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Materiality
The interpretation of materiality in integrated reporting is multi-faceted, going well beyond financial materiality. In this Integrated Annual Report, we consider a matter to be material if it could substantively affect Winchester’s ability to create value in the short, medium or long term.
The process of determining materiality is specific to Winchester and based on multi-stakeholder perspectives within the Higher Education (HE) sector. An emphasis on material matters improves strategic decision-making by limiting extraneous information and focusing disclosures on the core issues under Winchester’s control. This emphasis improves the quality of information available to stakeholders and enables a more efficient and productive allocation of capital resources. In preparing the content for this integrated report, we established parameters within which we determined the materiality of matters by identifying their relevance, evaluating their importance and prioritising them based on relative importance. Judgement was used when deciding if, and to what extent, a detailed assessment was reported. Embedding materiality determination into governance processes has enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of decision-making and reporting, and links to Winchester’s Board and management discussions. In considering the materiality for this integrated report, Winchester considers all known matters at the time of signing the report, such as the political landscape, the student experience, institutional reputation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, financial sustainability, the environment – including the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals – and Winchester’s values.
How material issues impact Winchester are signposted on the following page:
MATERIAL ISSUE
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND QUALITY EDUCATION
Winchester understands the impact student experience has on future undergraduate and postgraduate recruitment in an increasingly competitive higher education market. In the recent National Student Survey (NSS), we achieved a disappointing overall satisfaction rating of 70%, which placed us 123rd out of 151 higher education institutions. This has revealed to us problems that we urgently need to address for our students. In the next academic year, we will relentlessly focus on enhancing our teaching quality as an integral element of the student experience.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS
The impact of climate change brought on by our detrimental impact on the planet has caused an unprecedented crisis. It encompasses numerous potentially catastrophic issues, from ozone depletion, air and water quality degradation to land contamination and biodiversity loss. We are one institution leading the sector by declaring a climate emergency and have set our target to be an institution with net-zero carbon emissions by 2025.
COVID-19
COVID-19 has continued to massively disrupt worldwide businesses and economies, and the higher education sector. In line with government advice, Winchester has continued to review our approach to COVID-19. Through our pandemic outbreak plan and incident management team, we have implemented several new policies and procedures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all staff and students.
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
Winchester is concerned about the current political situation in Afghanistan and how it will impact our community. Uncertainty remains around immigration and the impact on EU student funding as well as the longer-term impact on research. Economic uncertainties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the UK’s departure from the EU continue to compound challenges around financial sustainability within the sector.
COMMITMENT TO WINCHESTER’S VALUES AND THE SDGS
We believe that the ability to hold true to our values is especially important during a time of political and economic uncertainty within an increasingly competitive market. These values are the bedrock of the institution and underpin our unique position as a leading values-driven institution within the higher education sector.
Our values
Individuals matter
We’re passionate about seeing staff and students succeed and flourish, so they feel encouraged to help others and empowered to make a real difference in the world. To achieve this, we seek to provide a challenging and supportive environment that encourages ambition, nurtures the embrace of equality, diversity and inclusivity, develops wisdom for a fulfilling life and embeds the knowledge needed for a successful career. Our staff and students will have the resilience and resourcefulness to seize the opportunities and face the challenges of life. We are committed to working globally to fight for equality, integrity and justice. Together, we will uphold the dignity and wellbeing of others, whoever they are and whatever their background.
Compassion
We love and respect the planet and all life. In alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we strive to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We seek to nurture a love and value for all life and the planet, and challenge all staff and students to adopt this as second nature. Staff and students are empowered to change the world for the better, challenge convention with compassion and stand up for what they believe to be true.
Spirituality
Together, we aim to explore the mysteries of life and grow wisdom and love. We celebrate our Anglican Christian foundation and welcome people of all faiths and none. In a world in which religion is often associated with exclusivity and anti-intellectualism, we seek to model ways of being religious that are inclusive and intellectually robust. We believe that everyone should be encouraged to express themselves through a unique collage of values, disciplines and practices. Our staff and students will have the opportunity to experience and reflect on the creativity, beauty and compassion in life.
Our faculties
We currently have a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses delivered across five faculties, each led by a separate Dean and faculty admin support.
FACULTY OF ARTS
The Faculty of Arts comprises three academic departments: English, Creative Writing and American Studies, the School of Media and Film, and Performing Arts. Rigorous, creative programmes provide handson, fulfilling student experiences and an outstanding foundation for professional life after graduation.
FACULTY OF BUSINESS, LAW AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
This faculty spans a wide range of disciplines including Accounting, Business Management, Digital Media, Enterprise, Event Management, Fashion, Law, Logistics, Global Issues, Marketing, Politics, Retail, and Supply Chain Management. A number of courses can be combined into coherent study programmes. The faculty are proud to support and share extensive links with the professional community, ensuring that what we teach is relevant and that graduates possess essential employability skills.
