Making a Difference

Universities are one of society’s engines of change. We seek to create, discover, share and apply knowledge through teaching and research in ways that make a difference and ensure that our work has a genuine cutting edge. We also want to make the experience of being part of the University something that shapes the life and prospects of everyone who comes here.

What are our goals?		Our priorities up to 2015	We will do this by...	Key measures of our success that we can benchmark our performance against (KPI number)
6	To provide learning and other developmental opportunities that transform the lives of students.	We need to: Engage fully in raising educational and developmental aspirations in our city and region.	• Reviewing and defining the terms of our access commitment. • Building on our achievements, to make the University a realistic and preferred option for students from under-represented groups. • Increasing our outreach provision in the city and region.	• Percentage of first degree entrants from state schools/colleges (KPI 9). • Percentage of first degree entrants from low participation neighbourhoods (KPI 10).
7	To be known as a university which combines the highest academic standards with a commitment to realising the impact and public value of its activities.	We need to: • Demonstrate a closer engagement between the student body, academic departments, the people in our city and region, and our wider society. • Translate our research into practical applications that enrich the culture and economy of Sheffield and the region.	• Increasing student participation in educational activities outside the University. • Participating fully in the creation and establishment of the Local Economic Partnership. • Deepening and growing our research partnerships with the private sector. • Increasing the number of licences and spin-out companies emerging from our research.	• Licence numbers granted (software and non-software) in the year (KPI 19). • Total value of contract research with non-funding organisations (£s) (KPI 20).
8	To be recognised for our interdisciplinary strengths and approach to important global challenges.	We need to: • Strengthen our strategic approach to collaborative and interdisciplinary research which leads to internationally recognised outputs. • Remove barriers to ensure that we attract collaborations across academic disciplines and Higher Education.	• Mapping the potential contribution we can make to meeting the major national and global societal challenges. • Developing a strategy and action for realising the potential of our interdisciplinary work.	• Research income per academic FTE (£s) (KPI 16). • Research Excellence Framework (REF) performance – methodology to be confirmed (KPI 18).