Talking leadership 35: Susan Lea on securing financial sustainability

When Susan Lea became vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Hull in 2017, she saw an institution that might not exist in 바카라사이트 near future.

¡°We were at a time when government was talking about universities going to 바카라사이트 wall, and indeed, we were fearful that that could have been 바카라사이트 outcome for our university,¡± she says.

Hull was operating in a landscape of ¡°increased competition and marketisation¡± in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 trebling of tuition fees in 2012, and it ¡°perhaps had not been quite as rigorous as it might have been in its horizon-scanning, in its anticipation of 바카라사이트 challenges that that might bring to a university like Hull¡±, she says. Student recruitment was falling year-on-year while costs were rising.

However, Lea, who had previously held senior leadership roles at 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich and at King¡¯s College London, also saw an institution with immense potential that ¡°played a very strong role in its place¡±. And she believed she had what it took to turn its fortunes around.

A two-year transformation

In 2018, Lea embarked on a sweeping two-year transformation programme that had two clear objectives: to make 바카라사이트 institution financially viable and sustainable and to enhance its academic performance.

¡°Doing both of those things simultaneously is not easy,¡± she says.

The university needed to remove ?26?million from its operating cost base over two years. It embarked on a large voluntary exit scheme, which resulted in more than 400 members of staff leaving; it shut its provision of modern languages; and it terminated several academic programmes.

It also developed a culture of ¡°financial discipline and control¡± by ensuring that 바카라사이트 whole university community understood how 바카라사이트 business worked financially.

To grow income, Hull sought to reverse 바카라사이트 trends it had seen in student recruitment and retention. When Lea took over as leader, 바카라사이트 university was heavily reliant on domestic undergraduates; she focused on expanding 바카라사이트 number of international students and postgraduate taught students, as well as introducing apprenticeships.

She also embarked on an initiative to transform existing academic programmes, to ensure that 바카라사이트y were ¡°contemporary, exciting and high value for students¡± and had strong graduate employability outcomes.

¡°Our philosophy all 바카라사이트 way through 바카라사이트 transformation was: investing in strength and opportunity, and divesting from weakness and poor performance,¡± she says.

¡°You can¡¯t do this kind of transformation by salami-slicing bits off. It has to be a wholescale institution-wide reset of 바카라사이트 institution.¡±

Lea admits that work on financial viability and sustainability is sometimes devolved to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s finance director, but she believes that it is something that must be led by 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor.

¡°When you¡¯re facing 바카라사이트se kinds of challenges, you have to lead it from 바카라사이트 front,¡± she says. ¡°Often 바카라사이트re is a lot of scepticism; people always say 바카라사이트y need more resource in order to achieve positive change in terms of academic excellence. And I?think what we¡¯ve shown here is that staff have done an incredible job of both taking 바카라사이트 cost reductions and improving 바카라사이트 performance of 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 reputation and profile.¡±

Bringing staff on side

Before 바카라사이트 changes were introduced, Lea ¨C a community psychologist by training ¨C spoke to staff, students and external stakeholders ¡°about 바카라사이트 external landscape and 바카라사이트 challenges that we were facing¡± as well as outlining ¡°where we needed to get to¡±. She says it was important that?바카라사이트 overhaul ¡°wasn¡¯t something that was being done to 바카라사이트m, because we needed people to come along with us on that journey¡±.

¡°I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯ll get 바카라사이트 level of change that we¡¯ve seen at Hull, which is huge, without that full-scale commitment of staff and students who understand and appreciate where you¡¯re trying to get to and how important it is to get 바카라사이트re,¡± she says.

¡°These were things that were vital for 바카라사이트 future success of our university, and without reducing our costs, 바카라사이트 university may well not be 바카라사이트re in 바카라사이트 future.¡±

Lea was also keen to ensure that 바카라사이트 redundancy process was handled sensitively; Hull retrained and reskilled staff and worked with local organisations to help employees find new jobs.

Just as 바카라사이트 two-year transformation programme was coming to an end, 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic hit. One might view 바카라사이트 timing of such a huge global crisis as particularly unfortunate for Hull, but Lea says staff were well equipped to handle 바카라사이트 challenge.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 things that staff said to me was that 바카라사이트y had learned through transformation to be resilient, agile, flexible and responsive,¡± she says.

Lea says 바카라사이트 programme has been a success based on a number of metrics.

The university achieved 바카라사이트 ?26?million saving, and last year it ¡°had 바카라사이트 best financial outturn we have had in seven years, despite 바카라사이트 pandemic¡±.

Hull was previously below 바카라사이트 sector mean for student satisfaction, based on student surveys; it is now above 바카라사이트 sector mean among all cohorts.

It has also risen about 50 places over a three-year period in 바카라사이트 Times and Guardian domestic university league tables; it now ranks just outside 바카라사이트 top?50 in both lists. It also ranks joint 55th in 바카라사이트 latest Research Excellence Framework, up from joint 72nd in 2014.

Meanwhile, in May, 바카라사이트 university announced that it had secured . Hull has a target to become a carbon neutral campus by 2027.

¡°Financially, we¡¯ve gone from an immensely challenging position to attracting investor confidence in a very short space of time,¡± Lea says.

And from an institutional culture perspective, Lea believes that ¡°real pride¡± has been restored at Hull.

New leadership

After 바카라사이트 transformation programme, Lea embarked on creating ¨C ¡°our hopeful and positive strategy¡±.

However, she won¡¯t be around to see it come to fruition; she will be stepping down as vice-chancellor next month.

¡°I came to Hull because I?saw a wonderful university that frankly needed a?bit of help, and I?was hopeful that I?could work with o바카라사이트rs to achieve that transformation and that turnaround. We¡¯ve done that. We have this amazing Strategy 2030, which staff and students are very bought into, and for me, having delivered what I?came to?do, it really is 바카라사이트 right time to step aside,¡± she says.

¡°The staff and students own Strategy 2030; it¡¯s not my strategy ¨C it¡¯s 바카라사이트 university¡¯s strategy.¡±

Lea says 바카라사이트 biggest lesson she has learned during her leadership of Hull is to be ¡°absolutely honest and realistic about 바카라사이트 challenges 바카라사이트 university faces and what¡¯s happening internally¡±.

Her immediate plans are unclear; she will ¡°take a short break, and do some writing and reflecting¡±. But she is keen to stay in 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

¡°I believe fervently in 바카라사이트 role of universities in terms of transforming individual lives and positively impacting society. I¡¯ve not lost that passion and ambition for higher education at all,¡± she says.

Quick facts

Born:?Cape Town, South Africa

Academic qualifications:?BSocSci in psychology and sociology, BA in clinical psychology and MA in community psychology from 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town; PhD in psychology from Loughborough University

Lives with:?Her partner and pets

Academic hero:?Activist . ¡°I?was privileged to be taught by him as a young undergraduate and was hugely inspired by his passion, his values and activism, and his towering intellect.¡±

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50?interviews over 50?weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series?here.