Managing a 21st Century University: The Nottingham Trent University Experience

“Modernization of Higher Education: Government, University, Society” China International Higher Education

Conference, Wuhan, 1 November 2014

Professor Nigel HealeyPro-Vice-Chancellor (International)

Nottingham Trent University

Overview

• What is the national UK policy framework within which NTU operates?

• How does NTU enhance its governance and management?

• How does NTU collaborate with government, other universities, research institutes and industry?

• How does NTU engage with society?

• How does NTU nurture its professional higher education managers?

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What is the national UK policy framework within which NTU operates?

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State Private

Mixed

What is the national UK policy framework within which NTU operates?

• “Mixed” national policy framework

• UK universities are autonomous, non-for-profit corporations– Universities own their own land and buildings, employ their own

staff, borrow on their own account

• UK government has public policy objectives for higher education, ‘steers’ universities by:– Subsidising universities through ‘arms length’ agencies– Overseeing quality of teaching and research– Retaining powers to direct universities (eg, limit tuition fees)– Promoting competition (eg, National Student Survey)– Controlling entry to the higher education market

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Managing in a mixed policy framework

• UK universities remain subject to influence and control by national government…

• …but they also operate in a highly competitive environment, competing for faculty, students, research and commercial funding

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How does NTU enhance its governance and management?

• Governance: setting the broad strategic direction and ensuring the university stays on track

• NTU has a Board of Governors

• Management: running the university’s operations so that it meets its strategic objectives

• NTU has a University Executive Team, led by the Vice-Chancellor (President); the Vice-Chancellor is appointed by the Board of Governors

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How does NTU enhance its governance and management?

• Enhancing governance:– Ensure that the Board of Governors includes senior independent

figures with a range of relevant skills (eg, finance, property development, recruitment) plus staff and student representation

– Ensure governors have a clear understanding of the government policy and market challenges the university faces

• Enhancing management:– Ensure the University Executive Team is well-qualified, highly

motivated and functions as a team– Operate the university in a business-like way (eg, Quarterly

Business Reviews) with strong emphasis on cost control and evidence-based decision-making

– Recognise that senior academics need support and training to become effective managers

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How does NTU enhance its governance and management?

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Use data to improve

decision-making

How does NTU collaborate with government, other universities, research institutes and industry?

• Core objectives of a university: creating knowledge (research) and disseminating knowledge (teaching)

• NTU needs to collaborate with all its key stakeholders to achieve its goals for research and teaching

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How does NTU collaborate with government?

• Research which informs policy: gambling addition

• Teaching which creates opportunity for all: “widening participation”

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National UK research audits now include “impact” assessments

How does NTU collaborate with other universities?

• Collaboration to advance higher education:

• Collaboration to enhance research: PORTFASTFLU's consortium

• Collaboration to enhance teaching:

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How does NTU collaborate with research institutes?

• Collaboration to enhance research:

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How does NTU engage with industry?

• Collaboration to commercialise research: advanced textiles

• Collaboration to improve graduate employability:

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How does NTU engage with society?

• Collaboration to improve local communities: Community Volunteering, Schools Volunteering, NTU Sport Volunteering

• Collaboration to put NTU at the heart of the city’s culture:

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How does NTU nurture its professional higher education managers?

• NTU values academics and “professional services” equally

• High quality professional services managers/teams enable senior academic managers to be effective

• Clear goal setting and accountability through performance management system…

• …backed by performance-related pay

• Goal is to build high-performing teams with effective leadership

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Conclusions

• NTU operates in a mixed policy environment: government control vs competitive markets

• To succeed, NTU’s management needs to be outward-looking, proactive and be supported by excellent professional services

• NTU’s core activities are research and teaching

• It can only achieve its objectives by engaging with its key external stakeholders: government, other universities and research institutes, industry and society

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In a fast-changing environment, the university’s strategy must be continuously reset to ensure success