We are very proud of the University of

Gloucestershire. We believe we offer something

special, in our commitment to high quality learning
and teaching, the enthusiasm of our staff, and the
friendliness of our community.
Stephen Marston Vice-Chancellor

2012-2017

Strategic Plan

Contents

Strategic Plan 2012-2017 At a Glance

Context and Purpose

Mission, Vision and Values

6-7

Mission

Vision
Values

6
6
7

Learning and Teaching

Ten things we do well

Enterprise, Employability and Community Engagement

Degreeplus
Research and Scholarship

Research we are involved in

8-9
9
10-11
11
12
12

Partnerships

Strategic Partnership with further education colleges

14-15
15

A Successful Organisation

Sustainable Development

16-17
17

Centred on Students
Annex A - Summaries underpinning strategies

Learning and Teaching

Research
International
Business Development
Sport
Sustainability
People and Culture
Finance
ICT
Estates

Annex B - The Strategic Plan Development Process

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18
20-23
20
20
20
21
21
22
22
23
23
23
24

University of Gloucestershire Strategic Plan 2012-2017

At at Glance:

Our Mission:

Our Goals:

Founded on values, centred on students, focused on

learning

1. To provide students with excellent learning

experiences through outstanding learning and
teaching support.

Our Vision:
As the University of, and for, Gloucestershire, we will be
distinctive as an inclusive, student-centred, academic
community in which all students and staff are valued,
in which all students and staff actively engage, and to
which all students and staff are glad to belong.
We will work in partnership with our students to provide
them with outstanding teaching, supervision and
support. Our teaching will be informed by scholarship
and research into the subjects we teach, and innovation
in learning and teaching.

To achieve this we will provide relevant, stimulating

and challenging courses that ensure our graduates
have the attributes for successful careers. We will
build on the work of our National Teaching Fellows
(NTFs) to enable all staff to support excellent learning
and continuous improvement.
2. To promote enterprise, employability and wider
economic, social and cultural benefit for the
community.

We will welcome students from all areas of the UK and

overseas, building strong international partnerships
and promoting globally responsible leadership. We
will serve our community through partnerships to
pursue common goals in supporting progression and
achievement. We will promote business growth in the
locality.

To achieve this we will equip students with skills

for employment through internships, volunteering,
work placements and student led activities. We will
bring these opportunities together in our Degreeplus
initiative. We will support those in employment to
achieve career progression and career change and
provide a coherent service of support for businesses,
enterprise and economic growth in the locality.

We strive to be a sustainable organisation which

contributes to positive socio-conomic and
environmental futures.

3. To embed research, scholarship, practice and

consultancy in all our activities.

Our Values:
Nurture; Creativity; Sustainability; Service; Respect;
Trust.

To achieve this we will ensure all our courses are

underpinned by scholarship and research-informed
teaching. We will provide academic staff with
opportunities for research, professional practice,
and consultancy. We will invest in selected areas of
research where we can excel.
4. To build strong relationships with selected partners
for mutual benefit.
To achieve this we will work closely with our students
and the Students Union as partners in developing
an outstanding student experience. We will work
with further education colleges locally, developing
new strategic partnerships to meet the needs of
our communities. We will collaborate with selected
partners to extend our international education
programmes.
5. To be a successful and sustainable organisation.
To achieve this we will strive to grow through
increasing student numbers and income, with
robust financial management and investment in our
estate. We will maintain our excellent reputation
for sustainability. Through our People and Culture
Strategy we will support our staff to achieve their
potential and career ambitions while contributing to
the universitys goals.

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Founded on values, centred

on students, focused on learning."

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Context and Purpose

Background and Purpose
This strategic plan for the University of Gloucestershire
sets out our vision, our main goals for the period 20122017, and the actions we will take to achieve them. The
plan has been developed through wide consultation
with staff, students, alumni and partners.
We are one of Britains newest universities, having
achieved university status in 2001. But our origins go
back over 150 years, with roots in both the church
foundation of teacher education colleges, and the
Mechanics Institutes movement of the Victorian period.
We are proud of our traditions and the values that
continue to shape us.
We put students at the heart of what we do. We
are a university community committed to nurturing
and developing the full potential of our students,
where both staff and students have a strong sense
of belonging. We are the University of, and for,
Gloucestershire, promoting economic, social and
cultural wellbeing for the communities of this area. But
we have also developed our own distinctive forms of
excellence with national and international reach, with a
leading reputation for our work on sustainability and for
our innovation in learning and teaching.
This strategic plan aims to build on these strengths
and achievements, while equipping us to meet the
challenges of the future. We have already shown that
we can overcome major challenges and deliver farreaching reform. The past few years have made many
demands on the university, which we have addressed
energetically. We have restructured into three faculties,
consolidated our teaching and research on three
campuses, invested in some excellent new premises,
and restructured our staffing, achieving a much more
robust financial position. That gives a strong platform
for future development and success.

Context and Environment

In common with other universities, we face significant
challenges in the next five years. The continuing
effects of the global economic downturn, and the
repercussions of the new student fees regime being
introduced following the Browne Report, will create
a very different higher education environment. It is
impossible at this stage to predict what the effects will
be. So the university will have to respond creatively and
flexibly as the impacts become clear.
This strategic plan is therefore not a prescription or
a detailed blueprint, because it is impossible to tell
how higher education will change over the next five
years. Rather, it is a statement of strategic purpose and
direction, identifying our major goals and priorities.
These will inform and shape the decisions we take year
by year, as expressed in our annual operating plan. It
will be essential to remain agile, taking opportunities
as they arise, so long as they are consonant with the
mission and direction set out in this plan.
Despite the evident uncertainties and challenges, we
are optimistic about the part our university can play
in securing a prosperous and rewarding future for the

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people of this country. Higher education is becoming

more competitive, within the UK and internationally.
Students are becoming more demanding, with higher
expectations of what universities should provide. The
funding outlook is extremely uncertain.
Nonetheless, a flourishing higher education sector
is more essential than ever. Good higher education
underpins a successful economy based on the creation,
transmission and application of knowledge and ideas.
It is also a prerequisite for a just, humane and culturally
vibrant society, in which all have opportunities to
develop their talents, expand their horizons, and achieve
their ambitions.
At the University of Gloucestershire, we intend to make
our full contribution in offering the types of higher
education that will best secure those benefits. We have
long sought to provide our students with an excellent
education suited to their needs, treating them as
people not numbers, and aiming to develop a breadth
of understanding and capability. We welcome students
who are questioning, who have high expectations and
who are demanding. So we are confident of our ability
to thrive in a higher education environment which
puts increasing focus on informed student choice, on
providing a rich, varied and high quality experience for
students and on preparing students for success in their
subsequent careers.
That is a challenge we welcome. This strategic plan sets
out how, over the next five years, we will approach it,
through five broad goals. We will continue to build on
our national reputation for flexible, innovative, highquality learning and teaching. We will provide students
with a carefully structured range of opportunities to
develop the right skills, knowledge and capabilities to
succeed in their careers and wider ambitions, including
those who are already in employment. We will support
those areas of research and professional practice in
which we can excel, while ensuring that our teaching
is research-informed, and that we apply research
for wider economic and social benefit. We will aim
to work in partnership, not in isolation, emphasising
particularly our close integration with further education
colleges and schools in Gloucestershire and surrounds,
our contribution to the economy of Gloucestershire
through joint work with business and employers, and
our strategic links with international partners. And
underpinning successful delivery of all these priorities
will be excellence in the leadership and management
of the university, securing robust financial health
and continuing to build our reputation as a leader in
sustainability.
All of these goals are interlinked. The common thread
that unites them is the commitment to students outstanding learning and teaching on their formal
programmes, a rich and well-structured range of
experience beyond the formal programme, research
that enriches their learning, partnerships that enable us
to recruit the students who will most benefit from what
we offer, all within a well-managed environment.

