Memorandum submitted by the 1994 Group[8]
1. INTRODUCTION
The 1994 Group welcomes the invitation from
the Education and Skills Committee to submit evidence to its inquiry
into the future sustainability of the higher education sector.
This is an important moment for the Higher Education sector. Following
a period of unprecedented investment, HE institutions are now
operating within a regulated marketplace defined by the Research
Assessment Exercise and Full Economic Costing of Research Grants
on the one side and the new student fee arrangements and the National
Student Survey on the other. The further development of the sector
is dependent on the success of institutions within this regulated
market, backed up by continued and sustainable investment from
central government.
Within the regulated market, it is essential
that the autonomous HE institutions do all they can to enhance
their competitive position both nationally and within the global
sector in which they now operate. One simple way in which institutions
are able to do this is through sharing best practice and developing
shared policy objectives with a set of institutions with which
they share common features, beliefs and values. Clustering into
these defined `mission' groups enables stakeholders as wide as
students, parents, employers, employees, government departments
and other interest groups ways to recognise the diversity and
individual strengths of particular parts of the sector and makes
potentially difficult choices between institutions easier.
In developing a vision for the future of Higher
Education, it is essential that the strength gained from diversity
and competition be identified, respected, valued and enhanced.
In this spirit of understanding, this evidence provides detail
to the Committee of the features, values and concerns particular
to 1994 Group institutions which together define our position
within the sector. The 1994 Group would welcome an opportunity
to elaborate upon any aspect of this submission through the provision
of oral evidence to the Committee.
2. THE ROLE
OF THE
1994 GROUP IN
A DIVERSE
HIGHER EDUCATION
SECTOR
2.1 The 1994 Group is an informal association
of nineteen internationally renowned research-intensive universities.
Each member undertakes diverse and high quality research, while
at the same time ensuring excellent levels of teaching and student
experience. Research-led teaching is central to the Group's mission,
and a large majority of the top academics who achieved the Group's
consistently outstanding results in the Research Assessment Exercise
teach students. The Group's members are small- to medium-sized
institutions, and are generally campus-based. They operate on
a human and personal scale, maximising student-staff contact and
ensuring an adaptable and inter-disciplinary approach to both
research and teaching. Students made clear their appreciation
for the 1994 Group's distinctive profile in both the 2005 and
2006 National Student Survey, in which the Group far exceeded
the general standard of the sector and solidly outperformed all
other mission groups.
2.2 The Group provides a central vehicle
for member institutions to protect their common interests in the
higher education market, to respond quickly and efficiently to
key policy issues, and to share best methods and practice for
the smoother running of their own institutions. The Group, while
working on this collaborative basis, also recognises the need
to preserve the distinct character and traditions of each individual
member. There is ongoing assessment of how the Group's shared
strengths and each member's distinctive elements can be promoted
to best meet the diverse needs of students and staff, employers
and industry, research councils, government agencies and all other
stake-holding groups in the higher education sector.
THE MEMBERS OF THE 1994 GROUP ARE:
|
University of Bath;
Birkbeck College,
University of London;
University of Durham;
University of East Anglia;
University of Essex;
University of Exeter;
Goldsmiths College,
University of London;
| Lancaster University;
University of Leicester;
Loughborough University;
Queen Mary,
University of London;
University of Reading;
Royal Holloway,
University of London;
| University of St. Andrews;
School of Oriental and African
Studies (SOAS);
University of Surrey;
University of Sussex;
University of Warwick;
University of York.
|
|
2.3 The Group has the following shared aims and values:
The Group's main aims are:
— To secure widespread recognition that enables
it to influence decision and policy making groups;
— To achieve awareness and profile that underpins
the ambitions of member universities in global markets;
— To promote the need for diverse and distributed
centres for research and teaching excellence;
— To share good practice that enhances the staff
and student experience;
— To provide services that enable members to respond
flexibly and rapidly to developing market conditions.
The Group's members are committed to the following shared
values:
— Institutional identities and tradition can be
respected and aligned with innovative thinking;
— Research intensive universities should play a
full role at local, regional, national and international level;
— High quality research and teaching are mutually
supportive and should reinforce each other;
— Students and staff from diverse backgrounds should
be enabled to maximise their potential in a well-maintained environment
that provides a stimulating choice of academic, cultural and social
opportunities.
