VC Address to all staff - Prof Julia Buckingham Vice-Chancellor and President 4.3.2021 - Brunel University London
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VC Address
to all staff
4.3.2021
Prof Julia Buckingham
Vice-Chancellor and President
Congratulations • Mike Spyer, re-appointed as Chair of Council for further 2 years • Hua Zhao, appointed as Vice- Provost and Dean of CEDPS after carrying out the role on an interim basis for the past year • Derek Healy, now Head of Health, Safety and Environment Team, having acted in the role • Pauldy Otermans recognised with one of the PM’s Points of Light awards for outstanding volunteers Brunel University London 2
Student recruitment update
January 2021 starts
• We enrolled 713 full-time PGT students
• 75 Home, 25 EU, 613 Overseas
• Up 23% against target, and up 94%
on January 2020
• 250 students enrolled onto one of our
three online programmes, run in
collaboration with InterActive Pro
• Up 71% against target, and up 247%
on January 2020
Brunel University London 4
A Levels, BTECs and GCSEs: Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) • Students will receive grades awarded and determined by teachers, based on collective evidence • Will be submitted to exam boards by 18 June and will not undergo moderation (unless areas of concern identified) • Results day/Clearing brought forward 1 week, now commencing 9 August, to allow more time for students to appeal Brunel University London 5
A Levels, BTECs and GCSEs: Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) • Teachers’ grades are known to be more generous than exam results, and will still differ from predicted grades • We cannot know how providers will adapt to this, though we assume more leeway in entry requirements and extended confirmation period to allow students to use appeal process • Lack of moderation, plus rising demand for HE, will likely result in increased acceptances and record 18-year-old entry rate Brunel University London 6
Undergraduate recruitment • Our September 2021/2 target is 3,747 FT students (2,912 Home, 203 EU & 632 Overseas), in line with what was achieved last year. • Applications down by 6% overall, but those from overseas up 15%. Brexit-related increase in fee status queries mean we can’t yet give exact figures on Home and EU application. • The key this year will not be the number of applications generated, but the number of applicants we convert to firm offer holders. • We’re building on last year’s GetUReady programme, sharing sample lectures and welcoming students to campus before receiving their results. Brunel University London 7
Undergraduate recruitment • We’ve introduced flexible fee payment plans and early-bird fee concessions for international students, and reviewing scholarship offer to build on recent growth and offset any shortfalls in Home/EU recruitment. • Brunel Medical School: 935 applications received against target of 50 for 2021/2 entry. • Forecast to enrol 409 TNE students in 2021/2, up by 111% on 2020/1. Brunel University London 8
Postgraduate recruitment • Our 2021/2 target is 2,322 FT students (774 Home, 84 EU & 1,464 Overseas), a decrease of 7% on what was achieved last year, owing to us exceeding our original target for 2020/1 by 16% • Applications for September entry are down by 11% overall. Applications for January don’t pick up until the Autumn. • Declining applications from international students is likely a result of Covid- related hesitancy, particularly in our two biggest markets: China (down 39%) and India (down 11%). We are hopeful this will lift as restrictions reduce. Brunel University London 9
Postgraduate recruitment • In the meantime, we are expanding our flexibility on entry criteria to more regions and are offering the same financial arrangements afforded to undergraduates. • Given that the UK is so far along with its vaccination programme, we are likely to be an even more popular study destination this year. • We have expanded our online offering this year and applications are up 24% so far. Brunel University London 10
Graduate visa route • 6 April eligibility deadline for students who have been studying remotely to arrive in the UK has been pushed back until 21 June • This will mainly impact on September/October start masters students • Students studying longer programmes (e.g. final year undergraduates) who were previously present in the UK will not need to meet this deadline. • Deadline for January start masters students remains 27 September Brunel University London 11
Graduate visa route • Route will open to applications from 1st July (but students will only be able to apply once their degree has been awarded) • Application fee will be £700 • Home Office are ‘extremely confident’ that they will have a system in place by the summer that will allow institutions to upload confirmation of degree completion – a requirement of the visa application Brunel University London 12
USS pensions
USS pensions • Latest valuation shows large increase in the deficit: 31 March 2020 estimate ranges from £14.9bn to £17.9bn • USS’s prices for current contributions are very high – well above affordability for scheme members and employers • UUK is questioning the assumptions made about the strength of the covenant • The scheme needs to sustainable and affordable for all, especially the 20% who are currently not members (usually younger, and earlier in their career) Brunel University London 14
USS pensions • Consultation with employers expected to be launched in late March • We have held two webinars and will discuss pensions at departmental meetings during the consultation period • If you are USS member or eligible for USS membership please do your very best to attend • USS are hosting a webinar next Wednesday (10 March) Brunel University London 15
