Reset FAQs

Added 3 April 2024

It seems like there might be some confusion with the Milton site, which was disposed of over 10 years ago. 

However, the question could be referring to the Langstone site, which includes three main buildings that have recently been refurbished to provide good quality and affordable student housing. This approach not only ensures a sufficient amount of accommodation is available offering a hall’s guarantee to students, but also avoids making further commitments with third-party providers.

Added 3 April 2024

We are exploring the temporary use of the Melbourne Place car park. 

Added 3 April 2024

The New Multi-storey car park would not affect the cost of car parking. However, we continually review the car parking charges annually .

We have received several questions on this topic and multiple suggestions for using some of our spaces to increase revenue generation. These are valid suggestions, and many options are being considered to ensure we are able to generate the maximum income from our estate. There is a precedent for this activity at Portsmouth, where the Innovation Connect team generates income through the hiring of Halpern House, Future Technology Centre, and the Technopole to many clients. We would welcome further suggestions for how we can use our buildings and equipment for income generation. Please discuss your ideas with your line manager initially.

In order to overcome financial challenges, the University cannot simply rely on cutting costs. It is essential to invest in creating a modern, technologically advanced environment that attracts students to study here and ensures the University's future. To achieve this, it is necessary to redevelop the University's estate to make it more attractive and welcoming to students. These two goals are interconnected and should not be considered in isolation.

The University is in a relatively fortunate position. We have substantial reserves, including external funding through a loan, that will fund the capital expenditure in our estates and digital masterplans. Both of these are crucial to our future recruitment success and to providing a high-quality student experience, along with providing a better environment for research and innovation.

Consolidating our estate forms a key part of the Estates Masterplan and Phase 2 of the Reset Savings Programme. This process has already begun with the consolidation of professional services teams in the Mercantile Building. A similar consolidation will also see student support services moving into the new Student Hub and a refurbished Wiltshire building by August 2025. Development of the New Technology building will further consolidate a number of buildings across the estate. More information will be shared at the Estates Masterplan Briefing and Q&A for staff on 13 February.

There is already a program of works in progress to improve the university buildings with almost 100 improvement projects across the estate. Further actions and improvements will be included as part of the Estates Masterplan. Significant resources will be dedicated to enhancing the existing estate in addition to building new developments, as we recognise the importance of optimising existing buildings while also creating new ones.

Our current estate struggles to keep pace with our progress as an institution. Many buildings are outdated, hindering collaboration and innovation. New facilities are urgently needed to provide our students with the best possible learning experience and our researchers with the tools they need to excel.

Investment in our estate will allow us to recruit students to our courses and to make sure they have the best possible experience while studying here. This forms a critical part of our efforts to ensure that we reverse the decline in student recruitment. Providing a modern and vibrant campus environment will significantly aid recruitment and enhance the student experience of both current and future students. A modern Estate will also be more sustainable and as a result more cost effective to operate.

Marine Science is an important part of our brand and is an area we wish to support and hopefully grow. However, we have to make decisions when we have limited resources to prioritise these areas with the poorest quality estate that supports the largest proportion of our around 27,000 students. We acknowledge and value the services provided at the IMS and we will continue to invest in the estates infrastructure to ensure the services can continue to provide high-quality teaching. Clearly if greater resources become available for example through increased student income then IMS investment is a high priority.

The estates masterplan considers the current under-utilisation of space and builds on the development of shared services and accommodation, including equipment. The use of multi-functional space will be a key design consideration.

Along with the required redevelopment plan and consolidation of the estate, there are plans to use some existing space to generate additional revenue streams and in some case where buildings are not used they will be considered for disposal.

Added 3 April 2024

The University was successful in negotiating a Private Placement loan of £100m to assist in the funding of our Estates capital projects. The interest rates are very preferential and we achieved a very good deal for this long term money, but clearly the finer details are commercially sensitive. Suffice to say that they were taken out at a time when interest rates were historically very low.

Of course with any loan arrangements over the long term, lenders do place covenants on the money and we have two covenants in place. One has very favourable terms whilst the other does depend on us generating a reasonable level of operating cash each year, which is common practice. Under the current circumstances that is a challenge, but we clearly wish to avoid any breach of the loan covenants if possible. 

