Student Intake Strategy Group

Committee description

Minute Secretaries: Luisa Lovering, Email: leeloo@liverpool.ac.uk; Chris Jones, Email: joneschr@liverpool.ac.uk

To approve, monitor and review University of Liverpool strategy, policy and procedure in respect of all aspects of the marketing, recruitment, and admission of undergraduate and postgraduate-taught students.

To ensure that approved intake targets are met and that recruitment risks are managed effectively

To deliver this Student Intake Strategy group will fulfil the following functions:

Terms of Reference

Strategy

Student Recruitment

To take a forward-looking view in developing and agreeing student recruitment strategy on all aspects of Home, International, Undergraduate and Postgraduate recruitment.

To consider market position and approach to achieve strategic recruitment objectives.

To oversee the process and, where appropriate, make recommendations on target setting, informed by the analysis of data on applications and prior recruitment performance, both in terms of quantity and quality of students.

To endorse student number plans as developed by Faculties as part of the PPC.

To oversee all student number plans for partnerships, including UoLIC, XJTLU and Carmel College.

To contribute to the University’s strategic objectives for TNE and determine operational parameters such as entry thresholds, academic quality assurance, viability, and other aspects. Where required, advise Due Diligence Panel on the approval of new TNE partnerships. SISG would engage in ongoing monitoring and evaluation of TNE partnerships.

To facilitate and promote the alignment of the services supporting Student Recruitment to enable delivery of the University’s strategic aims and objectives for Student Recruitment.

Portfolio Development

To oversee the ongoing development of a portfolio that is responsive to market demand and supports the wider student recruitment strategy.

Risk Management

To oversee strategic risk indicators; advise on institutional risk management strategies and to consider effectiveness of mitigation measures for strategic risks relevant to student recruitment.

Policy

To have delegated authority to approve minor amendments to existing policies/codes of practice relating to the recruitment and admission of students.

WHERE REQUIRED, to advise the FEES GROUP, Planning Group and Senior Leadership Team on appropriate levels of tuition fees to be charged for new and existing programmes of study offered by the University. The fee setting process will be the responsibility of Fees Group.

To oversee and set direction for institutional admissions entry requirements and approve any divergence from institutional direction.

To review the admissions policy and principles of admission on an annual basis to ensure that they are effectively aligned to the delivery of the University’s strategic ambitions around student recruitment.

To oversee University policy in relation to overseas recruitment agents and offices, including the consideration and approval of proposals for new overseas agent agreements, and the renewal of any existing contracts.

Operations

To maintain a strategic oversight of student recruitment activity, including confirmation and clearing plans.

To require an annual review from the most recent admissions exercise to will include a review of the recruitment cycle and review lessons learned on areas such as target setting; modelling and modelling assumptions; timing of offers; and conversion activities.

To define and review the portfolio review process, identifying programmes that are not meeting expected performance from a recruitment perspective, including monitoring new programmes, and overseeing the actions put in place, including programme closure.

To oversee the market analysis of new programme proposals, through the programme approval process so they are advertised effectively in the prospectus.

To receive updates from relevant subgroups

Frequency of Meetings

The group will meet monthly throughout the year.

Additional workshop sessions may be held to ensure continued input from a wide range of stakeholders.

Quorum

The quorum for meetings of the Student Intake Strategy Group shall be one quarter of the membership.

Reporting Relationship

The group will report to Planning Group and refer items to Education Committee and Research and Impact Committee where relevant to the business considered.

Meeting outcomes and minutes will be shared via Faculty Education Committees and/or RAWPs.

Any Task and Finish groups established will be given a clear brief and will consult as appropriate to ensure appropriate buy in and understanding of resultant conclusions and recommendations.

Members or key people

The scope of the group is substantial and necessarily will require input from a wide range of stakeholders.  To avoid creating a large group that would be difficult to manage, it is recommended that a small core group is created but that additional members attend for relevant meetings, with planned business according to the cycle of the work.

Core membership:

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education (Chair)

The Chief Operating Officer (Deputy Chair)

The Associate PVC Education for Faculty of Science and Engineering

The Associate PVC Education for Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

The Associate PVC Education for Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

The Director of External Relations

The Director of Marketing

The Director of Student Recruitment and Widening Participation

The Director of Strategic Planning or nominee

The Director of Finance or nominee

The Dean for XJTLU

The Associate PVC for the Research Environment and Postgraduate Research

Associate Director Admissions, Enquiries and Fulfilment

Associate Director International Recruitment & Relations Team

Director Academic Quality and Standards Division

Associate Director Market Data, Insight and Strategy

Guild Representative

*Please note that substitutions will not be permitted.

Additional membership will be arranged according to meeting forward plan/agenda, for example additional academic input from Deans (Level 2 Deans) and Heads of Department, as well as Faculty Directors of Operations when discussing target setting.  Further consultation will take place to identify key roles that should be involved for particular themes.