3. THE VALUE
OF 1994 GROUP
INSTITUTIONS IN
A DIVERSE
HIGHER EDUCATION
SECTOR
3.1 The UK Higher Education system is rapidly diversifying.
Welcome changes since 1992 have seen Polytechnics become Universities,
joined more recently by the Colleges of Higher Education. The
recent announcement by the Government of their intention to award
Further Education Colleges the power to award their own Foundation
Degrees further increases the diversity and complexity of the
system. Within this diverse system, 1994 Group institutions hold
a unique position. Members of the 1994 Group are generally campus-based,
small to medium-sized institutions. They are highly residential,
with a significant proportion of students living in on-campus
accommodation. According to HESA data for 2004-05, the average
total number of students at 1994 Group universities is 10,000
but ranges from 3,500 at SOAS to 16,000 at Warwick. 1994 Group
institutions are on average 50% smaller than Russell Group institutions
and 25% smaller than member of the CMU. Within a diverse system,
it is sometimes mistakenly assumed that the greater the size the
more effective and successful the institution. The 1994 Group
strongly opposes such suggestions. The 1994 Group's clear and
consistent achievements in research, teaching and the student
experience demonstrate that institutional excellence is independent
of its size.
3.2 The smaller scale of 1994 Group institutions produces
significant benefits. Being smaller allows more interaction between
departments and disciplines, with activity operating on a human
and personal scale. A certain nimbleness exists within a smaller
institution which allows it to adapt to new challenges, and to
stay at the cutting-edge of sector developments. Amongst many
ambitious development plans currently being followed by 1994 Group
members, new campus developments such as the University of Exeter
in Cornwall, Essex in Southend, UEA and Essex in Ipswich; Lancaster's
ongoing investment of £200 million in new campus facilities;
and proposals to double the size of the University of York, are
all concrete examples of the progressive drive at the heart of
member institutions. In 2004-05, the average 1994 Group institution
distributed its total activity across 16 of the 36 academic cost
centres as defined by HESA. This concentration avoids spreading
resources too thinly, and is a way of ensuring excellence within
certain areas, enhancing the focus on quality rather than quantity.
3.3 The development of a strategy for the future of Higher
Education must respect the diversity of the sector in terms of
mission, size, and ambition of institutions. Sometimes this will
mean that difficult decisions will need to be made by the funding
councils and the government departments as a result. It should
be the role of the Funding Councils and Government to set the
framework in which competition takes place. Beyond this, autonomous
Higher Education Institutions must have the freedom to find their
own positions within the market place.
3.4 The 1994 Group would like to draw the Committee's
specific attention to two areas for its detailed consideration:
the contribution of the 1994 Group to excellence in research and
the importance of the enhancement of the student experience.
4. THE 1994 GROUP'S
DEMONSTRABLE INTERNATIONAL
EXCELLENCE IN
RESEARCH
4.1 The 1994 Group represents nineteen of the most research-intensive
universities in the UK (see Annex A). According to 2004-05 HESA
data, 1994 Group members have a combined total of 190,000 students,
research income of £453 million and 18,000 academic staff.
On average, in 2004-05, each of the 1994 Group's 15,000 members
of research faculty received £30,000 in research grants and
contract income. The 1994 Group universities have an international
reputation for the quality of their research. Members employ academics
at the very top of their fields, whose expertise informs the major
decisions of government officials and policy makers, having a
direct impact on the social, economical, cultural, technological,
medical and environmental development of the nation and the globe.
Within the 1994 Group there are many examples of research centres
which are at the fore-front of international excellence and importance.
These world-leading research centres often cross academic disciplines,
calling on knowledge, innovation and expertise from diverse sections
of the university's staff. These centres are closely engaged with
industry, government and the public on regional, national and
international levels, in order to deliver the most informed, meaningful
and cutting-edge research.
4.2 1994 Group universities enjoy the very highest success
rates when applying for awards from research councils. According
to 2004-05 data released by Research Fortnight, amongst the universities
with the ten highest success rates in the UK, there are six 1994
Group members, four of which have success rates of over 40%, and
there are nine members in the highest twenty. The Group's average
success rate (32%) is significantly higher than the average of
the sector (27%) and of the other mission groups.
4.3 The overall strength of the 1994 Group's research
performance is clearly demonstrated by the results of the 2001
Research Assessment Exercise in which member institutions received
amongst the highest results in the country. 92% of the Group's
academic staff selected for assessment received ratings of 4 and
above, 65% were rated 5 and above, and 17% received the highest
possible rating of 5* (for a league table of the 2001 results
see Annex B). These results are even more impressive when it is
taken into account that with 85% of all staff submitted for assessment,
1994 Group institutions submitted proportionally more staff than
any of the other mission groups.
4.4 The 1994 Group welcomed the outcome of the review
of research assessment and funding announced in the Chancellor's
Pre-Budget Statement. The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) has
enabled the UK to prove its demonstrable excellence in research
in all fields of study. The Chancellor's announcements will enable
1994 Group institutions to continue to enhance their capacity
to deliver an excellent student experience and cutting-edge research
and innovation.