The plan has been developed through

wide consultation with staff, students,
alumni and partners."

Scope of the Plan

This strategic plan sets out our mission as a university,
our vision for the next five years, and the priority actions
we will take to achieve our five core goals. It explains
how we will measure progress in delivering those goals.
We will use the plan as a framework within which each
years operating plan will be drawn up and as a basis for
ongoing monitoring and reporting of progress.
Annex A summarises how our major thematic
strategies, in areas such as learning and teaching,

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estates and human resources, underpin this corporate

strategy. Annex B explains how the strategy was
developed through consultation with staff, students,
alumni and stakeholders.
As a university we are both proud of our past and
confident of our future. This strategic plan sets out how
we intend to create that future for the benefit of our
students, our community and our staff.

Mission, Vision and Values

This section of the plan sets out our mission as a
university, in the form of a short, simple statement of
our core purpose. It summarises our vision, in terms of
the type of organisation we aspire to be at the end of
the five year period. And it states the values that will
inform how we operate and behave as individuals and
as a community.
Our Mission is to be a university which is:
founded on values, centred on students, focused on
learning
The University of Gloucestershire aims to be
distinctive for the values that shape us, drawing on
our traditions of service to our locality. We aim to
place students at the centre of our activities, in an
environment that nurtures and respects them. We
see that as the primary contribution we make to our
local communities, while seeking to promote social,
economic, environmental and academic wellbeing
more widely. As a learning-led, research-informed
university, offering awards at undergraduate, masters
and doctorate level, we aim to achieve excellence
through teaching, research and professional
development that values creativity and sustainability.
Within this mission we have identified the features
that should characterise the university by 2017, given
successful delivery of the goals and actions set out in
this plan. We recognise that many other universities
will share individual features stated in this vision. It is
the combination and integration of characteristics that
we believe will create a distinctive form of excellence
for our university, combined with our location in, and
service to, Gloucestershire.
We are a relatively small university by UK standards,
with some 10,000 students. That is a strength
because it allows us to sustain a sense of belonging
in a close-knit community. But as set out in Goal 5
below, we will take opportunities for further growth
as they arise, without compromising the distinctive
sense of community, because managed growth will
bring greater resilience in uncertain times. We will
continue to recruit nationally and internationally, as
well as regionally, believing that our location and
campuses will continue to be attractive to a wide
range of students. But we will also strengthen our
progression routes from local colleges and schools
in Gloucestershire and environs, as discussed in Goal
4 on partnerships, reflecting our responsibility to
the communities we serve. We expect to sustain a
significant proportion of students aged 18-21, who will
wish to study full-time. But we will also aim to expand
our service to those students already in employment
who wish to pursue lifelong learning in the workplace
and students who wish to pursue postgraduate and
professional awards. So over time, the balance of our
student population is likely to shift towards more older
students and more local students. We will increase the
variety and flexibility in delivery of our programmes as
the increase in higher education fees changes patterns
of demand. We will continue to invest in a thriving
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Alumni Association to build the attachment of former

students to their university.
Our current subject portfolio covers media, arts and
technology; business, education and professional
services; and applied sciences. Increasingly we have
sought to prepare students on all our programmes for
successful professional careers. We believe this subject
range remains broadly appropriate, although we will
keep under constant review how well our subjects and
programmes meet evolving student and employer
demand. As discussed in Goal 2 we will aim to
strengthen the focus on preparation for employment.
Our Vision is that, through successful delivery of this
strategic plan, in five years time the University of
Gloucestershire will have achieved excellence as a
distinctive type of university community.
As the University of, and for, Gloucestershire, we will
be recognised for discharging successfully our unique
responsibility of service to the communities in our
locality and beyond. We will be distinctive as a closeknit, well-integrated academic community in which all
students and staff are valued, in which all students and
staff actively engage, and to which all students and
staff are glad to belong.
We will provide our students with outstanding
teaching and supervision, to give them an excellent
overall experience that develops their understanding
and capability through a carefully considered range
of formal and informal opportunities for learning. We
will work in partnership with our students to secure
continuous improvement in the quality and richness
of their experience. We will offer flexible ways to learn,
helping people throughout their adult life and career
to study with us.
Excellence in teaching, research and community
engagement will be equally esteemed. We will support
our staff to keep their knowledge current and to
be active in their respective fields by undertaking
research and scholarship, professional practice or
consultancy.
Our teaching will be informed by research into the
subjects we teach and into methods used to teach
them, with a distinctive commitment to innovation in
learning and teaching.
We will welcome students from all areas of the UK and
overseas, building strong international partnerships
that enable our students and staff to contribute to,
and benefit from, international understanding. We will
serve our community through strong partnerships
with further education colleges and schools to
pursue common goals in supporting progression and
achievement. We will be a primary motor of business
growth in the locality. We will strive to be a sustainable
and responsible organisation which contributes to
positive environmental, social and economic futures
across the communities we serve.

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Mission, Vision and Values

In taking forward this strategy we will observe a
set of values. Developed in consultation with our
staff and reflecting both the universitys civic and
church foundations, these define how we want our
community, and the students and staff within it, to
behave in the way we treat each other and the wider
community. We recognise that, if values are to have
real impact in shaping organisational culture, they must
be more than mere words on a page. We are currently
developing a new People and Culture Strategy - see
Annex A. That strategy will set out how we will ensure
that the values have real meaning in guiding day-today activities.
Our Values:
Nurture

We are committed to nurturing

the development of our students
and staff their academic, social,
emotional, physical, cultural, spiritual
and moral wellbeing.

Creativity

We pursue excellence in the

generation of new knowledge and
encourage creativity, wellbeing and
the exploration of truth.

Sustainability We are dedicated to creating

sustainable futures across the
communities we serve.
Service

We are responsive to the needs

of our stakeholders and strive to
enhance our services to students,
communities and the organisations
with whom we work.

Respect

We value each member of the

university and are committed to
relationships characterised by
respect for the individual.

Trust

We promote a climate of trust and

accountability underpinned by a
commitment to open, honest and
transparent communications.

The following sections set out the five main goals

that we will pursue over the next five years in order to
deliver this mission and vision in accordance with our
values. In each case we explain the context for that
goal, the actions we will take to achieve it, and the
measures we will use to track progress. In each case
there is also some boxed text chosen to illustrate one
major component of that goal and how we intend to
apply it within the university.

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Learning and Teaching

Goal 1: To provide students with
excellent learning experiences through
outstanding teaching and support
for learning.
Context

Actions
To achieve this goal we will pursue the following
actions:
Ensure that our graduates have the necessary
attributes for achieving successful careers and
becoming active citizens by embedding the following
principles in our curriculum:

The University of Gloucestershire is a learning-led

university. Promoting the achievement and wellbeing of
our students is our overriding purpose.

o independent and collaborative learning

We are committed to delivering the best possible

student experience. We have a strong tradition of
delivering high-quality, student-centred teaching, and
we seek to support our graduates to be successful
in their careers and as citizens. We are committed to
innovation in learning and teaching, and to maintaining
our national profile in this area, especially in active and
participatory learning and demand-led curriculum
development.

o learning for the future

We are proud of the number of our teaching staff who

have been recognised as National Teaching Fellows.
We are in the front rank of universities on that measure.
It is testament to the excellence of our staff. We are
also proud of our performance in the National Student
Satisfaction Survey. Last year our overall satisfaction
ratings improved by five percentage points. On the
measures that relate most directly to learning and
teaching we achieved 85% satisfaction.
We will seek to engage students as active participants
in the design, delivery and review of their own
learning. And we will promote collective discussion
and reflection in all course teams about the delivery of
their programmes and how they can be improved. We
will work with national bodies concerned with higher
education policy and academic practice and with other
universities to ensure continual enhancement of our
provision.
We are committed to ensuring that our teaching
practice is well suited to the needs and capabilities of
our students. Our recruitment is diverse, welcoming
home and international students from a wide range of
backgrounds and experiences. It is hard to tell how the
increase in HE fees will change patterns of enrolment to
the university. We will keep under review our admissions
practice as the impact becomes clearer, with a view to
enrolling those students who will derive greatest benefit
from what we have to offer.
Whilst learning and teaching is one of our five strategic
goals in its own right, successful achievement in this
area will also underpin success in the student-facing
dimensions of other strategic goals in this plan. In
particular, success in learning and teaching supports
development of students employability and their
understanding of sustainability, the embedding of
research and scholarship in our practice, and securing
organisational success and reputation.

