Enhance our standing as an international University

Embed internationalisation into our activities

This means that .
Our staff understand what internationalisation means for the University of Leeds.
We have country and regional engagement plans which support our international strategic agenda
and priorities and secure our international presence and profile.
We provide an international experience for all students, through internationalisation of the curriculum
and increasing opportunities for home students to engage with international activity through Leeds
for Life.
We understand how internationalisation supports research performance.
We have a diverse and vibrant community, including high-quality international students and staff.
Alumni relation activities support the internationalisation agenda.
Create sustainable recruitment of high quality international students
This means that
International partnerships, collaborative teaching programmes and student exchange schemes
support our international recruitment activities.
We experience a strong level of demand from high-quality international students.
There is a shared common understanding of the primary factors which attract high quality
international students.
We recruit students from diverse markets to all levels of study and across subject areas, in
accordance with our strategic priorities.
Students receive excellent and creative teaching and are well supported, academically and
pastorally, through the Leeds model for personal tutoring.
The programme offer across the University meets the needs of international markets.
We engage alumni to assist in promoting Leeds to future students.
Develop and maintain high quality international strategic partnerships
This means that .
We have strategic partnerships with a limited number of prestigious international organisations
These partnerships enable us to extend our international impact and influence, provide significant
benefit and have a transformational impact upon our performance and profile.

Our international strategic partnerships contribute to a range of academic activity, explicitly linking
learning and teaching, enterprise, research and knowledge transfer.
We are clear about the international scope of our activities and are fully aware, for example, of
research and partnership opportunities in Europe.
We are heavily engaged with WUN, and participate in leading and partnering in the WUN Global
Challenge programme.

Achieve an influential world-leading research profile

Deliver international excellence in all our areas of research, with defined peaks of world-leading
performance
This means that ..
We achieve international excellence in all areas of our research making a major impact upon
global society.
We encourage, support and reward outstanding research within a culture where international
quality research is the norm.
The vast majority (over 90%) of our academic staff are actively engaged in research as well as
teaching.
We invest in multi-disciplinary, world-leading clusters which link our peaks of international
excellence in fundamental disciplines to the Grand Challenge agenda.
We will improve our standing in the research excellence league tables, as measured by the REF
2013..
We provide an excellent research environment and infrastructure that underpins the
development of world-class research.
Ambitiously grow our market share of research income
This means that ..
We achieve a substantial growth in our research income relative to world-class benchmarks such
that we will position ourselves in the top 7 UK universities for research income by 2015.
We have a diverse funding portfolio, using our multi-disciplinary research strengths to secure
longer, larger grants for research that responds to societal Grand Challenges.
Increased levels of research income are secured through strategic investment, and through aligning
our research agenda with those of our strategic partners.
We will improve success rates on applications and grant size, with a higher percentage of staff
attracting research funding.

We will improve our research intensity by increasing research income relative to teaching income
and developing a funding profile that is consistent with a world-class university.

Achieve an influential world-leading research profile

&
Inspire our students to develop their full potential
Translate excellence in research and scholarship into learning opportunities for students
This means that..
Our staff and students understand, value and appreciate the importance of the integration of worldclass research, scholarship and education.
Student learning is informed and delivered by international-quality research-active academic staff
and staff with professional and pedagogical expertise.
The structure and content of our programmes are such that all our taught students have the
opportunity throughout their studies to learn about and participate in the research process and to
understand how new knowledge is created. This might include, for example, students own
supervised projects, work with staff on aspects of the latters research, case studies, solving real-life
problems, and the use of relevant/industry-based applications.
Our staff are provided with effective development opportunities to support the translation of research
excellence into learning opportunities for students.
Deliver a postgraduate research experience that attracts the worlds best students
This means that..
We experience a strong level of demand from high-quality students who want to undertake
postgraduate research at Leeds.
Training for PGR students is aligned with our research agenda, and PGR students recognise that
they are an integral and highly valued part of our research strategy.
We understand and define what constitutes an excellent and intellectually stimulating research
student experience, and regularly review achievement of this from a students perspective.
We provide excellent research supervision delivered by trained and internationally research active
staff.
We develop centres of excellence for the training of postgraduate students.
We ensure that students are well-equipped for a range of careers upon graduation, with excellent
research and generic skills.

We secure a critical mass of research students to ensure a vibrant peer research culture.

Inspire our students to develop their full potential

Deliver an exceptional student experience centred on inspirational learning and teaching
This means that

All our staff are committed to delivering an exceptional student experience.