As you would expect, we are in regular conversation with our lenders as we were over the COVID period. The money has not been spent and is currently held in deposit to be used to support our estates masterplan.

Added 3 April 2024

The building was constructed within the budget set with the final cost still being finalised but estimated at around £57M. A clear analysis and business plan was developed for this building and the fact was that before we had this facility our sports provision for both staff and students was not good enough. This was a big issue for student recruitment as students want good indoor sports facilities and this was damaging to our reputation for student recruitment.  This is why we like to showcase this facility during open days and open experience days as it is an important factor in student decision making.

We do of course subsidise student membership but we are able to do that through charging full price for public membership and the quality of the provision enables us to do that.

Added 3 April 2024

This is almost impossible to estimate, but what is clear is that our buildings and the lack of good quality teaching and student areas is hampering our ability to recruit students, which in turn has a negative effect on our income. 

We have to be able to compete effectively for students and on open days there is a common theme around the quality of our estate in comparison to our competitors. What is also the case is that the longer we delay investment, the more expensive the construction of new buildings and the refurbishment of existing buildings becomes, which means each year that passes the extent of what we can do with our money diminishes. 

We also have a lot of small buildings (we own over 80 buildings in the city) and we need to be more efficient and consolidate as this saves on the cost of running buildings and helps towards a more environmentally sustainable campus.

The UK’s Higher Education sector is in a precarious position. The decline in the value of the fixed unit of resource of tuition fees has meant that all providers have ever decreasing income from Home UG students. In addition, a public campaign against international students has meant that the income from international students has also been significantly reduced. Until such a time as these pressing questions are addressed by policymakers, it is hard to be entirely optimistic about the future of the sector. We are however confident in the sector’s resilience, ability to innovate, and continued appeal to the learners of the UK. 

This is not an approach being considered at present by the University. The reality is that £9,250 is already not fully covering our costs and to reduce income per student further would compound the loss on each student. We could end up teaching more students but for 10% less income. In the current financial position, we would be unwise to reduce any avenue of additional resource. Research suggests that approaches like this do not necessarily influence choice to the extent we may believe. We would be better targeting support to students who are affected by cost of living challenges and may need support to continue as students. We are doing this through our student support funds and scholarship schemes, but clearly, anything we can do to retain students already recruited will have an impact.

Although the challenges themselves were not surprising, the extent of their impact was not predictable. All our markets have been hit at once and the speed with which these changes in demand emerged has affected the entire sector. The rapid decline in the international student market as a result of new government decisions, the worsening economic situation with currencies in key markets facing devaluation, and the increase in anti-university rhetoric in areas of the popular media have all arrived simultaneously and at a pace quicker than many believed possible. We continue to work with colleagues from across the sector to lobby decision-makers to resolve/mitigate these problems, but in the context that many areas of public life in the UK are similarly challenged from schools to NHS and Councils.

The university is committed to exploring those alternative revenue-generating activities that generate a surplus, and this is an area where ideas from our community are very valuable. Exploring external funding opportunities that align with skills demand has been a critical focus so far, with some notable success in obtaining funding from central government for an enhancement of our degree apprenticeship provision and securing a sizable amount of funding for the Technology Faculty from the OfS. Income generation from additional sources will be explored in order to secure the University’s future.  A number of Faculties are growing contract income in areas such as Degree Apprenticeships, but we do have a tendency to sell our services and expertise to the business community at rates that do not cover costs. We often undervalue the extent of our expertise. 

The London Campus and Medical School are good examples of strategic-level decisions to broaden our footprint, to create greater resilience, and to support future income generation potential. There are also opportunities to work more directly with partners to access markets that would not normally be pursued by us directly, including franchise provision both in the UK and overseas. These ideas can emerge from opportunities identified within Faculties but also from central teams.

The University currently undertakes multiple activities to ensure that students receive proper support during the cost of living crisis. Our support services have established a wide range of online resources to promote money-saving tips and how to become more ‘cash savvy’ and we work closely with the University of Portsmouth Students’ Union to educate our students about financial issues and support them during this difficult economic period. Our scholarship schemes and the University Student Support Fund are there in order to provide additional financial assistance to those students most in need during their studies.

