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I have insisted that the University retains full
control over the quality of the academic provision,
the quality assurance arrangements, the academic
delivery and all the aspects which make up the
educational side of the University. Each of these
campuses will come under the auspices of the
University’s Academic Board. Let me reiterate,
these will be UCLan academic programmes
delivered to our quality standards. There will be no
difference in the standard of education between
Preston and Pyla or between Burnley and
Bangkok. I hope you enjoy reading more about
these developments which we have featured in
this year’s Review.
Linked to our new international initiatives, as well
as our decision to charge the maximum fee for
full-time, UK/EU undergraduate students enrolling
in the autumn of 2012, is the launch of the
UCLan Advantage: a package of benefits for
students based on the principle of ‘more for
more’. We believe that this will attract, and be of
significant benefit to, students from a broad
range of backgrounds who are looking for a
combination of academic excellence combined
with innovation, research-informed teaching and
real-world practicality.
A core component of the Advantage package is
to guarantee a structured work experience
opportunity to all students who request it.
Similarly, by taking advantage of our huge
international partnership network and facilities
overseas, we will also guarantee a global
experience, or the opportunity to study abroad,
to every interested student.
And, in what we believe may be a first for UK
higher education, we will be providing each
student with their own personal adviser. This is
someone who will be familiar with the student’s
course, but not a lecturer. Their role will be to
work with students throughout their time with
us, to help them plan what opportunities would
best support their personal development and
aspirations and to make sure students can
present their skills and experiences in the most
compelling way to employers.
Working closely with employers, responding
quickly to market conditions and becoming more
entrepreneurial in all we do, will be critical factors
in our future success. Looking back, I think 2011
will prove to be a real catalyst to our future
development in this area.
We are placing great emphasis on encouraging
and supporting all staff to be professional
practitioners in their field of expertise and
secondments to and from industry are increasing.
The appointment of sector-specific project
champions working in areas of economic
importance have led to entrepreneurial
partnerships with global names such as Sony
Computer Games Europe, Cisco and Atkins
Global - featured in this Review.
The University has also appointed an Entrepreneur
in Residence to not only help our growing
community of entrepreneurs through mentoring
and support, but to also provide guidance and
direction to UCLan itself with a focus on helping
staff develop innovative franchise models of startup
businesses linked to postgraduate courses and
commercial income-generating research.
Across the University our investment in research
excellence is bearing fruit. It is the real-world
influence of our work which I have found
particularly impressive. For example, Dr Charlie
Frowd’s EvoFIT software system, used by police
forces around the world to catch criminals, won
the University Excellence Competition category at
the UK Trade and Investment event TechWorld
and was also shortlisted within the ‘Research
Project of the Year’ category at the 2011 Times
Higher Education Awards.
Research excellence is often described as a
university’s ‘lifeblood’ because its results inform
the teaching curriculum. ‘Impact’ is also a vital
measure of our success and in this Review we
highlight a number of research areas which really
define our overall research ethos.
So as I reflect on 2011 overall, I am encouraged to
think optimistically about our future and the
future of the sector. The number of potential
students applying to UCLan, and the quality of
those applications, has increased significantly over
the past few years. Our market position is stronger
than at any stage in the University’s history.
Government policy on higher education is now
determined and we will work within it. I am
convinced that we will approach this new
environment positively, with enthusiasm and a
willingness to work with open minds, so we can
continue to be successful and deliver what we are
here for, high-quality higher education for
talented people, whatever their economic
background or nationality.
I look forward to updating you soon on the next
stage in our development.
‘
Working closely with employers, responding quickly to
market conditions and becoming more entrepreneurial in
‘all we do, will be critical factors in our future success.
Vice-Chancellor Malcolm McVicar
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