Strategy Working Group 1: Graduate Attributes
Learning and Teaching Board
Final Report: Strategic Theme on Graduate Attributes
This report summarises the discussions and recommendations of the working group on the Graduate
Attributes Strategic Theme. This third, final report has also been informed by the comments made by the
Learning and Teaching Board at its meeting on 13 December 2012,
1. Part One: Consultation Framework
1.1
1.2
Questions
•
Questions should be relevant to the groups/individuals being consulted; different questions may
be required, but there should be a common core.
•
Focus groups of students are likely to be more responsive to open types of questions such as:
"What types of attributes and core skills do you think you should graduate with?" This general
question might be an appropriate opening question for all consultation groups; it would be
followed by more specific questions. The diagram with the six proposed attributes should not,
therefore, be presented at the outset; a more free-ranging discussion should be encouraged prior
to focusing on the diagram/six proposed attributes.
•
Consultation groups should be encouraged to focus on HWU-specific, not generic, attributes.
•
4 questions are envisaged (these need to be linked to other groups, such as curriculum and
learning environment):
a) What types of attributes and core skills do you/HWU students think you should graduate
with?
b) What are your views of the six proposed HWU Graduate Attributes (both titles and
descriptions) and the over-arching strapline?
c) How should we develop these attributes in our students?
d) What kind of learning environment do we need to develop these attributes?
Scope
Consultation should be based around the six proposed attributes and the over-arching strapline. A
more generic, opening question has been proposed, so as not to seem as if everything is set in stone
or cannot be changed. Nothing has been identified as out of scope, as the group envisages that the
six proposed HWU Graduate Attributes are both realistic and achievable.
1.3
Groups/Individuals to be Consulted
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Students
Alumni
Staff (academic and professional
services)
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Employers (via Careers Service and Development +
Alumni)
Professional, Statutory + Regulatory Bodies (PSRB's)
Industrial Advisory Boards
Approved Learning Partners
Focus groups cannot realistically be run with employers; therefore, it is proposed that consultation
should be progressed through the networks/methods of communication used by the Careers Service
and Development & Alumni. Schools may have their own, more direct methods of engagement with
PSRB's and employers which they could utilise.
1.4
Methods of Consultation
The HWU Graduate Attributes should be represented visually: this method is much more effective at
communicating key skills to a diverse group of stakeholders; it is much easier for stakeholders to
remember, thereby enabling, for example, students to articulate the key attributes which they pose or
are developing and for staff to recall when designing curricula.
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Learning and Teaching Strategy Working Groups: Graduate Attributes, Final Report, January 2013
Strategy Working Group 1: Graduate Attributes
Existing mechanisms should be utilised wherever appropriate in order to ensure that the consultation
is as manageable as possible.
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Focus groups of students (via Student
Union)
Staff and students at the Dubai Campus
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(visits by F.Waldron, Jan 2013 + J.Sawkins, Feb
2013, could be used as basis)
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Online + paper-based questionnaires
Focus groups for staff – to be held at School L&T
Committee meetings
HE Academy in its agreed role of "critical friend"
As a desk-based exercise, the attributes should also be sense-checked against any specified
requirements of overseas government/accreditation authorities, eg MQA (Malaysia) and KHDA
(Dubai).
2. Part Two: Scoping Information
2.1
Context
Internal Environment
University Strategic Plan
The publication of the University's Strategic Plan 2013-2018 Global Thinking, Worldwide Influence
provides the key internal driver in shaping the "Graduate Attributes" proposals. At the outset, the Plan
states
The Vision
Heriot-Watt's vision is to be
world leading, within all its
specialist areas of science,
engineering, technology and
business
The Mission
Our mission is to
create and exchange
knowledge for the
benefit of society
We Shall
Strengthen research intensity in fields of
economic and societal benefit; Provide truly
global education while maintaining our
Scottish roots; and Deliver excellent
student experience and highly employable
graduates
The Strategic Plan also emphasises that all HWU activities will embody the shared values of: Pursuing
Excellence; Shaping the Future; Outward Looking; Pride and Belonging; Value and Respecting
Everyone. Within the Strategic Plan's Learning, Teaching and Student Experience theme, there is a
strong steer as to the type of graduate which HWU should produce: "highly employable graduates,
who have a strong professional orientation .. attributes and skills for life and work. These include
specialist knowledge, intellectual skills and competence, adaptability, self-development and
leadership".
The proposed Graduate Attributes are designed to reflect these key institutional themes, particularly
those related to "global education" and "highly employable graduates".
Alignment with Professional Services Strategies
Within the eight directorates, several strategies will be key to the realisation of the Graduate Attributes
proposal: Campus Services and Information Services (space, IT infrastructure and learning skills
services); Careers Service and Development & Alumni (links with employers); Academic
Enhancement (developing skills amongst academic staff) .
Alignment with other Themes within the Learning and Teaching Strategy
• Successful development of the HWU Attributes is dependent on alignment with the other
Learning and Teaching Strategy themes, such as the global curriculum and the learning
environment. The University's Strategic Plan specifically states that skills and attributes will be
developed through:
- "enhanced approaches to teaching;
- further development of facilities and support for the student learning and living experience;
and
- a continually updated, relevant, broad curriculum".