4.5 The 1994 Group particularly welcomed the Chancellor's
confirmation that:
— The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise will take
place on the basis previously announced by HEFCE on behalf of
the Funding Councils;
— The outcome of RAE 2008 will lead to a rational
and stable funding system and that the results of the exercise
will inform funding allocations until appropriately robust metrics-driven
assessment mechanisms are in place;
— There is a continuing role for higher education
institutions and HEFCE in the development and operation of the
revised assessment and funding system;
— A revised research assessment exercise will be
based on a basket of appropriate and robust measures of research
quality, with the greatest weight placed on indicators of research
output;
— The basic principles and framework underlying
any future system for assessing quality and allocating funding
will apply to all disciplines; and
— Government has implicitily restated its commitment
to the dual funding of research. This is a key feature is maintaining
the dynamics of UK research universities.
4.6 The Group looks forward to working closely with HEFCE
over the next year to assist them in the development of the new
research assessment system. The RAE has been vital for quality
benchmarking and branding, particularly in international markets.
It allows reliable comparisons to be made between subject units,
institutions and countries. It is essential that this aspect be
preserved if the UK is to retain its position as a world leader
in higher education research. The 1994 Group is worried, however,
that the removal of the simple quality grades in the 2008 RAE
has already reduced the effectiveness of the RAE as a tool for
international benchmarking. Thought should be given in any future
system to the reintroduction of a simple comparative measure at
subject (rather than institution) level.
In addition, one of the key strengths of the 2008 RAE is
the panels' ability to recognise and reward a department's overall
research environment. There is a strong danger that this element
will be lost in a metrics-driven system. We believe that the simplest
and clearest indicator of the depth in quality of departmental
research is the proportion of research-active academic staff that
were submitted for assessment. We strongly support the incorporation
of this indicator into any new assessment and funding mechanism.
5. THE 1994 GROUP'S
DEMONSTRABLE EXCELLENCE
IN THE
DELIVERY OF
TEACHING AND
THE STUDENT
EXPERIENCE
5.1 Higher Education has been undergoing significant
changes over the past decade, and no group has been affected more
by these changes than students. The new system of variable fees
has now been initiated, and, as students are being required to
assume more and more financial responsibility, this is undoubtedly
affecting the choices they make when they embark on their university
life. A variety of factors, not least these financial responsibilities,
is changing the lifestyles of students, as well as their expectations
and attitudes towards Higher Education.
5.2 The 1994 Group's distinctive strength is within the
social sciences, arts and humanities. The Group is characterised
in particular by the high distribution of students and expenditure
within the HESA Social Studies cost centre, in which according
to 2004-05 data there are 18% of the Group's total students. Almost
all member institutions have above 10% distribution of their students
into Social Studies. Together the social sciences and humanities
subject areas account for 59% of student numbers and 45% of expenditure.
The Group's very high success rates when applying to the arts
and humanities, and economic and social research councils reflects
its proficiency in these areas. In addition to this strength,
1994 Group institutions make a very significant contribution towards
education and research within medicine, engineering and the sciences.
5.3 In addition to their significant contribution towards
to the education of undergraduate students, the 1994 Group has
a unique profile in the teaching of postgraduates. According to
2004-05 HESA data, 8% of the Group's total students are engaged
in postgraduate research and a further 16% are engaged in postgraduate
taught (PGT) programs. Proportionally more PGT students are educated
at 1994 Group institutions than any of the other mission groups.
The 1994 Group's high provision of PGT courses reflects its joint
commitment to teaching and research. It also demonstrates the
Group's ability to adapt to the developing marketplace. With so
many people now obtaining undergraduate degrees it is becoming
increasingly necessary for students to undertake master's degrees
in order to set themselves apart in the eyes of prospective employers.
The 1994 Group's high distribution of PGT students reflects its
willingness to nurture more students to postgraduate level, and
its flexibility in light of general sector trends.
5.4 One of the major aspects that distinguishes the 1994
Group from other parts of the sector is the commitment of its
members to student experience. The success of this commitment
is reflected in the high level of student satisfaction that is
evident. It is obviously important to continue to enhance the
1994 Group's growing reputation of delivery in this area. In order
for the members of the 1994 Group to deliver the best possible
student experience, and to ensure they continue to attract the
best students, it is essential for members to appreciate and understand
the changes in students' attitudes towards higher education and
the expectations they have of the university to which they pay
their fees. It is essential that the Group stays ahead of the
trends and developments in students' lifestyles and expectations,
and capitalises on its existing strengths to maintain its delivery
of an excellent student experience.