The strain placed upon students by the cost of living crisis is undeniable. Although it remains an acute problem, Portsmouth remains a comparatively affordable location for students. In last year’s NatWest Student Living Index Portsmouth was ranked the 4th most affordable city for student living. We continue to lobby the government and opposition parties on this issue and work constructively with the University of Portsmouth Students’ Union to ensure our students are supported during this difficult period.  

It is also the case that accommodation through our own provision of halls of residence is more affordable than in other competitor cities with a range of price points available for students to choose from. We can also do our bit in the academic design of programmes to ensure that as far as possible we avoid the need for students to buy additional academic resources, including textbooks, and instead give access through Moodle or provide digital and physical resources in the Library.

The increase of 2.5% to the maintenance loan, which is once again below inflation, means that many of our students have to supplement maintenance loans with other earnings to afford University. This is a very big issue and while the cost of living in Portsmouth is relatively low, we do have to ensure that we support students when necessary. That is why we have scholarship schemes and a student support fund to help students in difficulty so they can continue their studies. 

Of course, the funds we receive to educate our undergraduate students have once again not been increased (an increase of 0% in fact from 2017/18 when it was increased to £9,250 from the £9,000 fee set in 2012/13) while the University is also experiencing the same significant inflation to costs. This means that the finance available for us to help is also becoming increasingly constrained and any additional funding we provide to students has to be found from savings to the costs of our core operations, which are already under strain.

The University undertakes extensive financial planning to assess the impact of a range of scenarios and considers multiple measures to mitigate these. This longer-term planning ensures that models are explored and planned for. We thank the finance team for their hard work and look forward to welcoming our new CFO joining us very shortly. The cost-saving measures set out under Phase One and Phase Two of the Reset Savings programme have been designed to place the University in a financially sustainable position in future.

It is not possible to share the University’s deficit publicly at this time as it will ultimately depend on the success of current measures and the final international student recruitment position in January/February 2024. The cost-saving measures currently being considered have been designed to ensure that the long-term future of the organisation is secured. All budget holders have been asked to find enduring savings of 10% and will have completed their thorough review of expenditure by the 7th of February.

Yes we can do this. We will work with colleagues in the communications team to ensure that information is appropriately circulated to colleagues.

Each faculty receives its fee income and OfS Teaching Grant relating to the students it recruits. It does not go into one pot. Every dept/school also has its own cost centre where the fees for its courses are credited. From 2023/24 onwards we also have a new SITS report which enables us to look at fee income at course level (actuals not forecast). Each Faculty and dept/school also have its direct costs charged to a range of cost centres within its structure. 

The University is tied into the employer's contribution rates for both the TPS and LGPS. This is a sector-wide issue with some Universities are considering joining alternative pension schemes. Multiple options are currently being explored. 

The ten-year forecasts are based on a prudent basis which includes student recruitment being the same as 2023/24 for most modes and levels of students. However, a modest growth in Home Full-Time Undergraduate students is anticipated based on our current application levels. It would be risky and neglectful to base expenditure budgets for 2024/25 onwards on aspirational student numbers and fee income, especially when our student recruitment and applications have declined in previous years. Of course, different scenarios for increased or reduced student numbers are being modelled. There is evidence that while the demographics for University aged individuals is positive, participation rates may be starting to fall. This means potentially a smaller percentage choosing University study which leads to volatility in the market. International student recruitment is affected negatively by current policy decisions and challenging currency values internationally.

Added 3 April 2024

We have been considering the management of exams and boards very carefully and are exploring ways to reduce our costs and time commitment to these tasks. We want to do this well and with due consideration to the particular needs and circumstances of each Faculty. This means that change will not be in place for this year.

We will explore the impact of any redundancy on activity such as supervision, assessment and exam boards on a case by case basis and offer extended leaving dates where needed. 

We have a number of distance learning and flexible offers for students. Learning at Work is a good example. Additionally, our fairly new collaboration with the Cambridge Education Group supports a range of new online courses, with 1,300 students enrolled in 2023/24. The portfolio of DL provision responds to market demand and also will be part of our ‘portfolio review’ of growth opportunities. While it is important for us to offer flexible ways of studying, we should also bear in mind that many students want the campus experience and the experience of living in a different country. The online market is also very crowded and the competition for students is high.

