Portfolio review
For each area of activity that forms Size and Shape, there is a set of drivers (why we’re doing this) and a set of outcomes (what we aim to achieve).
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Our portfolio, or what we teach, is the vehicle through which we can help transform the lives of our students and that’s why it’s critical we continue to get it right. It is now 11 years since the last University portfolio review and since that time, a good deal has changed and our student body has internationalised.
As is routine for most universities, we are reviewing the whole of our taught portfolio of courses we offer to students to remain relevant and to establish how we deliver a simplified, targeted and more attractive offering for applicants. We need to do this to boost student recruitment and reduce pressure on timetabling, exam boards and teaching spaces, by improving how we use our resources.
A University course portfolio should constantly evolve and change to meet the demand from students and the needs of society.
Our review will provide an evidence base to help us identify opportunities for enhancement and student growth. It will enable us to future proof the University, equipping us with a portfolio that is fit for the 21st century.
It is important to be clear that nothing has been decided at this stage but this is what the data are showing.
If we look at undergraduate recruitment over the last four years, we can see that some Schools have grown student numbers substantially, whereas others have shrunk.
At postgraduate level, half of our 146 courses fail to recruit 15 students a year, which is the minimum as set by Senate. Only 26 postgrad courses recruit more than 30.
These data and much more detail have been shared with Heads of Schools, who will now consider the findings and develop proposals in response. This could include renaming, suspending or withdrawing courses, as well as proposing new courses. Schools will let colleagues know how they can feed into those discussions.
Overall we expect our student numbers to be stronger after this review. However there will be less international students in the immediate future than there have been which means that we will have less high fee paying students in our total student mix.