UNIVERSITY OF EXETER SPORTS STRATEGY 2008-2012
Executive Summary
The Sports Strategy has been developed through a consultative process incorporating VCEG,
the Sports Office staff, the Dual Assurance process, and the Athletic Union. Following
positive feedback from VCEG in September 2008, the strategy has been modified so that it
aligns more closely to potential available resources from 2009.
The strategy places the quality of the student experience at its centre, alongside support for
the University’s Top 10 aspirations. As a consequence of the strategy additional resource will
be put into the Athletic Union to facilitate more people playing sport more often, into
professional coaches to improve the quality of the sport experience, and into other support to
bolster the student experience beyond competitive play. Consolidating a position well within
the top 10 of the BUCS league table is an explicit target.
Supporting the development of a dedicated plan for University of Exeter students in Cornwall,
and making key decisions on the long-term sports facility plan will be key work streams for
the coming period.
Introduction
The Sports Office, established in 1999, has worked through three sports strategies, each more
demanding than the last. The last strategy, “Supporting the Challenge of Top 20 by 2010”
was, as with the University’s broader strategy, achieved well ahead of its 2010 target.
The University has actively supported the development of sport and healthy activity at the
University, to the point where it is now recognised that sport is a distinctive factor of the
University (SPaRC March 2008 – “Sport and Wellness……very important to our market
positioning and Exeter’s culture).
Increased collaboration with the Athletic Union has led to the position where a joint strategy
paper is presented for adoption by the University. This will capture the essential essence of
sport at the University – enhancing the student experience – while also demonstrating how
sport can be used to support many of the KPIs which have been established to monitor
progress against our top 10 aspirations.
Analysis demonstrates that Exeter is doing very well in sport and wellness. We are currently
11th out of 154, in the national table which compares competitive performance against other
universities, or 5th if account is taken for our size. Our balanced scorecard approach to sport,
where consideration is given to extensive facilities, high quality services, and a variety of
opportunities, places us in 3rd position nationally (this is Exeter’s own ranking system).
Our unit of funding is low compared to our competitors and the landscape is not equal – we
are running indoor facilities on three campuses, and the travel distance to our competitors
places us at one of the most disadvantageous positions in the UK alongside institutions such
as Plymouth, UEA, Aberdeen, Bangor and Aberystwyth (none of whom occupy places in the
top 40 in the national competition table).
It is the intention that both the sector and Exeter will lobby HEFCE to have a sports
component included within the NSS; the compilers of the Good University Guide are also
being encouraged to develop a league table methodology, rather than just a list. Until this
happens the only objective table to use is the BUCS (formerly BUSA) league table in which
we are currently 11th. Reaching 5th position in this table is possible, but a very stretching
target. In reality however, aspiring to top 5 may be required to secure a top 10 position.
1
Mission
“To provide excellent sports facilities and services to users; support students in their quest for
regional and national sporting success, and to promote active participation in sport and
exercise throughout the University and wider community.”
2
Comparative Data
2.1
The Top 20 metrics
The metrics used thus far to measure our performance have included three factors –
performance, participation and facilities. The BUCS (formerly BUSA) league table measures
our performance across all our inter-institutional competitive sport, and these data form the
mainstay of the performance section. Participation data are extracted from the Good
University Guide, as are the facilities comparisons. Both sets of data are supplied by
institutions to the compilers of the GUG, where they are then converted into a star system,
which includes conversion to facilities per student and participation levels per student
comparisons.
The metric has been through two annual cycles, the latest of which showed Exeter in 3 rd
place, behind Loughborough and Bath. All but one of the top 10 in the list are comparator
institutions for the new Top 10 by 2012 agenda. Exeter sits behind Loughborough and Bath,
and ahead of Birmingham, Durham, Southampton and Edinburgh. The high position of
Exeter in the table is a reflection of the balanced scorecard approach to performance,
participation and facilities.
2.2
The BUCS league table
This measures our performance across a wide range of sports. Exeter does well in the sports
that it focuses on, but does not have as broad a spread of sports as the leading institutions such
as Loughborough and Bath. We currently aspire to be in the top 10, though slipped to 11th
place in the 2007/8 table. Analysis of our league table position for our size, and our points
per student place us inside the top 5. However the published table uses neither of these
measures.
Our position in the table is challenging. Some institutions above us are investing much in
success in this table, and competitors below, while not able to compete across a broad
spectrum, are picking off particular sports which makes it progressively more difficult for us
to secure points in our traditionally strong sports.
2.3
Comparative Study, Spring 2008
A comparative study was carried out in the spring of 2008 based on data from the 2006/7
year. 18 universities supplied data for the exercise, most of whom are 1994 or Russell Group
institutions. A number of conclusions can be drawn from the study
Exeter generates a significant resource from its students (£94.80 per student against an
average for the group of £70.30); Exeter also spends a significant amount per student on the
delivery of services and facilities. Other than University of Nottingham, the user fees at
Exeter are the highest in the group. The resource given to sport at Exeter (combining the
Sports Office and the Athletic Union) is £372k, against a group average of £605k. The
mean/median grant per student across the group is £36/£37 with Exeter receiving £31. The
Athletic Union received a grant of £156k, against an average of £198k.
