This site has been set up in support of the HE Futures blog. The project the blog and this wiki addresses is an exploration of  the possibilities for developing the blended learning strategy in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds. The School has long held a high reputation for the quality of its teaching and the students learning experience. This is built on the close integration of academic staff's' research activity and outputs with the School's programmes of study and teaching methods and processes. The reputation has also been assisted by the very high quality of its student intake at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and its committed and enthusiastic academic and support staff.

 

However, the University and the School will face significant challenges over the next 15 years or so.  There will be a greater diversity of 'markets' that will be place different  demands on Higher Education providers, both public sector and private. This will generate  a diversity of student constituencies and student needs. The main growth potential for higher education will be in international students while the home market will expand dramatically with part-time students but also a growing need for providing for work-based and adult students, continuing professional development and, more generally, for lifelong learning. Individual HEIs will not be able to cater for and exploit all of these new markets. In practice each university will evaluate the various opportunities for growth, and make decisions and implement strategies that are the most appropriate for their visions, their strengths and their target student constituencies. The approached taken by research led universities are likely to be different from those chosen by the post 1992 Universities although there will be significant overlaps in some instances. It is probable that clusters of complimentary institutions will cooperate in strengthening  their mutual positions while at the same time preserving and their own particular strengths and advantages. There will also be pressure to internationalise, both the curriculum but also in fostering links with overseas HEIs as joint providers.

 

This, in brief, is the context for this project. The School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds will react to, accommodate and exploit the opportunities of the future but will do so within an environment of opportunity, provision and support provided by the University. The policy and strategy of the School will be both constrained and enabled by that of the University and the School's engagment with the wider international and national environment of threats and opportunities will be mediated through the enabling systems of the University's leadership and management.

 

The initial phase of the project is an analysis and discussion of the recently published reports commissioned by The Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills. DIUS is currently developing a framework policy for Higher Education for the next ten to fifteen years. To this end a number of independent individuals and organisations were invited to make personal contributions on a number of specific higher education relevant themes which will help inform this policy development process. These reports are available from the Higher Education Debate blog. An engagement with and discussion of these reports will be the initial method of characterising the issues and challenges that the UK HE sector generally and the University of Leeds and its School of sociology and Social Policy are facing. This is the purpose of this wiki. There is a section for a summary of each of the reports commissioned by DIUS and notes on how each relates to the key topics addressed by the blog  and the project. Clearly some reports will be of more direct relevance than others. Additional sections will be added on an ad hoc basis as the project progresses.