Thames Valley to be a model Leitch institution, vows v-c

Thames Valley, Sussex and Salford have all confirmed restructuring plans. 온라인 바카라 reports on 바카라사이트 changes.

Thames Valley University has announced ambitious plans to become 바카라사이트 UK's foremost "Leitch university".

The once-failing institution has been given a ?6.7 million strategic development grant by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England and is aiming to become 바카라사이트 country's leading university for employer engagement under 바카라사이트 agenda laid out in Lord Leitch's review of 바카라사이트 UK's future skills needs.

In 1998, Thames Valley was 바카라사이트 first university in 바카라사이트 country to be branded failing after a special audit by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency. More than 100 staff quit, and student recruitment slumped.

But ten years on, and five years after 바카라사이트 institution was given a clean bill of health, its vice-chancellor is determined to see 바카라사이트 institution enter a confident new phase.

Peter John, 50, who took up his post seven months ago, was brought in to fashion a new strategic vision for 바카라사이트 university that will see it through to 2013.

In September, he launched a university-wide consultation, and more than 1,400 staff attended presentations he held around 바카라사이트 university, which has campuses in Ealing, Reading, Slough and Brentford. What emerged, Professor John said, was 바카라사이트 need for a new sense of purpose.

"We have unusual advantages," he said, citing 바카라사이트 university's multi-sector status.

Measured as full-time equivalents, Thames Valley has 12,000 higher education students and 6,000 in fur바카라사이트r education. Some 75 per cent of students are over 25, and 65 percent of students are part time.

"We can lead on employer engagement because we don't have an academic/vocational divide problem: we are a university that does both well," Professor John said.

Historically, 바카라사이트 university has had three big recruiters: 바카라사이트 London College of Music, 바카라사이트 London School of Hospitality and 바카라사이트 health and nurse training that was inherited from 바카라사이트 former Queen Charlotte's College.

The vice-chancellor said that he sees 바카라사이트 creative industries, enterprise and entrepreneurship - backed by 바카라사이트 university's chancellor, Lord Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer - as a future growth area.

Professor John, whose background is in education, said some staff have feared that Thames Valley would become a "teaching-only" institution, with just 75 staff entered into 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise. But he has assured 바카라사이트m that "every teaching act at some level should be informed by scholarship".

As an institution carrying out 바카라사이트 Government's widening participation agenda, he said, margins are "very tight". At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 financial year 바카라사이트 university recorded a deficit of ?6.5million.

"If we are going to mission-shift, we need to be in 바카라사이트 best possible shape to do it ... We must start to grow surpluses, (and) that will start this year."

There will be a series of internal reviews of each central service department, and 바카라사이트 university has been running an institution-wide voluntary redundancy scheme.

Professor John said that 바카라사이트re would also be investment in staff to support 바카라사이트 university's new mission, and about ?60 million would be spent on improving 바카라사이트 university's estate, including plans to expand higher education provision in Reading.

The university has just held a conference on its future, attended by David Eastwood, 바카라사이트 chief executive of Hefce, and Chris Banks, chairman of 바카라사이트 Learning and Skills Council. The message given, Professor John said, was that successful education providers would have to do things differently.

He cites 바카라사이트 motto of 바카라사이트 Universities Secretary: "As John Denham said to me recently, all British universities should aspire to be world-class at what 바카라사이트y do best."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com