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Updating our Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Strategy (LTSES)

Suzanne Cholerton

Learning and Teaching Conference 2012

6 July 2012

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Aims of the Session

• To reflect on where we are and what has been achieved

• To provide some context on the current HE environment

• To provide an opportunity for you to input into where we want the next Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Strategy (LTSES) to take us

• To have an enjoyable time working with unfamiliar/less familiar colleagues

• And finally - a little brain teaser!

Sildenafil

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So what is a strategy? What is our strategy?• "Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long-

term: which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations". (Johnson and Scholes, 2006)

Newcastle University’s Mission Statement• To be world-class research intensive university• To deliver teaching and facilitate learning of the highest quality• To play a leading role in the economic, social and cultural development

of the North East of England

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The current Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Strategy

• Published in 2006; revised in 2009/10

– To deliver research-informed teaching and facilitate learning of the highest standard

– To deliver a fully rounded, enjoyable and formative student experience

• Much has happened since then but our fundamental approach to LTSE remains the same

• Refresh rather than major overhaul

• We are in a good place………

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Learning, Teaching and the Student ExperienceOverall

satisfaction score for

ISB 2011 is 91.4%

18,000+ visitors at July Visit Days

2010 DLHE - 94.3%

employed; 77.7% in graduate level jobs

Likely to be 10th in

BUCS 2012

PTES 2012 91%

satisfaction with course

89% for overall satisfaction in NSS 2011

Ranked 12th in Sunday Times

University Guide in 2012

Exceed HEFCE

benchmark for

retention (94.6% 2011)

>14,000 ‘ncl+’ opportunities

in 2011/12

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Over to you…….• How have you contributed to that ‘good place’?

• What have you achieved?

• What are you most proud of?

• What has your School/programme done well?

But what are the challenges and to what are we already committed?

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Context – the changing basis of funding

• Increased UG fees – decreased HEFCE funding

• Higher UG fees - higher expectations

• Higher fee dependent on meeting WP targets

• Knock-on effects of increasing UG fees (and debt accumulation) for PG

• Development of Doctoral Training Centres or equivalent

• Early CSR likely – forcing the cost down/increasing VFM

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Context – More competition (and collaboration?)

• De-regulation of UG recruitment

• New providers

• Increasing competition from international institutions

• Emphasis on collaboration– with business (Wilson Report)– Other HEIs - DTCs, N8, RO etc

• Stronger relationships with schools– Imperative to increase social mobility– ‘A’ level reform– UTCs/ HEI sponsored academies

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Context – Information for stakeholders

• Increased focus on information for and about students– KIS (‘comparetheprogramme.com’)– Student Charter– HEAR

• A PGT NSS? And then a KIS?

• HEFCE’s ‘The Wider Information Set’

• UK Professional Standards Framework - publication of staff teaching qualifications?

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Internal context

• Societal Challenge Themes

• Internationalisation strategy– International campus’–Challenges of diversity

• Digital Campus– Information systems–Digital literacy–Social media, APPs, on-line learning,

teaching, assessing etc–Open access

How have we used the Teaching, Learning and the Student Experience Strategy?

PGT ‘Offer’

FacultyLTSES

LT&SES

Vision 2021 UG ‘offer’

Vision 2021

• Recently updated and continues to commit us to:–Education for life–Student-centred approach–Value diversity–Research-informed experience –Support for employability –A fully rounded, enjoyable and

formative student experience

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Undergraduate ‘Offer’ and Student Charter• UG offer– an outline of a set of opportunities that will

form a core of each Newcastle student’s experience whatever their discipline– all our students can expect provision that

meets or exceeds a clearly defined threshold

• Student Charter– Articulates the ‘academic’ offer but also

goes beyond to include personal conduct, health, safety and wellbeing, etc – Applicable to all students– Format: “We undertake.../You undertake...”

1. Coherent programme

2. Research-informed teaching

3. Skills development

7. Thorough and timely orientation

6. Support from a personal tutor

5. Supportive assessment and

feedback

9. Good standard teaching and

learning facilities

10. Support for academic & personal

development

11. Opportunities for e-learning

4. Minimum contact time

8. Active membership of

University community

12. High quality information

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What’s next?• Food for thought

• Recognise external context but don’t let it stifle your thinking

• Consider internal context – how can we harness the initiatives?

• Consider what we’ve already committed to

• What – Education for life– Student-centred approach– Value diversity– Research-informed experience – Support for employability – A fully rounded, enjoyable and formative student experience

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The Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Strategy

‘It is concerned with how a business competes successfully in a particular market. It concerns strategic decisions about choice of products, meeting needs of stakeholders, gaining advantage over competitors, exploiting or creating new opportunities etc.’