More information regarding student-staff ratios and a consultation process were shared by the Provost on 12 March, as part of the Academic Reset. 

More information regarding school mergers was shared by the Provost on 12 March, as part of the Academic Reset. 

The work to review the University’s course portfolio is continuing. We are currently running a pilot project in TECH to ensure that we can enhance the portfolio review process. The principles underpinning the review are to ensure our academic portfolios are: 

• Future fit and responsive to the needs of the economy and society;
• Efficiently delivered and cost-effective;
• Performing well against key KPIs (including OfS B conditions + NSS); 
• Meeting the needs of our student body; 
• Increasing student retention. 

We agree on the need for innovation and interdisciplinary solutions and we are currently considering what our portfolio of all-University modules should look like. However, in all of these types of changes, we must also consider market demand and although it is easy for us to see the great value and huge potential of interdisciplinary work and study, there is little demand from potential students for these kinds of degrees. It is our ambition to ensure that our academic portfolio is future-fit though and this must include flexibility. It will take some time to bring the appropriate changes to our curriculum framework and we are conscious of not creating disruption in our educational offer by imposing too much change too quickly.

In this instance, block teaching means teaching short modules consecutively, rather than our longer concurrent offer. We are watching the development of the London campus learning and teaching offer with interest. We are also very conscious of the huge commitment London colleagues are making to continuous professional development. 

The advantages of block teaching are being much discussed across the sector at the moment but we must bear in mind that there are challenges too. We are particularly concerned about how to maintain quality while change happens. To move to effective block teaching we will need to upskill colleagues, change our curriculum framework, change the way Moodle works and rethink assessment. We’re reluctant to consider that while so many other changes are underway, but it is something we are thinking about for the future.

Added 3 April 2024

Our spending on learning and teaching must be consistent with our income to ensure the long-term survival of the institution. That means we are currently faced with some really difficult choices as we manage our budgets to reduce costs. We acknowledge the need to consider how partnerships and connections with industry are maintained under these circumstances. Those connections, however, should lie with the institution and not with individuals and we will need to ensure that is the case for the future.

With regard to the maintenance of excellence in teaching, work is ongoing to review the portfolio and change some of our approaches to learning, teaching and assessment. This is intended to ensure that costs can be reduced with minimal impact on the quality of learning and teaching. We’re grateful to colleagues engaged with that work and acknowledge the need to ensure that it is a thoughtful process which takes account of circumstances and needs in each Faculty.

We acknowledge that the awarding gaps are not acceptable and must be addressed as a matter of urgency. Most negatively affected groups are our students of Black heritage who are awarded significantly fewer good degrees than their White counterparts. 

There are a number of things we are doing to address the gaps: 

• We are acknowledging as a senior team that we take responsibility for those gaps and the actions needed to eliminate them. We are encouraging discussion and conversation across the University to support a greater understanding of the issues. 
• We are reviewing and changing some processes that tend towards embedding disadvantage. In particular, we are making changes to our Academic Quality processes and are encouraging thoughtful review of assessment practices. 
• We are working closely with UPSU and our PGM ambassadors to better understand the student experience and co-produce actions to support change. 
• Through our internal communications, we are challenging all colleagues to inform themselves about the issues and consider what changes they can make to improve student experience. 

Please do come along to the Education Conversations events (8-15 March) to hear more and make your commitment to change.

The summary of the Academic Reset can be found here.  

You can also find out more about changes to the education strategy and how you might influence that by attending one of the Education Conversations or watching the video that will be available via the Staff Newsletter of 4 March. 

Supporting students is everyone’s business, with the introduction of the new Student Support Services, we are working to develop a network of support that relieves our academic colleagues of the more complex support that they have, historically, been required to deliver. By delivering targeted training to support teaching staff to identify emerging vulnerabilities and enabling them to refer earlier to the network of faculty SEOs who are linked with the new Student Life Team, vulnerable students can be directed to the Student Life Team where they will be appropriately triaged and provided with the appropriate support they need. The Student Support Services Management team is working on a communication plan to clearly describe the new developments, training, referral pathways and support mechanisms across all faculties and professional services colleagues by the end of April.