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
This faculty is home to two departments – Education Studies and Liberal Arts and the Institute of Education (formerly the Department of Teacher Development). The faculty offers a wide range of dynamic courses specifically tailored to meet the needs of professions. These programmes are consistently rated highly in internal and national student satisfaction surveys. Teaching staff have both practical know-how and academic expertise, with many years of subject-area experience, with the faculty consistently receiving high ratings from students. We are driven by, and dedicated to, inspirational learning, combining teaching with work placements and impactful research.
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
This faculty offers research-led teaching and outstanding support across numerous disciplines: Anthropology, Archaeology, Criminology, Forensic Studies, Geography, History, Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Theology and Religion, and Philosophy. The faculty is driven by passionate inquiry into what makes us human, and members are actively engaged in impactful research through our research centres, consultancies and public engagement.
FACULTY OF HEALTH AND WELLBEING
The Faculty of Health and Wellbeing is home to our students studying to attain the following qualifications: BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, BN (Hons) Nursing (Adult), BA (Hons) Animal Welfare and Society, BSc (Hons) Social Work and BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science. This follows our pledge between the University and Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to work together to help address the growing demand for healthcare professionals in the region. From this partnership, students will gain access to cuttingedge medical equipment, on-thejob training and teaching spaces within the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, Andover and Basingstoke.
Our stakeholders
As a university, we work closely and constantly with a wide range of stakeholders and partners. Our primary stakeholders are the students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, whom we help to progress onto future thriving lives and careers.
They are diverse in their backgrounds, interests, programmes of study and future aspirations. Our student stakeholders also include future students and potential higher education (HE) students in general. A key plank of our work is widening participation in HE among underrepresented groups.
Our students and staff are integral to ensuring we continue to be a successful institution. We have various ways of engaging our internal stakeholders with our work and helping them shape what we do as an institution and how we do it. An example of this is the Student Academic Council, which meets several times a year. It consists of student representatives who advise our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) on matters relating to the student experience. We also work in partnership with the Student Union, ensuring that all students are represented in all key decisionmaking processes.
Our Board plays an important nonexecutive role in Winchester’s success. Our Governors, who reflect our core values, are dedicated to the development of staff, student learning experience, Winchester’s growth and institutional value for money. We have an extensive range of partners, which include the Diocese of Winchester, Winchester Cathedral, Winchester Action on Climate Change, Compassion in World Farming, ‘feeder’ schools and colleges in the UK and abroad. We also work in partnership with the City of Winchester, Hampshire County Council and local businesses, charities, other educational establishments and community organisations. We consider our suppliers and external customers as important stakeholders for our value for money and income generation. We seek suppliers that align with our values and work with them to embed our environmental sustainability initiatives. We also have a broad and diverse range of community relationships with neighbours, including with the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT), our local police force and Councillors, as well as with many others from the UK and further afield.
Our Community Impact Strategy aligns with ‘serving the common good’, as stated in our mission. As well as the aforementioned local communities, we stand by our responsibility to the wider UK economy and society in widening participation of students from backgrounds who are underrepresented in HE. Research is important to Winchester, particularly its dissemination to local community groups. We view research as being for the common good, not purely for academia, although topics and audiences can vary. For example, our Faculty of Arts is now hosting weekly classes at the youth theatre group at the Theatre Royal in Winchester. We also promote the undertaking and dissemination of research on specific topics, for example from the remits of the Centre for Climate Change Education and Communication (CCEC) and the Centre for Responsible Management. This sound approach to research dissemination with the local community helps us to expand our connections, develop research partnerships and promote our impact agenda. The diagram below identifies our key partners.
SU P P L I ERS STUDENTS
PARTNERS FUNDING BODIES AND REGULATORS
P E O P L E
SOCIETY, COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT
Our strategy
Strategic review
Our 2020-2030 strategic plan – launched before the COVID-19 Pandemic – is a key responsibility for the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), and our Board of Governors.
As the pandemic emerged, both worked closely together to pivot to a short-term strategy of resilience, with a primary focus of managing the crisis within our community, to ensure the well-being of our students, our staff and our local community. This was followed by a focus on the transition to empowering recovery, concentrating on student retention and the 2021-22 recruitment cycle. Moving forward over the next 6-12 months, Winchester intends to focus more heavily on excellence in teaching and enhancing the student experience.
Further details on our Strategic Vision 2030 can be found on our website at www.winchester.ac.uk/about-us/ our-future/our-strategy.