• The Graduate Attributes were seen as leading the other themes/enablers and as providing the
framework for the whole Learning and Teaching Strategy: the final outcomes of the other groups
should be shaped around the agreed HWU attributes
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Learning and Teaching Strategy Working Groups: Graduate Attributes, Final Report, January 2013
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External Environment
• National policy developments: Curriculum for Excellence; different learner journeys (widening
access; FE-HE articulation)
• Increased emphasis on employability and skills in Scottish Government priorities, which has led
to the specific focus of various national agencies in this area:
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2.2
Scottish Enhancement Theme, Graduates for the 21st Century: Integrating the Enhancement
Themes;
QAA ELIR: Approaches to promoting the development of graduate attributes including
employability remains one of the key areas of investigation in ELIR3;
Scottish Funding Council: A key priority for SFC is to improve the employability of learners
and their skills development. "This is an important area of public policy because of the
impact that skills and employability have on individual life chances, the performance of our
economy and our public services". (Learning to Work 2004-2011; Learning to Work Two
2010-2014, incl work placements projects; Horizons Fund, which includes HEI employability
and skills projects);
Universities Scotland: "skills" is one of US' policy areas, see 360Degrees: Equipping
Scotland's Graduates for Success.
Objectives
•
Objectives are embodied by the five proposed Graduate Attributes – see enclosed diagram (the
original, proposed attributes were amended following consideration by the Learning and Teaching
Board at its meeting on 13 December 202). The following attributes were accepted as being
reflective of the ethos and key values of HWU, as well as taking account of the HW graduate
characteristics highlighted in the University's new Strategic Plan
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Applied
Enterprising
Leading
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Professional
Global
and by the over-arching strapline “professionally educated, globally employable”.
•
2.3
The key objective is: All HWU students (UG and PGT), irrespective of mode and location of study,
should be given the opportunity to develop the skills and qualities which will enable them to
demonstrate that, at the conclusion of their students, they have acquired above six graduate
attributes.
Targets
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2.4
Timescales
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2.5
Development of the five graduate attributes should be integrated into the curriculum of all taught
programmes, including multi-mode, multi-location programmes;
Approaches to learning, teaching and assessment should be adapted to enable students to
develop and acquire the HWU attributes;
Learning spaces and facilities should be designed to accommodate the HWU attributes;
The activities of Professional Services should be tailored, where appropriate, to assist students
in the development of these attributes.
Over the five years of the Learning and Teaching Strategy: curriculum re-development and
changes to approaches to learning, teaching and assessment should happen in the early stages,
as should a new staff development programme; the re-development of learning spaces would be
a much longer term activity.
Additional Information
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The Graduate Attributes were seen as leading the other themes/enablers and as providing the
framework for the whole Learning and Teaching Strategy;
The Graduate Attributes were agreed by Learning and Teaching Board at its meeting on 13
December and it was recommended, as proposed by the Graduate Attributes Working Group,
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Learning and Teaching Strategy Working Groups: Graduate Attributes, Final Report, January 2013
Strategy Working Group 1: Graduate Attributes
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that, at their final meetings, each of the other five groups should take the proposed attributes
into account in producing their final reports;
The resource implications were outlined in The HWU Graduate: Global Attributes, Global
Curriculum Opportunities Proposal: one additional, temporary staff member at grade 7. The
most significant costs are seen in terms of learning spaces.
• There will be costs associated with curriculum re-development and changes to learning,
teaching and assessment approaches: these will be most significant for Schools, but will
also involve ALPs and Academic Enhancement.
• The eight themed Briefing Papers and Planning Tools produced for Restructuring the
Academic Year would provide an excellent resource to assist in curriculum design and would
require minimal revision to refocus them to the new HWU attributes.
(http://www.hw.ac.uk/committees/ltb/AcademicStructure.htm)
Proposed HWU Graduate Attributes
The Applied HWU
Graduate:
The Global HWU
Graduate:
• Understands the global business , cultural
and physical/natural environment
• Is able to apply their knowledge and skills
in international and multi-cultural contexts
• Has Scottish roots, but thrives in a
globalised society and economy
• Possesses the technical and business
skills and specialist knowledge to operate
at the cutting edge of their professions
• Applies a systematic and critical approach
to analysing complex problems and issues
• Is confident and competent in utilising and
applying knowledge and skills in practical
contexts
• Is aware and appreciative of
cross-cultural diversity
Global
Applied
The Enterprising HWU
Graduate:
The Leading HWU Graduate:
HWU Graduate:
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Is at the forefront of developing
their profession
Gives a clear direction and
vision
Enables and empowers
colleagues
Takes ownership by being
accountable and responsible
Is outward-looking
Displays ambition in
developing themselves and
their careers to achieve their
full potential
Leading
professionally
educated, globally
employable
Enterprising • Is able to adapt to succeed in
Professional
a rapidly changing workplace
• Demonstrates creativity and
intellectual agility in analysing
complex problems and
developing solutions
• Seeks and progresses
opportunities for change and
growth through research
and enquiry
The Professional HWU Graduate:
• Demonstrates a willingness to participate and contribute
in their career fields
• Acts and negotiates with integrity and an ethical
approach
• Communicates with self-assurance and a professional
attitude
• Is adept at team-working, adjusting roles as appropriate
• Has respect and an appetite for learning which
continues far beyond university studies
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Learning and Teaching Strategy Working Groups: Graduate Attributes, Final Report, January 2013