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For our Future. www.cymru.gov.uk. Presentation and discussion: University of Glamorgan 24 September 2010 Jim Cowan, Head of HE Strategy and Sponsorship. HE in Wales: basic facts 12 institutions (including OU) Annual turnover: £ 1.1bn Grant from Assembly Govt: £ 450m
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For our Future www.cymru.gov.uk Presentation and discussion: University of Glamorgan 24 September 2010 Jim Cowan, Head of HE Strategy and Sponsorship
HE in Wales: basic facts • 12 institutions (including OU) • Annual turnover: £1.1bn • Grant from Assembly Govt: £450m • 130,000 students experience HE in Wales annually • research income • knowledge exploitation • business generation Calls for Change by Ministers • Better use of the funding it receives from Govt • Calls for stronger contribution to Welsh economic performance through: • programmes relevant for workforce development: eg short progs; part time • More innovation and commercialisation • Better research performance to generate wealth and global reputation • Calls for stronger contribution by HE to social justice through: • wider access to narrow the gap in opportunities • civic role of HE as employers, corporate and community citizens • cultural contribution to communities and Wales • Capacity to face strong international competition in HE • Capacity to face other change: demographics, finance, fees
HE review • June 2008-April 2009 – HE Review - Phase 1: Student finance Sept 2008 - Phase 2: Mission, purpose, role and funding April 2009 • 23 June plenary statement • 25 November - Announcement of HE Strategy and Plan “For our Future”
Key messages: • Status quo not an option • Radical change in HE focus and organisation • Stronger strategic targeting of funding • Greater emphasis on accountability • Coherent but differentiated HE Community • Many more must experience HE, but in different ways more suited to their needs
Strategic use of funding to modernise the HE model • Responsive to national, regional and local education needs – coherent and differentiated • Equipped to compete internationally by building greater capacity in areas of strength • Adaptable and sustainable to meet changing need and demand • Strengthened Welsh medium opportunities • Coherence, sustained partnership and collaboration to maximise opportunities • Not ruling out further mergers
Targeting economic performance • Workforce development – flexible, adaptable, tailored, relevant • Foundation Degree strategy • Knowledge exploitation – improved business links, innovation, joint public/private research • Developing the postgraduate community – future academic community; engagement in innovation; business start ups; linked to UK postgraduate review • Interwoven with Economic Renewal Programme in terms of objectives and emphasis on change- selective and strategic targeting
Targeting Social justice • Renewed widening access strategy • Completion – stronger focus on helping learners achieve objectives • Targeting student financial support (including national bursary framework) • The student voice – student engagement in strategy and operations • HE Community’s Civic responsibility: - as employers - in the cultural life of communities - sustainability and environment
Implementation • Pace has intensified in 2010 • Moved to near the top of Ministers’ priorities • Merger of institutions is a major Cabinet aim • £450m of annual public funding as lever (38.5% of HEIs’ income) • HEFCW as the main agent of delivery • Ministerial annual remit letter to HEFCW • Close Ministerial interest in the HEFCW Corporate Strategy (de facto action plan) • Establishment of WAG cross-departmental Project Board chaired by SHELL and reporting to the Minister.
HEFCW Corporate Strategy 2010-11 – 2012-13 Challenging targets for raising: • proportion of HE participation from Communities First and Heads of the Valleys • Completion rates • Welsh medium participation • International student participation • Employability of leavers • Part time participation • Sustained spin out companies • Research income • Student satisfaction
One target for cutting: The number of institutions: • At least 75% of the Welsh higher education institutions will have an annual income in excess of the UK median (currently 36%) with no institution to be below the lower quartile by 2012/13 (currently 4 are) Institutions will be put under strong financial pressure to merge
Action in 2010: • Regional strategies for HE: South East; South West and North-Mid Wales (November 2010) • Reviewing funding methodologies for recurrent, capital and research (for introduction starting 2011-12) • Tougher criteria for research funding from 2011-12 based on size of department and quality • New student finance regime commencing (September 2010), including absorption of national bursary scheme into statutory framework (from 2011) • Rapid action to identify where to shift resources from back office to front office • Review of HE Governance
Other factors affecting higher education: • It is going to get very tough • UK Comprehensive Spending Review – concerns over severe cuts to budgets • UK Science Policy/Research funding policy – changes could have profound consequences for research in Wales • Competition for funds is going to get VERY intense • HEIs must compete through scale and quality – integration, sustained collaboration and merger. • Size and quality will be everything