GROWTH: CONTROLLED SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT NUMBERS AND QUALITY
We are maintaining sustained growth with student numbers, and at the time of signing these financial statements, the University is showing an increase in student applictions for 2022 entry, based on UCAS reporting.
FINANCIAL: STRONG FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Strong student demand and careful cost management have resulted in a healthy surplus of £5.0m and an increase in cash of £7.3m generated during the year. However, we are mindful that the pandemic is still very much with us and we continue to model the most challenging scenarios that the pandemic may introduce for 2021/22 financial year and beyond.
STUDENT AND GRADUATE SUCCESS REPUTATION
We were delighted to be able to hold in-person graduation ceremonies during the summer. Over two weeks, 1,838 students graduated. HESA data also showed that we are joint 6th in the UK for our students either continuing into further study or employment. Our international reputation has increased over the last two years and has resulted in a significant international recruitment increase of 35%.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and Winchester’s impact
We are proud to have been ranked second in the UK in the Times Higher Impact Rankings for UN SDG 4 – Quality Education. This reflects our groundbreaking work in sustainability and social justice in education. The following text illustrates our commitment to all of the UN’s SDGs.
NO POVERTY COVID-19 has led to an additional 119–124 million people being pushed back into extreme poverty in 2020. The Student Union’s ‘Responsible Futures’ accreditation includes carrying out curriculum audits to demonstrate progress in embedding sustainability across the curriculum, including integration of SDGs at programme level. This includes analyses of how teaching addresses awareness of poverty and the identification of solutions.
ZERO HUNGER
Worldwide, an additional 70–161 million people are likely to have experienced hunger in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. Our Business School research initiatives include Community Hunger Response-Ability: Learning Partnerships with Others, which examines austerity in cross-sector hunger partnerships, specifically addressing the absence of community within UK community-focused initiatives.
GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING
90% of countries are still reporting one or more disruptions to essential health services, and the impact of COVID-19 has not helped the stretch on these services.
The Winchester Centre for Global Health (part of the Faculty for Health and Well-being) is a supporting partner in the Wessex Global Health Network, which shares good practice at local, national and international level.
QUALITY EDUCATION
An additional 101 million or 9% of children in grades 1 through 8 fell below minimum reading proficiency levels in 2020. Research by the University of Winchester’s Centre for Real World Learning has led to shifts in public policy in education and changes to pedagogical / assessment practices both nationally and internationally regarding creativity.
GENDER EQUALITY
Gender parity remains far off. Women make up only 25.6% of people in national governments, 36.3% of people in local government and 28.2% of people in managerial positions. Winchester’s Women in Digital Enterprise programme – which has supported 100 women in setting up and growing their businesses – is committed to identifying and implementing practical steps to help further reduce in the gender pay gap.
CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries.
Water consumption at the University of Winchester – per m2 of estate – has reduced by 34% since 2006/07, and water-saving devices are now installed in all new buildings and developments.
AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
759 million people lack access to electricity. Winchester has received a grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) as part of a major capital investment programme by Winchester in innovative low carbon plant and equipment.
DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
The pandemic has led to the loss of the equivalent of 255 million full-time jobs worldwide.
Winchester’s Social Mobility Pipeline to Degree Apprenticeships is initially focusing on care leavers; women aspiring to enter traditionally male-dominated occupations and leadership roles, women entrepreneurs, and underachieving males from white British low socioeconomic groups.
INDUSTRY, INNOVATION, AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Global manufacturing production plummeted by 6.8% in 2020, with a 4% growth in medium- and high-tech products fuelling economic recovery. Winchester now has 13 fully electric vehicles in its growing fleet, resulting in a significant reduction in the amount of diesel and petrol being bought for campus vehicles, with annual reduction of 45% in 2019/20 and 74% in 2018/19.
REDUCED INEQUALITIES
The proportion of the global population who are refugees has more than doubled since 2010. Winchester received a Sanctuary Award from UK charity City of Sanctuary in recognition of its initiatives to welcome refugees and asylum seekers and support them in higher education study.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
156 countries have developed national urban policies but only half are in the implementation stage. Winchester is the first UK university to secure green finance for campus development, with the new West Downs Centre well placed to achieve the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating of ‘Excellent’.
RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Each person generates about 7.3kg of e-waste, which is not disposed of responsibly. Winchester has signed up to the Eco-Campus certification scheme which will include significantly increasing procurement from renewable sources and reduction of single-use plastics.
CLIMATE ACTION
The climate crisis continues, largely unabated, with temperature increases continuing (1.2°C above pre-industrial levels in 2020). Academics, students and professional staff at all levels have taken part in the Carbon Literacy Project certified course in climate change and carbon literacy.
