The University of Western SydneyThe University of Western SydneyProfessor Janice Reid, Vice-ChancellorProfessor Janice Reid, Vice-Chancellor

“TU Dublin Alliance” Seminar “TU Dublin Alliance” SeminarDublin January 2011Dublin January 2011

This talk covers:

1. the creation of UWS

2. the why, what and how of our merger

3. lessons learned

4. the impact of the merger and its significance

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A University for the Region

“It is remarkable that a new university should be established in the current [economic] climate. It is a recognition of the urgent needs of the region. It is a tribute to those who believed in and fought for this university”

(Peter Wilenski, President, Chifley University Interim Council, 1987)

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UWS and its Campuses 2010

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Greater Western Sydney (1)

Historically “working class” – manufacturing, small business and farming

Spans 8,900 sq kilometres

Encompasses 14 local government areas, 22 State and 12 Federal electorates

Home to 1 in 11 Australians with a population of 1.85 million (2006 census)

Will account for 60% of Sydney’s projected growth to 2026 (600,000)

Australia’s third largest economy with 242,000 businesses producing over $80b in economic output annually

But ….5

Greater Western Sydney (2)

GWS is characterised by:

1. economic disadvantage (based on SEIFA scales)

2. a large urban Indigenous community

3. low participation in higher education – 3.2% compared with 5.3% for the rest of Sydney (2006 Census)

4. a very diverse multicultural community, with– more than 170 nationalities – almost one third of residents born overseas and 50% first or second generation

Australian

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UWS Federation

Subjects7

The UWS Mission

To be a university of international standing and outlook, achieving excellence through scholarship, teaching, learning, research and service to its regional, national and international communities, beginning with the people of Greater Western Sydney.

... however

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Good Universities Guide 1999

“UWS is not high in academic pecking orders, and its courses are generally easier to get into than their counterparts closer to the city. The UWS track record on most indicators is so far modest, although some of its graduates do well in the labour market.”

Sandra Milligan, Editor, Good Universities Guide

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UWS Amendment Act, 2000

UWS Nepean

UWS Hawkesbury

University of Western Sydney2001

PenrithParramatta

CampbelltownBankstown

RichmondBlacktown

“A New UWS” in 2001

UWS Macarthur

UWS Act 1988 10

UWS Amendment Act 1997

Key Outcomes 2001

• Academic schools and faculties reduced– from 56 to 26

• Reduction in senior executive positions– from 59 to 28

• Savings in administrative and support costs– $11m pa

• Reduction in number of courses – from 176 to 102

• Decreasing proportion of administrative staff – from 54% of staff in 1999 to 48% in 2001 11

Overarching Project Governance and Management

BoardBoard

Vice-ChancellorVice-Chancellor

Implementation Steering Committee

(ISC)

Implementation Steering Committee

(ISC)

SUB-COMMITTEES

StaffingBenchmarking

Student ConsultativeCommunication

ChancelleryBusiness

& Resources

Education &

Equity

Research & Regional

Development

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AdministrationChange Management Teams (CMT)

REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCESS FOR RESTRUCTURE PROPOSALS

Work Group completes and submits restructure proposal to

relevant CMT

Work Group Chair consults staff on restructure proposal

CMT reviews restructure proposal and seeks B & B and HR

Implementation Team advice

B & B conducts final review of current (1999) cost and savings proposed

VC provides policy guidance

CMT Chair / Work Group Chair / Senior Project Manager review/amend proposal

as appropriate (commence implementation planning)

B & B provides final advice

consultation

Final Proposal

VC approves in principle for forwarding to JCC/SCC

commentcomment

SCC JCC

ISC advises VC

VC APPROVAL

Implementation timeframe and process (DVC / Unit Head / HR Implementation Team)

Implementation as per Staffing Paper(Director / HR Implementation Team)

consultation

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Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees

Vice-ChancellorVice-Chancellor

AcademicAcademic

Development & International

Development & International

ResourcesResources

Corporate Services

Corporate Services

Law & BusinessLaw & Business

Arts, Education & Social Sciences

Arts, Education & Social Sciences

Science, Technology & Environment

Science, Technology & Environment

Social & Health Sciences

Social & Health Sciences

New Organisational Structure

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Divisions Colleges

Daily Telegraph

Penrith City Star

ABC Online 16

Parramatta Sun

The Daily Telegraph

Mt Druitt-St Marys Standard

Penrith Press

Penrith City Star

Campus Review 17

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The Australian - Higher Education Supplement

Daily Telegraph

Daily Telegraph

Bankstown-Canterbury Torch

Macarthur Advertiser 19

Communication Plan

• UWS-all email messages

• Newsletters

• Web site for discussions on restructure

• Community discussions and advice

• Meetings with Board of Trustees and Academic Senate

• Meetings with student and staff bodies

• Meetings with politicians20

Some Lessons (1)

