Welcome to the Vice-Chancellor’s open meeting for staff February 2014

Agenda Making the Future – Strategy – implementation Agenda built around strategy headings: Research – Sussex Research initiatives, academic appointments Teaching and Learning – scholarships, Sussex Choice, employability, investment, NSS Campus developments – Masterplan and development Economic and social impact – report out this month Professional Services – SEF, SussexFood, staffing Sustainable operating – finance position, equalities

Strategy – reminder of key goals to 2018 Research – top 20 nationally and double research income Teaching and learning – top 20 student experience and growing student numbers to 18,000 Our campus – £400m investment in capacity and quality External engagement – 10 international partners Economic and social impact – grow our impact by 50% Professional Services – best quality services and value for money Sustainable operating – increase turnover 50% and 10% surplus for future investment

Strategy Implementation: Next steps Systematic implementation of the strategy is vital Schools’ 5-year strategic plans in place VC school visits this term – to engage staff and students Ensure that school plans and overall University plan mesh together well Schools generate implementation plans Overall University implementation plan being created

Research – strategic priorities Increase research-leading staff to create a competitive, sustainable critical mass in targeted areas 50% of units of assessment in the top 15 by 2018 Top 20 in the next REF (Research Excellence Framework) Double research income to £54 million Increase research students: two for each faculty member Three new large interdisciplinary Research Centres

Research – build on REF and delivery of support to schools Building on REF experience – e.g. developing case study materials from REF impact studies Programme of school research and knowledge exchange reviews - half-day with every school, focussed support from centre on: Publications strategies Management of data Management and delivery of projects Impact identification

Research – Sussex Research initiatives Sussex Research initiative to foster and enhance strategic development of research at Sussex Professor Alan Lester – Director of Interdisciplinary Research Research Network Fund (£30k) – created 9 new networks across humanities, sciences and social sciences Research Development Fund (£220k) – provisionally to fund 9 pilot projects (£5-50k) from 44 bids, to seek external funding Strategic Competition (£1-3m over 3 years) – for interdisciplinary research programmes, shortlisting from 4 outline bids received Research centres and groups – systematic approach to approval and classification – now have 9 “University Research Centres”

Senior academic appointments More academic appointments: over 200 new academic staff appointed in 2013, nearly 30 new professors Senior academic developments Andrea Cornwall – new Head of Global Studies Johan Schot – new Head of SPRU Appointing new Head of BSMS – Gordon Ferns acting Appointing new Head of BMEc – Andy Newell acting Pete Clifton – retiring as Head of Psychology in summer

Teaching and learning – attracting and supporting the best Competitive environment for UG and PG recruitment Investing in scholarships schemes to attract and support the best; and outreach spend doubled this year First Generation Scholarships – admitted 1150 (920 last year) OFFA submission commits to £8m spend on support – on course for targets by background of intake Created new Sussex Excellence Scholarships – for UG candidates with top grades PGT and PGR Scholarships also successful in strengthening intakes

Teaching and learning – Employability Employability and career development important for our graduates and for University reputation Range of support in place for all years - encourage all students to engage with Careers and Employability Centre Employers and alumni events fortnight - Make It Happen! 24 Feb -7 March One-year placements already piloted and full roll out in – placement prep programme now for first years Summer internships for second-year First Gen Scholars Start-up Sussex - entrepreneurship programme run by CEC and SInC

Teaching and learning – Sussex Choice “Sussex Choice” enhances study for students – depth and breadth and development of skills Electives to add breadth to single honours Coherent pathways alongside single honours – 18 options: Languages to Legal Studies, Heritage to Trading Placement (usually a year) for students Study abroad (also usually a year) for students Value-added activity which enhances student experience – supported by schools and Careers and Employability Centre (CEC)

Teaching and learning – NSS 2014 NSS 2014 goes live for Sussex students this week Supported by both University and USSU Seen significant improvements in learning resources scores in 2012 and 2013 – reflecting investment in Library and IT connectivity Vital to deliver sustained improvements in assessment and feedback – building on new structure of the academic year and curriculum improvements

Our campus – Masterplan Masterplan submitted to local councils end December 2013 Designed to sustain and improve campus as we grow Positive response from officials and councillors Key issue is to ensure sufficient student housing Expect to have B&H Council planning discussion and decision April or May Sets positive framework for specific planning applications as campus develops

Student residences on campus and partner developments off campus DevelopmentNet gain in rooms East Slope1408Masterplan West Slope1122Masterplan London Road 350Approval granted Pelham Street 440Approval granted Retained land Falmer 700In principle Council support Total4020 Demand for housing = 3660 (80% of additional 4,600 students)

East Slope – residential development – adding 1,400 bedspaces

Our campus – other developments East Slope – consultation and engagement with students Attenborough Centre – internal refurbishment started last month New £2m childcare centre to open next month – open day for staff and students Thu 27 Feb 11am-2pm Freeman refurbishment for LPS – ready for summer 2014 Infrastructure developments continue – e.g. major sewage complete by March

Economic and social impact – Oxford Economics Report Impact of Sussex on the regional economy is huge – through direct spending, jobs supported and students we bring to the region, plus the skilled graduates 2010 study showed just under £500m and 5,500 jobs New 2013 study just published shows around £600m – something we should be proud of By 2018 impact could reach over £1 billion Around 2.5% of the whole local economy is derived from us Baseline against which our target 50% additional contribution will be measured

Professional Services - new staff appointments New Director of ITS – Paul Davies started January 2014 New Lead Chaplain – Chris McDermott New head of e-technology learning – David Walker New Head of academic quality – Christopher Wellings

Professional Services – Sussex Food Long-term development for the University Positive signs already – increased sales in place of deficit Over £250k already invested by our partners in the refurbishment of Library, Dhaba, and Bridge cafes E-learning and training programme in place for staff Environmental and sustainability programme being implemented 5-star ratings for all outlets for hygiene and service practice Vending services being expanded Sussex Food employing twice as many Sussex students as before

Professional Services – Sussex Estates and Facilities Transferred on 1 January service lines covered by contract Full team now appointed Service centre developed to handle calls and requests Training centre being established for staff development USSU engaging positively with SEF Improvements – e.g. new cleaning system that saves 60% of water compared to old system

Sustainable operating – finance overview Vital to be financially sustainable to secure investment in academic activities, student experience, support services and campus infrastructure forecast Turnover£182m£201m£218m Surplus£13.7m£14.7m£7m Employees Over 2000 Academic staff Over 900

Sustainable operating – equalities Detailed equality objectives set in Jan 2012 for April 2016 Already exceeded these in key areas: Increase female Professional Services staff at grade 10 from 29% to 33%. January 2014: reached 39% Increase female professors from 22% to 26%. January 2014: reached 28% (nationally 21%) Increase minority ethnic UK and EU student entrants from 12% to 15%. December 2013: reached 16% Reviewing and developing these further

Open discussion Comments and questions? Please wait for microphone so all can hear – including those using the hearing induction loops