to the challenges and opportunities that emerge from a changing local, national and global context. 12

13 DISCOVERY-LED RESEARCH DISCOVERY-LED LEARNING DISCOVERY-ENABLING CULTURE DISCOVERY-ENABLING ENVIRONMENT 13

14 DISCOVERY-LED RESEARCH OUR COMMITMENTS WE WILL DELIVER AND SUPPORT EXCELLENT RESEARCH IN ALL ITS FORMS, FROM THE FUNDAMENTAL AND CONCEPTUAL WHICH LAYS THE FOUNDATIONS OF NEW KNOWLEDGE TO THE APPLIED AND TRANSLATIONAL WORK THAT DELIVERS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT. We will continue to nurture our distinctive approach, which genuinely blends research and teaching. We will invest in excellent research and enterprise, through targeted recruitment and high-quality infrastructure and support services. We will focus on developing existing and future research leaders. We will increase and diversify our research and enterprise income, at a faster rate than our peers, to enable further and future investment. We will recognise, reward and celebrate excellence in research and enterprise. We will also challenge ourselves to maximise the contribution of all our staff. We will continue to recognise the underpinning importance of disciplinary excellence while providing an environment that promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration. We will sustain and further develop a diverse network of national and international partnerships and facilitate the co-production and co-authorship of knowledge by communicating our research findings to key stakeholders, sponsors, potential partners and the public. We will focus on the difference that our research can make to our disciplines, our collaborators and our public. 14

15 OUR PRIORITIES We deliver world-class research, changing the way we think about the past, present and future. Discovery is about imaginative new thinking, underpinning fundamental advances in our understanding of the world around us, helping us apply our expertise to business and community needs, and delivering solutions to global challenges. Collaboration is fundamental. Partnerships with colleagues in our linked organisations at home and overseas and with potential research users in the public, private and third sectors will empower us to deliver better research and enterprise across the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. Our priorities include: OUR WORLD-LEADING DISCOVERIES TRANSFORM THE WORLD AROUND US TRANSFORMING OUR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POSITION We will nurture talent at all levels and tailor support to the different stages of the research career. We will provide the environment and encouragement to boost the number and quality of our external grant applications and to raise our standing in national and international research rankings year on year. With high expectations, we will put in place the supportive infrastructure to facilitate improved performance for staff across all grades. INTERDISCIPLINARY INSTITUTES AND NETWORKS We will launch a suite of interdisciplinary Research Institutes to build on our existing strengths. Grappling with fundamental questions that arise at the interface of different disciplines, our Institutes will be the focal points for global conversations. We are also launching a number of Research Networks to facilitate new interdisciplinary conversations. A NEW CITY CAMPUS In collaboration with funding, business and local stakeholders, we will aim to launch a National Space Park. Focusing our world-class strengths in space and Earth observation science, this national centre for undergraduate, postgraduate and apprenticeship training will provide a new anchor for a vital British industry. It will play a key part in realising the ambition that our cutting-edge translational research and enterprise enriches the local and regional economy and fuels the Midlands as an engine of future growth. AN ENTERPRISE CULTURE To advance the enterprise culture across our University and building upon such recent achievements as doubling our annual income from commercial enterprise activity we will expand our commercialisation activities, including our highly successful contributions to Continuing Professional Development in business and the community. We will develop new strategic partnerships that take our academic expertise into a range of priority sectors including the development and regeneration of Leicester and its region and provide a new level of support and training for our student and staff entrepreneurs. INCENTIVES FOR IMPACT In order to increase the impact of our research for the business, public and third sectors, we will develop an even stronger focus on short, medium and long-term impact in the planning of our research activities and collaborations, our evaluation of our research performance and our recognition of research excellence. We will also launch a new impact fund that will support the ambitions of our researchers in all disciplines and help pump-prime impact-rich research projects and partnerships. 15