As part of the Reset we are considering a range of options with academic and professional service leads, which could potentially include more localisation of service, a hub and spoke model, through to centralisation however we make no assumptions about one particular approach being more sustainable or effective than another at this time. Rather, this requires a service by service exploration, which we will discuss more broadly when we have proposals ready for feedback.  

Added 3 April

We have now revamped our scholarships offering for 2024/25 to make it more attractive and have frozen our tuition fees and recalibrated it in some cases to make it more attractive. There is a balance between being able to offer a more extensive scholarship scheme and affordability. We have revamped the scholarships in a manner that ensures that balance is maintained.

Added 3 April 

Our placement fees have been low for some time but we are moving to 15% next academic year so as to ensure we start to realign ourselves with others. However if we were to increase it too suddenly it may impact on some students especially those from a widening participation background. 

Added 3 April 2024

The decision to review the tariffs this year is as a result of the last recruitment cycle’s outcome and an internal analysis of our tariff data.  We have compared our data with the data sets that were available from across the sector and our key competitors, and we did this by subject and in some cases course level.

This was done as part of the work to review how we approached marketing and recruitment which was done with the help of our interim marketing lead. That data revealed that overall our tariff was one grade higher than others and hence the need to do an in-cycle amendment to our tariff. We did not use organisations such as Data HE or others to do this work.

Open Days continue to be a priority for the University. Alongside the addition of a further December date, new facilities are being used to host the activities (such as the Ravelin Sports Centre), and efforts are being made to fully demonstrate the breadth of our offering beyond the classroom. This has included partnering with the University of Portsmouth Students’ Union to showcase the extent of their extra-curricular offerings. Since their introduction, these measures have so far yielded an increase in engagement with open day activities. 

We have also changed our Applicant Experience days to open experience days so as to offer an opportunity to a wider audience to attend our open days. We are pleased to see the impact of these changes to open days, along with other measures like changes to tariff levels and offer-making. At the end of January closing date, our 2024 UCAS applications are 6% higher than last year. This is the first year-on-year increase in ten years. The hard work of colleagues across the University that has contributed to this improvement is recognised and welcomed.

The University will not be cutting all of the spending for recruitment and outreach events and processes. However, we must ensure we get a return on investment and prioritise spending in this current climate on activities that give us the biggest impact for our recruitment and outreach. We will need to focus on priority areas and if that means not undertaking some previous activities then that decision will be made. 

The University is in regular dialogue with colleagues from across the city including the City Council, to ensure that Portsmouth is enhanced and showcased. We are proud members of the ‘City Vision’ board and Shaping Portsmouth. We enjoy a close working relationship with the football club through our continued sponsorship, and the University leadership meets regularly with the City Council leadership to ensure that our two organisations are working closely together on a large number of city-wide activities. We also liaise with the City Council over practical matters, such as the cleanliness of the Guildhall Walk area particularly for Graduation and open days.  

The recruitment of students is one of the University’s strategic imperatives. We already use a variety of social media platforms as this is an important way of engaging with potential applicants. New ideas are always welcome - please liaise with your Faculty marketing rep or directly with the Marketing and Communications team.

We recognise the importance of user feedback to all our processes. We welcome feedback from colleagues as to their child’s experience in the process. During this year we are doing a lot of things at pace so we would value the feedback from colleagues directly A number of staff have fed back on their child’s experience from time to time and that is appreciated. 

Over the next six months, we will be looking at how our marketing and recruitment function is being delivered to ensure a more joined-up and cohesive service across the institution. We will also be looking at providing more resources in-house rather than outsourcing so as to provide a quicker, more efficient, and more cost-effective delivery of marketing collateral.

At the end of January closing date, our 2024 UCAS applications are 6% higher than last year.  We have performed better than the sector and our competitor set. The focus is now on ensuring that these applications are successfully converted into students for the next academic year. 

New initiatives are underway for postgraduate recruitment, for example we’re launching a tutor advocacy campaign to help raise awareness of our 20% Alumni Tuition Fee Discount and Fast Track application route for Master’s study. We will also be launching new courses for 2024/25 including a number of new Degree Apprenticeships. 