Total Sport grant
£ ‘000
Nottingham
1207
Manchester
1028
Southampton
922
Northumbria
878
Oxford
848
Birmingham
907
Edinburgh
756
Surrey
700
Durham
658
Newcastle
644
Bristol
463
Sussex
382
Exeter
372
St Andrews
329
Kent
328
Essex
248
Reading
186
Leeds
112
Total Grant Per student
Surrey
Nottingham
Durham
St Andrews
Oxford
Southampton
Northumbria
Sussex
Newcastle
Edinburgh
Birmingham
Manchester
Exeter
Bristol
Essex
Kent
Reading
Leeds
£
70.27
46.82
46.02
45.11
44.88
42.95
42.70
39.18
36.52
36.52
35.63
32.04
31.48
28.76
25.54
24.08
15.95
4.09
mean
mean/median
36.17/37.40
3
609459
The Case for Sport
There are currently 4534 students who have paid for membership of the various sports
facilities; the Athletic Union has over 4,000 members. 385 members of staff are currently
members of the facilities, with others taking part in the activities run by the Sports Office as
part of the staff wellness programme. This is undoubtedly a factor in recruitment and
retention of staff, but also in stress release and in workplace effectiveness.
According to the Unite Survey (2007) sporting reputation played a part in the choice of
University for 17% of students. In a marketplace growing ever more competitive, sport
clearly plays a part in establishing the distinctiveness of one university over another.
Almost all of the institutions in our Top 10 comparator group (with the exception of York and
Kings) make a reasonable effort at sporting provision. A number make good provision for
sport (Durham, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton, Warwick), while a few are,
by any measure, excellent (Loughborough, Bath). This strategy sets to place Exeter at the top
of the chasing group, i.e.‘best of the rest’ ; our geography, levels of investment and space
constraints prevent us from aspiring to be at the top of the list.
A comparison of our facility base, compared to the chasing group is favourable other than in
our provision of swimming. Our participation numbers also compare favourably. However
there is a marked under-investment by Exeter in coaching. Sport coaching makes a
significant contribution to the quality of the experience for students. Not only does it improve
skill levels and therefore the likelihood to win, it also supports the mentoring network for
students, assists in student retention, and leads to increased loyalty to Exeter. Exeter spends
£100k per year on coaching, a similar amount to Edinburgh. Durham spends £221k, Bristol
spends £419k and Birmingham spends £400k – this equates to at least double the expenditure
on coaching per student when compared to Exeter.
The Sports Strategy, 2008-2012
The delivery of the Sports Strategy will require the drawing up of detailed action plans with
quantifiable targets. In broad terms, the strategy is split into four areas:
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Balanced scorecard reporting, which supports top 10 aspirations. It is proposed that
this reporting function is grouped around facilities, performance and participation;
Corporate Social Responsibility;
The top 10 super KPIs;
Contribution to other top 10 balanced scorecard measures.
Balanced Scorecard Reporting for Sport and Wellness
1
Facilities
-
-
develop plans for the sports park, in conjunction with the estate masterplan, which
will include a rolling replacement programme to keep existing facilities at a high
standard, develop an additional sports hall and health and fitness space, develop a
network of running/cycling trails, and make decisions on the almost derelict rifle
range;
develop plans for a gym/swim facility at (or near to) the site of the current Cornwall
House pool;
overhaul facilities at Duckes Meadow;
improve the quality of the offer at Topsham Sports Ground;
deliver improved rowing facilities.
2
Performance
-
Investment in the performance programme is needed to give us any chance of reaching the top
5, and securing our position within the top 10 of the BUCS league table. This investment will
be spent in the following ways:
-
-
-
3
increasing the capacity of the performance unit, with an enhanced unit head,
additional administrative support, and further strength and conditioning, sports
medicine and sport science capability;
working with SHS to develop the skills of our sports science students, to enhance
their fitness for the marketplace when they graduate, and to provide opportunities for
them to contribute to improving the performance of athletes while they are students;
trebling the expenditure on professional coaches employed at the University will
bring us close to the current level of investment of our competitors.
Participation
The well-being of all students and staff at the University is important and while success in this
area does not currently contribute to the factors making up league tables, we believe that it is
important. Over the period of the plan we will continue to move forward with this agenda.
-
-
we will explore opportunities for expansion of the intramural programme across a
range of sports. Opportunities at off-peak times will be fully examined to optimise
facility usage;
we will link AU clubs with participation opportunities so that those ‘falling off’ the
bottom of the club list are picked up by the recreation programme;
we will expand the capacity of the wellness team by appointing dedicated officers for
student and for staff wellness
4
Corporate Social Responsibility
-
the student sports volunteering programme will be mainstreamed alongside the Guild
programme;
successful programmes have been developed collaboratively in ‘Action after Stroke’
and aiding ‘Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease’. These programmes will be
developed further and a third programme added – ‘Fitness for Surgery’.