16 DISCOVERY-LED LEARNING OUR COMMITMENTS WE WILL PUT STUDENT BENEFIT AT THE HEART OF OUR DECISIONS ABOUT EDUCATION AND THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS MATTER. 16 We will continue to nurture our distinctive approach, which genuinely blends teaching and research. We will increase the range and focus of our academic portfolio and provide the most flexible curriculum in the UK. We will design and deliver the best campus-based and online educational experience we can envisage, inviting our students to learn anywhere, at anytime and to recognise that learning takes place outside as well as inside the classroom. We will deliver teaching and encourage learning that is transformative, demanding and enjoyably challenging. We will draw upon and contribute to the international awareness, experience and aspirations of our students and staff and develop an internationalised curriculum, which looks outward and engages us in the most important global questions. As part of our focus on student success and retention, we will provide a sector-leading induction into higher education and the first year. We have an unyielding commitment to wider participation in higher education and will do everything we can to enable the access and success of any student whose potential would best be developed by our approach to learning. We will recognise, reward and celebrate excellence in teaching, learning and student support. We will do everything we can to develop, share and promote a culture of improvement and innovation in education. We will work closely with employers and graduate recruiters to foster a culture of student enterprise and to ensure that our students develop the skills and dispositions that tomorrow s professions demand. We will engage our undergraduate and postgraduate students in a dialogue about their education, encouraging each student to play a role in improving the learning and experience of all students. We will build stronger relationships with our alumni, encouraging them to embody and help us articulate the distinctive qualities of the Leicester Graduate.

17 OUR PRIORITIES We take great pride in the strength of our learning culture and in the passion for excellence that informs both our teaching and our support for students. An education at the University of Leicester undergraduate, postgraduate, on-campus, overseas or as part of continuing professional development must be enriching and transforming. We will focus our energies on ensuring that students gain the utmost benefit from their time with us, including maximum momentum in their professional careers. We will also work to ensure that Leicester s achievements exert a greater influence on national and international approaches to effective learning and student success. In these tasks, our priorities include: STUDENT INVOLVEMENT IS CENTRAL TO OUR JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY PATHWAYS: NEW AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO EDUCATION Through the Pathways Project, undergraduate students will enjoy the most flexible curriculum in the UK and will be able to combine a Major and Minor in different disciplines across most of our subject areas, with dozens of new minors being developed in interdisciplinary areas and vocational niches. We are also changing our extensive portfolio of Masters programmes to provide students with greater flexibility and maximum professional advantage. GRADUATES WITH TALENT To foster students employability and success in professional careers, we are engaging employers and graduate recruiters even more directly in our curriculum and teaching. This is being accomplished through advisory boards, co-authoring of provision, co-funded studentships, student enterprise projects and start-up schemes, and earn and learn degrees. We will ensure that every student has an opportunity to share the outcomes of research-informed learning with a variety of our partners and to gain personal and professional benefit from being a volunteer, peer mentor, ambassador, intern or guide. We will also make increased use of our alumni as mentors and role models. BROADENING ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION As we continue our efforts to widen participation and increase access, we are launching a campaign to develop an educational outreach centre and to support research into how universities can best contribute to social mobility. Through formal access programmes and a broad commitment to outreach, as well as a focus on lifelong learning, we will explore ways to encourage all talented students to consider and enter higher education. INTERNATIONALISED LEARNING AND TEACHING Every Leicester programme will make a contribution to the internationalisation of our curriculum, our teaching and our students experiences, so that every Leicester graduate is ready for the wider world. Building on our pioneering role in distance learning, we are also developing a blended and flexible approach in which students in Leicester and across the globe can benefit from a Leicester education at a pace and in a way that best suits them. STUDENTS AS PARTNERS IN LEARNING Close and constructive relationships with our students will be enshrined in a Staff and Student Charter, a range of departmental and institutional partnership projects to improve our students learning and experience, and a bi-annual Forum, hosted by senior leaders and open to all students, to explore future directions for our University. FABULOUS FIRST YEAR As the successful journey of each and every student is at the heart of our approach, we will implement our Schools and Colleges Partnerships, which focus on building the most effective possible links between schools, colleges and our University. This will be complemented by our Fabulous First Year, an approach to first-year teaching, assessment and support that ensures an effective transition to university study and university life and builds the skills that will help our students flourish throughout their time here. 17