There are numerous options to help to remedy the recent downturn in international student numbers. It will be essential to ensure that international applicants receive a high-quality applicant experience, are presented with an attractive academic offering, and clear support that extends beyond the classroom. We must also consider a more diverse international recruitment pool to prevent an overreliance on a narrow, and potentially unstable, market. Alongside these measures, the University will continue its efforts to lobby policymakers and the wider public on the benefits of international students so that they are again valued as assets to the United Kingdom. 

The digital transformation plan is a key facet for the long-term success of the University. A University’s thriving digital estate is as important to its success as its physical estate and teaching provision. As such, it is expected that the digital transformation of the University, alongside the range of other measures being put in place, will provide a more complete package for applicants and successfully encourage the recruitment of potential students.

There are different reasons accounting for the decline in recruitment and targets which include changes in behaviour, government rhetoric about the value of a degree etc. However the student target for the last intake was actually reduced from the previous year and this was not sufficient to address the decline in applications and acceptances. This has now been addressed through a change in approach to marketing and recruitment including our offer strategy and we are moving to a three year planning for student targets which faculty are working through at present.

There has been a combination of reasons for the decline in UG recruitment which includes effects of the pandemic, government rhetoric of the value of a degree, alternative choices available, inflation and also the actions of universities above us in seeking to maximise home recruitment due to uncertainty in the international recruitment. 

Across our Southern competitors we know that most have fallen in comparison with their previous years numbers as well. However we have now started to address the issue with a different approach to recruitment and marketing and additional changes will be taking place to improve our recruitment and conversion rate. There will be lessons learnt from our past performance but we are addressing this through our actions for this year which is seeing us increase our applications and acceptances and above our competitor set and the sector. There is more to do to ensure they arrive and register so everyone’s continued effort in focussing on this will be crucial. 

We appreciate that colleagues have been supportive of the changes we are making such as the connected degrees, changing offer strategy, OED days, engagement, use of Bonjuro for personalised video messaging which is making the difference. We still have a lot to do and we can do it together. 

Increasing retention is very important to us, as is improving student experience. Everyone can and should contribute here. We need to ensure that we get the basics of student experience right: excellent communication, clear signposting, and timely posting of resources are some of the keys to this. 

Small things can make a big difference and our teaching colleagues will soon see some guidelines on good practice in feedback on assessment. Our larger project to address awarding gaps is continuing and we are very grateful that colleagues are embracing this and considering what they can do to help. 

We are also changing policies to improve experience for those students who might be struggling. This will include more, and more flexible, opportunities to retrieve failure. 

Our portfolio review process will also, over the medium term, ensure that our offer to students is responsive to their needs and to future opportunities. 

We have been looking at our data on student numbers and are developing a three year target planning scenario which will help inform what we need to do and to provide a focus. We have for this coming year not assumed an increase in student numbers and have planned on the basis of last year’s outturn with a small growth due to new courses coming on stream. 

Yes, we have set the same expectations for London as for other parts of the University.  As per Phase One of the Reset Savings Programme equal expectations have been set across all budget areas, i.e. 5% savings in the current financial year building to 10% enduring savings in 2024/25.

Achieving the status of becoming the UK’s Top Modern University remains the University’s overarching ambition. This is a status that we will be proud to obtain and will be an appropriate recognition of the efforts and successes that Portsmouth has enjoyed.  Whilst we cannot be certain that the increased tariff negatively impacted recruitment across all subject areas, we have recently reviewed our tariff as one of many changes introduced to make Portsmouth more attractive to applicants.  

Added 3 April 2024

It is important that we see league table positions as an outcome of the quality of education, student experience and research and innovation that we conduct.  It is this quality that we are doubling down on, not league table position for their own sake. Nevertheless, league tables do have an impact in their own right.

Student Recruitment

We could debate but don’t know for sure what impact league table positions have on home UG recruitment.  There is mixed evidence here.  There is however, clear evidence (from agents and international institutions) that our league table position is critical in international student recruitment, particularly in building direct routes to us, via partnerships, so that we don’t have to rely so heavily on applications from individual students.  Some international partners and sponsors will look at positions in various league tables in order to decide which institutions they would engage with and which they won't.  