5
Supporting the Top 10 Super KPI’s
5.1
National Student Survey
In support of the NSS, the sports strategy will focus on the following:
-
providing good, fit for purpose facilities in sufficient quantity;
facilitating Exeter wins to build loyalty to the Exeter brand;
providing an expansive coaching structure to ensure safety and improvement;
lobbying for the inclusion of sport within the NSS
5.2
Undergraduate progression/completion
-
in developing the mentoring skills of coaches, the sports programme will support the
personal tutor system to ensure academic progression;
develop policies for academic flexibility in conjunction with schools.
5.3
Postgraduate Population
-
work with the Deans to develop a PG recruitment strategy.
be more proactive in recruiting postgraduate students to the performance programme.
5.4
-
Research Staff
provide an excellent sporting environment to assist in the retention of staff;
work with Personnel to develop a proactive OH programme.
5.5
International Population
-
provide targeted opportunities for international students to improve their experience
through greater participation;
develop a recruitment programme in conjunction with the University’s Strategy for
Internationalisation to develop the coaching and developmental skills of foreign
nationals, while they undertake a degree programme at Exeter.
6
Balanced Scorecard Reporting supporting the Top 10 Agenda
-
Widening Participation. Sport remains a very positive tool for bringing groups and
individuals onto the University campus who might otherwise be reluctant to do so.
Through our student sports volunteering programme we will develop our
relationships with the Exeter based primary and secondary schools;
Reputation - Through success on the field, through the sports volunteering
programme, and through wide community engagement, sport will help to develop a
positive perception of the University and its students. A responsible drinking culture
will also be embedded in AU clubs;
Alumni Giving – Developing close relations with DARO, we will build on notable
fundraising successes - Sir Christopher Ondaatje and Nicholas Bull – for instance to
-
-
provide further support for the sporting mission of the University. We will also work
with DARO to secure commitment from new graduates.
Conclusion
This strategy relates to the Exeter sites only – a separate strategy is currently being worked up
with partners in Tremough.
This strategy is demanding and will not be achieved without increased resource. The
comparative study referred to earlier in this paper established that we charge high prices and
generate significant income, but our overheads are high because we operate on a number of
sites. Furthermore, the utilisation rate for our facilities is high, so it is unlikely that there are
any easy yards to make in terms of generating additional income by selling more space to
users. To achieve the plan, we believe that a recurrent revenue increase of £200k (at October
2008 prices) is required, shared between the Sports Office and the Athletic Union. This level
of funding would place us slightly above the average allocation for the comparator group.
This would be used as follows:
-
-
-
-
-
-
Increased baseline funding for core AU activity. This includes the budget for
sessional coaching, health and safety, team entries and travel, and a contingency
to cover the participation costs in particularly successful sports.
£25,000.
Professional delivery of the Sports Volunteering Scheme. This would provide
a dedicated part-time member of staff to work with the AU President on this
project, along with a budget to deliver the necessary training to the volunteers as
well as equipment and clothing.
£15,000.
Student Sport Development Officer (part-time). This person would deliver an
enhanced intra-mural programme, would develop initiatives to engage the
international student population in healthy activity, and would work with other
sections of the student population who are currently inactive.
£15,000
Professional Coaching staff. A number of new coaching roles would be
developed across a number of sports to enhance the quality of the sporting
experience for students. These posts would be a combination of part-time and
full-time appointments, and internships.
£100,000.
Enhanced Performance Unit. In order to maximise the effect of the coaching
staff, and to assist the AU in securing effective sessional coaches, additional
resource will be put into the performance unit. This will provide an additional
administrator, an upgraded unit head, and further resource to support the high
performance agenda (TASS, strength and conditioning, sport science support).
£35,000
Facility Maintenance. In order to keep on top of facility standards, additional
resource will be put into the facility maintenance budget.
£10,000.
It is fully expected that this resource will be enhanced from additional income derived from
commercial activity, sponsorship and alumni support.
Capital funding for sport will of course be included as a discreet item within the University
masterplan, and on-going success is dependant on an appropriate balance of facilities and
service provision. Some of the facility improvements proposed are likely to have a positive
revenue impact, though the plan for swimming in particular will need to be carefully costed in
both capital and revenue terms.
8
Outcomes
Successful delivery of this strategy, taking account of the uncertainties within the capital
programme will deliver the following outcomes:
-
-
over 500 staff as regular users (members) of the University’s sports facilities;
50% of students enjoying a high quality sporting experience;
a significantly enhanced experience for those international students who wish to
engage in a healthy lifestyle while at Exeter;
appointment of professional coaches in a number of sports, leading to an
enhanced experience for all students, increased opportunities for sporting success,
and an enhanced contribution to sports in the locality;
high quality facility provision in an increased number of sports;
greater diversity of income sources arising from increased alumni support and
greater business development capacity;
an increase in PGR and PGT students brought about by recruiting appropriate
postgraduate students to the High Performance Programme;
enhancement of the reputation of the University locally and nationally, achieved
by greater success over an increased number of sports.
Successful delivery of all aspects of the plan will lead to a step change in the provision of
sport at Exeter which will place the University at the top of the chasing pack behind
Loughborough and Bath.
Professor Neil Armstrong
Deputy Vice Chancellor
October 2008
Phil Attwell
Director of Sport
Simon Tyson
AU President