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o learning for life and employment

o research/practice-informed learning and teaching
Provide opportunities for students and staff to reflect
on, and discuss collectively, ways to improve learning.
Drawing on the work of the universitys National
Teaching Fellows (see following box), extend to all
teaching and support staff a better understanding of
the characteristics of an excellent learning experience
at the university.
Review the portfolio of subjects and disciplines we
offer, to ensure it aligns with the universitys strengths
and purposes, and that our programmes enjoy
buoyant demand and good reputation.
Review our entry requirements and admissions
practices to provide opportunities for those most able
to benefit from what we offer.
Increase the flexibility of our delivery of programmes,
where there is evidence of student demand, for
example through greater provision of two-year
intensive, part-time, and top-up programmes.
Provide a broad-ranging continuing professional
development framework for all members of staff who
contribute to the learning experience.
Recognise and reward excellence in academic
practice, including Excellence Awards and University
Teaching Fellowships. We will support the Students
Union to introduce a student-led Teaching Awards
programme.
Ensure that the academic experience of students is
enhanced by effective use of learning technologies.

Learning and Teaching

We will measure our progress using the following
indicators:
1. Student satisfaction ratings, as measured by the
National Student Survey, the Postgraduate Taught
Experience Survey, and internal evaluations.
2. Student achievement, retention and successful
completion of their programmes.
3. The Key Information Set, being developed by Higher
Education Funding Council for introduction in 2012.
4. Student recruitment against annual plans.
5. Percentage of staff attaining the various categories
of Fellowship in the UK Professional Standards
Framework.
6. Outcomes from independent, external audit and
review of our quality and standards, by the Quality
Assurance Agency, Ofsted, Sector Skills Councils,
and relevant professional, statutory and regulatory
bodies.

Ten things we do well at the University

of Gloucestershire
As a contribution to the development of this strategic
plan, our National Teaching Fellows reviewed what
they considered to be the characteristics of the
experience we offer to our students at its best. We will
aim to extend those characteristics to all our learning
and teaching.
The ten characteristics they identified are:
1. Our students can expect to be treated as
individuals, not numbers. We know our students
personally and we're interested in their needs and
ambitions, even after graduation.
2. In many disciplines, class sizes are smaller than
average. This can promote a more interactive
teaching environment.
3. We are a welcoming university based in the town
of Cheltenham and the city of Gloucester - friendly
and safe communities that are small enough for
everything to be accessible, but large enough that
there's always plenty going on.
4. Our classes are taught by enthusiastic and
committed lecturers and professors, most of
whom have PhDs or other advanced qualifications,
or professional experience appropriate to their
disciplines.
5. If students have problems with studying, they can
expect speedy and constructive support from staff
- we are here to help. We have excellent support
networks to assist with student finance, disability
support and related services.
6. We aim to inspire and empower students to
become critical thinkers with the knowledge and
practical skills to play an active role in benefiting
society. We believe in the importance of intellectual
exploration and encourage our students to
challenge established ways of thinking.
7. We encourage students to support each other
inside and outside the classroom, to socialise, and
to develop as individuals and as members of a
learning community.
8. We have more National Teaching Fellows than any
other university in the UK relative to our size and
we use our research to ensure that what students
learn is up to date and relevant.
9. We recognise that what matters to students, and
what works best educationally, varies from course
to course and from person to person. We believe in
an educational approach that is both high quality
and flexible. How students are taught will be
determined by experts in their subject who are also
experts in learning and teaching.
10. We celebrate academic excellence and student
successes and we know that people learn best
when they are interested and enjoying themselves.
So whatever students choose to study, and
however their particular courses are organised,
we want all students to participate actively in their
education. And we want them to enjoy themselves
in the process.

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10

Enterprise, Employability and Community Engagement

Goal 2: To promote enterprise,
employability and wider economic, social
and cultural benefit for the community.
Context
At the University of Gloucestershire, our teaching and
research serve a range of purposes, and our students
and staff have various motivations for learning and
study. They include personal interest, love of learning
and pursuit of knowledge for their own sake, and the
satisfaction of gaining new insight and understanding.
A university should always honour, and make place for,
those purposes.
But we recognise that, amongst their various goals for
higher education, our students will generally be looking
to secure a rewarding career when they graduate. This
is not a new feature of higher education. For centuries,
universities have enabled people to gain the skills and
qualifications required for entry to the professions. So
we want to ensure that every undergraduate student at
the University of Gloucestershire has opportunities to
develop the skills and capabilities that will best prepare
them for employment.
This includes the design and delivery of formal
education. But it goes well beyond that in offering a
systematic range of experience, with opportunities for
students to reflect on what they have learned both from
the formal curriculum and more widely.
We are committed to developing enterprising behaviour
and a spirit of entrepreneurship in our undergraduates
in order to prepare them for the world of work. Our
Learning and Teaching Strategy is designed to ensure
that every programme includes Learning for Life and
Employment. We have an excellent record of innovation
in supporting and recognising students achievements
across co-curricular activities, including volunteering.
We were amongst the first universities to implement
the Higher Education Achievement Report.
Our new Degreeplus initiative will build on our strengths
in this area. It will ensure that all students will have
opportunities to develop in terms of their employability
and citizenship (see box for details).
We recognise our wider responsibility to promote
sustainable economic development in our locality.
It is now widely recognised that high-level skills are
one essential component of economic growth. Our
primary contribution to economic development in
Gloucestershire is through the supply of skilled, capable
and enterprising graduates, able to take up jobs in
the local economy. But there is much more we can
do to support businesses in our local area, including
professional and specialist short courses, masters level
study and professional doctorates.
The university has a well-established portfolio of
services to business which support the transfer and
application of knowledge in pursuit of value-adding
services, products and operations. We are committed to
facilitating local business collaboration through sector
networks and innovation hubs, providing a focal point

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for businesses and the community. We are working

with partners, such as the Royal Agricultural College
in Cirencester, to provide better integrated services to
business.
We are active partners in the work of the
Gloucestershire Local Enterprise Partnership. We offer
incubation services for the creation of new businesses
and graduate start-ups and support for innovation in
local companies. Over the lifetime of this strategy we
aim to develop these services, gaining recognition as
an essential provider of support for business and a vital
motor of economic development in the area.
In addition to our economic role, we are committed
to playing an active part in creating cultural, social
and community benefit. Our staff and students get
involved in a wide range of activities that make this a
better place to live, such as sponsoring the Cheltenham
Festivals, organising the Cheltenham Illustration Awards,
running the Gloucestershire Mentoring Scheme, and
offering sports coaching in disadvantaged communities
in the Gloucester and Cheltenham areas. Many of our
students undertake voluntary work, including coaching
sports teams, supporting youth groups, acting as
Special Constables, and providing support for the
elderly. Such volunteering supports individuals and the
local community as well as giving students valuable
skills and experiences.
Actions
To achieve this goal we will pursue the following
actions:
Through the new Degreeplus initiative (see box
below), equip students with the skills and capabilities
for employment through a wide range of structured
activities including volunteering, work placements and
student-led activities. This will build on the existing
Learning for Life and Employment strand of our
Learning and Teaching Strategy.
Support all students to reflect on, and record, the
development of skills, knowledge and capability
resulting from their experience.
Enable people already in employment to achieve
career progression and career change through
opportunities to gain undergraduate, postgraduate
and professional skills and knowledge.
Provide a coherent and well integrated programme of
support for businesses and employers.
Working with the Local Enterprise Partnership,
support enterprise and sustainable economic
development in the locality.
Establish a culture and environment where people are
supported to create businesses.
Support the Students Union JobShop, which helps
students get part-time paid employment across
Gloucestershire; and the JobShop Temps services,
which places students in part-time paid employment
within the university.

