PowerPoint presentation of potential vision for the UHI Arts, Humanities and Business Faculty, delivered by Neil Simco, May 2009

1. Dr Neil Simco
Dean of Business and Leisure
March 2009

2. Contextualising Challenges and Opportunities
Challenges and opportunities are articulated within an academic context.
This context must uphold the deep inter-connection between research, the
academic portfolio and learning and teaching. It is concerned with affirming
the primacy of the academic function, and is informed by a range of internal
and external drivers.
Research
and
Scholarship
Academic
Portfolio
Learning and
Teaching
Strategy
Internal Drivers
(in particular the new
strategic plan)
External
Drivers
(eg Scottish
Government economic
and skills strategies,
New Horizons Task
Force, SFC priorities)

3. Academic Portfolio
Challenge Opportunities building on achievements
To create a demand led 1. Continuously identify new academic products through diversification,
academic portfolio that employer engagement built on strong
will contribute significantly partnerships (eg transport and logistics) and the development of a balanced
to the increase in student portfolio, including M level provision in all subject areas.
numbers at UHI identified
in the strategic plan for the 2. Maximise access, recruitment, progression and retention, through
Institution. engagement with schools (starting at P7); facilitating and strengthening
progression, particularly from SQA qualifications to degrees)
being uncompromising about the quality of the student experience and
through securing international students.
3. Ensure that the academic portfolio is delivered in an efficient and effective
way through, careful and robust scrutiny of resource at approval and
validation; a clear focus on core learning and a strategy of ensuring efficiency
through the deployment of the minimum number of modules for the largest
number of qualifications.
4. Clarify the role, form and purpose of the `Management School’.

4. Research and Scholarship
Challenge Opportunities building on achievements
To create a vibrant culture of 1. Create opportunities for all staff to understand the primacy of the academic
scholarship across all Faculty function, to become immersed in scholarly thematic groups within subject
academic staff and produce networks, to have opportunities for scholarly output to be disseminated
significant formal research internally, and for individuals to have access to support in their scholarly
output from the Faculty. aspirations. Ensure these opportunities are realistic!
2. Foster collaborative research projects across the UHI network and with
other HEIs, particularly, where appropriate with Aberdeen, Edinburgh and
Strathclyde Universities.
3. Create a research centre which demonstrably adds value to the economy of
the Highlands and Islands within one subject discipline located within the
Faculty. Such a research centre would be funded and would lead to formal
research output and to the enrolment of new research students.

5. Learning, Teaching and Assessment
Challenge Opportunities building on achievements
To ensure that all students have 1. Within the UHI Learning and Teaching Strategy, encourage
access to an imaginative, contemporary, the deployment of a blended learning approach in the fullest
relevant and flexible approach sense of the word - involving, as appropriate, effective use of
to their learning. the VLE; skilful and varied face to face teaching; high quality
work placements; the imaginative integration of learning
resources within study and an approach to assessment which
utilises a wide range of techniques.
2. Encourage all teaching staff to develop their teaching skills,
through continuing professional development (perhaps through a
PGC in Learning and Teaching); through structured reflection
and through dissemination of good practice (a `teaching and
learning fest’).
3. Encourage staff to embrace the notion that there is a clear link
between the imperative of scholarship and the learning,
teaching and assessment function. The study of pedagogy in HE
and FE is in itself a worthy academic discipline.