Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director of Engagement and Advancement
UEB started with news, or rather rumours, from the Russell Group that the long-awaited and much-delayed Augur Review of Post-18 Education and Funding could be published over the next 10 days. The caveat being that, in a week of European elections, Brexit and milk-shaked politicians, rumours can prove just that. The concern for all universities is, of course, not so much the widely leaked recommendation of a cut in tuition fees, but the impact of the resulting £2bn hole in university budgets – at a time of already acute financial pressures on the sector – unless Government makes up the shortfall.
On to the main agenda items, and formal UEB approval of a new University Access and Participation Plan, led by Kieron Broadhead, Executive Director Student Experience, and Alex Neill, Vice-President (Education). A huge amount of work across the University has gone into creating this new plan, which was discussed in detail by Council last week, and comes in the context of a new approach and more demanding expectations by the Office for Students (OfS). The plan will shortly be submitted to the OfS.
There was an update on options for the Health, Safety and Risk structure in light of the new faculty structure, and to address concerns about some levels of inconsistency and fragmentation across the University. Consultation on the options has commenced. UEB also noted the Health and Safety Incident Report for April.
UEB discussed its competitive position against other Russell Group universities with regard to PGT application assessment fees. Within the Russell Group, we are in the minority that do not charge an application assessment fee at all, and the introduction of such a fee could reduce the considerable number of speculative applications, as well as generate new revenue. Further work into this area was requested with a view to implementation for the 2021 entry cycle.
Two papers were approved for submission to Finance Committee – a Regulated Fees Report and a Non-Regulated Fees Report, setting out fee recommendations from the 2020-21 academic year onwards. UEB also noted that Winnie Eley, Vice President (International), is leading a 10-Year Plan project on Pricing and Scholarships, which is exploring opportunities to both improve the effectiveness, and reduce the complexity, of the international fees and scholarships cycle.
The final part of the meeting was devoted to what will be the first of a number of UEB discussions around progress against our University Strategy over the coming weeks. This annual stock-take of our strategy delivery has a particular relevance this year as we prepare for the arrival of Professor Mark E. Smith as our new President and Vice-Chancellor on 1 October.
This is all the more relevant in the context of the significant external events which have changed the sector landscape since the strategy was introduced, including Brexit, the Augur Review, political uncertainty, pension reforms, and wider financial challenges.
Today’s opening conversation was reflective and frank. Our strategy of quality and financial sustainability is one that UEB strongly supports, and the strategy is clearly delivering tangible results and improvements that are moving the University further towards fulfilling our mission and vision. However, there is a recognition that ’Simply better’ has not always been the experience of all of our staff, all of the time. In particular, of the four principles that underpin our strategy (Collegiality, Quality, Sustainability, Internationalisation), collegiality is the principle we have so far been least successful in embedding. It’s an issue clearly highlighted in the 2018 Staff Engagement Survey, which UEB fully recognises and is determined to address.
There was agreement that the core of the strategy and its direction remains right for the University, but we need to be better in explaining the rationale behind decisions, particularly those which impact on staff and lead to change. This is a discussion which will continue over the coming weeks.
New Council blog
In addition to this weekly UEB blog, earlier this week the first entry in a new bi-monthly series of Council Blog posts was published. The series is another step on our journey to ensuring our staff and student community has a greater understanding of our University’s strategic direction, as well as greater visibility of the decisions made by the University’s leadership.