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School Operating Plan

Purpose

In identifying aims for ESWCE we are guided by the University's aims.

Our University mission

"the objects of the University shall be to advance and diffuse knowledge, wisdom and understanding by teaching and research and by the example and influence of its corporate life"

Our University aims

  1. attract high achieving students and those with high potential
  2. provide the best student experience
  3. increase post-graduate activities
  4. promote research excellence and profitable partnerships
  5. contribute to knowledge transfer and the development of Dundee and Scotland
  6. improve the responsiveness of support services
  7. ensure the University's long term financial sustainability.

School Aims

In prioritising these for ESWCE for the next three years our aims are:

  1. to create a School of Distinction
  2. to ensure programmes of high quality for our students
  3. to respond to pressures of globalisation by directing our professional expertise towards the development of Dundee and of Scotland
  4. to secure good governance within the administration and management of our activities

Our principles

In identifying the principles which will guide our action we will work in ways which:

Operating Plan: Objectives for 2011-12

This is a draft operating plan for AY 2011/12 and will be presented for consultation at the All School Staff Meeting on 31 March 2011.

A School of Distinction

We aim to position the School at the centre of the theme of Business and Professional Education identified within the Strategic Review. A whole school development project is underway to explore scholarship and the interrelationship between teaching and research which will contribute to the development of a curriculum and pedagogy for professional training and development. Our priorities for the year are:

  1. The development of the school's academic environment and profile. This addresses the demanding requirements of the REF including greater public engagement; the creation of impact case studies of our work; the upgrading of professional and research publications; and the enhancement of our research environment.
  2. The Introduction of balanced profiles for academic staff with mentoring support for the development of individual academic profiles. This work is supported by a whole school project and involves the re-structuring of the School's hours allocation model.
  3. The reorganisation of research groupings and the establishment of Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning which will streamline research activity, ensure critical mass and avoid isolated activity within our research.

To ensure programmes of high quality for our students

We have established a whole school development project to review of our portfolio of programmes and activities to ensure relevance, efficiency and marketability. The restructuring of programmes informed by the review will include:
  1. The review and restructuring of the BEd. A programme review is underway which will see the BEd replaced by a new modularised undergraduate programme which will follow College norms and facilitate combined degrees and enhance inter-disciplinary working within the School.
  2. The PGDE primary and secondary programmes which have experienced dramatic reduction in student numbers will be further combined to create greater efficiencies of scale.
  3. The review and streamlining of our Masters and post-graduate provision to ensure that we can benefit from opportunities to accredit CPD activities at Masters level and thereby compensate for any continued reduction in student numbers (e.g. in ITE/CLD).
  4. Recognising the difficult context in which the School is operating in terms of high teaching loads and the financial issues facing the School in addition to the introduction of balanced profiles we will create a data bank of qualified professionals within the community of the School and beyond who can be called upon at short notice to support our activities.

To respond to pressures of globalisation by directing our professional expertise towards the development of Dundee and of Scotland

A priority for the School is to increase both its national and international standing through generating wider external networking links with established academics, nationally and internationally and to establish collaborations with others working in similar fields. Our priorities are:
  1. To facilitate networking opportunities through closer engagement with related organisations (e.g. PAMIS, Dundee Science Institute) attendance at research seminars and conferences; a programme of seminars and workshops hosted by the school; Identification of opportunities for our staff and students to visit, study and work in locations away from the university.
  2. To expand our portfolio of international activities through bespoke programmes including for example tertiary tutor training; policing studies; International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) Teacher Award; and health education.

To secure good governance within the administration and management of our activities

With the increase of bespoke provision, research and consultancy projects, and short courses the need for diversification of administrative and financial support is increasing. Combined with a general review of efficiency and the VS scheme, this has prompted the need for:
  1. A restructuring of the administrative and management structure.
  2. A review of our administrative systems for recording and processing our activities (e.g. forms; record keeping; financial processing).

Summary of our three year School development plan:

We have identified six proposed projects which will help us to review our achievements so far and which will help us to achieve our aims. As projects progress updates will be posted via this page.

Three projects to be achieved over the three year term:

Project Name Project Leaders Project Pverview
Portfolio review Mike Naulty and Julie Christie A complete review of our portfolio of programmes and activity to ensure the relevance, efficiency and marketability of our programmes and projects.
A Culture of Scholarship in Teaching Brian Hudson and Teresa Moran Continue to explore scholarship and the interrelationship between teaching and research.
Balanced profile project Yolande Muschamp and Linda Walker Review the allocation of hours and resource with a view to introducing greater opportunities for increasingly diverse profiles of activities.

And three short term projects which we believe can be achieved within this academic year.

Project Name Project Leaders Project Pverview
Systems review Julie Christie and Yolande Muschamp Review and amend where necessary our administrative systems for recording and processing our activities (e.g. forms; record keeping; financial processing)..
Back-up Teresa Moran and Linda Walker Create a data bank of qualified professionals within the community of the School and beyond who can be called upon at short notice to support our activities.
Mobility Brian Hudson and Mike Naulty Identify the opportunities which exist for our staff and students to visit, study and work in locations away from the university.