LJMU Strategy 2030

STRATEGY 2030

VICE-CHANCELLOR’S INTRODUCTION

For two centuries, Liverpool John Moores University has played a leading role in the life and the economy of the city and region. We are founded on the principles of providing opportunity through education, developing the skilled workforce and entrepreneurs of the future.

As a university we are very proud of our people, of our place in the city and of our ability to transform the lives of generations of students.

Our students are at the heart of our endeavour and our staff are the driving force behind all we do. This strategy underlines our commitment to helping students and staff at the university realise their professional and personal aspirations and ambitions.

For students this is built on an immersive experience both within and outside of the curriculum. We are determined to make an even greater impact shaping

the lives of our students. We embrace the diversity of the student body and its implications for our activity.

Our teaching is contemporary and relevant, and our research is world-leading and innovative, impacting positively on the real world. Our work contributes to our city, to our business partners and to the wider community within which we are embedded.

This strategy re-sets our ambition and our vision for the future, recognising our history and looking towards the next phase in the story of Liverpool John Moores University.

Professor Mark Power Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive

When the Liverpool Mechanics’ and Apprentices’ Library opened its doors in July 1823, it marked the arrival of a movement that would spread across England, bringing accessible education to the working classes, promoting intellectual skills alongside practical knowledge, and forging a closer link between industry, technology, and instruction. It was radical and forward-thinking, responsive to the needs of its moment and an agent of positive change.

It reflected the spirit of Liverpool itself: a self-made city and global port, with the broad horizons and expansive outlook of an ‘edge’ location. Deeply-rooted yet outward-facing, it combined a strong sense of place with a sense of its position in the world; creative and optimistic, it looked to the future with confidence.

As the university prepares to celebrate two hundred years, it sets out a strategy that honours this heritage, but also follows the example of its

founders in pressing forward, in speaking to its own time and context, and in imagining and pursuing new futures for the people and place that it serves.

The environment as it launches is a challenging one, marked by economic uncertainty, social inequality, global instability and a climate emergency. In setting out a vision for an excellent education that unlocks the potential of students and meets the needs of employers; for driving positive change and economic growth through outstanding research and knowledge exchange; and for building skills, society, and community through authentic engagement with the city to which its purpose and prospects are tied, our Strategy 2030 speaks both to the university’s roots and to the road ahead. Refracting its founding spirit and purpose through a 21st century lens, it expresses its core identity and its enduring purpose.

Two key PRINCIPLES are woven through the whole strategy and are touchstones for all our decisions:

I Priority of people. Our strategy is for and through our people, both the staff and students who form our core community and the broader set of stakeholders, networks and communities of which we are privileged to be part. We will put people first in every part of our life as a university and strive to be a community to which they belong, of which they are proud, and in which they are supported and empowered.

I Sustainability. We will seek to operate sustainably in every aspect of our activity, from the management of our finances and broader resources to our care for the environment. We have declared a climate emergency and are aligning our activities both with our target of becoming net zero for carbon emissions by 2035, and with the broader call to a way of living and being that advances the advent of a sustainable, prosperous future for people and planet.

Our AIMS are our core strategic goals:

I Education and Student Experience: transforming lives and futures through an excellent education that equips our students with the knowledge, skills and mindset valued by employers.

I Research and Knowledge Exchange: delivering curricula inspired by current thought and high-impact knowledge exchange through our curiosity and creativity.

I Place and Partnership: building skills, the economy, society and community through local and global collaboration.

There a deep integration between these goals, and our character and vision find their most powerful expression at the points of connection between them: where education and place converge in the delivery of skills and workforce-facing provision; where researchers partner with industry, business and the public sector to deliver transformational change; and where our research forges a compelling connection between our taught provision and the leading edge of the sectors into which our students will graduate. We are a rooted, relevant institution, and we inhabit our identity and purpose most authentically at the points of intersection where this scope is directly unlocked.

Supporting these key aims, our ENABLERS express the culture and environment required to deliver our goals:

I A positive culture which builds community, embraces diversity and supports wellbeing.

I A responsive organisation, marked by agility, efficiency and innovation.

I A digital and physical infrastructure; shaped by our academic goals.

I Financial resilience that enables investment in our strategic plan.

