Calum MillerChief Operating Office, Blavatnik School of Government

Anybook Oxford Libraries Conference21st July 2015

What will successful departments look like in 2020?

What you signed up for!

“What will a successful academic department look like in 2020? In this session, we will explore the impact of

technological change, funding processes and the relentless search for talented faculty, students and staff. What’s next, how are departments preparing for it and what might this

mean for Library and Information Services?”.

Overview

1. What is a department? What is it for?2. What challenges confront departments today?3. What opportunities will arise in the next five years?4. What will success look like in 2020?5. What does that mean for library and information

services?

What is a department?

• Focus?• Leadership?• Independence?

Departments we (may) have known

Source: https://historytech.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/

Source: http://www.owen.vanderbilt.edu

What is a department for?

Teach

EngageResearch

How do departments vary?

• Size• Students• Partnerships• Research• Funding

Current Challenges

• Funding• Capital Investment• Recruitment• Retention• Compliance

Funding

• Comprehensive Spending Review in autumn• “Unprotected” government departments face 30% cuts

over five years to 2019-20• HE and science represents 60% of BIS Budget in 2015-

16• In numbers, a 30% fall in HE/science spending would

take it from £7.9b in 2015-16 to £5.5b in 2019-20• £1.6b of the BIS budget goes on student maintenance

grants; unclear whether BIS will be credited with the savings of scrapping these in the July 2015 Budget

• Hence increased focus on alternative funding sources

Capital Investment

• Challenging historic estate• Limited capital resource• Acute maintenance over new needs• ICT needs• Contract and project management

Recruitment/ Retention

• Competition for talent• Focus on gender and diversity• Oxford is high-cost environment• Need to make offers attractive• Provide career development

Compliance etc.

• Bribery Act• Information security• Visa regime• Open access• Financial reporting and audit• Research impact evaluation

Opportunities

• Oxford’s global brand• Dash to quality? • Economic partnerships/ knowledge economy• Distance learning/ part-time study• Teaching models: coming full circle?

Success in 2020

• Financially secure• Able to invest in capital projects for the future• Introducing new teaching and learning models• Reinventing Oxford’s traditions to attract new students• Growing share of the research pie; funding sources

diversified• Clear models and metrics for delivering and measuring

research impact• Innovative ways of engaging with government and

industry

Impact for Libraries and Information Services

Let’s discuss