5.5 With undergraduate students now behaving more like
consumers in a market place, it is essential that there is a mechanism
by which they can assess the relative qualities of Higher Education
institutions and the courses they offer. The National Student
Survey offers students the information they require to make such
a value judgement. The 1994 Group values highly the feedback and
opinions of its students, and so takes the National Student Survey
extremely seriously. At the Group's institutions the survey is
used as a tool for identifying problem areas and much effort is
going into evaluating and improving these in the hope that the
student experience can be enhanced in the future. The 1994 Group
supports the continuation and further development of the National
Student Survey. In addition to the NSS, the 1994 Group is actively
looking at the development of further mechanisms that might be
used by the sector to measure the experience of all students.
5.6 The results of the first two National Student Surveys
clearly demonstrate that the model offered by 1994 Group institutions
is appreciated by undergraduate students. In both 2005 and 2006,
the 1994 Group emerged as highest performer compared to other
mission groups and to the sector as a whole (see Figure 1).
Figure 1
NSS RESULTS 2006
|
| Teaching
| Assessment andfeedback
| Academic support |
Organisation and management
| Learning Resources |
Personal development |
Overall satisfaction |
Average Score |
|
| 1994 | 4.09 |
3.58 | 3.84
| 3.96 | 4.00
| 4.01 | 4.10
| 3.91 |
| Russell | 4.04
| 3.41 | 3.80
| 3.90 | 4.13
| 4.00 | 4.09
| 3.88 |
| CMU | 3.90 |
3.57 | 3.68
| 3.59 | 3.90
| 3.96 | 3.85
| 3.77 |
| Sector | 3.99
| 3.54 | 3.77
| 3.74 | 3.97
| 4.00 | 3.98
| 3.84 |
|
In fact, in 2006, the 1994 Group's average results (see Figure
2) improved, building on the outstanding results received in 2005.
Figure 2
COMPARISON OF 1994 GROUP PERFORMANCE NSS 2005 AND 2006
|
| Year | Teaching
| Assessment and feedback
| Academic support |
Organisation and management
| Learning Resources |
Personal development |
Overall satisfaction |
Average Score |
|
| 2006 | 4.09 |
3.58 | 3.84
| 3.96 | 4.00
| 4.01 | 4.10
| 3.91 |
| 2005 | 4.08 |
3.54 | 3.80
| 3.89 | 3.94
| 3.96 | 4.14
| 3.87 |
| Change | +0.01
| +0.04 | +0.04
| +0.07 | +0.06
| +0.05 | -0.04
| +0.04 |
|
The top of the 2006 NSS mainstream universities league table
(see Annex C) is dominated by 1994 Group institutions. The top
four—St. Andrews, UEA, Leicester and Loughborough—are
all 1994 Group members. Birkbeck and Durham join them in the top
ten, and the rankings of Exeter, Reading, York and Lancaster mean
that there are ten 1994 Group universities in the UK's top eighteen.
Of the 42 subject groupings listed in the 2006 survey, 1994
Group universities received the most student satisfaction in eighteen
(see Figure 3 below), compared to six at Russell Group universities
and three at CMU universities.
Figure 3
HIGHEST COURSE SATISFACTION NATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY 2006
|
| Medicine & dentistry | St Andrews
|
| Other subjects allied to medicine | Queen Mary
|
| Biology and related sciences | UEA
|
| Psychology | UEA
|
| Physical Science | Loughborough
|
| Physical geography & environmental sciences
| Leicester |
| Mathematical sciences | Leicester
|
| Mathematically based engineering | Loughborough
|
| Technology | Loughborough
|
| Architecture, building and planning | Loughborough
|
| Economics | UEA
|
| Human & social geography | Leicester
|
| Business | Leicester
|
| Management | Exeter
|
| Finance & accounting | Exeter
|
| Communications / information studies | Loughborough
|
| English based studies | Leicester
|
| Other creative arts | UEA
|
|
5.7 The 1994 Group's consistently excellent results of
the National Student Survey are reflective of a distinct set of
common factors and shared values unique to 1994 Group institutions.
1994 Group institutions have a shared sense of community to which
a number of factors contribute.
(i) As 1994 Group institutions are smaller, with close-knit
academic communities, there is a more personal and friendly feel
for students, which can be less daunting than at a larger university.
They operate on a human and personal scale, maximising student-staff
contact and ensuring an adaptable and inter-disciplinary approach
to both research and teaching.
(ii) 1994 Group universities are campus-based or single
site institutions and all are defined by their physical environment.