EDUCATION AND STUDENT EXPERIENCE

‘Transforming lives and futures’

Students sit at the core of our vision. We have a proud history of attracting talented students from a wide range of backgrounds and are committed to providing an outstanding education that expands their horizons, unlocks their potential, and transforms their future lives. Through an excellent programme of study, comprehensive support, and a wide range of student opportunities, we will develop graduates who are confident, critical, digitally-skilled and globally-engaged, soughtafter by employers and equipped with the knowledge and skills to succeed in achieving their professional goals and personal aspirations.

We will develop a broad, flexible portfolio that welcomes students at all stages of learning and life to engage flexibly with education offered in diverse modes and models. And we will inspire, advise, encourage and challenge our students both through the staff who stand alongside them in every dimension of their journey, and through the alumni and employers who help to raise their aspirations and to bring their learning to life

PRIORITIES:

I To deliver outstanding teaching and learning. We will deliver challenging curricula shaped by research and professional practice and adopt contemporary pedagogical and technology-rich approaches. We will use assessment methods that meet diverse learning needs, engage our students in the co-creation of provision, and support our staff with development opportunities that foster excellence in teaching and learning.

I To enhance graduate employment prospects, cultivating graduates who are innovative in approach and confident, collaborative leaders and change-makers. We will prioritise work-based learning opportunities to mature the outlook of students and forge connections with employers; embed transferable skills and graduate attributes in our curricula; stimulate the growth of fulfilling regional graduate opportunities; and ensure that students leave the university with a compelling onward plan.

I To diversify our portfolio and student community. We are committed to maintaining a broad discipline base and retaining our role as an agent of social mobility, whilst

seeking to attract a more mixed economy of students to a growing range of provision. We will increase the volume of our students from overseas and at postgraduate level; grow the proportion of our portfolio offered in conjunction with employers; and multiply flexible learning routes, including blended and multi-channel delivery and step-on, step-off learning opportunities.

I To embed effective, responsive support at every stage of the student journey. We will work to eliminate access, retention, attainment and employment gaps between student demographics; ensure inclusive academic practice and facilities; promote the resilience and mental health of students through a comprehensive wellbeing provision; and mentor students to help them chart a clear path towards their future goals.

I To provide an excellent student experience beyond the academic programme, with a rich menu of activities to help students build networks, skills and confidence and to broaden their horizons. Key provisions are set out in our Student Charter, co-owned and created with students, which sets out a clear statement of intent.

RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

‘Curiosity, creativity and impact’

Research and knowledge exchange are fundamental to our identity and ambition. The Research Excellence Framework 2021 verified the quality and depth of our activity, placing us in the top 50 in the UK for ‘Research Power’ and identifying world-leading scholarship in every corner of the university. This outcome signals our success in significantly increasing engagement with research and knowledge exchange, while continuing to deliver exceptional activity in our strongest research areas.

Building from our current platform, we will continue to embed a culture that supports the growth of our research community and promotes our areas of excellence. We will draw upon our high-quality scholarship to deliver inspiring curricula shaped by current thought, engage in transformational knowledge exchange with a wide range of partners and sectors, and support a growing postgraduate research community following diverse programmes of study.

PRIORITIES:

I To grow our research community, support research excellence and embed an inclusive research culture. We will support all staff to realise their research and knowledge exchange ambitions, underpinning growth of our outputs, grants, collaboration and esteem. We will champion our areas of existing research excellence to optimise international growth and recognition. We will foster a strong research culture through the embedding of an Open Access Policy, the promotion of research integrity, and the development of new Centres and Institutes where we have expertise and critical mass.

I To deliver teaching inspired by our research and knowledge exchange work and the staff and students who undertake it. We will infuse our curricula with our research and knowledge exchange activity to ensure the currency of our programmes, to inspire our students through teaching at discipline frontiers, to provide them with insight and opportunity with respect to future careers, and to equip them to contribute to the sectors they will enter.

I To engage with our partners in impactful, connected knowledge exchange that delivers transformative benefit. Our externally-funded activity will reflect local, national, and global roadmaps and strategies, will have strong foundations in our partnerships, and will deliver tangible public engagement and change for the communities we serve. We will address relevant aspects of ‘Grand Challenge’ themes including Sustainability and Climate Change, Technology and Innovation, and Health and Wellbeing, and will align with the United Nations Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG).

I To develop a vibrant, diverse and intellectually curious postgraduate research community. We will continue to grow our postgraduate research student population through a diverse set of qualifications and structures. We will resource the recruitment of high-quality PhD students and pump prime areas of expertise to engage with cohort-based training such as Doctoral Training Programmes (DTPs). We will grow professional doctorate programmes in our practice-based disciplines and extend our excellent training and career development opportunities for postgraduate research students.

