Strategic Plan 2015-20 York St John University Lord Mayor s Walk York YO31 7EX T: 01904 624624 www.yorksj.ac.uk
Introduction We have been educating and inspiring students on our campus in York since 1841. Our success and achievements over the years are partially due to our institutional capacity to plan effectively, to set clear goals and focus our efforts on achieving them. This document is a summary of our new targets for 2015-20. 2012-15 has been a period of growth, success and increased external recognition for the University. We now have more students than ever before and our continuation, attainment and graduate employability rates have rarely been higher. Our profile in the higher education sector is increasing through our successes and our growing reputation for effective leadership and management of the University. We have worked 2 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 hard on enhancing our courses, facilities, academic standards, and governance and management. Working closely with our Governors and staff across the University, we have developed an ambitious and exciting Strategic Plan for 2015-20. It is a framework that enables us to collate, understand, prioritise and monitor progress towards key objectives. Through its implementation, we will position the University to deal with turbulence in the higher education sector and to continue to offer excellent learning opportunities for all our students and staff. You can view the Strategic Plan in full on our website at www.yorksj.ac.uk/ strategicplan1520 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 3
Our Vision We will be the best of England s small universities. Our bold vision for 2015-20 is to be the best of England s small universities. We defi ne small universities as nonspecialist higher education institutions with fewer than 8,000 students. Achieving the status of being the best will be demonstrated by our league table position in relation to other small universities. We want our University to be thoroughly student-centred, with students and staff working in partnership. Our compact, award-winning, city centre campus provides space for exciting, interactive learning. We will continue to nurture an academic community that promotes wellbeing, creativity, discovery and the personal development of students and staff. We strongly believe that a staff community that feels valued by the University is fundamental to the realisation of our vision. 4 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 5
Our Mission To inspire our students and staff to reach their full potential, advance knowledge, and make a positive contribution to the world. Our Values We are an inclusive, innovative, transformative and ambitious community with a strong sense of belonging. Founded by the Church of England in 1841, York St John University started life as York Diocesan Training School for teacher education. The Church continues to support our development as a University and we welcome students of all faiths and none. We believe that our location in the heart of York, our size, our strong community ethos and our personal approach to learning have made us a special place to study for all these years. Our students and staff make a meaningful contribution to the fabric of the University and we hope their experiences here inspire them to shape their communities throughout 6 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 their lives. We motivate our alumni to remain part of our community, share our ambitions, and serve the common good. Our commitment to scholarship and research enables us to advance knowledge and provide high-quality teaching and learning. We offer our students and staff personal opportunities to learn and grow both academically and individually and this is facilitated by the high levels of student-staff interaction within our community. We pride ourselves in identifying and developing potential in all our students and staff. STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 7
Our priorities for 2015-20 Quality Quality High quality learning, teaching, assessment and research A personal and collaborative student experience Graduates with excellent attributes and employment prospects High quality academic environments, accommodation and facilities Support services that empower students to thrive Continuous enhancement of the management of academic standards Community Our strategy Resilience Resilience Effective resourcing of the strategic plan Excellent practice in environmental sustainability Effi cient and effective systems and processes Community Excellent data quality, returns and intelligence A diverse and culturally rich community Effective governance and management A community that promotes health and wellbeing Diversity in our income streams A community that supports personal and professional development Partnerships that contribute to academic, cultural and economic development in York and beyond Growth Growth An expanded range of study and research options Sustainable growth in UK and international student numbers 8 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 9
