For our Future: What

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For our Future Whats it all about?The context
for quality enhancement activities in Wales

• Celia Hunt
•  
• Head of Strategy, Learning and Funding
•  
• Higher Education Funding Council for Wales

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• For our Future developments
• Links with quality enhancement agenda

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For our Future the 21st Century Higher Education
Strategy and Plan for Wales

• Published November 2009
• Follows Jones Review of Higher Education in Wales
• Seeks substantial improvement in performance of
  HE
• HE system
• Regional approach

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For our Future twin priorities
Social Justice
Buoyant economy
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For our Future expectations
Strengthen the exploitation of knowledge
Improved part-time opportunities are offered
Increase collaboration among HE providers and
between HE and other providers
Develop a regional dimension to planning and
delivery of HE
Increase the impact of university research,
through targeting support on areas of strength
and national priority, and promoting collaboration
Renew the approach to widening access to HE
Ensure that the student voice strengthens HE
Develop greater diversity and flexibility in
programme design, duration and delivery to match
need and demand
Employability is a key outcomes of the He
experience
Strengthen the contribution of HE to workforce
development
Enable study through the medium of Welsh to take
place in a wider range of programmes and
locations in Wales
Promote the role of HE providers as Corporate
Citizens
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For our future taking it forward
Minimise duplication Maximise resources Work
towards a common aim
Better implementation Fewer initiatives Keep it
simple
Not business as usual
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Direction of travel

• Assembly expectations on HEFCW
• Propose steps for achieving the national aims
• Identify targets and milestones
• Seek acceptance of Assembly Government and HE
  providers to its proposals
• Target funding
• Decisively tackle shortcomings in institutional
  strategy and delivery

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What does the Minister think?
I will be blunt and I will be candid. In the
first six months I have been in this post, I have
begun to wonder whether the Higher Education
sector in Wales actually wants the Assembly
Government to have a higher education strategy,
or whether it even believes that there is such a
thing as a Welsh higher education sector.
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What have we done?

• Corporate strategy and operational plan - For our
  Future action plan
• Twelve Measures
• Strategic use of funding
• Cap on student numbers
• Regional dimension
• Widening access approach and plan
• Coleg Ffederal, UHOVI, Strategic Engagement
• Foundation Degrees
• Part-time students
• Consultation and more consultation

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What does the Minister think?
As we develop For our Future Certainly, I am
pleased at how HEFCW has responded to the
challenge of For Our Future, and I am pleased at
the energy and commitment it has shown in
developing its action plan.
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What does the Minister think?
As we implement For our Future .... ?
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Challenges
Skills
Value for money
Capping of numbers
Employability
Fees
Recognition of prior learning
Regionalisation
Work-based learning
Collaboration
Funding
Mergers
Employer engagement
Pace
Quality
Widening access
Flexibility
Learning experience
Part-time provision
Curriculum
Diverse student body
Student voice
Welsh medium provision
Research
Professional development
Administration
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HEFCW
Quality enhancement theme
Leadership Foundation
HE Academy
JISC
HE institutions
Welsh Video Network
NUS Wales
Higher Education Wales
QAA
Sector networks
Equality Challenge Unit
Others
Supporting Professionalism in admissions
Sector Skills Councils
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Future directions Identify quality enhancement
theme
Steering group Plan event
Other work
Biennial quality enhancement conference
Workshops/ enhancement activities for year
2 Carried out by all as applicable
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Your input

• A theme or themes to address the challenges