Enabling strategy on education and student experience

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Recognising strength

We are renowned for our world-class education, highly rated student experience, and sector-leading widening access programmes. We have forged strong international ties and are actively developing strategic academic partnerships overseas globally. At every level we are engaged with people and institutions around the world, creating opportunities to bring the world to Dundee, and take Dundee to the world.

Strategic vision

We will offer world-leading education and student experience through a blend of traditional programmes, flexible and stackable qualifications, with flexibility and support for learning on campus, online, or in blended ways.

All programmes will offer students opportunities to benefit from work-based learning, and support successful transitions into the world of work.

Our students will be change-makers: able to actively engage with knowledge, reflective thinkers helping to challenge and broaden the curriculum, lifelong learners helping to extend our networks of interpersonal relationships outwards, while shaping our values as ethically conscious members of our community.

Supporting excellence

Excellent student experience

  • We will support learning, freedom of speech and mental wellbeing amongst our students.
  • All students will have opportunities to participate in university, employer and third sector placements to promote skills development and employability. This will include city-based, national and international opportunities that meet their aspirations and career ambitions.
  • We will ensure that our student experience is first-rate, supporting meaningful interactions and transitions between students, staff and alumni communities.
  • We will reinvigorate our Student Partnership Agreement as a co-operative framework for delivering measurable and tangible improvements in the student experience and students support.

Our academic portfolio

  • We will build on existing strengths to develop a world-leading and globally attractive portfolio of research-informed degree programmes.
  • Our programmes will encourage interdisciplinarity, breaking down artificial barriers between disciplines and enabling students to be curious and follow their interests.
  • We will deliver a curriculum focused on excellence, need, demand, and opportunity.
  • We will ensure that students are co-creators and partners in portfolio/programme development, working with them to ensure our education activities are sustainable and support the University’s Net Zero target by 2045.
  • Our approach to learning design will encourage the integration of campus and digital capabilities to produce excellent programmes offering flexible delivery.
  • Assessment and feedback will be efficiently delivered and authentic in nature, helping students to develop skills relevant to the world of work and further study.

An Academy

  • We will develop and create a new University Academy for learning and teaching, which will provide Curriculum Design Principles to support curriculum development, teaching excellence, and academic scholarship.
  • This Academy will support digital skills training for staff and students, to allow them to contribute to development of our digitally enabled campus and grow their digital competencies.
  • It will support academic scholarship, helping staff and students to develop projects that are aligned to institutional education priorities, are evidence-based, and undergo appropriate evaluation.
  • Through the development of high-quality scholarship activities, the Academy will support staff to measure their personal development, helping them to lead ownership of objective setting and reviews, articulate ambitions, and prepare for promotion opportunities.

Inclusion and attainment

  • We will celebrate diversity as a defining strength of our international community.
  • We will expand and widen access, enable greater participation in learning, and reduce inequalities that exist for our students.
  • We will design our recruitment efforts to reach a global and more diverse pool of applicants.
  • All students will be encouraged to advocate for their interests, and help shape an equitable and inclusive University of Dundee community.
  • We will ensure, via our Student Services, that digital poverty is addressed and that students have access to devices/connectivity so that their learning is not impaired.
  • We will support staff and students to grow their leadership skills to nurture inclusive and diverse teams.

Excellent Student Services provision

  • Our Student Services will ensure all students have equal access to University support, experience consistent standards, and have their requirements recognised.
  • Our services will ensure that students are signposted to, and can access, appropriate wellbeing or mental health services on campus or in the community.
  • We will ensure that we maintain the safety and security of our students.
  • We will communicate with our students effectively, ensuring that they have timely and accurate information concerning their studies, extracurricular opportunities, and the student support available to them