These purpose-built, self-contained environments give the academic
community a `village' feel. With most facilities contained on
the same site and within a short distance of halls of residence,
students can go about their university life whilst sheltered from
the pressures and problems of the world at large. The close-knit
academic environment provided by a campus ensures that the community
is active and caring towards the student population.
(iii) Due to the self-contained environment provided by
the campus, this enhances the level of safety and security for
students at 1994 Group institutions. Safety is a key consideration
for prospective students and their parents whilst they are choosing
a university. It is very important for the strategies of member
institutions to ensure the highest levels of student safety on
campus.
(iv) A high provision of extra-curricular activity exists
at 1994 Group universities, and there is a high level of involvement
of students in sports and societies across many different areas.
Involvement in sports teams, clubs and societies is an ideal way
for students to meet people with similar interests and greatly
enhances the overall student experience.
5.8 In addition to this shared community, 1994 Group
institutions offer the following shared values that together enhance
the student experience:
(i) 1994 Group institutions offer a unique balance between
teaching and research. 1994 Group institutions strongly believe
that there is a clear connection between innovative research and
the highest quality teaching. The commitment of the 1994 Group
to providing effective research-led teaching to its students is
demonstrated by the distribution of academic staff by their employment
function. On average, 1994 Group institutions employ 56% of their
faculty on teaching and research contracts. This compares to only
50% of Russell Group faculty. Importantly, 45% of Russell Group
faculty are employed only to undertake research compared to only
32% of 1994 Group faculty. In 1994 Group institutions, the teaching
of undergraduate students is still undertaken by researchers achieving
the very highest RAE ratings.
(ii) In the 2006 National Student Survey the 1994 Group
received its second highest score in the category, `Personal Development'.
This average score was higher than the national average and all
other mission groups. Because of the high level of extra-curricular
activity and the inter-disciplinary approach to education, 1994
Group universities produce very well rounded graduates, with a
wealth of different experiences and life skills that are applicable
and desirable in the workplace. 1994 Group institutions believe
that there is more to being a student than simply obtaining a
qualification and that there is much more to the role of the university
than simply teaching students so they can pass examinations and
then leave. The role of the university should largely be to shape
and mature individuals and develop their skills and attitudes
so that they can leave university ready to contribute to society.
Central to this wider objective is a satisfying and fulfilling
student experience.
(iii) The smaller, more close-knit nature of 1994 Group
institutions allows a certain community culture amongst their
staff and in their governance. In addition, smaller academic departments
make it easier to understand specific needs of students, and easier
to adapt in order to meet these needs. In the 2006 NSS, students
made clear their appreciation of the 1994 Group's style of governance,
by giving the group a higher average score in the `Organisation
and Management' category than any other mission group received,
and significantly higher than the national average.
5.9 Through the Student Experience Policy Group, and
in active partnership with the NUS, as the representative body
for all students and a key partner in the provision of student
services, and in collaboration with SU General Managers from 1994
Group institutions and other key sector stakeholders, the 1994
Group is engaged in a project to enhance the student experience
at member institutions. This project, which is due to be completed
in October 2007 will have a number of key outputs, the potentially
most exciting of which is a set of common values around the student
experience which can be used to brand the Group.
In addition to this, the Strategic Planning & Resources
Policy Group, in association with the Association of Commonwealth
Universities, is currently engaged in a project to identify ways
in which the 1994 Group and UK Higher Education more widely might
improve its competitiveness in relation to international recruitment
of students and staff to the UK and develop strong and sustainable
research and teaching links with international Higher Education
institutions.
Being a member of the 1994 Group is already a kite mark of
excellence in research and in the delivery of teaching and the
student experience. Together these projects will provide concrete
evidence with which to highlight to potential students, faculty,
employers and other external stakeholders the strengths and ambitions
of 1994 Group member institutions.
6. CONCLUSION
The aims and objectives set out by the 1994 Group's Mission
Statement are clearly supported by the Group's performance in
excellence indicators such as the Research Assessment Exercise
and the National Student Survey. The results of these indicators
demonstrate the 1994 Group's unique balance between excellence
in research and in the delivery of teaching and the student experience
at member institutions.
Moreover, the nature of the institutions—their size,
distribution of staff and students, and areas of commonality and
specialisation—combined with these excellence indicators
to provide the Group with a distinctive profile that is desirable
for all stakeholders in the rapidly developing market within the
higher education sector.
In setting out its vision for the future, the Committee is
asked to note the significant value and contribution of the 1994
Group to UK Higher Education.
December 2006
8
This evidence is offered by the 1994 Group in addition to the
evidence submitted by Universities UK on behalf of the Higher
Education sector. Back
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