We inspire our students from the start by providing high quality induction programmes prior to
offering excellent and creative teaching at every level to ensure students continued interest in
and enthusiasm for their courses of study.
We encourage students to engage actively and progressively in their own learning and
development through the design of our programmes and personal tutoring model.
We recognise the value of feedback on assessed work.
We regularly and critically review our learning and teaching programmes, drawing upon the
expertise of our own staff and upon external advice from international experts, in order to keep
programmes relevant, intellectually challenging and up-to-date in content and delivery.
We challenge our students and encourage and assist them to develop skills vital for
employment, entrepreneurship and citizenship by integrating high quality programmes with a
wide range of co-curricular opportunities through Leeds for Life.
We communicate our role and responsibility, and our expectations of students, through our
partnership agreement.
We ensure that students are well supported, academically and pastorally, once they are at the
University through the Leeds model for personal tutoring and the peer mentoring scheme
We provide excellent learning resources and facilities, including a world class library and IT
systems.
We maintain a strong engagement with high profile, quality employers to ensure the curriculum
remains relevant and to foster placement opportunities.
We provide an environment which values, respects and encourages diversity and equality,
promotes intellectual freedom and gives students the opportunity to engage actively with issues
of internationalisation, sustainability and ethical awareness.
We offer students the chance to develop an international perspective through the curriculum and
through opportunities to study or work abroad.

Recruit and support high quality students from all backgrounds

This means that
We operate a fair, clear and transparent admissions policy.
We maintain a comprehensive programme of outreach to increase opportunities and raise
aspirations of young people and adults for higher education.
Through our fair access work, we identify and encourage applicants who have the potential to
succeed at the University of Leeds.
We provide financial support to students from low-income backgrounds to maximise
opportunities for them to study and succeed at the University.
We ensure all students receive the co-curricular and pastoral support needed to help them thrive
and succeed.

Increase our impact on a local to global scale

Innovate to create impact from academic excellence
This means that ..
We achieve international excellence in all areas of our research making a major impact upon
global society.
We have a high institutional reputation for delivering demonstrable economic and social impact
built upon our internationally excellent research.
We encourage all of our academics to produce excellent research with economic and societal
impact.
We sustain a culture that values innovation and enterprising activity across all disciplines, and
amongst staff and students.
We link enterprise, research and knowledge transfer, and have a developed infrastructure to
support enterprise and knowledge transfer.
We utilise our multi-disciplinary capability to focus our efforts upon the most important social
challenges.
We are successful in growing and diversifying our funding for longer, larger projects with an
impact on societal Grand Challenges.
Work with business, public and third-sector partners to create social & economic benefit
This means that
We use our international excellence in research to create social and economic impact and
benefit.
Our advice, expertise and research collaborations are easily accessible to businesses.

We commercialise intellectual property for both social enterprises and business.

We develop and maintain a defined number of high quality strategic partnerships.
We work with a range or organisations to ensure we maximise the Universitys cultural, social
and intellectual contribution to the quality of life in the City of Leeds and translate this selectively
on a national and international scale.
Influence society, public policy and culture
This means that
The expertise of our staff helps to shape Government policy and public debate.
We communicate the breadth and scale of the Universitys impact in an effective and
appropriate manner.
We continue to build strategic partnerships with key organisations in the City, region and
nationally to the benefit of society.
We make a distinctive contribution to the Citys cultural output and its impact at a regional and
national level, including the development of innovative collaborations with a range of cultural
partners.
Through Leeds for Life we provide students with opportunities to deliver social benefit to the City
and local communities through, for example, a significant programme of volunteering.
We produce rounded graduates capable of making a significant impact on society in diverse
ways.

A sustainable, effective and efficient organisation

Provide a sustainable environment with first class facilities
This means that
We provide a physical environment which has a sense of place and through the medium of
architecture provides a stimulating physical environment that encourages an atmosphere of
innovation, inspiration and community.
We provide appropriate facilities to create a research environment that is attractive to world class
staff.
We ensure that the Universitys estates, buildings and infrastructure meet academic, service and
social needs and can be sustained.
We guarantee high quality accommodation for all new students.
We invest in addressing backlog maintenance to ensure that by 2015 the majority of our
buildings will be in a good condition.