18 DISCOVERY-ENABLING CULTURE OUR COMMITMENTS WE EXPECT EXCELLENCE. WE WILL FOSTER A CULTURE THAT ACTIVELY SUPPORTS ALL OF OUR STAFF IN FULFILLING THEIR POTENTIAL, SHARING THEIR IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES AND LEARNING THROUGH LEADING. WE KNOW THAT A CULTURE THAT HELPS US FLOURISH WILL ALSO MAKE THE VERY BEST PEOPLE WANT TO COME AND JOIN US. 18 We value ambition, creativity and imagination, and we will trust ourselves to experiment and be bold. We will allow each other to take reasonable risks, acknowledge and learn from mistakes and support each other in the challenge of improvement. Our approach to career enhancement will build expertise and confidence and encourage our staff to be transformative in their work and ambitions. We will ensure that excellence in all of its forms is recognised, rewarded and shared. We will focus on the importance of values and an atmosphere of respect, including a culture that not only recognises but also promotes equality and diversity. We will identify, celebrate and promote what Leicester does well and what Leicester does better than anyone else. We will recognise the benefit we gain from our location in the UK s most multicultural city and from the one-third of our staff and students who have international backgrounds. We will encourage all staff and students to seek out opportunities and interactions that build their international experience, cultural awareness and global perspective. Across our institution, we will strive to build relationships based on trust, maintain a transparent and evidence-based approach to decision-making and take an approach to the future that is both decisive and collegial. We will focus on our social responsibilities and the positive impact that our staff and students can have on the lives of others, emphasising a culture of responsible citizenship that has local as well as global dimensions.

19 OUR PRIORITIES We have established a reputation as an open, accessible and friendly university, where people enjoy their work, and both staff and students benefit from our collegial and collaborative approach. We want to maintain this reputation while increasing the support we provide for career enhancement and development and taking bolder steps in the area of diversities and equalities. We will focus our efforts and energies on ensuring that Leicester becomes the place to work. We will create a culture in which our key assets our people are trusted, valued and relied upon to deliver an excellent student experience and impactful research and enterprise. In these tasks, our priorities include: LEICESTER A PLACE WHERE THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY THRIVES MAKING DECISIONS IN THE RIGHT WAY, IN THE RIGHT PLACE Our governance structure will be reviewed to rationalise the number of committees and working groups, free up time, shift our focus from roles to projects and contributions, and ensure that we are making well-informed decisions and developing clear lines of responsibility. By making greater use of consultative workshops, open meetings and surveys to discuss future challenges and possibilities, we will derive further benefit from the expertise and wisdom of our staff. There will be regular communication between the senior leadership team and all staff, through blogs and open meetings. LEADING BY EXAMPLE ON EQUALITIES, DIVERSITIES AND WELL-BEING We will raise our ambitions in relation to Athena Swan accreditation, the Stonewall Index and other charters of equality, and we will take effective action on all protected characteristics, including gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion and gender reassignment. Our role as one of only ten universities in the world to take the lead in the United Nations HeForShe movement puts us at the forefront of the effort to achieve gender equality in UK universities. Constructive and effective partnerships with trade unions will be maintained, and we will implement a Health and Well-Being Programme for all staff. DEVELOPING TALENT IN PEOPLE Leadership training programmes, coaching and other forms of support will develop the people management and strategic skills of current and future leaders. All staff will benefit from improved training, appraisal and mentoring, and we will use an effective workload model to ensure that our academic staff have the time and the skills they need for quality research and enterprise as well as excellent teaching and student support. CELEBRATING AND REWARDING SUCCESS Our approach to appraisal, reward, recognition and promotion for academic and professional services staff will be transparent, understandable and fair. It will acknowledge excellence in colleagues contributions to a range of activities including research, teaching, enterprise, engagement, leadership and citizenship that are equally valued. We will establish an annual ceremony to celebrate exceptional individual and departmental achievement. OUTREACH AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: PROUD With this strategic plan, we are also introducing PROUD, a commitment to work in and with the City of Leicester to improve economic, social and cultural well-being, the environment and health. We will also increase the impact of existing social responsibility initiatives in our city and region, including those that focus on cultural heritage and exemplify the role of universities in developing public understanding of and engagement in the sciences and the arts. We will expand our volunteering schemes, including those that bring together staff and students, in order to deepen the relationships between our University and a range of local, national and global agencies committed to social justice, sustainability and global awareness. 19