Key strategic themes Our Strategic Plan for 2015-20 is built around four key strategic themes: Quality, Resilience, Community and Growth. These strategic themes served the University well between 2012-15 as a way of organising our priorities and they remain appropriate for the next fi ve years. (The chart on pages 8-9 shows our priorities in each of these areas.) Quality Resilience Delivering innovative and inspiring learning and teaching is a key element of York St John s drive to improve student engagement and achievement. By ensuring all academic staff are research active, and that their research contributes to excellent teaching and assessment, we will enhance the quality of our learning community. We will seek to enhance the management of academic standards, which will be fully informed by relevant external bodies and professional benchmarks and effectively communicated between staff and students. Our students journeys from enquiry through to graduation will be more personal and collaborative. By developing subject-specifi c strategies and a curriculum to enhance graduate destinations, supporting start-up businesses and developing a range of internships and placement, our graduates will leave us with highlyvalued, sought-after attributes which will help them develop a successful and rewarding career. We will also continue to provide a range of appropriate and accessible student support services, including proactive financial advice and health and wellbeing information, to enable our students to thrive and make the most of their journey through University. We will enhance the quality of our academic and residential accommodation and Students Union facilities. We will also extend the range, usage and accessibility of our sport and recreational facilities at Haxby Road. The key objectives of our Strategic Plan 2015-20 can only be achieved if they are resourced effectively. A major focus will be on enhancing our academic profi le whilst maintaining the fi nancial strength that has been achieved in recent years. We will develop our campus facilities, particularly our teaching accommodation and our library and IT resources, so that they continue to meet the changing needs of students and staff. We will continue to enhance our environmental performance. We will reduce our carbon emissions, recycle 100% of our waste and promote a culture of energy effi ciency, with particular focus on how we can attain such effi ciency in some of our older buildings. We will continue to promote and facilitate green travel options among students and staff. Much work has already been done to provide efficient, effective systems and processes. In the next five years particular improvements will be achieved by providing a resilient and flexible infrastructure and ensuring our systems are enhanced. The University has developed a reputation for good governance and management and for its evidence-based approach. It remains essential that we have accurate and timely information, including benchmark data and external intelligence to inform decision making. In order to be resilient we must also diversify our income streams. This will be achieved through increasing income from: research and consultancy; international student recruitment; fundraising and alumni activities; accommodation and catering; summer schools and short courses. 10 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 11
Community Growth Advancing equality of opportunity for all is of key importance to York St John. Whilst much progress has been made, there is always more to be done to improve the recruitment, retention and achievement of under-represented groups in our student and staff community. Our aim is to be a more diverse and culturally rich community. We can achieve this through outreach work, international student recruitment, collaboration and partnership activity in York, the region and overseas, and through engaging our community in University life and events. We are a community that promotes health and we aim to provide a range of support and development opportunities to promote wellbeing and personal resilience. Working with the Students Union, we will promote diversity together with participation in extra-curricular and sporting activities. As a learning establishment which is fully supportive of personal and professional development, we will not only offer a range of staff training opportunities but we will also invest in staff to ensure they have opportunities to enhance their professional skills and qualifi cations. As a key employer within the city and the wider region, we will continue to work to develop partnerships that contribute to academic, cultural and economic development. Over the next fi ve years we are aiming to grow our student numbers from 6,400 to 7,300. To do this we need to achieve our annual enrolment targets for UK and international students. This means we must widen our geographic reach; enhance our brand awareness and reputation; and sustain key partnerships with schools and colleges, health providers, businesses and other organisations. In order to grow we must also focus on subject areas with signifi cant market opportunities and identify opportunities for fl exible learning and online delivery. In terms of programme development we must achieve more professional accreditation and enhance our curriculum to facilitate learning across disciplines. 12 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 13
Key targets 2015-20 In order to evaluate the success of our strategic plan, we will review progress and achievement of the targets outlined below: Where we are now Key targets for 2015-20 Student population 7,300 (HESA 2019-20) Applications: Acceptances ratio 5.0 or higher each year First year continuation rates 93.6% 94% or higher each year Student satisfaction across seven NSS domains 80.1% 83% or higher each year Overall satisfaction on PTES / PRES surveys 85% or higher each time the surveys are conducted Courses challenge students to do best work (UKES) 89% 85% or higher each time the survey is conducted First and 2:1 achievement 65.3% 70% or higher by 2019-20 Graduate study and employment 94% or higher each year Research active academic staff 100% by 2019-20 University average Student Staff Ratios (SSRs) 18:1 or lower, as quickly as possible Operating surplus 9.0% 5-10% each year Staff costs as a percentage of income 50% 50-52% each year International student population on campus 371 (5.8%) 730 (10%) by 2019-20 A full version of the Strategic Plan 2015-20 is available at www.yorksj.ac.uk/strategicplan 14 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-20 15