Foreword
The strategy is driven by the University, its staff, students and other stakeholders. It has been developed from a comprehensive review of the 2003-2008 strategy and, whilst maintaining the essential direction of that plan, seeks to define a distinctive sector position for Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).
In the preparation of this plan, our ongoing commitment to continuous review and improvement has caused us to reflect on our mission, core purpose and values, first formulated in 2002.These have been reconfirmed as remaining relevant, although some simplification of the behavioural values has reduced these in number.Themission, core purpose and values remain the explicit platform for the University's Strategic Statement and Plan for the period 2007-2012; and articulate the Fundamental Concepts of Excellence, as defined by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), in ways meaningful to LJMU. We remain committed as a University to adopting the
highest standards of governance and management.
The improvements driven by our adoption of the EFQM Excellence Model framework are beginning to show with the award in 2006 of the Investors in Excellence Standard and the Investors in People Work-Life Balance Standard, both ‘firsts’ for a UK University. In addition, our developing approach to strategic management continues to be recognised, achieving top grading in the HEFCE Governance and Management Audit in 2005. Maintaining this momentum will continue to be a priority in ensuring that the mission, core purpose and values are realised, giving our stakeholders full confidence in our ability to deliver the strategy and remain financially sound.
The implementation of our strategy is guided by fundamental statements of policy:
- The further widening of access beyond our traditional student markets and improving retention by offering innovative and exciting courses based on student and employer needs, and providing appropriate support to students throughout their studies.
- Continuous review and enhancement of our approaches to learning, teaching and assessment to provide efficient and effective learning opportunities, whilst maintaining high academic standards.
- Continuous enhancement of our relationships with employers and other external stakeholders to connect students and staff more closely to the world of work.
- Continuous development of those areas recognised as international and national centres of research excellence, whilst encouraging broad research and scholarship that will underpin our undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.
- Continuous development and improvement of our income from commercial enterprise, collaborative partnerships and knowledge transfer through a market focused approach, in order to reduce our reliance on public funding to support our core business.
- Ongoing commitment to equality of opportunity for our staff and students together with corporately responsible behaviour within society.
- Maintaining a strategic management focus and a commitment to excellence in delivery supported by sound risk management.
Specifically, this strategic plan introduces ourWorld ofWork skills programme (WoW).We believe that the preparation of our graduates for success is dependent on a wider range of skills beyond academic capability. For this reason WoW has been devised as the means by which our students can accumulate broader ‘world of work’ skills; to have these assessed and certified independently from their academic study, giving prospective employers absolute confidence in the value of a LJMU graduate, whether this be in the private, public, or voluntary and social employment sectors. Essentially, we have explicitly recognised that cutting-edge Higher Education must include both education and professional skills. We are delighted that WoW has been met with such enthusiastic support from employers and that we have been able to secure the ongoing support and input from many internationally recognised employers on our WoW advisory board.
Our staff, students and prospective students have a collective aspiration and determination to succeed. This is encapsulated in our Dream Plan Achieve ethos, which brings together our ambition, our mission, purpose and values, and our ongoing commitment to excellence. This strategic plan (2007-2012) takes Dream Plan Achieve to a new and more challenging level - one we must rise to meet if we are to continue to be recognised as a leading university with a reputation for excellence in everything we do.
