Raising the Bar – Implications for Learning, Teaching and the Student Experience

Suzanne Cholerton

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching)

• Changes to the HE environment

• Where are we now?

• What’s next?

• ‘Raising the Bar’ & growth

• Challenges

• An opportunity to ‘Raise the Bar’

We’re going to cover:

• Student Numbers:

– Home UG Student Numbers Controls cease from 2015

• Emerging patterns of student recruitment:

– STEM upsurge

– DoH programmes constrained

– Volatility in Humanities

– Increased competition

• International / Immigration controls:

– Implications for international recruitment, attendance monitoring, acceptability of

English language tests/Proposed reduction in test centres

– Increased global competition

The changing environment

• Student fees:

– A large part of our income now comes from student fees.

– Students have higher expectations of their HE experience

– Impact of UG fees on Home PGT remains to be seen

– PGT loan scheme from 2016

– PGR loan scheme announced

• Reputation:

– World rankings as a proxy for quality – little impact from L&T metrics

– Post REF 2014 – all eyes on REF 2020

• And a big unknown …

– Change of Government and Policy in 2015?

The changing environment

5

We have raised the bar…..

?

Recruitment target for

home PGT met for 2014

entry

2012/13 DLHE - 94% employed;

82% in graduate

level jobs

All Stage 1 UG

students have a mentor

>35,000 MOOC

registrations

91% for overall satisfaction in NSS 2014

>5000 new UG students recruited;

higher quality than 2013

?

>31,000 applications

to UG programmes for 2014 entry

?

• Quality is our priority• Managed growth in

students is an enabler• Our current healthy

financial position plus growth will allow us to ‘Raise the Bar’

• Investing to raise quality in learning, teaching and student experience

So what’s next?

• Capital projects/acquisitions/ refurbishments

• Recruitment of staff

• New programmes

• Diversifying our Portfolio

• Maintaining quality of offer

• Post REF 2014 – competing

priorities

• Facilities and other

resources need to keep

pace with student population

• Investment predicated on

growth

• New ventures – London,

Xiamen

Challenges to Raising the Bar

• Newcastle University is in a strong position, and able to respond well to the changes and challenges

• Our strategy is to grow students numbers and to invest in both the academic and social experience of our students

• You and your ideas are central to realising these ambitions……..

Summary

9

Areas to ‘Raise the Bar’?

90% for overall

satisfaction in ISB 2014

?

?

Pressures on

facilities/ services

Assessment &

Feedback

?

?

The visibility of

our civic mission and

SCTs in LTSE

?

PTES 2014 86% satisfaction

with course

1. Learning, teaching and support in 2020

2. Ensuring PGT students are as satisfied as UG

3. Newcastle students as global citizens

4. Embedding societal challenges

5. Making online marking the norm by 2020

Choose your topic

Thank You

• Not just about student numbers, but...

• Removal of student numbers controls provides an opportunity for

managed growth

• By achieving every year what we achieved in 2013, our student

population will grow by 20% (from 2012-13 to 2016-17) without

further action

• Quality is a priority: we must protect the proportion of those with

high entry qualifications, and maintain the quality of the student

experience

• Recent student numbers growth already putting pressure on

facilities and capacity

Growth as an Enabler

• Establish strategic direction

• 24/7• Innovative T&L space• VFM• New builds and

acquisitions• Refurbishment

programmes

• Library / study / social learning /

teaching spaces - Pop-up

Library; 89 Sandyford Road;

Science Central Conference and

Teaching Centre

• Accommodation - Kensington

and Park Tces; Richardson

Road Development

• Sports facilities

• Student Union – Student Central

Growth and enhancement priorities – LTSE facilities

• Will give us further growth opportunities– Re-introduction of Physics

– Sport and Exercise Science

– Film and Media programmes

– International Business Management

• Developing and Diversifying our Portfolio:– Venturing into MOOCs

The Enterprise Shed: Making Ideas Happen — Newcastle University — FutureLearn

– Considering other types of programmes and modes of delivery including Global MBA (online)

• Newcastle University London

• Relationship with Xiamen

New Programmes