September 2004
Lead Stories

Plans for the future

The University's new Corporate Strategy presents exciting developments for the next five years. As the plan was being printed, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Jeff Lucas spoke to News and Views.

Over the last 12 months, the senior management team has been listening to the views of students and staff to decide how the University should develop over the next five years.

What has emerged is the new Corporate Strategy - a document that Jeff feels will be seen in years to come as a key moment in the University's history.

"I think this is probably the most ambitious plan that the University has ever presented. It represents a University which is becoming much more business-like in its management and leadership style."

The University's strategy includes a set of key targets, which include student numbers and financial goals. These targets are an integral part of the plan and Jeff said they would be used to help the University secure additional funding.

"The targets really represent a minimum, rather than a maximum, of what we want to achieve," he said.

Among the key targets are plans to increase student numbers. But Jeff says that this will not damage the University's reputation as a friendly place to learn. What will change though, will be the atmosphere around the campus, which under the plan will have a more sociable and cutting-edge feel.

"We've said in the strategy that we will be majoring in a distinctive learning experience - that's very important. What we mean is that we will offer a 21st-century experience and with respect to IT, that means a modern and wireless campus."

A glazed atrium is one of the proposed developments on the main campus in the new Corporate Strategy.

This new "unique learning experience" will be helped with some attractive new buildings to build on the University's social atmosphere.

"We have been remarkably successful as a University in attracting students from under-represented groups. This plan confirms that we want to carry on being excellent in this area."

As well as attracting even more students, the strategy will also enable the University to reach out to business partners and research collaborators.

During the development of the strategy, Jeff said they had been having regular meetings with planners to ensure that the developments complement Bradford's massive city centre regeneration plans.

"The new campus will appear much more as an integral part of the city centre with its areas of commercial and recreational activity and this, the educational village. We have positioned the University at the heart of what the city planners see as the future of Bradford."

This structural work would see the removal of what Jeff described as "hurdles of roads and underpasses" for those wanting to make the short walk from the city centre to the campus.

"Yes, it's an ambitious plan, but it comes at a time when there are also major reforms in Higher Education. "

Jeff, now starting his new role as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, will have a central part to play in the future of the plan as he will be responsible for managing its performance.

"This was a very inclusive process - we built up from the grass-roots after having meetings with student and staff groups. There were also the ideas that came from the senior committees. The trick was to get those to meet in the middle. I think we've managed it!"

28 September 2004

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