Discover and share good practice for smarter working universities

Efficiency Exchange

Efficiency Exchange

The virtual open day – bringing the campus to the applicant 

Clearing is often about making quick decision but how do you equip those students to make those choices when they haven't visited your university? Holding a virtual open day helps those students make an informed decision by offering them a glimpse of university life without setting foot on campus.

HEPI Where next for widening participation and fair access?

The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the social mobility charity Brightside are jointly publishing a collection of essays by senior higher education figures entitled Where next for widening participation and fair access? New insights from leading thinkers.

Nick Petford: seismic shifts at Northampton

The University of Northampton is undergoing many changes ahead of the move to the Waterside campus in 2018. Last December, Efficiency Exchange caught up with vice chancellor Professor Nick Petford who talked about his role in the change and drew some surprising parallels between his academic specialism of volcanology and the higher education environment.
BUFDG logo

Integrated Reporting in four British universities

*** Reposted with working link *** This document is intended to assist universities in their transition to this new approach to 'value creation', just as universities start thinking about producing annual reports and accounts for the latest financial year. It is the second phase of BUFDG's work in encouraging universities to adopt Integrated Reporting.
WonkHE

How clearing is changing

The A-level results are published next week with students entering what has been described as the most competitive admissions market yet. But Dan Benyon writes on Wonkhe that clearing is changing, starting earlier with universities adopting a much more targeted, data driven approach.
SUPC

How collaboration between procurement and estates is delivering value for money

With universities spending billions on estates, the relationship between estates and procurement services is key. Three members of the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium have described how their institutions are building closer relationships between these two departments, which are delivering savings and better value for money.

Why we must plan now for the university landscape in 20 years’ time 

Universities should already be thinking about how to accommodate the student who will arrive at their campus in 20 years time, a former US policy adviser tells the Guardian. In an interview for the Higher Education network, Karen Gross warns that planning for the future is like chess, "If you don't think five moves ahead, you’re behind."

University libraries need to start putting the student first

A good library is an important weapon in keeping student satisfaction levels high, writes Ben Hickman from consultancy Alterline. But in an article for the Guardian Higher Education Network he adds that all too often they don't reflect the needs of the student of 2017 and like other parts of universities, must change their culture.
Jisc logo

Welcome to the intelligent campus

As 'smart homes' become more and more sophisticated, universities are harnessing technology to improve the campus or classroom experience for students. Now institutions are planning on taking it to the next level, by using data from sensors, tracking and the internet, combined with information from other sources, as Jisc's James Clay describes in this blog.
WonkHE

The need to future proof data on degree value

With data like TEF and LEO, the question of value is at their core and understood largely in terms of students’ expectations and outcomes, particularly those which relate to careers and salaries. But what if the career landscape changes in the future, Adam Wright asks on Wonkhe.