LIFE BELOW WATER
Dead zones (areas that lack sufficient oxygen) are rising at an alarming rate, from 400 in 2008 to 700 in 2019. A research project of Winchester’s Business School – Broadly Engaging with Tranquillity Project – is examining how development can be sensitive to ecological, social and economic interests, whilst also providing enjoyment of the countryside and coastal areas.
LIFE ON LAND
Dead Progress has been made towards sustainable forest management, but the world lost 100 million hectares of forest over two decades (2000-2020). Winchester’s Catering team secured a place in the 2020 Green Gown Awards for the inspiring catering initiative LIFE (Local, Independent, Fair and Ethical), which ensures commitment to compassion in animal welfare, reducing food miles and sustainable sourcing.
PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
Only 82 countries had independent national human rights institutions in compliance with international standards in 2020. Winchester’s Business School was amongst the early signatories to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) Principles in 2007/8. As such, PRME has played a central role in informing strategies relating to teaching, research and external engagement since the very formation of the Business School.
PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS
Nearly half of the global population – 3.7 billion people – are still not online.
Winchester’s Flourishing Communities Framework captures the institution’s commitment to supporting students and staff to flourish and inspire them to use their energy and skills to contribute to improving local and global communities.
Our transformational journey
We are amongst a handful of universities in the UK adding value to their reporting by incorporating the benefits of an integrated report for our wide-ranging stakeholders. As leaders in the UK Higher Education Sector for annual reporting, we are providing an exemplar for other public and private sector organisations.
This is our fourth year of reporting under the guiding principles of integrated reporting, a process founded on integrated thinking, that seeks to address how Winchester generates value for its stakeholders over time, and presents related communications regarding our aspects of value creation.
Integrated reporting has enabled Winchester to develop a new approach to stakeholder engagement. Consequently, this has led to improved relationships and enhanced our understanding of our strategic enablers. Adopting the framework has empowered us to broaden our perspectives, and better connect Winchester’s departments and faculties, to enable the successful delivery of our Strategic Plan.
Our integrated report is a concise communication about how Winchester’s strategy, governance, performance and prospects, in the context of its external environment, lead to the creation of value in the short, medium and long term.
Our report differentiates itself from our previous reports by further embodying the six guiding principles of integrated reporting:
•Strategic focus and future orientation – We provide an insight into our strategy and how it relates to Winchester’s ability to create value in the short, medium and long term. • Connectivity of information – This report provides a holistic picture of the combination, interrelatedness and dependencies between the factors that affect Winchester’s ability to create value over time. • Stakeholder relationships –
We explain the nature and quality of Winchester’s relationships with its key stakeholders. • Materiality – We disclose information about matters that substantively affect Winchester’s ability to create value over time. • Reliability and completeness –
We have included all material matters impacting Winchester’s ability to create value during the year ended 31 July 2021 in a balanced and concise way. • Consistency and comparability – Our Integrated
Annual Report is presented in a manner that allows for comparability with other providers in the HE sector and is consistent with previous years’ reports. This year we have enhanced our material issues with a clear and concise presentation of their content and impact on our performance. In this report, we have described how Winchester has created wider value and performed a vital role in society that benefits all of our stakeholders. We hope that this report portrays Winchester’s clear purpose and standing within its sector and how our added value benefits local, national and international communities.
Some highlights from this year
Winchester hosted a range of online events including workshops, presentations and reading groups to celebrate Black History Month in October, giving staff and students the opportunity to increase their understanding of black culture and history. Winchester was ranked number two in the UK for its ground-breaking work in sustainability and social justice in education contributing to the UN’s SDG 4 – Quality Education.
Professor Joy Carter announced her retirement at the end of March 2021 after 15 successful years as Vice-Chancellor at Winchester.
Winchester was named as one of the UK’s top 50 training providers for its degree apprenticeship courses at the 2020 RateMyApprenticeship Awards.
Winchester hosted a Beacon of Hope event as the November lockdown was ending, to thank staff, students, the wider community, and the NHS and show a symbol of hope after what had been a hugely challenging year. We pledged support for the newlylaunched Winchester Cycling Charter – a statement of the benefits cycling can bring to a city, its businesses, schools and citizens through supporting local business, boosting economic productivity and contributing to workforce wellbeing.
Winchester received the British Hedgehog Preservation Society’s Silver Accreditation for completing the second stage of a national campaign to make university campuses more hedgehog-friendly.
Winchester staff and students who volunteered with organisations across the city were celebrated at a special virtual ceremony for the University.
The Business School was awarded the Small Business Charter Award due to its innovative schemes to support small businesses and student entrepreneurship and its commitment to the local economy. Demonstrating its commitment to tackling racial inequalities within the higher education sector, Winchester signed the Race Equality Charter, which aims to improve the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students within higher education.