11

Enterprise, Employability and Community Engagement

We will measure our progress using the following
indicators:
1. Student employment after graduation and
employment in graduate-level jobs.
2. Number of graduates from the university who gain
jobs in Gloucestershire.
3. The number of students benefiting from Degreeplus,
undertaking programmes with structured access
to work placement, work experience and other
employability experience.
4. Number and value of projects to support business
and sustainable economic development.
5. Number and value of Knowledge Transfer
Partnerships.
6. Number of people participating in university
postgraduate professional programmes and workbased training.
7. Income generated through consultancy projects.
8. Number of students employed through JobShop
Temps in the university.

The Degreeplus Programme

In February 2012 the University of Gloucestershire
launched the new Degreeplus programme designed
to give students a gateway to a range of services
and opportunities which enable them to develop the
experience, skills and attributes which employers
value. Through Degreeplus students can access:
careers information, advice and guidance
skills workshops
enterprise support
work placements
volunteering opportunities
links with local employers
a new high-quality workplace internship programme
graduate vacancies
the Employable Gloucestershire Graduate Scheme
(EGGS)
These opportunities help students develop their
employability and confidence, building a portfolio
of experience to include in their Higher Education
Achievement Report.
Degreeplus builds on our experience in running
the Graduate Challenge internship programme.
This has supported over 150 local organisations by
placing a graduate on a four-month placement. The
intern delivers a project of value to the business
whilst developing their own employability through
a Postgraduate Certificate at the university. To date,
83% of participating graduates have found longterm employment as a result of the programme and
businesses have reported a significant impact on their
own performance.
Degreeplus will incorporate our support for student
entrepreneurship, including the Business Planning
Programme at the University of Gloucestershire
(BUG). This has enabled over 200 students to develop
their business ideas, supported by workshops and
academic expertise. Students have access to local
experts including marketing, human resources, sales
and legal support, and are mentored through the
programme by experienced local entrepreneurs.
Degreeplus signals a new commitment by the
university to invest in the full breadth of the student
experience. It will become a defining characteristic of
our undergraduate offer, ensuring our students have
the capabilities and confidence for graduate level
employment.

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

12

Research and Scholarship

Goal 3: To embed research, scholarship,
practice and consultancy in all our
activities.
Context

Provide opportunities for students to engage with

research at undergraduate as well as postgraduate
level.
Invest in the postgraduate research community
and develop its ethos for the benefit of students,
supervisors and other researchers.

Research activity and the training of research students

are fundamental to the identity of higher education.
The university aims to provide a high-quality, researchinformed curriculum at both undergraduate and
postgraduate levels, built upon knowledge creation and
application and achieving real impact in the outside
world. Our goal is to embed research, scholarship,
practice and consultancy in all our activities.

We will measure our progress using the following

indicators:

Research and scholarly activity will be supported where

it enhances the student experience and benefits our
strategic
aims with regard to reputation, doctoral education,
income generation, external engagement, and scholarly
activity underpinning teaching.

3. Level of postgraduate research (PGR) student

recruitment.

We are proud of our achievements in research, as

illustrated in the box below. As noted in Goal 1, we
believe that high quality learning and teaching can
only be secured if delivered by staff who have active
research interests and professional practice of their
own. And applied research and consultancy are major
components of the support we want to offer to
business under Goal 2.
We are a learning-led, research-informed university.
It is integral to our mission that we should develop
excellence in research and practice in selected fields
and seek peer recognition through the Research
Excellence Framework. We will therefore continue to
invest both in areas of proven research excellence and
in areas with clear potential for research excellence,
which align with the subject strengths and strategic
priorities of the university.
Actions
To achieve this goal we will pursue the following
actions:
Ensure that all courses are informed by a combination
of scholarship, research, and professional practice.
Provide all teaching staff with opportunities to
identify and pursue through appropriate means their
ambitions for research, or professional practice, or
consultancy, as well as ensuring all teaching staff
pursue scholarship in their subject.
Develop a successful submission to the Research
Excellence Framework.
Identify which research areas the university should
prioritise for investment with a view to achieving
excellence. We will apply a transparent approach to
decision-making for research support, based on costvalue analysis.

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

1. Performance in the Research Excellence Framework

2014 by those research units selected for entry.
2. Level of research and consultancy income.

4. PGR student completion rates.

5. Satisfaction of PGR students, as measured by the
postgraduate research experience survey.

We are involved in a wide range

of research at the University of
Gloucestershire
We have:
a recognised Centre of Excellence for rural research
located
in the Countryside and Community Research
Institute.
work of world-leading quality in five research
areas, according to the governments last Research
Assessment Exercise (RAE) results.
eleven units of assessment judged by peer review
to have research that is internationally excellent in
terms of originality, significance and rigour.
a thriving postgraduate research community with
traditional and professional doctorates, including a
highly successful Doctor of Business Administration
award.
research centres in all faculties.
substantial research projects funded through
European grants in subjects from sustainability to
health.
a high percentage of staff with doctorates,
approaching 100% in some areas.
a wide range of staff involved in the supervision of
research degrees and a well-developed programme
of staff development to support them.

13

We are a learning-led,
research-informed university."

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

14

Partnerships
Goal 4: To build strong relationships with
selected partners for mutual benefit.
Context
Many of the universitys objectives will be more
successfully achieved by working closely with partners,
rather than acting in isolation. So, as one of our strategic
goals for the next five years, we want to build a range of
strong partnerships.
We will make this a priority in three areas - partnership
with our students; partnership with further education
colleges in Gloucestershire; and partnership with
selected international organisations. In addition, we will
continue to value our successful partnerships with local
schools and academies.
We see our students and the Students Union as critical
partners in the success of the university. If the university
is to deliver an excellent experience for students, that
must be built on a genuine sense of shared purpose.
Students need to be actively engaged with teaching
and support staff in evaluating the effectiveness of
learning and teaching so that they play an active role
in securing constant improvement. We are committed
to supporting the development of the Students Union,
helping them wherever possible to enhance the services
they provide to students. For example, as noted under
the Learning and Teaching Goal, we are supporting the
Students Union to introduce a student-led Teacher
Awards programme. The senior management of
the university will continue to work closely with the
Students Union, involving them in key discussions
about the development of the university and
its priorities.
We believe this is a good time to build stronger
partnerships with local further education (FE) colleges.
As the University of Gloucestershire, we have a
responsibility to promote access to higher education
for people living in the county, and particularly those
from disadvantaged communities. The increase in
higher education fees from 2012 makes it imperative
to offer a variety of forms of higher education, with
more flexibility to progress from college to university
at different points and accessible in different locations.
For all these reasons, we believe it is right to build a
much stronger partnership between the university
and local colleges over the next five years. We already
have, and wish to develop further, a strong network
of partnerships with colleges in Gloucestershire and
beyond. But the creation of South Gloucestershire
and Stroud College and the merger of Gloucestershire
College with Royal Forest of Dean College represents
an important reconfiguration of further education in
Gloucestershire, offering an opportunity for a deeper
form of strategic partnership. More detail is provided in
the text box.
We have well-established partnerships with local
schools, in teacher education, outreach and
progression. Our work in teacher education dates back
to our foundations in the 1840s. It continues to be an
important part of our mission as a university and our
service to the community. We have developed close
working relations with primary and secondary schools
Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