20 DISCOVERY-ENABLING ENVIRONMENT OUR COMMITMENTS WE WILL DEVELOP ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE, DIGITALLY-ENABLED AND WORLD- CLASS CAMPUS FACILITIES THAT WILL BE ENVIED AND EMULATED ON A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SCALE. We will adopt a digital by default approach, investing in and sustaining a digital infrastructure that enables our research, enterprise and learning to flourish. We will transform our processes to create an efficient, personalised environment for our students. We will grow in a sustainable, intelligent and balanced way, helping all disciplines to develop an academic portfolio that best expresses their strengths and opportunities. We will make every effort and use every available means to share the outcomes of our interdisciplinary research, enterprise and learning with the broader public. We will implement modern business practices, with integrated processes and systems that are monitored and measured for their effectiveness in the delivery of our services and our mission. We will provide a welcoming, high-quality campus that prioritises pedestrians over vehicles and focuses on the public realm. We will reduce our carbon emissions and consumption of utilities through a continued focus on environmental sustainability. 20

21 OUR PRIORITIES Our campus, infrastructure and processes must support our overall objectives, reflecting our ambitions as an outward-facing and enterprising university. Our priorities include: LEICESTER BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR DISCOVERY FORMING THE HEART OF THE LEICESTER EDUCATIONAL QUARTER We are developing a new estates master plan to deliver a twenty-first century urban campus as the centrepiece of Leicester s Educational Quarter. This involves a programme of investment in academic and student facilities, including research infrastructure and a much improved public realm, as well as a focus on spaces for social learning and collaborative interaction. A DIGITAL FUTURE We will design and develop our digital campus, creating an inclusive, personalised and interactive environment for our students, staff and partners that will also support excellence in research, enterprise and learning. There will be a focus on furthering the digital skills and capacities of students and staff. Digital techniques and technologies will drive innovations in what we do, ensuring that our University is renowned for being interactive, effective and agile. As digital technologies become all-encompassing, we will support and enable scholars to explore and conceive of new ways to undertake and communicate their research. Staff and students alike will benefit from a digitally-enabled approach to teaching, learning, student experience, engagement and well-being. OPEN SCHOLARSHIP Embracing open scholarship and the open academy and to sustain partnership, collaboration and the dissemination of knowledge we will provide tools for scholar-led publishing and open repositories for data and learning materials. We will also maintain open licensing policies for research outputs, data and websites. A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE Our Oadby Student Village and City Living accommodation provide a great place for our students to live. They are a key part in delivering our Fabulous First Year and an affordable, flexible home base for undergraduate and postgraduate students coming to Leicester from all over the globe. We will enhance our strong existing focus on residential support and well-being. Alongside a continuing programme of refreshment and revitalisation of student living spaces, we will focus our City Living accommodation onto an integrated site to provide a vibrant student community, including learning space, close to our academic campus. SUSTAINABLE FINANCES With a new approach to strategic and operational planning, including a greater focus on scenario planning and future scoping, and a financial model that is fit for purpose, robust and easier for academic and professional leaders to use, we will ensure that we have the tools to track and improve our performance. This will enable us to plan to meet our long-term ambitions, take advantage of opportunities and address our immediate priorities. 21

22 WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCEEDING WHEN 22

23 Our Strategic Plan is owned by our staff and student community, who take pride in fulfilling the ambitions that we have agreed Our University becomes recognised as exemplifying a distinctive elite of research-intensive institutions that achieve excellence, focus on nourishing talent rather than privilege, widen participation in higher education, and take the synergy between research and learning seriously Our University is widely identified among the leading institutions in the UK and internationally in terms of research and enterprise strength, global visibility, wide-ranging engagement and student success Our reputation for excellence, innovation and agility matches our reputation for equality, inclusivity, social responsibility and friendliness Our global presence is such that we are recognised as one of the most significant, productive and internationalised universities in the world Our University is known for taking social responsibility seriously and making a significant contribution to our local and regional communities and partners Our values are reflected in everything that we do and in every way that we work with each other and with our partners Our diverse Leicester campus is recognised as the leading multicultural, educational centre in the UK Our financial position allows us to invest in our staff and our environment in ways that put us at the forefront of UK universities 23

24 THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER IS PIONEERING A DISTINCTIVE ELITE... COME AND JOIN US University of Leicester Printed by Print Services, University of Leicester, using vegetable based inks on FSC certified stock 8607_07/15