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Patterns, Profiles and Demographics: UK, EU and International non-EU

82%

4%

14%

2004/5

Student FTE - United Kingdom

Student FTE - Other European Union

Student FTE - Non Eu-ropean Union

78%

5%

18%

2009/10

Student FTE - United Kingdom

Student FTE - Other European Union

Student FTE - Non Eu-ropean Union

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How do we compare (% non-UK) (2009-10)?

LSE

St Andrews

Imperia

lUCL

Warwick

Royal Hollo

wayEss

ex

Cambrid

geSu

rrey

Oxford

Bath

Leiceste

r

Mancheste

r

Edinburgh

King's

Queen Mary

Nottingham

Exeter

Lancas

ter

Newcastle

Reading

Susse

x

Sheffield

York

Southam

pton

East A

nglia

Birmingh

amBris

tol

DurhamCard

iff

Liverpool

Glasgo

wLeeds

Dundee

Queen's0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

20

Patterns, Profiles and Demographics:

Split between faculties

19%

29%

52%

Student Numbers 2004/5

MedSciSAgEHSS

21%

29%

50%

Student Numbers 2010/11

MedSciSAgEHSS

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Patterns, Profiles and Demographics:

UG, PGT and PGR

10%

13%

77%

2004/5

Student FTE - Post-graduate Research

Student FTE - Post-graduate Taught

Student FTE - Un-dergraduate

9%

15%

76%

2009/10

Student FTE - Post-graduate Research

Student FTE - Post-graduate Taught

Student FTE - Un-dergraduate

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How do we compare (% postgraduate)?

LSE

Imperi

al UCL

Oxford

King's

Cambrid

ge

Leices

ter

Warwick

Birmingh

am

Reading

Manchest

er

Edinburgh

Surre

yExe

ter

Durham

Southam

ptonSu

ssex

Newcas

tle York

Royal H

olloway

Sheffi

eld BathCard

iffBris

tol

Glasgo

w

East A

nglia

St Andrew

s

Dundee

Queen M

ary

Lancas

ter

Nottingham Ess

exLee

ds

Queen's

Liverp

ool0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

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Patterns, Profiles and Demographics:

Full-time or part-time students

95%

5%

2004/5

Student FTE - Full-time

Student FTE - Part-time

95%

5%

2009/10

Student FTE - Full-time

Student FTE - Part-time

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Part-time (actual) numbers by Faculty and level• HASS SAgE Medical Sciences

155

352

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Postgraduate Research

Postgraduate Taught

Undergraduate

112

328

244

267

28

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How do we compare (% part-time)?

Birmingh

amCard

iffKing's

Warwick

Dundee

Leiceste

r

East A

nglia

Queen'sBathEss

exSu

ssex

Southam

ptonSu

rrey

Liverpool

Reading

Imperia

l

Glasgo

w UCL

Oxford

Lancas

terBris

tol

Mancheste

r

Sheffield

Nottingham

Leeds

Royal Hollo

way

Cambrid

ge

Durham York

Queen Mary

Newcastle

Edinburgh

Exeter LSE

St Andrews

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

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Patterns, Profiles and Demographics:

Age profile

0%

77%

23%

2004/5

Student FPE - 17 & under

Student FPE - 18-24 years

Student FPE - 25 and over

1%

79%

20%

2009/10

Student FPE - 17 & under

Student FPE - 18-24 years

Student FPE - 25 and over

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How do we compare (% over 25)?

Dundee

Warwick

King's

Oxford

Leiceste

r

Surre

y

East A

ngliaEssex

Glasgo

w

Queen's

Reading

CardiffSu

ssex

UCL

Birmingh

am Bath

Cambrid

ge

Southam

pton

Nottingham

Liverpool

YorkBris

tolLSE

Mancheste

r

Sheffield

Lancas

ter

Imperia

l

Edinburgh

Leeds

Queen Mary

DurhamExe

ter

Newcastle

Royal Hollo

way

St Andrews

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

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Portfolio • Most of our (UK-based) undergraduate portfolio is traditional full-

time Bachelor’s or integrated Master’s provision, delivered in 2 semesters per year over 3, 4 or 5 years• We have little involvement in part-time, out-of-hours or distance

learning delivery• We have ventured only tentatively into the Foundation

Programme/Degree market• We do not validate other organisations’ degrees (e.g. local FE

colleges) • We do not generally offer accelerated degrees• We have recently rejected the notion of two year intensive

degrees• Our PGT provision is more diverse than UG

Portfolio continued

230 Undergraduate Degree Programmes (3, 4 or 5 Years)220 Postgraduate Taught and Professional Development

Programmes (1 Year or 2 Years)Postgraduate Research Programmes (including traditional

doctorates, 1+3 Research Masters plus PhD, professional doctorates e.g. DBA, Clinical Psychology