in Gloucestershire and surrounds and we are proud

that Ofsted rated our primary PGCE outstanding.
Throughout the lifetime of this strategy we will continue
to strengthen our teacher education provision, working
in close partnership with Gloucestershire schools. Our
Outreach team works with schools, colleges and other
groups to help pupils, parents and advisers increase
their understanding of higher education. We run a
successful Compact scheme, on-campus events such
as taster days, summer schools, and open days, as well
as in-school presentations, workshops and mentoring
programmes.
The third priority area for strengthening partnerships
is through our international agenda. We believe
the recruitment of international students and staff,
and academic partnerships with overseas and UK
providers, greatly enhance the type of experience we
can offer for all our students. We will ensure that our
international activities are consonant with our academic
purpose and values as a university. The market for
international higher education is highly competitive
and the regulatory environment has become more
demanding. In future we will aim to continue to expand
our international activities but focus on larger, more
strategic partnerships with overseas providers.
Those partnerships may extend to student and staff
exchange, bespoke training, and joint academic delivery
in-country as well as progression to the UK.
Actions
To achieve this goal we will pursue the following
actions:
Ensure student course and campus representatives
can actively participate in improving learning and
teaching and the wider student experience.
Update the Student Charter on an annual basis, in full
partnership with the Students Union.
Develop a new strategic partnership with
Gloucestershire College and South Gloucestershire
and Stroud College to ensure better integrated
planning and delivery of higher education to meet the
needs of local communities.
Strengthen progression routes to higher education
through a set of Compact partnerships and
progression agreements with local schools and
further education colleges.
Strengthen our teacher education provision through
partnerships with Gloucestershire primary and
secondary schools.
Increase high quality international recruitment to the
university.
Develop wider, more strategic relationships for
international activities with a selected number of
partners.

15
13

Partnerships
We will measure our progress using the following
indicators:
1. Student satisfaction with the Students Union, as
indicated in the National Student Survey.
2. Progression of students to the university from
partner further education colleges and schools.
3. Higher level skills gaps reported by employers in
Gloucestershire.
4. Scale of Compact schemes with students from
partner schools in the locality.
5. Proportion of students from Gloucestershire.
6. Satisfaction of international students.
7. Number of international student numbers.
8. Scale of international collaborative partnerships and
revenue received.

Strategic Partnership with local further

education colleges
We are developing a new strategic partnership
with two major local further education colleges Gloucestershire College and South Gloucestershire
and Stroud College.
Our shared goal is to raise the quality, range and
accessibility of higher education in Gloucestershire,
through a better-integrated higher education offer
for Gloucestershire underpinned by a collaborative
HE strategy. This will ensure that more people in the
county can benefit from higher education that is
accessible, appropriate and affordable for them.
The partnership will enable the university and the
colleges to work together to provide flexible, efficient
and innovative delivery of education, training and
business support, within a unified, rigorous quality
assurance framework which guarantees high
standards.
Over time the partnership could include: validation
of HE programmes by the university, within a single,
shared quality and regulatory framework; joint
mapping and review of HE provision in the locality,
and how emerging student and employer demands
can be better met; shared curriculum development
and teaching; and use of shared services.
As a first step the university has agreed with the two
colleges to appoint a joint project manager to scope
what forms the partnership could take and how best
to pursue implementation. The three partners will
collectively and continuously consider how best to
develop the joint strategy.

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

16

A Successful Organisation
Goal 5: To be a successful and
sustainable organisation.
Context
The previous four goals have focused on the outcomes
we want to achieve in terms of services to our students
and the wider community. But in order to achieve those
goals we must also be successful as an organisation. So
our fifth goal is to ensure that the university is well-led
and managed, financially robust, and with a culture and
way of working that enables all our people to give of
their best. We will also maintain our commitment to
sustainable development.
We have already instituted a range of reforms to ensure
the continuing success of the organisation. We have a
new leadership team in place, we have reformed our
governance, we have consolidated into three faculties,
we have rationalised our campuses, and we have
restructured our staff. We are now making a healthy
financial surplus. Robust performance management
and rigorous financial control will remain essential given
the major reforms now in train to the structure and
funding of higher education. Annex A summarises the
various thematic strategies that will underpin this goal,
including those for Finance, Estates, ICT, and People
and Culture.
The university is relatively small by UK standards, with
some 10,000 students. That has advantages in terms
of the sense of community and belonging which
characterises the university. But it also creates some
risks, particularly when the rapid changes in the wider
higher education environment are putting a premium
on agility and responsiveness. So over the period of
this strategy we will look for opportunities to expand
our student numbers in home undergraduate, home
postgraduate and international categories. In seeking
that expansion we will work with partners wherever
appropriate, as stated in Goal 4. We have not set a
target for our optimum size by 2017 but will aim to
balance the advantages of growth in financial and
organisational terms without compromising that sense
of community that is distinctive to the university.
We will maintain our ethical traditions, encouraging
staff and students to act on the universitys values.
This will be a feature of our new People and Culture
Strategy, which is currently being developed. It will build
on the results of our 2011 Staff Perception Survey and
aim to create a working environment based on respect,
trust and engagement, where staff are proud to belong
to the university and confident that the university will
support their career development.
Our estate is one of the universitys great assets. We
have three attractive campuses in Cheltenham and
Gloucester and have recently invested in new premises
for the Media, Arts and Technology Faculty. Our
location is attractive to both students and staff and we
believe will enable us to continue to recruit successfully
nationally and internationally. The Council has recently
approved a new 10-year Estates Strategy - summarised
in Annex A. Our priorities through to 2017 are to sustain
investment in keeping our premises attractive and fit for
purpose, while improving space utilisation.
Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

The university has achieved an international reputation

for our commitment to sustainable development.
We have consistently been placed in the top three
universities in the People and Planet Green League for
the past three years. We perform well in the Universities
That Count benchmarking scheme, ranking first in
Education for Sustainability. We lead the United Nations
University accredited Regional Centre of Expertise
in Sustainability for the Severn area. We are leading
the Higher Education Funding Council for England
(HEFCE) Leadership and Governance project which
seeks to mainstream sustainability education into
quality frameworks in higher education.
This commitment reflects our wider values and
traditions as a university and will remain a central
theme for the future. Sustainability is a cross-cutting,
corporate commitment, which needs to be manifest
in our learning and teaching, in our research, and
in the way we manage our operations. That is why
sustainability is located within this overall organisational
goal, rather than being seen as restricted to, say,
learning and teaching or research. See boxed text for
more detail.
Actions
To achieve this goal we will pursue the following
actions:
Achieve increased revenue from a broader range of
income sources.
Take opportunities for growth in student numbers.
Improve our student support services for the welfare
of students.
Maintain robust and rigorous financial controls and
business planning systems, to achieve good value for
money and meet targets.
Refine our model for allocating workloads to ensure
we are making best use of our staff resources in
achieving the universitys objectives.
Develop, re-design and streamline our business
processes.
Introduce a comprehensive career development
programme for staff, including management and
leadership training.
Develop a culture based on our values, with
transparent communication.
Invest in our estate to ensure that our premises are fit
for purpose and well-maintained.
Support our sustainability plans and activities
to maintain our leading position in sustainability
benchmarking.
Support the activities of the United Nations University
Regional Centre of Expertise in Sustainability to build
strong partnerships across the Severn region.

