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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