Vice-Chancellor On The Transition Year Ahead
25 October 2011
The great 'transition year' has begun! And what a great start to the year it has been. We seem to be into our more quickly this year than ever before - and what a lively and engaging new cohort we have.
The new September intake which joined us last month is the final one to be admitted under the old fees regime.
We are now well into the process of recruitment for 2012. Indeed, we have already had two significant open days for 2012 entrants and it has been very pleasing to see that numbers attending are up on last year.
We always took the view that there would be some uncertainty at this time of transition. It has been important for us to get three things right in order to manage that uncertainty positively for the University of Derby. We needed a great out-turn for 2010/11, a good intake for 2011/12, and a great 'proposition' to attract students from 2012. Colleagues have been mindful of these three imperatives in all their actions and it is fantastic to see everyone deliver so fully.
The graduating class of 2011 achieved some of the best results seen by the University which, combined with enhanced attainment and progression at intermediate stages, means we have our best achieving cohort. We also met and exceeded all our financial and operational targets for the year, giving us a sound platform for future investment.
The September 2011 intake is our best qualified ever; the 30% increase in applications translated into both full numbers and high prior attainment. As we are still operating under student number controls (SNC) it was important to manage our entry numbers and, as we were 'technically' full before 'Clearing' opened, we have had to be very adept at managing intake. Colleagues have done a great job so that we are not too far over our SNC, with good cohorts in all our key strategic areas.
Our fees, and more importantly what students can expect from us from 2012, have attracted a very positive response. They were noticed within the sector but it is clear from our early engagement with prospective students that they strike a chord with them too. The simple force of the message and our transparent approach is going down well. We shall ensure that we focus upon delivering.
It should be clear from the above why I am both confident and optimistic about the ability of the University to continue to make the significant progress we have shown over recent years. We are continuing to invest in people, processes and facilities to ensure that our students get the best possible support for them to achieve. We have really raised our game, and have every right to be positive and confident about our future.