We have a collective commitment to environmental responsibility, supported by a Sustainable

Development strategy setting out our environmental targets, performance and ongoing
improvements.
All our new buildings and major refurbishments are to the highest environmental and low
carbon standards (i.e. BREEAM Very Good as a minimum).
Our suppliers and contractors share our commitment for developing and delivering
environmental practice.
We work to reduce the Universitys energy consumption, carbon usage and waste.
We promote sustainable and active commuting and travel for staff and students.
Our sustainable IT programme helps to deliver resource efficiencies and savings.
Secure a safe and healthy workplace and promote organisational wellbeing
This means that
All our leaders demonstrate a serious commitment to sound health and safety working practices.
All our leaders and our staff share a mutual commitment to building and maintaining healthy and
safe working practices.
Our accident and incident rates are at or better than appropriate sector norms.
Our organisational culture is characterised by attitudes to health and safety which are proactive
and responsible and based on mutual respect and regard.
Our management culture reflects the causal relationship between strong and supportive people
management and organisational sustainability and resilience.

Deliver effective, efficient and standardised processes

This means that
We operate simple, standard, effective and efficient processes that deliver consistently high
quality service without duplication.
We have a clear understanding of the objectives of our different processes, and of the roles and
responsibilities of our services, faculties and schools in delivering processes and services.
We understand who has overall responsibility for each process.
Our one-university culture ensures we take a university-wide perspective, and promotes
seamless operation of processes across functional and divisional boundaries.
We decrease the administrative and bureaucratic load on academic staff to create more time for
strategic academic development.
Deliver Strategic Academic Development
This means that

We communicate our strategy and our academic development priorities to all our staff,
increasing ownership and engagement.
We identify and align priorities for academic development and academic performance
enhancement across the University, in Faculties, Schools and Services, enabling individual
members of staff to reflect these priorities in their personal objectives through SRDS.
We invest in our high priority sustainable academic development projects, for instance through
the transformation fund and campaign projects, and monitor their delivery.
We are confident in taking measured risks to accelerate our strategic development.
We regularly and comprehensively review the performance of our faculties, schools and services
against a clear strategic framework and operational plan through the integrated planning
exercise, in the process identifying opportunities for development.
We review the strategic and academic direction, performance and financially sustainability of
individual schools and services through the Quinquennial Development Exercise.

Financial sustainability
Manage risk, costs and resources to support our strategic priorities
This means that

Risk management is embedded in day to day management responsibilities.

We deliver an efficient cost base across the University.
We align resources with strategic priorities to create academic and financial benefits.
Align academic and financial sustainability in all faculties and schools
This means that

All our schools and faculties are financially and academically sustainable.
Each school has an academic strategy which fulfils our research, L&T, international and EKT
vision whilst delivering a consistent net annual financial surplus thereby creating surplus funds
for reinvestment to promote strategic development.
Grow and diversify sources of profitable income to invest in our future
This means that

We diversify and rebalance our income mix by growing additional sources of profitable income to
invest in a sustainable future.
We grow and diversify sources of income through:
o

growth in research income and improvements in research recovery rates

increasing number of non HEFCE funded students

financially sustainable teaching programmes

attracting and retaining high quality international undergraduate and postgraduate

students.

increasing enterprise, knowledge and technology transfer activity

attracting profitable industrial contracts and consultancy

protecting and developing our intellectual property to gain new income from licensing and
spin out activity

philanthropic funds

We successfully manage a reduction in our dependency on HEFCE funding.

Valuing & developing all our staff

Enhance our leadership and management capability
This means that

We build leadership capability and skills in a wide range of staff to underpin our ability to deliver
a significant programme of change.
We appoint people with leadership skills to key, well defined, academic or professional roles and
then empower them to do the job.
We have excellent, well trained leaders in all our key academic and service roles and those
leaders are aware of their responsibilities and accountabilities in delivering the strategy.
We have a confident workforce that can function with appropriate autonomy.
We have a one-team culture between the senior executive and other leaders in the
organisation.
Build and maintain world class performance, engaging all our staff in our strategy and values
This means that

Our staff have a clear understanding of strategic priorities within their school/service and
understand how their performance, development and contributions relate to the University
strategy.

There is alignment between individual objectives and School, Faculty, Service and University
objectives.
Our strategy is built upon a culture where all staff expect to be challenged and supported to
reach their full potential, with an emphasis on teamwork to achieve high levels of performance.
All staff actively engage in and benefit from the Staff Review and Development Scheme
alongside regular constructive feedback that enables them to enhance their own performance.
Staff are guided by values which have wide ownership and which inform mutual obligations and
responsibilities.
We have a one team culture at all levels within the organisation.
Proactively attract, support and develop high quality staff
This means that

We take a proactive and imaginative approach to encourage top-performing staff to come to

Leeds, and to retain, develop and encourage them once they are here.
Our academic vision, reputation, environment and facilities make Leeds an attractive proposition
to world-class staff.
We attract the best international quality academic and professional staff, and support them
effectively.
We nurture promising talent and rising stars.
We proactively seek to recruit high quality international staff.
The development of all our staff is a key priority.