• Decide on and broadcast a clear vision of the overall merger goals and strategy

• Articulate the kind of university one envisaged

• Intensive communication and consultation are vital; the personal touch also helps

• Manage the pace of change. This is a trade-off – compromise can be a circuit breaker

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Some Lessons (2)

• Appoint the new senior management team to lead the process OR/AND

• Use experienced, external contractors and project management

• Invest (heavily) in dedicated change management

• Redesign policies, processes and workflow for the new organisation

• Separate change management from business as usual22

Some Lessons (3)• Benchmark existing operating costs and specify savings

targets

• Ensure tight control of normal operating costs

• Articulate the principles for the new academic profile and structure

• Recognise, accept and prepare for the anxiety and anger of some staff and students

• Accept it will be painful, conflicted and chaotic at times; and keep the “vision” to the fore

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Some Lessons (4)

The process has to be demonstrably

• transparent and unbiased

• fair and equitable

• caring and defensible

• faithful to the vision

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Commencing the dialogueJune 1998

“We must be creative in harnessing the energy, critical capacities and enthusiasm of our staff, students and community to build the new UWS – a University that does make a difference and is a place to grow for students and for staff. This should be our vision and will become our reality as all of these projects, plans and initiatives take shape and gather momentum over the coming months and years”.

Towards the New UWS

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A year later, June 1999

“In meeting the challenges of the future there are many kinds of solutions. We need to be flexible and not bound by the orthodoxy of our past, but still not precipitate in moving into uncharted waters. We need to be judicious yet critical of what we have held dear, and able to articulate what might also be holding us back”.

“Now we are Ten”

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After the decision – document for the communityNovember 1999

“The University has accepted that it must do most things once, rather than three times, and in the same way, rather than in three different ways. The Board of Trustees endorsed the principle that integration and cooperation will be the norm and the focus of strategic development will be a united UWS.”

“UWS and its Communities”

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Towards the first strategic planFebruary 2001

“The last year has been one of disruption and pervasive change. Much of the focus has been on cutting costs to contain our debt. But at the heart, if not always at the forefront, of the change process has been the ambition to build a unified and widely respected university. Some have seen this as diminishing the Members (three institutions) but the reality is that we are not building anew. We are creating from the legacy of the Members the institution we might become”.

“Choices for the Future”

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Staying on messageFebruary 2001

“Every university is a work in progress, but this is notably true of the new universities and especially those whose form and future are shaped by the evolution of their regions and by their histories”…

…“UWS has never been just an Australian university: it is also an idea, or perhaps an act of faith. It was born of conviction (not widely shared at the time) that a tenth of Australia’s population should have its own university, a “real” one, and that in its teaching, research and outreach it would speak to the aspirations of its communities.”

“What Kind of University”

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UWS 2010 AT A GLANCE

MEASURE 2010 TREND

Student Applications

Up by 2.6% for 2010. Increase of 8.1% in 2009

Student Satisfaction

Up 14% in 2006-2009 and a further 14.5% 2009-2010

First Year Student Retention

Up 4% 2006-2010

Enrolments Over-enrolled by 16% CGS/HECSIncrease of 4.3% in local PG courseworkSmall increase research higher degree

Student: Staff Ratio Increased to 23:130

UWS and Sector AverageExplicit Overall Satisfaction

2001-2009

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Scores of 4 and 5 on 1 - 5 scale in national student survey of student course experience

UWS 1999-20101999

Federated University

3 Member institutions with

separate administrations

Unfocused research growth

56 faculties and schools

265 U/G Courses 3808 Units

7 Campuses

2001

Unified University

Single administration of

four Divisions

12 Research Centres and

groups (70 in 2000)

4 Colleges and 21 Schools (25)

100 U/G Courses 2500 Units

7 Campuses

2010

Growing University and stable structure

Three Divisions

8 University Research Centres

3 planned institutes

3 Colleges and 17 Schools (20)

74 U/G Courses 1787 Units

6 Campuses

Merger ImprovingEfficiency

• academic programs streamlined

• external research reviews

• restructuring staff reductions

• $10m cost savings p.a.

• 200 staff reductions

• new governance and policy framework

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An external perspective - Australian Universities Quality Agency Report on UWS 2007

• A “university of the people”

• “The University has built a robust policy framework, and structures and systems are now capable of sustaining the integrated University well into the future. UWS is now in a position to move forward with confidence.”

• “Since its inception worked to maintain close connections with regional communities. It also has taken a leadership role nationally in conceptualising the nature of universities’ engagement with their communities” 33