Massey University has launched four strategic initiatives designed to ensure the institution excels in the increasingly competitive tertiary education sector.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas says they will allow the University to make changes that ensure it continues to lead globally in its areas of specialisation.
The initiatives include revising the University’s digital strategy, improving student success rates, increasing support for research and improving business processes.
Professor Thomas says the initiatives are borne from the University’s strategy, which was revised last year in consultation with students and staff. Massey University Strategy 2018-2022 defines and prioritises the University’s activities around four pillars – research, learning and teaching, civic leadership and enabling excellence – with each initiative directly relating to a pillar.
The strategy also sets out Massey’s aspiration to be a “Tiriti-led University”, something Professor Thomas says will also receive significant attention this year.
“We have worked hard to increase the University’s operating surplus, which means we are able to provide the financial resources required to bring these strategic initiatives to life,” says Professor Thomas.
She says, while these initiatives will be led by members of the University’s Senior Leadership Team, they will be co-created in consultation with students and staff.
“We will work with staff from all areas of the University on these initiatives and where the work impacts our students, we want them not just involved, but at the centre of the solution.”
Strategic initiatives
Digital strategy
The University’s digital strategy, which aims to deliver a first-class, digitally-enhanced learning experience, will be revised in consultation with students and staff this year. The strategy will serve as the basis of a one-year, three-year and five-year implementation plan. The University says there are also a number of changes it will action immediately, including identifying any digital resources needed by the University this year.
Student success
The student success initiative aims to ensure the University supports students as they transition into student life and, at the other end of the student lifecycle, during the transition from university to employment. A number of projects, including improving coordination of the University’s student support services and programmes and the piloting of Kahurei, a unique Massey programme that focuses on imparting students with transferable skills, knowledge and competencies, will be implemented this year.
Research
The University will increase the amount of funding available to its researchers this year, in the hope it will help them secure external funding from the likes of the Marsden Fund, the Health Research Council, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Researchers will also receive more support through the provision of better professional development at key points in their academic career. Massey also plans to implement a recruitment campaign to increase the number of Māori and Pasifika researchers. Changes are also planned to increase the value and number of postgraduate scholarships.
Business processes
Working with its own internal design for public good research unit, Toi Āria, the University has selected one internally focused service delivery process for improvement. The method for improving the service will serve as a case study from which further approaches to managing service process improvement at Massey can be derived and implemented.