| Factor |
Impact on University |
Planned actions and initiatives |
|
Political
|
- Government continues banon growth in UK full-time
undergraduate numbers as student support costs become too high.
|
- No opportunity to bid for ASNs.
- ELQ rules remain.
- No fee increases in medium term.
|
- Secure EEP ASNs and drive further growth in this direction.
- Switch marketing and recruitment
effort to PG and international students.
- More income needed from AR
activities.
|
- Drive to improve skills and workbased training remains but is subdued in recession in private sector and cuts in public sector.
|
-
Demand for employer-based, offsite delivery less certain.
-
Opportunities for increased CPD activity may be harder to convert.
|
- ACUA and faculties/schools
prioritising CPD.
- HEIF4 priority to improve CPD offering.
|
- New Government is more interventionist.
|
- Reduced focus on widening participation; FE favoured for vocational HE delivery.
- STEM subjects prioritised to detriment of others.
- Regulation increases.
- Reduced numbers of FT
undergraduates if quality judged poor.
|
-
Raise entry grades and less reliance on Clearing.
-
Experiment with new modes of delivery.
-
Focus on new criteria for “quality”.
|
- Trans-national HE growing in importance; new private providers
of HE establishing in UK and
globally.
|
- Increased competition for
international students.
- Need to establish better
partnerships for overseas delivery.
- Opportunity for joint ventures with new private sector providers.
|
- International strategy and action plan.
- Improved strategic alliances with overseas partners.
- JV with Cambridge Education
Group.
- London Campus.
|
| Factor |
Impact on University |
Planned actions and initiatives |
|
Economic
|
- Major economic downturn through 2009/2010 and much slower growth until probably 2017/18 than previously anticipated.
- All Government funding for public
sector reduced 2010/11 –2013/14.
|
- Budget cuts severely threatening unit of resource for HEIs; next CSR settlement likely to increase cuts further.
- Less public sector funding for research.
- RDAs disappear and charitable foundations will have less money for capital or revenue projects.
|
- Close attention to budgeting with stricter controls on expenditure.
- Requirements for lean processing and efficiency gains increase.
- Drive to diversify income sources strengthened.
- Management systems and information improved.
|
- Slower growth of global knowledge economy creating reduced demand for knowledge workers.
|
- Reduced demand for graduates in job market at least in short term.
|
- Faculties and Careers Service introduce additional schemes
to help final year students find appropriate jobs.
- More work experience and internships sought.
|
- New sectors emerging requiring multi-disciplinary knowledge base,
e.g. IT + healthcare.
|
- Employer demand for graduates from multi-disciplinary courses at
UG and PG levels.
|
- Review curriculum regularly and benchmark against competitors.
- Introduce PG multi-disciplinary courses where market demand
strong and shift UG numbers appropriately.
|
| Factor |
Impact on University |
Planned actions and initiatives |
|
Social
|
- Increased fee level following Browne review changes pattern of demand for HE.
|
- More students study from home.
- More of a “market” created.
- FE provides more HE programmes to detriment of Post-92 universities.
|
- Secure market position with appropriate fee levels.
- Review student accommodation plans.
- Develop high quality distinctive niche in market.
- Develop further our local partnerships with FE colleges.
|
- Increase in % of older people in the
population.
|
- New demands for AR in social care and health fields.
- Upward pressure on pension
contributions.
|
- Health Design and Technology Institute programme of work.
- New programmes and AR activity in Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.
- Active budgeting for increased employer pension contributions.
|
- Increasing diversity and mobility of
society.
|
- Need to review appropriateness of curriculum and quality of overall University experience.
- Need to prepare graduates for global careers.
|
-
- Internationalisation strategy.
- Add+vantage programme to enhance employability.
- Leonardo/Erasmus work experience scheme.
- Global Leaders programme established.
|
| Factor |
Impact on University |
Planned actions and initiatives |
|
Technological
|
- Web-based comms. and social networking defining current and future students.
|
- Demand for web-based
pedagogies, communities of learning, and online student social groups.
- Peer-to-peer projects across partnerships for students.
- New research tools for staff pursuing research agendas in social sciences and humanities.
|
- JISC-funded development programmes including electronic repository for learning objects.
- New courses using blended and online delivery.
- Key part of internationalisation agenda.
- Staff training programme.
- Open Source approach to research outputs.
|
- E-connectivity 24/7 and growing use of internet for retail, financial and personal services.
|
- Increased demand for access to University information and services on 24/7 basis; self-service
functionality; efficient and ‘SMART’ processes.
- Opportunities to outsource or establish shared services growing.
|
- New website exploiting Web 2.0 interactivity.
- New portals for students and staff.
- Investigation of selected, “shared services” opportunities and
outsourcing.
|
- Environmental and sustainability
agendas rising in importance.
Energy costs rising.
- Carbon Bond required from 2011.
|
- Environmental and carbon reduction strategies required.
- Energy use and cost management required.
- Opportunities for AR related to low carbon and environmental agenda
increasing rapidly.
- New buildings need to be BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating.
|
- Environmental low carbon and energy management plans as part of overarching Estates Strategy.
- Investment in environmental technologies for new buildings.
- Plans for new AR groups and new appointments in selected areas of sustainability and environmental agendas.
|