SUMS Space Management Seminar
Making best use of space is a critical issue for universities. Our meeting heard how some universities are
struggling to make efficiencies in their use of space and at the same time maintain or increase student
satisfaction and support the recruitment of new students. Birmingham City University illustrated the
tensions with a fascinating talk on their move to a new city centre campus. Sharon Penfold, SUMS consultant,
talked about how technology is being embedded in the digital campus. LBS and Westminster addressed the
issue of measuring space, using metrics to understand where efficiencies can be made.
SUMS Members’ Meeting: Innovation into Action
There is no shortage of exhortations for HE to innovate and, with developments in technology and pedagogy,
no shortage of opportunities. Making them a reality, however, can be a challenge. The implications for the
nature of the estate, academic practices and student experience can be huge. This day focused not only on
some of these opportunities but also on what it takes to bring them to life.
The morning talks were on very different topics: one focused on building a new campus and the other more
on teaching and learning. If innovation is part inspiration and part perspiration, both illustrated the level of
perspiration often needed. In the afternoon, the focus shifted to academic research on innovation and case
studies from outside the sector. Some useful frameworks were provided that can be used to drive progress.
Student Number Planning Workshop
The need to integrate student number planning with other plans is more critical than ever. The removal of the
student number cap has put stress on university planning processes; some universities see an opportunity for
student number growth which runs ahead of estate capacity. The meeting explored this issue and went on to
look at the opposite issue: where universities are seeking to consolidate their operations on fewer campuses.
The need to link the student number planning process to budgets, so that the one automatically updates the
other, came across strongly.
This was a joint SUMS Altius workshop. Altius presented their work with Unite on student number planning
and budget integration.
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SUMS Consulting Annual Review 2016