15
17

A Successful Organisation
We will measure our progress using the following
indicators:

profile - as a leader in sustainability with a reputation

in education for sustainability

1. Achievement of financial targets, including annual

operating surplus and liquidity.

participation - engage students, staff and

stakeholders in sustainability activities

2. Growth in income, from a diversified range of

sources.

partnerships - build partnerships locally, nationally

and internationally in the area of sustainability

3. Level of financial investment in our estate and capital

infrastructure.
4. The state of repair and fitness for purpose of our
buildings,
as assessed in the estate condition surveys.
5. Equality and diversity within the university
community, as assessed in the annual Equal
Opportunities survey.

whilst retaining the ambition of embedding

sustainability across the full range of university
activities.
Over the lifetime of the strategic plan, the university
will:

6. Staff satisfaction levels as reported in biennial staff

perception survey.

embed sustainability into the design and delivery of

teaching programmes as a required component of
initial course approval and revalidation and review
for all programmes.

7. The universitys position in relevant league tables, as

one indication of reputation and standing.

support academic departments through professional

development opportunities for staff.

8. Performance in the Learning in Future Environments

(LiFE) index, which assesses sustainability
achievements
in universities. www.thelifeindex.org.uk/about-life

increase student volunteering and work-focused

learning opportunities in sustainability.

Sustainable Development at the

University of Gloucestershire
Unsustainable practices are deepening the impact of
environmental degradations, extending inequalities in
our society and across the globe, and limiting quality
of life. The university recognises its responsibility
to build consideration of sustainability into our
decision making and our operations, and we work in
partnership with others to respond to these local-toglobal challenges, constructing more positive futures
for all.
The university has carved an international reputation in
the area of sustainability. That has helped to increase
our profile, attracted significant funding, and improved
our corporate performance in this area.
The new sustainability ambitions of the university for
2012-17 are focused on improving:
performance - improve sustainability performance
and meet our carbon commitments

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

align the universitys commitment to sustainability

with the Degreeplus programme to progress
employability and business development, and link
the concepts of sustainability and responsible
leadership in relevant programmes.
work with the Countryside and Community
Research Institute and the Globally Responsible
Leadership Initiative to support research
development in the area of sustainability.
work with the Teaching, Learning and Innovation
team to support the latest teaching development
associated with Education for Sustainability.
extend partnerships in sustainability, primarily
through the United Nations University Regional
Centre of Expertise in Sustainability Education.
improve our carbon emissions in transport, waste,
food, and procurement.
support professional departments to set and
progress their own sustainability targets and
contribute to improving the sustainability
performance of the university as assessed by
external indices and benchmarking schemes.

18

Centred on Students
Our commitment to students is woven
throughout this strategy. The following
draws together from across the five
strategic goals a summary of actions
relating to students.
Goal 1: We will provide students with excellent
learning experiences through outstanding teaching
and support for learning:
Ensure that our graduates have the necessary
attributes for achieving successful careers and
becoming active citizens.
Provide opportunities for students to reflect on, and
discuss collectively, ways to improve learning.
Increase the flexibility of our delivery of programmes,
where there is evidence of student demand.
Support the Students Union to implement a studentled Teaching Awards scheme.

Goal 3: Students will benefit from research,

scholarship, practice and consultancy undertaken by
our staff:
Secure that all teaching is informed by scholarship,
research, practice and consultancy.
Provide opportunities for students to engage with
research at undergraduate as well as postgraduate
level.
Invest in the postgraduate research community
and develop its ethos for the benefit of students,
supervisors and other researchers.
Goal 4: Students will benefit from strong relationships
with selected partners:
Treat students and the Students Union as primary
and active partners in building the success of the
university.

Ensure that the academic experience of students is

enhanced by effective use of learning technologies.

Ensure comprehensive arrangements for student

course and campus representatives to participate
actively in improving learning and teaching and the
wider student experience.

Review our entry requirements to provide

opportunities for those most able to benefit.

Update the Student Charter on an annual basis, in full

partnership with the Students Union.

Goal 2: We will promote enterprise and employability

for our students:
Through the new Degreeplus initiative, equip students
with the skills and capabilities for employment
through a wide range of structured activities including
volunteering, work placements and student-led
activities.
Support all students to reflect on, and record, the
development of skills, knowledge and capability
resulting from their experience.
Enable people already in employment to achieve
career progression and career change through
opportunities to gain undergraduate, postgraduate
and professional skills and knowledge.
Enable students to gain the skills and confidence to
set up their own enterprise.
Support the Students Union JobShop, and the
JobShop Temps services.

Through partnerships with FE colleges and schools,

extend progression routes for Gloucestershire
students into HE, with a wider range of flexible
opportunities for study.
Through partnerships with international organisations,
extend opportunities for overseas students to benefit
from UK HE, enriching our international diversity to
the benefit of the whole student body.
Goal 5: Students will benefit from a successful and
sustainable organisation:
Take opportunities for growth in student numbers,
without undermining our close-knit sense of
community.
Invest in maintaining our estate as an attractive
location for students.
Invest in the skills and expertise of our staff in
teaching and supporting students.
Improve our student support services for the welfare
of students.
Provide opportunities for students to gain experience
and understanding of sustainability.

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

19

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

Our commitment to
students is woven
throughout this strategy."

20

Annex A
Underpinning strategies
This Annex summarises the specific thematic strategies
which underpin the overall university strategy. They are
in different stages of development - some final, some
in draft. They have all informed the preparation of the
university strategy. As progress with each thematic
strategy is reviewed, one factor will be to ensure there is
full alignment with the implementation of the university
strategy.
Learning and Teaching Strategy
The Learning and Teaching Strategy sets out how the
university aims to provide all students with excellent
learning experiences through outstanding learning and
teaching support. It was approved by Academic Board
in June 2011 after full consultation with students, staff,
and other stakeholders, including employers.
The consultation addressed the challenge of ensuring
that teaching programmes remain fit-for-purpose in
the more demanding higher education climate we now
face.
The Learning and Teaching Strategy identifies four
priorities which have been directly incorporated in the
Learning and Teaching Goal of the strategic plan. They
are:
independent and collaborative learning
learning for life and employment
learning for the future
research/practice-informed learning and teaching
These priorities aim to ensure that our curriculum
equips our students to enjoy productive careers and to
act as responsible citizens in the 21st century.
The Learning and Teaching Strategy articulates the
attributes of the successful Gloucestershire graduate. It
also identifies a set of attributes for the universitys staff
in order to ensure that the priorities for learning and
teaching inform their practice and to enable them to
access and apply knowledge about best practice in the
sector.
The successful implementation of the Learning
and Teaching Strategy will be delivered through an
enhanced programme of staff development activities
for all staff who contribute to the student learning
experience.
Research Strategy
The university's Research Strategy is currently in
development, led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and
the Dean of Research.
The strategy will start from the presumption that
research activity is fundamental to the identity, mission
and reputation of the university. The strategy will
identify four types of activity that the university should
pursue:
1. Postgraduate research: the supervision and training
of postgraduate researchers. As well as contributing

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

to the wider economy and society in their future

careers, postgraduate researchers form the feedstock
for future academics and research leaders.
2. Research, practice and scholarship: activity
to support subject knowledge and teaching,
professional research activity, and the development
of research-informed teaching. All academic staff are
expected to engage in research and scholarly activity
to the extent necessary to ensure the currency of
the knowledge and expertise they deploy in teaching
and other knowledge exchange contexts. This is
also necessary to undertake postgraduate research
student supervision successfully.
3. Income generating research: it is important, both
reputationally and financially, for the university to
develop research profiles capable of attracting
competitive funding for commissioned research, and
user-defined work for external agencies and parties.
4. Research Excellence Framework (REF) preparation:
the university intends to submit research of at least
internationally excellent quality for peer review in
the governments Research Excellence Framework
assessment.
It is central to our approach to research that it links
closely to teaching, increases business development,
and enhances the universitys profile. To achieve this we
will embed scholarship, practice and applied research
in all our activities. We will also selectively support
research in those areas of our activity where we can
demonstrate actual or potential excellence and which
align with the universitys corporate priorities.
International Strategy
The universitys International Strategy is currently under
development, led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
Our international recruitment currently involves:
direct recruitment of an international contingent of
students via a network of progression arrangements
and overseas agencies. The future aim is to strengthen
current arrangements and expand their range and
number in a focused and targeted way. The strategy
will identify emerging markets, based on robust
market research. This method of recruitment is proven
to be successful in terms of student numbers and
conversion. However, the past five years have seen a
change in the international recruitment environment.
Whilst UK higher education is still highly regarded,
overseas institutions are seeking more strategic
partnership packages that include exchange, bespoke
training and joint academic delivery in-country as well
as progression to the UK.
delivery of university courses via strategic
collaborative partnerships with internationally located
higher education providers. This includes franchised
and validated delivery where the partner either
solely delivers the award or it is delivered jointly with
the university. University courses are also delivered
overseas in full by university employed staff via an
off-campus delivery model.

