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New strategic plan for growth and investment

The creation of our new strategic plan for Sussex for 2013-18 is a collaborative endeavour, ensuring that the goals and ambitions we set are the right ones for the positive development and continued success of the University.

Prof Michael Farthing    Vice-Chancellor

To support the creation of the new plan, over the last year I have met with academics in all schools and with professional services staff, and I have had very helpful discussions with groups of students from across the University. Those discussions themselves also built on ideas emerging from the cross-campus feedback in 2011-12 on the future development of the University, and from within all the committees across the University.

Today at Senate we will be discussing the draft plans and, after Council meets, we will be publishing the draft to take further comment and feedback. Our goal is to launch the new plan in the autumn.

At the open meeting with staff this week, I set out some of the context for this work. Our current plan, launched in 2009, runs to 2015, but we have already achieved most of its goals. That we have done so is thanks to the hard work of the people at Sussex.

What has enabled this success has been growth. We have grown over the last three years by around 1,000 students a year, as what we offer to students proves increasingly attractive. This student growth has allowed us to expand and develop the academy and the University and is key to the successful future development of Sussex.

There are perhaps three main reasons for seeking to continue to grow:

  • to support the development of future research because, in the current funding approach, size really does matter for successful research activity;
  • to offer more opportunity to more students to take advantage of the distinct experience we provide;
  • and to create financial resilience, enabling Sussex better to cope with a challenging funding environment.

In the new plan, we will be setting out the investments we will be making. They will build on the kind of investments we are already making - in staff, students, the campus estate, services and technology - which I also outlined at my open meeting.

  • Investment in staff: We have been able over the last year to bring in new academic staff at all levels to strengthen and develop the academy. And with our Bronze Athena SWAN award, this also means increasing the number of senior women academics.
  • Investment in students through studentships for undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students: At undergraduate level, for example, our First Generation Scholars scheme has shown impressive results: 23% of our intake in 2012 come from widening participation (WP) backgrounds (up from 21%), meaning that more students from WP backgrounds are taking advantage of an excellent Sussex education.
  • Investment in the campus estate: Our Finance and Investments Committee has endorsed the next phase of capital investment: £185m over the next five years to enhance the science estate, extend the library, create new teaching space, remove large surface car parks to stacked car parks on the periphery of campus, to create space for more green space and buildings, and invest in sport. This is in addition to the £35m that we will spend over this period on the refurbishment and maintenance of current buildings. We are also planning further development of student residences, using external finance to ensure that our capital investment can be focussed on our teaching, research and social needs.
  • Investment in services: We believe that working with external partners for catering and facilities is going to be vital to help us grow and to make sure that we get develop high-quality services into the future. We have been able to provide assurances to transferring staff around pensions, core terms and conditions, and access to Sussex facilities, following good progress being made in discussions with our trade unions.
  • Investment in technology: Following on from the new finance system, we will have a new human resources and payroll system from January 2014; a pilot of e-submission for students; and improved lecture capture. In our plan I would hope we can make a commitment to making significant investment in online distance learning.

I hope that, when you read the draft strategic plan, you will share your ideas and comments.

Finally, we will be ensuring that these ambitious plans are followed up with an equally strong approach to implementation.