University Leaders Meet
1 December 2011
Chris Hughes was attending his first annual residential meeting as Chairman of the University's Governing Council.
Questions from the floor at the residential meeting.
Each year the University's Governing Council, Corporate Management Team and Academic Board gather at a residential meeting for frank and in-depth discussions on Derby's future direction.
Connected was there to hear how it will deal with tumultuous times for UK higher education.
History may judge the last decade as gentle, benign and stable for higher education compared with what is to come, a meeting of the University's leaders was warned.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the University's Governing Council, Corporate Management Team and Academic Board on November 24-25, Vice-Chancellor Professor John Coyne told his 40-strong audience that while the 2000-2010 period may have seemed to have had its difficulties at the time, the HE environment post-September 2012 would be far more "challenging" and market driven.
Professor Coyne said: "We must prepare for the creation of a more competitive era for higher education as we move from state contracts to a student led market.
"Speaking as an economist I know that the record on public sector areas in the UK moving into the market is littered with problems. We must ensure that our transition is not."
He added: "The commercial sector deals with a level of complexity, and at a fast moving pace, that is very, very different to ours. We must learn to work at that level of intensity."
Financial Outlook
That said, the Vice-Chancellor reminded those present that Derby had worked hard in recent years to put itself in a strong financial position.
Hari Punchihewa, Deputy Chief Executive and Finance Director, followed up on this theme in his joint session with Andrew Hartley, Managing Director Strategic Developments, and Robert Lloyd, Financial Controller.
Figures showed that the 2012 changes - not least the severe reduction in Government HE funding - would cause a dip in the University's current healthy 'operating surplus' (as a University Derby does not record an end of year 'profit') but that if all targets were met this was projected to climb back up to £10.7million by 2015/16.
However, it was pointed out that the University was entering new territory. Financial models indicated even a relatively small dip of ten per cent in a factor such as student numbers could have quite a large effect on the University's performance.
Student Focus
With the focus more on the student as customer, a session with Professor Keith Horton - Dean of the Faculty of Business, Computing and Law - and Governing Council member Joanne Kay, Partner at Freeth Cartwright Solicitors, pointed out the importance of Derby's courses competing with other universities in showing that they gave the best chance for employment, after graduation.
Picking up on this, the second day of the annual meeting saw June Hughes, University Registrar, and Olivia Dean, Derby College's former Strategic Director and Clerk to Corporation at Derby College, look at the student experience currently offered and what could be done in the next five years to improve this?
Peter Allen, Marketing Director, and Peter Richardson, Chairman of Derby Renaissance Board, then took a look at how successful the University was in getting its message out to prospective students, that Derby was the place to come to.
The entire meeting was characterised by a level of honesty and self awareness, as the options for action were assessed.
Chairman's Message
Chris Hughes, attending his first annual residential meeting as Chairman of the Governing Council, made clear that, despite his own commercial media background, what was important to him was the academic reputation of the University.
He said: "We must emphasise that academics should be given the time and space to be scholars."
Praising those who had created Derby's current secure position, the Chairman promised that the University would continue to thrive and more, "while I'm Chair and while John is Vice-Chancellor".