21

Annex A
The universitys primary goal is to sustain, and grow
over time, recruitment of students from the UK and
European Union. But through our International Strategy
we also want to strengthen our recruitment of overseas
students and international collaborative partnerships.
We will identify a number of key criteria
against which our international activities will be
measured to ensure that they align with the universitys
core educational values and are both ethical and
sustainable in the long term. We will aim to deliver the
strategy through appropriate, flexible packages that are
sustainable and competitive, delivering a high quality
educational experience to all our students, both at
home and overseas.
The strategy will build on existing strong relationships
with overseas agents and collaborative partners,
identify ways in which new partnerships may be
developed, develop our international alumni networks
through the Alumni Office, and ensure that the
university can support the student experience from
application to graduation and beyond. Over time,
we intend to focus on fewer but stronger and more
strategic, international partnerships with selected
partners, covering a broader range of collaborative
activities.
Business Development Strategy
The university has recently appointed a Director of
Business Support, jointly with the Royal Agricultural
College. The intention of this joint appointment is to
enable the university and the college to provide a better
integrated service to businesses in Gloucestershire and
beyond.
Following that appointment, we are currently
reviewing our business services programme. This will
produce a five-year strategic plan which will aim to
deliver year-on-year growth in income-generating
activity, through a coherent set of business-support
services, aligned to national policy and driven by the
economic needs of the business community. We will
work closely with the Local Enterprise Partnership in
developing and implementing the plan to increase our
contribution to economic development and innovation
in Gloucestershire and beyond.
The delivery of business support will be through four
channels that enable the university to support target
sectors, build our reputation for business engagement
and raise revenue through the provision of valued
services:
Income Generation: The university will prioritise
its existing services to business around identified
centres of academic excellence, providing services
on a demand-led basis. The delivery of consultancy,
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and contract
research will be driven by the opportunity to grow
and diversify our income base by providing access to
knowledge, expertise and facilities.
Specialist Centres: These will be drawn from clusters
of existing expertise to deliver services to business,
applied research, consultancy and skills. Further
centres will be developed to support the emerging
priorities of business.

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

Student Start-up and Business Creation: We will

develop a centre for innovation which will provide
programmes and an environment that encourages new
business start-ups by students, graduates, and local
entrepreneurs. The centre will provide an environment
where people can explore ideas and opportunities,
supported by a framework of expertise and skills
development.
Networks and Partnerships: As an institution that
provides a place for businesses to engage and
innovate, we aim to become a focal point for sector
events and collaborative activity. The aspiration is
to become the place of choice for businesses and
employers in Gloucestershire and beyond to network
and gain access to the universitys resources, including
its staff and students.
Strategy for Sport
Sport and physical activity makes a significant
contribution to the student experience at the university.
Every year approximately 1,000 students represent the
university in national and international competition, while
a further 1,000 students take part in our new UNIversal
Sport programme. A new department, University of
Gloucestershire Sport, takes the lead in these areas
and, in collaboration with the Students Union, seeks to
build student capabilities, partnerships, and enterprise
opportunities in order to support best practice in
the delivery of competitive and recreational sport. In
addition, the department is responsible for a range of
innovative outreach programmes which contribute
directly to outreach, local communities and to the
Degreeplus initiative.
In the coming five years University of Gloucestershire
Sport aims to:
support the Students Union in securing a Top 30
placing in the British universities and Colleges Sport
(BUCS) league table.
introduce 3,000 new participants, both staff and
students, to sporting, exercise or physical activity
opportunities.
gain national recognition of best practice in sports
delivery through National Governing Body of Sport
awards or BUCS awards for our Students Union.
develop a unique set of services and support
structures to enable students with disabilities to play a
full part in the sporting life of the institution.
deliver 150 student placements each year through our
unique outreach programmes, including SportsCVs,
Onside, UNIversal Sport, Sport Malawi, No Limits and
PhASE, the student enterprise.
establish sport as a major element of new strategic
partnerships with FE colleges and schools, extending
Compact arrangements to five targeted institutions
outside the county.

22

Annex A
Sustainability Strategy
The Sustainability Strategy proposes new directions
for sustainability that support the priorities of the
universitys new strategic plan. The revised strategy
aligns with the employability, business development
and local engagement agendas, whilst at the same time
improving staff and student engagement opportunities
in sustainability. The strategy plays to the university
strengths in areas of learning and teaching for
sustainability, local and international partnerships and a
whole-of-institutional approach to sustainability.
Progress in sustainability will be assessed across four
main areas associated with performance, profile,
participation and partnerships. Key Performance
Indicators are proposed to measure progress in these
areas.
Performance: Be a university which continuously
improves its sustainability performance and meets its
carbon commitments.
During the life of this strategic plan the university will:
establish and progressively develop, strong
performance scores in the new LiFE index, building on
track records of scores in the former Universities That
Count scheme.
improve our carbon reduction institution-wide to
meet our 40% goal as agreed with HEFCE.
develop and monitor sustainability KPIs for
professional departments.
Profile: Be recognised as a sector leader in
sustainability, and be known for our distinctive profile
in education for sustainability and its connections with
employability.
During the life of this strategic plan the university will:
maintain a high profile in national award schemes
(Green Gowns) and ranking exercises eg People and
Planet.
provide advice for, and engage in, external
sustainability activities (prioritising education and
employability agendas).
maintain positive coverage of sustainability in the
regional and national media.
Participation: Be a university which actively engages
staff, students and stakeholders in sustainability
activities.
During the life of this strategic plan the university will:
improve range and quality of student engagement
opportunities and learning experiences as reflected in
student surveys and associated data.
improve staff engagement across departments and
increase ownership of the agenda as reflected in the
staff survey and captured in annual Sustainability
Reports.

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Partnerships: Be a university which builds and supports

partnerships locally, nationally and internationally in the
area of sustainability.
During the life of this strategic plan the university will:
increase participation of local and regional
stakeholders in university sustainability initiatives.
extend new business development, enterprise
and research partnerships in sustainability which
generates income for professional and academic
development across the university.
People and Culture Strategy
The universitys strategic plan responds to significant
change in higher education policy and to the increasing
expectations of students and the communities we
serve. Achieving the five goals of the strategy, in a way
that is consistent with our values, will depend largely on
the talent, knowledge, skills, commitment and flexibility
of our staff.
We are developing a People and Culture Strategy
building on the 2009-12 Human Resources (HR)
Strategy. Its preparation is being led by our new
Director of HR. It will provide the framework for the
work of the HR team but all staff will share responsibility
for delivering it.
We aspire to enable everybody, whatever their role, to
have a more productive and rewarding experience of
working at the university and contributing towards the
universitys goals. We want all staff to enjoy an open
and positive working environment, designed to ensure
that we can successfully deliver the universitys goals
through making best use of the talents of our people.
It is essential that staff work together well, perform to
the best of their abilities, and continuously develop and
improve, in order to seize opportunities and meet the
challenges we face.
So far staff have had open discussions with the ViceChancellor and discussed the results of the 2011 staff
survey within their work areas. From this feedback we
are developing an understanding of what people value,
their concerns, and what they would like to change.
We recognise that there is a great deal to do if we
are to achieve the working environment and culture
that people want. We also recognise that the rapidly
evolving higher education policy framework means
that the university will have to manage staff resources
flexibly to meet changing patterns of student demand
and new organisational priorities. There will be further
opportunities for staff, Trade Unions, Council members,
student representatives and partners to engage in
discussions about our culture.