Summer events
Campus Catch-up • Events in June for students (and staff) • Intended to give students on-campus experiences to make up for missed opportunities, such as sports, social, arts and performance, some academic (practicals, English language), careers activities • Currently being designed – any ideas or suggestions welcome • Will be socially distanced and carried out within government guidelines Brunel University London 17
Graduation • This summer’s graduation will be held online • We will expand this winter’s and next summer’s graduation to ensure everyone can come in person if they want to • We’re planning a tour taking in Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore and Delhi to offer in-country graduation ceremonies, combined with alumni events Brunel University London 18
Post Qualification Admissions and Offers
PQO/PQA consultation
• The Department for Education is consulting on a move to a new
admissions system, and has proposed two alternatives to the
current system:
Two proposed alternatives
Post Qualification Post Qualification
Current system
Offers (PQOs) Applications (PQAs)
OR
Students apply
Students apply and Students apply
before results
receive offers and receive offers
and receive offers
before results after results
after results
Brunel University London 20PQO/PQA consultation
• Intention is to improve fairness. Currently:
• most results are over-predicted
• of the results that are under-predicted,
half are for disadvantaged students
• A move to PQO or PQA would:
• remove predicted grades from the
process
• remove unconditional offers, which don’t
encourage students to do their best, and
lead to higher drop-out rates and poorer
outcomes
Brunel University London 21PQO/PQA consultation
• The challenge in the PQO/PQA proposals is
time:
• How do students have enough time to
make their choices?
• How do universities have time to
process them all?
Brunel University London 22PQO/PQA consultation • Consultation ends on 13 May • We have a team looking at the various aspects and implications so we can respond in full Brunel University London 23
UK International Education Strategy: 2021 update
UK International Education Strategy • 2021 update to the 2019 International Education Strategy • Published in February, it sets out the UK government’s response to the challenges and opportunities the past year has brought for the education sector Brunel University London 25
UK International Education Strategy
• Despite all of the
disruptions arising from
the pandemic, the number
of non-UK-domiciled
students in UK
universities:
• grew by 12% in 2020
• surpassed a total
enrolment of 500,000
for the first time ever
Brunel University London 26UK International Education Strategy
2021 update:
• Commits to previously established goals for foreign enrolment
growth
• Emphasises several areas as important for achieving those
targets, including work opportunities and immigration routes for
students
• Has as a priority the expansion and improvement of digital and
hybrid models of learning, as well as transnational education –
and the development of new source markets for students
• Millions of pounds have already been allocated for the recovery
of the international education sector post-COVID and for
supporting international students facing pandemic-related
hardship
Brunel University London 27Launch of the Lifelong Learning Commission
Launch of the Lifelong Learning Commission
• Chris Skidmore MP launched
thinktank ResPublica’s new
Lifelong Education Commission,
which seeks to recommend:
• how barriers to lifelong
learning can be removed
• what future investment is
needed to support this
• what regulatory change is
needed to ensure the
maximum possible flexibility
that will benefit learners
Brunel University London 29Launch of the Lifelong Learning Commission
• Skidmore welcomed plans to give individuals
flexible loan funding for four years of post-18
education throughout their life, allowing
people to break study into shorter segments
“While further education is needed,
it should not be the sole focus of the
government’s attention, if it wishes to level up
skills across the entire UK population”
• Ambition for adults to be able
to reskill and retrain throughout
their life must also be seen in
higher education
Brunel University London 30News and reminders
Brunel Family Discount • 10% university fee discount that was available to direct family connections of a Brunel student or graduate has now been extended to direct family connections of a current member of staff • Discount applies for every year of the course for any new applicant registering onto a course in 2021/2 • UG and PGT applicants must submit an application by 31 August 2021 and submit evidence of the family link via eVision • Details: www.brunel.ac.uk/scholarships Brunel University London 32
EU staff and students: Settled status Reminder • EU staff and students need to apply for settled status if you have not already done so • To ensure the rights you have to live, work and access healthcare in the UK remain the same after the deadline of 30 June 2021 • Application is free and can be made online: https://www.gov.uk/eusettledstatus Brunel University London 33
Easter break Reminder • To say thank you to all colleagues, we have added two days to the Easter break • The University will close after work on Friday 26 March 2021 • It will reopen on Wednesday 7 April 2021 Brunel University London 34
Questions? Our next staff briefing will be at 11am on Monday 8 March
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