September 2004
Lead Stories

University Launches New Corporate Strategy

Improving the experience that all students have during their time in Bradford is at the heart of the University's new five-year plan.

The new Corporate Strategy (2004-2009), which has now been published, highlights how the University will have an increased focus on its mission to make knowledge work.

University Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Taylor described the strategy as a "challenging agenda for change" and promised a "step-change" in all aspects of student support.

A key target is to increase the numbers of students from the current figure of 10,000 to over 12,000 by the year 2009.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Taylor said: "We have developed this strategy in a way that has stimulated a lot of ideas from staff. It's very important that everyone understands where the University is heading and I would invite everyone to have a flick through the pages or have a look at it on the intranet.

"I think that this strategy - more than its predecessor - manages to convey the aims in a much more concise and measurable way.

"All in all, this strategy will help our University to be right at the heart of many of the positive things going on not just here in the city, but across the region."

Also in the strategy is a pledge to invest as much as £130 million in new buildings and facilities to support the development of the Educational Village, plans of which were revealed in the last News and Views.

The University has recently been awarded a number of high-profile multi-million pound grants to help regional industries to benefit from the University's knowledge and research.

And the strategy also sets out how the University intends to raise its own annual income from these areas from £2.2m a year to £3.3million by 2009.

But a central theme running through the strategy is the University's commitment to being at the heart of the city and the surrounding areas.

The strategy also reinforces the University's commitment to 'Confronting inequality, celebrating diversity' and sets out plans to further enhance the University's growing status as a diversity champion in Higher Education.

Central to the developments in the strategy are the University's strategic aims, all of which are underpinned by six core values.

These are:

• Confronting inequality, celebrating diversity
• Freedom of thought and expression
• Openness, transparency and an ethical approach to all activities
• Application, innovation and partnership
• Providing a stimulating, healthy and safe environment in which to learn and work
• Achieving sustainable development

Financially, the strategy sets out the University's plans to increase its annual surplus to allow for further investment and to increase the amount of money gained from external grants and contracts.

While the strategy aims to look forward five years, Professor Taylor said annual reviews would ensure it remained relevant in an "increasingly competitive and rapidly changing" Higher Education market.

He said the 41-page document was hugely important for everyone involved with the University because it helped everyone to understand the part that they played.

For more information about the Corporate Strategy, go to www.bradford.ac.uk/corporateplan

28 September 2004

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