Value for Money Educational Development?

Sharon Gedye (sgedye@plymouth.ac.uk)Priska Schoenborn (pschoenborn@plymouth.ac.uk)

Educational DevelopmentTeaching & Learning DirectorateUniversity of Plymouth

Session Outcomes

• Distinguish some of the institutional implications of new HE policy and funding conditions on Educational Development (ED).

• Develop a sense of the educational actions and priorities needed for your own context.

http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corporate/docs/s/10-1208-securing-sustainable-higher-education-browne-report.pdf

The Browne Review, October 2010

6 Principles:1. More investment2. Increased student choice3. Improved access to HE4. No upfront costs5. Affordable repayment6. Better support for part-

time students

• Student charters• Increase in student

numbers• Financial support but

linked to entry standards

• Teacher training qualifications

• Access and completion

Choice & Quality

http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_completereport.pdf

The Comprehensive Spending Review, October 2010

1. Follows principles of BR 2. 25% cut in BIS resource

budget3. 40% cut over 4 yrs for HE4. Funding for STEM subjects5. Funding protected for research6. 25% cut in FE resource budget7. New fund for supporting

disadvantaged students

• More than 2/3 HEIs charge max £9000

• Some FEIs plan to charge >£6000

• Government pays fees• Students start to repay

9% of income once it exceeds £21K

• Grants & loans continue but threshold is lowered to £42K

Higher Student Fees

Our Questions

• How do the ED issues raised by Browne/CSR converge and diverge between institutions?

• How might our curricula need to alter in response to the new landscape?

• How might the way we operate need to alter to provide value for money?

• Given our previous focus on the quality of the student learning experience, should we continue to do more of the same or do we also need to change?

Activity 1: What is happening at your institution?

• What are the top-down drivers?• What are you noticing at grass-roots?• Can you distinguish the drivers? (not always

possible as lots of overlap)• Please distinguish which you feel are most

important.

Not all themes are exclusive to Browne/CSR but they may have been made more important by these.

Our Themes• Compulsory PGCAP• NSS• Employability• Student Involvement (e.g.

rep training, greater engagement with SU)

• Changing relationships with subject teams

• Institution / subject type diffs (e.g. WP more of an issue now for previously exclusive unis)

• Less money – doing more with less

• Impact – demonstrating ours and helping subjects demonstrate theirs

• Levering change – peer review, staff drivers e.g. competition

• Supporting greater student support (e.g. personal tutoring)

• Input to induction / open days

• Edutainment• Rationalising programmes• Internationalisation

Our Questions

• How do the ED issues raised by Browne/CSR converge and diverge between institutions?

• How might our curricula need to alter in response to the new landscape?

• How might the way we operate need to alter to provide value for money?

• Given our previous focus on the quality of the student learning experience, should we continue to do more of the same or do we also need to change?

Activity 2What are the implications for ED?

• You are heading up an ED unit - What is the 12 month and 3 year strategy?– What are you going to continue doing / more

of? – What are you going to drop?– What new things do you need to do?

Thank You for participating!

If you have any concerns about us using your responses in a possible publication, please email me: pschoenborn@plymouth.ac.ukPlease note that all responses will be anonymised!