Discover and share good practice for smarter working universities

British Universities Finance Directors Group

Introduction to Higher Education Finance

BUFDG's free e-learning module Introduction to HE Finance includes tackling questions such as where universities' money comes from and how it is spent. It has been will made available to professionals working outside finance departments to complete the course who don't have a full BUFDG account.
British Universities Finance Directors Group

Integrated Reporting in HE

The Integrated Reporting framework offers an opportunity for universities to develop their annual reports into something more accessible, with a potential audience beyond regulators or governors. This study gives a snapshot of reporting at seven universities, showing that while some are starting to report in far more integrated ways, even the best examples have room for improvement.

Implementation of Cost-Sharing Exemption in Universities

N8 universities have been working towards utilisation of the VAT Cost-Sharing Exemption (CSE) for sharing of equipment through the development of an approved Cost Sharing Group (CSG) model. By using an existing shared asset - N8 high performance computing - as a model facility for setting up a CSG, the N8 hoped to demonstrate its value and viability.

The UK Higher Education Learning Space Toolkit: a SCHOMS, AUDE and UCISA collaboration

This toolkit has been produced by three higher education organisations to help their members share best practice and work more effectively when creating learning spaces. It is intended to serve both as a practical guide and as a source of inspiration in the design of spaces that delight and motivate students, as well as meet their functional needs.

Jisc SSL certificate service

Here at Jisc, we have been helping customers protect their websites through our certificate service. The service allows customers to obtain secure socket layer (SSL) certificates which are a vital part of internet security.

SHERPA REF Beta

A web service funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to clarify journal compliance with the Research Excellence Framework (REF), has been launched in beta form. Jisc's SHERPA REF Beta allows authors and institutions to quickly, accurately and easily check whether a journal they wish to publish in complies with open access policy for the REF.

Developing the tools to navigate the student journey

Last week Claire Povah explained how Lancaster University mapped the student journey, in a bid to better understand their needs. Today, Chris Dixon explains how the map informed the development of apps to give students a smoother start to academic life.

Big change vs small change

Examinations at Edinburgh Napier used to be a complicated process. This cartoon case study on redesigning the university's examination process shows how a series of small changes saved time for students and staff while improving security.

Student journey map – Lancaster University

The overall aim of this project was to easily visualise and understand the complexity of the student journey. Through the project, the team wanted to identify those touch points on the student journey which were challenging and use this visual data to influence change.

Schools Planning Framework for Academic Leaders

The Schools Planning Framework project funded by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, seeks to explore the development of a practical application of a performance management tool, aimed at academic units. The report sets out the findings of the project as a case study based at the University of Lincoln.