Reputation with Policy Makers and Influencers

League table positions are also important in creating positive decisions and narratives from those that influence Higher Education.  The Government is an example of this.  Some funding comes via these routes too, for example capital bids and bids for student numbers in regulated areas (e.g. Medical School).

Employer Perceptions

Employers may use university rankings as a reference point when assessing job applicants' qualifications and skills. Graduates from higher-ranked universities may be perceived as more competitive and desirable in the labour market, potentially leading to better employment outcomes for our students.

The reset agenda is a full ‘reset’. The plans across phase one and phase two of this process are intended to deliver the necessary savings and initiate making the necessary changes required to safeguard the excellence of what we do along with the long-term future and sustainability of the University of Portsmouth. There are difficulties in openly discussing the University’s position at this current time and we hope staff can acknowledge the complexities and restrictions inherent in communicating this to colleagues across the institution. However, we do acknowledge the seriousness of the position. We also want to reiterate our commitment to deliver the necessary changes that reset demands to ensure that the University continues to be a success. 

Collaboration between staff and the co-creation of solutions is essential to the success of reset. The challenges we face and the changes we are exploring will not be possible without the active participation of colleagues and we are keen to maintain a dialogue and open communication across the whole institution. There will be further opportunities to make suggestions and raise questions over the coming months, and we encourage colleagues to actively engage with these opportunities. 

Added 3 April 2024

Four papers were recently communicated to the staff impacted and then all staff and stakeholders.  The summaries for these can be viewed here:

• Recruitment, Marketing and Communications
• Research and Innovation Transform
• Academic Services
• Academic Development

It is vitally important to point out that there is not a spending freeze in place across the University. Spending is being reviewed against our strategic imperatives in order to identify and eliminate expenditures that are not essential at this time. All budget holders have been asked to identify where savings can be made and we will evaluate all planned spending in 2023/24 and future years. This is not a freeze on spending but a review to ensure that we are spending our money in the most effective and efficient way possible. 

Added 3 April 2024

We are mindful of the financial costs of all initiatives and focused on doing things in the most cost-effective way possible. When we ask colleagues to focus on particular initiatives, we are also very conscious that we are adding to workloads and creating a challenge. 

However, such initiatives should be thought of as a key investment for the future. Strong awareness of, and focus on, EDI is one of the foundations of our learning and teaching. Improving our awarding gaps, greater awareness of the experiences of all of our students and understanding of the barriers they face, developing our curricula to embrace social and cultural change and being able to demonstrate our support for students of all backgrounds will make UoP a more attractive place to study and will help us retain students. This will improve our financial outcomes but, most importantly, it is the right thing to do for everyone.

The short answer is yes.  We have to ensure that any changes that we make align with the requirements and expectations of PSRBs and others, such as the OfS. 

Added 3 April 2024

The reset proposal for the academic services area has been approved by UEB for consultation and this has now been shared with the Union and staff affected on how we will need to adapt our provision in order to deliver the savings needed.

A summary of the business case has been shared with all staff.

One proposal has already been announced for consultation. The details of the Academic Reset are here.  

Another, led by Professor Anne Murphy, DVC Education is looking at our academic delivery, efficiency and student retention.  Anne has begun a series of Education Conversations for staff to give their views on ideas.

Other areas of Reset will be launched for feedback in the coming months.

In a sector where knowledge is our business and our staff are the creators of knowledge it is not unusual for staff costs to be higher than ⅓ of turnover.  There are no measures in the UK by turnover, but according to data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), staff costs can range from approximately 50% to 70% or more of total expenditure for UK HEIs.

What also has to be noted in considering the UK HE sector compared to a private sector company is the additional cost factored into this figure for pensions.  A private sector employer is required to contribute at least 3%, although many offer more. Russell Group Universities contribute 14% and post 92 institutions (required to use TPS for academic staff and LGPS or professional support staff) contribute 28.6% from April 2024 to TPS (previously 23.6%)  and 20.60% for LGPS.  

This also means that our staff costs will be a higher percentage of turnover than for any private sector company. 

Work is underway to develop these plans and once we have sufficient certainty around these they will be communicated further with the areas concerned.