Western Sydney U goes full, frank and fearless

Western Sydney U management backs itself in to improve or admit failure with a five-year statement of measurable objectives.

Vice Chancellor George Williams’ first plan includes “measures of success” for all core operations, including;

Students

1. improving share of the western Sydney UG market by 3%, to 30%
2. increasing retention from 70% to 83%
3. increasing Indigenous UG enrolments from 2.5% to 3.2%

Staff profile

1. increasing academics as proportion of staff from 39% to 45%
2. keeping workforce costs below 55%
3. triple student-placement providers to 100

Research

1. nearly doubling applied research income, to $110m
2. lifting four-year PHD completions from less than half to 75%

The plan also doubles down on WSU’s branding as in and for its heartland, to “drive the region’s transformation from ‘peripheral” to ‘core’ economy.

It is based on a previous paper circulated for staff input that acknowledged challenges, notably on:

1. student satisfaction: “room to do much better”
2. retention: “an opportunity to better support students”
3. graduate outcomes: “ensure that its graduates are sought-after, find work quickly and are prepared for the workforce.

Full marks for frankness – although there is something missing in the plan – how it will be paid for.