Frequently Asked Questions

Full details of the process can be found at www.durham.ac.uk/about/strategy2020/creating

Durham University's excellence in research and education places it among the top full-subject universities in the UK. In several areas of research across the sciences, social science and the humanities, Durham is recognised as among the top handful of institutions in the world; we now need to achieve similar recognition across all our disciplines. Perhaps because of our relative size and location we have not been as visible internationally as some of our peers.  While exceptionally well-regarded in the UK, Durham University has yet to reach its full potential on the world stage.

Durham's current position can be summed up as follows:

• We have a clear strategy, ambition and vision
• We are performing well academically in Research and Education
• We have a distinctive brand -historic & modern, collegiate, research-led, human scale (our colleges and departments have remained at a size in which staff and students can work together and support each other) - see Section 1 of the University Strategy www.durham.ac.uk/resources/about/strategy/Finalfullstrategydocument.pdf
• We are very popular with students
• We are consistently ranked in the top 10 in national league tables; in 2010 we are ranked 5^th in the Independent, 7^th in the Sunday Times and 8^th in the Times Good University guide.
• We are ranked 103^rd in the 2010 THE World University Rankings
• Our financial performance is good: we are in surplus and we have not over-expanded or diluted the Unit of Resource (funding available per FTE student)
• There are inefficiencies in operations and space use
• We need to raise our international profile
• We are not yet uniformly excellent in all subject areas

The process of developing the strategy enables us to form a common view of the challenges in the external environment we are working in and our ability to respond.

Although we have largely been successful in achieving the priorities in our old strategy which took us to 2010, it is evident that there are new and major challenges facing the sector in the future. These include:

Education

• Rising student expectations
• Greater competition for the best students
• Greater transparency (e.g. Graduate employability - see 'Higher Ambitions' http://www.bis.gov.uk/higherambitions )
• Increasing diversity of mission (see Higher Ambitions)
• More concentration on strategic initiatives (e.g. Widening Participation, employer engagement)
• Increasingly intrusive external regulation of quality and standards of learning and teaching

• Reductions in HEFCE funding for teaching

Research

• More concentration of research funding to maximise impact
• Critical mass growing in importance
• RCUK funding more directional, related to Government priorities

• Major research charities have less money so more strategic targeting

Other Factors

• Growing HE capacity internationally (e.g. China & India)
• General election
• Significant cuts expected in public funding - directly to universities and through RCUK
• Increased pressure on management to respond effectively to opportunities and threats
• Increased accountability

The new Strategy provides us with a common framework in which to respond to these major challenges and sets out the University's vision, its ambitions and priorities for next 10 years and beyond It would be impossible to focus our energies and resources effectively without having a clearly defined corporate strategy.

• UEC - regular monitoring of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and progress against the workplan (see responses to Questions 7 and 8)
• Council - receive regular KPI reports and updates on progress against the workplan
• Senate - receive regular KPI reports and updates on progress against the workplan
• HEFCE - the strategy was submitted to HEFCE in December 2009. We provide HEFCE with annual progress reports towards the delivery of the strategic plan. This report forms part of HEFCE's Accountability Returns as part of the 'Single Conversation'.

Senior management will be supported through workshops and the provision of appropriate tools. The aim is to communicate the Strategy and interpret its meaning for individual departments, divisions and sections. A representative communications focus group has been established to coordinate strategy communications. Five year operational plans will be developed by all departments/units in line with the University Strategy to achieve the relevant aspects of the Strategy.

It is important that staff are kept informed of progress against targets set out in the strategy so periodic strategy Performance Reports will be integrated into existing internal communications (VC's Bulletin, Dialogue Newsletter and Dialogue Updates) and annual performance presentations /roadshows will be organised for all staff.

The outline vision of our Strategy will also be communicated to current students and externally to key stakeholders including alumni, schools and the media to ensure a consistent understanding of our vision and to encourage advocacy.

Staff should be involved in the development of departmental plans, including  the operational activities required to deliver the University's strategic objectives and how the objectives relate to their everyday tasks. Through the ASR process staff will have the opportunity to agree individual objectives that align their own priorities to the University Strategy.

Students will be provided with a vision outline/précis with student representatives invited to disseminate information.  

The key challenges facing the University to 2020 are:

• To focus on our core business of Research & Education
• To focus on sustainable uniform excellence and enhanced competitiveness, not huge growth
• To emphasise the quality of student & staff experience
• To ensure distinctiveness - research-led, collegiate, human scale
• To address inefficiencies in operations and space use - make better use of the resources we have
• To significantly improve our estates infrastructure
• To raise our international profile with a range of audiences
• All above are in context of major reductions in public funding