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Unpacking the new Mission Statement

1. Our courses are designed so that students:

• Reach high academic and professional, vocational, or creative practice standards
• Are challenged to think for themselves, enquire, debate, and test assumptions
• Are introduced to the latest research findings in their subject, its methodologies and tests for truth, and acquire research skills themselves – all at an appropriate level
• Gain from the national and international learning communities within which we operate
• Learn effectively, using leading technologies and advanced facilities where appropriate
• Receive well-structured academic and pastoral support
• Become enterprising and entrepreneurial graduates, contributing to innovation, creativity and productivity in their organisation or community of practice
• Develop rewarding and interesting careers

2. Our authority to teach is founded on and informed by:

• Expert and specialist knowledge of the subject and its application
• Evidence-based, cutting-edge practice
• Research into the learning experience of students
• Applied research into relevant problems and issues

3. Our applied research involves:

• Working closely with partner organisations in all sectors – public, private and voluntary
• Using our knowledge and skills to understand and solve existing problems
• Delivering significant economic, commercial, environmental, cultural or social benefit.

4. Our applied research encompasses:

• Individual, Group and Centre research programmes
• Externally funded projects
• User-led R&D
• All forms of knowledge exploitation, for example: company spin-outs, patents, licensing deals, joint ventures
• Consultancies and the provision of authoritative and independent advice
• Provision of advanced facilities and related services to external organisations
• Bespoke courses for a single client for the purpose of knowledge transfer

So, by 2010 we should have:

1. Rolled out innovative, imaginative, and vocationally relevant courses in all areas of the curriculum, and improved the quality of the wider student experience, so that we have:

• Increased the number of students studying with Coventry University from 13,200 FTEs to 15,000 FTEs
• Increased the overall student satisfaction score from 75%  to 80% ‘very satisfied’
• Improved the up-take into graduate level jobs from 60% to 70%.

2. Established a reputation for applied research that has led to the tripling of income from this source from £10m in 2004/5 to £30m in 2010

3. Improved the IT infrastructure, developed the applications, and revised our processes so that we are a ‘smart’ campus.

4. Improved the overall level of staff satisfaction using appropriate external benchmarks.

5. Increased our turnover to £140m from £105m in 2004/5 and secured the surpluses agreed with the Board of Governors each year.

6. Moved into the top ten of ‘new’ universities as judged by the Times League Table. (Moving up from 88th to 62nd on 2005 figures)

• 1. We are committed to the principle of academic freedom, founded on rational enquiry conducted with integrity
• 2. We contribute to economic prosperity and to social well-being and cohesion
• 3. We seek to foster innovation, creativity and enterprise among our students, staff and partner organisations
• 4. We aim to work in sustained partnerships with external organisations, and we encourage supportive team work across internal boundaries
• 5. Our services are continually being improved, strive to be customer-focused, and seek to use IT appropriately
• 6. As an organisation we care for each other and value diversity, fairness, and equality of opportunity
• 7. We trust our staff to make decisions using their professional judgement and to contribute positively to the development of the university
• 8. We value our staff and seek to develop their knowledge, skills and capabilities for their own professional fulfilment and the university’s benefit
• 9. We aim to care for the environment and the communities within which we operate