23

Annex A
The strategy is likely to necessitate actions in the
following areas:
open and honest communication
effective people management, tackling poor
performance and rewarding good performance
flexible career pathways, recognising that people have
different career goals
personal and professional development
comprehensive leadership and management
development
promoting productivity and innovation, given that
our wage bill is our single biggest cost and must
be managed effectively within continuing budget
constraints
diversity and equal opportunities
staff wellbeing (including all staff treating each other
with respect)

ICT Strategy
The emphasis of the ICT Strategy will be to move the
focus away from the technology itself, to the benefits
that ICT can provide to transform the way the university
operates, including how it can be better integrated to
support learning and teaching.
In support of the five goals of the university's strategic
plan, the ICT Strategy will:
align with the Learning and Teaching Strategy,
supporting curriculum delivery both on and off
campus. The student learning experience will be
enhanced by investment in systems and technologies
such as mobile services, personalised student portals
and 24-hour access to ICT.
introduce new web sites and a university-wide
Customer Relationship Management system
which will enable students and staff to collaborate
effectively and facilitate links with external partners.

accessible HR policies that allow for appropriate

flexibility within clear boundaries

support the work of researchers, international

students and partners, and consultancy activities
in and outside the university by focusing effort on
remote access and central storage facilities.

We will be honest about what is achievable and

sustainable within the resources available.

assist the universitys collaborative partnerships

through the effective use of technologies.

Finance Strategy

help the business to operate at optimum performance

through the effective use of ICT, developing systems
to support re-engineered business processes.

The Finance Strategy is being reviewed and updated

to align with the new corporate strategy and to
reflect current changes in higher education - notably,
uncertainty of student demand, phasing out of old
funding models, the introduction of a new fees regime,
and a range of new higher education providers keen to
enter the market when legislation permits.
The focus of the previous Finance Strategy was to
strengthen significantly the financial operating position
of the university, which it has achieved.
In developing the new Finance Strategy alongside the
new Corporate Plan, Annual Operating Plan and Faculty
and Departmental Business Plans, we will deliver an
integrated approach whereby business and financial
issues are considered alongside academic plans.
The Finance Strategy will focus on a range of key
financial goals. It will enable us to:
ensure the continued financial sustainability of the
university
increase and diversify our income
provide resources to support our corporate priorities
provide a framework for improving financial
performance
integrate with other strategies
The Finance Strategy includes a range of financial
targets, developed to reflect the new financial regime
we have entered, and encompasses a wide range of
indicators.

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

Estates Strategy
The university estate consists of three campus
sites hosting teaching, learning and student
accommodation. We have one further site housing
student accommodation and eight residential halls
in Gloucestershire. The Estates Strategy describes a
number of core objectives that support the themes
and goals set out within the strategic plan. The strategy
contains targets for the further consolidation of the
estate, which will enable an affordable maintenance
investment plan and will support the academic
resources plan.
There is a 10-year maintenance investment plan and
an academic resources plan to refurbish, upgrade
and develop assets to provide appropriate facilities
that will effectively support learning, teaching and
research activities. In addition, the delivery of the
carbon management plan will reduce the cost of
operation of buildings and associated services. We aim
to increase income generating opportunities through
better utilisation of the estate, for instance through our
International Strategy including summer schools and
pre-sessional activities. The Residential Strategy plans
to consolidate campuses which in turn will support
extended access to a range of facilities and services.

24

Annex B
The Strategic Plan Development Process
The preparation of this strategic plan was launched in
September 2011 by the new Vice-Chancellor, Stephen
Marston. The universitys previous strategy covered
the period 2009-12. So it was opportune to review and
update the university strategy in the light of the new
higher education landscape.
To direct the review, we established a Strategic Plan
Project team consisting of senior academics from each
faculty and representatives from learning and teaching,
research, marketing, student services, and business
performance and planning.

3. Size: the universitys small-medium size enables a

friendly and sociable atmosphere.
4. High quality learning and teaching.
5. High calibre staff that are committed to ensuring
the university is successful.
Following these consultations a series of common
strategic objectives emerged. These were analysed and
related objectives with common attributes grouped into
five emerging strategic themes:
learning and teaching

The project team started by holding a series of focus

groups comprised of academic and Student Services
staff from each of the universitys three campuses.
These focus groups examined the universitys strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats, as well as the
future state of the university in 2017. We also reviewed
the universitys positioning in the sector, supported by
evidence-based market research.

enterprise, employability and wider economic benefit

Members of University Council were consulted on

the project teams strategic planning approach and
timescales. A special meeting of Council was held to
discuss emerging findings in November 2011.

As these strategic themes emerged, and building on

the feedback from the consultations, the Strategic Plan
Project team developed a new Vision Statement and
proposed the new Mission Statement.

Based on the outcomes of the three focus groups, the

university consulted more widely with its students,
stakeholders and staff through Strategic Plan Surveys.
The aim was to collect a wide range of views on the key
strategic priorities and a proposed future vision of the
university. In parallel the universitys senior managers
and National Teaching Fellows were canvassed for their
input, with the NTFs conducting a separate discussion
on what characterises excellent learning and teaching at
the university (see Goal 1 for the results).

Throughout the strategic planning activity the Strategic

Plan Project team liaised with colleagues to ensure
established and emerging faculty and departmental
strategic plans were aligned with the themes, goals and
actions outlined in the emerging corporate strategic
plan.

Stakeholder Consultation Top 5 Strategic Priorities:

Once the five strategic themes, associated goals,

actions and KPIs had been compiled, along with the
Mission and Vision Statements, there was further
consultation with students, the Students' Union,
University Executive and Council before the final version
was approved and published in February 2012.

1. Producing students skilled and prepared for

employment.
2. Serving students from a broad range of
backgrounds and offering routes into higher
education.

research
partnerships
successful organisation (cross-cutting themes and
strategic enablers)

The strategic plan provides the framework for deriving

annual operating plans for the university including
annual priorities and targets. Progress against the
actions will be regularly reported to Council and the
Executive.

3. Providing a caring and supportive student

experience.

Student Consultation Top 5 aspects of our students

learning experiences:

4. Working with local and regional partners in a

strategic way.

1. The quality of teaching staff: expert, enthusiastic,

engaging, dedicated, supportive, approachable.

5. Encouraging and supporting enterprise, innovation

and business development.

2. The quality of learning and teaching: the structure

and variety of the curriculum, as well as the different
learning styles catered for.

Staff Consultation Top 5 Strengths:

3. Placements and volunteering opportunities that

bridge the gap between academia and the real
world.

1. Student Support: staff are generally accessible and

willing
to engage with students, for example Student
HelpZones.
2. Location: we are the only university in
Gloucestershire. Because of our location we have
attractive surroundings, confidence in personal
safety and good links to major cities.

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

4. Research and/or practice informed lecturers with

national and international reputations.
5. The opportunity to work in small groups: cultivating
team skills and interacting with people from a wide
range of backgrounds.

25

The aim was to collect a

wide range of views on the key
strategic priorities and a proposed
future vision of the university."

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk

2130 3/12

Tel: 0844 801 0001 Web: www.glos.ac.uk