PLACE AND PARTNERSHIP

‘Building skills, economy, community’

The university is deeply embedded in its place. It educates the nurses, police, teachers and pharmacists of tomorrow, works with business and industry to support the local and regional economy, and is written into the fabric of the city and local communities through a wide range of collaborations and connections. We are committed to contributing our knowledge to partnerships and projects that will accelerate economic recovery, positively impact the climate emergency, enhance the prospects of places and communities, and build the skills required for the region and its people to look to the future with confidence.

Given its history as a major port, Liverpool’s sense of place also has a global inflection, and the university has a growing international dimension across its activity base. We are committed to augmenting our visibility as a student destination and education partner, to supporting the interests of the city and region through our global connections and influence, and to forging research collaborations across the world that help to build economies, reduce poverty and enhance health and education outcomes.

I To catalyse social inclusion and change in collaboration with a range of agencies and partners. We will increase our outreach into schools in disadvantaged boroughs, to enhance educational attainment in the region; extend our portfolio of pro-bono clinic work in our professional disciplines; and sustain a rhythm of engagement with a wide range of projects significant to local communities.

I To grow our community of international students and partners. We will increase the volume and proportion of our students from overseas through a balanced set of supply chains and partnerships; grow the alignment of our portfolio with international demand, including through Distance Learning (DL) provision with potential global reach; build sustainable offshore activity across a range of markets and disciplines; and leverage our research reputation to grow our base of international staff and aligned strategic partners.

PRIORITIES:

I To strengthen the regional skills base through flexible, responsive, workforce-facing education. We will grow numbers on qualifying programmes for public sector professions; significantly increase our Degree Apprentice recruitment; and develop with local partners our portfolio of short-course and higher technical provision to create a coherent, curated skills escalator, aligned with regional priorities.

I To collaborate with business and industry to drive local economic growth. We will deepen our relationships with sectors of strength and opportunity prioritised by Liverpool City Region, to increase our impact on local economic recovery and prosperity; grow the regional enterprise base through our support for student pioneers and local business scale-up; and work with our regional partners to deliver positive, strategic action addressing climate change.

ENABLERS

Realisation of our ambitions will require a supportive, empowering environment. Our culture must enable our people to thrive, by promoting our collective purpose, reflecting our values and ensuring that all of our staff and students feel accepted and represented. Our organisational approach will be efficient and effective, releasing innovators and change agents and increasing our headroom for strategic activity.

The physical and digital estate also have powerful roles to play in building a sense of community and enabling innovation across our activity base. Our Student Life Building places students at the heart of the university and the university at the heart of the city; we will continue to develop spaces and facilities that support interaction with Liverpool and its Knowledge Quarter, and deploy technologies that encourage collaboration, public engagement and creativity in teaching and research.

Our strategy will be underpinned by a sustainable financial plan. We are committed to optimising the strategic and reputational return from our resources in a challenging financial climate, through the generation of income across a balanced portfolio of revenue streams and the careful management of costs.

I To build an enabling digital and physical estate, shaped by academic goals. We will embed digital technology to support excellent teaching, learning and research activity; exploit digital tools to streamline our business operations; enhance the digital capability and confidence of students and staff; and develop a flexible, accessible, sustainable estate, aligned with our patterns of academic delivery and hybrid working, and the imperative of reducing our carbon emissions.

I To secure financial sustainability. We will deliver a sustainable operational surplus to underpin delivery of our objectives, and diversify the university’s income base, with a growth of revenue from non-tuition fee sources. We will prioritise the student experience in a targeted programme of investment, designed to optimise progress against our core ambitions

PRIORITIES:

I To build a positive, inclusive, culture and community. We will build an agile workforce with the resilience to adapt confidently to change and embed an inclusive culture that embraces diversity and fosters a sense of belonging. We will prioritise staff and student physical, mental and emotional wellbeing; recruit, retain and reward excellent staff; and embed a high-performance culture with an enhancement mindset.

I To embed an organisational approach marked by agility, efficiency and innovation. We will establish nimble, dynamic decision-making structures that are responsive to external opportunities and increase operational efficiency to release capacity for the pursuit of strategic priorities. And we will embed a risk culture and appetite aligned with our ambitions.