Measures of Success

2030 Strategy

We have established measures of success and introduced a comprehensive and rigorous strategy management system through which we will plan, monitor and communicate our progress. This will enable us to accurately monitor and manage the progress we are making towards achieving our vision, strategic objectives and outcomes.

The table below shows our measures of success with aspirational targets for 2030.

OUR STUDENTS
Measure 2021-22 Performance 2030 Target
1. Student Positivity (NSS - National Student Survey) 76% Top quartile (85% and above)
2. Student Voice (NSS - National Student Survey) 72% Top quartile (85% and above)
3. Postgraduate Taught Experience (PTES) 82% Top quartile (85% and above)
4. Postgraduate Research Experience (PRES) (Biennial) 81% Top quartile (85% and above)
5. Access (OfS - Office for Students); Polar4 (Q1)* 9.30% Top decile
6. Continuation (B3 / OfS) Above benchmark Above benchmark
7. Completion (B3 / OfS) Above benchmark Above benchmark
8. Progression (B3 / OfS) Above benchmark Above benchmark
9. Ethnicity Awarding Gap White - Black 11.1 pp
White - Asian 8.2 pp
White - other 10.6 pp
White - mixed 9.8 pp		 No gap (0)
10. Graduate Employability (Career after 15 months) Top 27% Top Quartile
(With less than 1% gap across all students)
11. Percentage of programmes with professional accreditation / certification / endorsement 62% 100%
12. Percentage of programmes with professional practice embedded 60% 100%
13. Number of students completing Aston Power Skills - 100%

*This measure and target will be subject to change as the university finalises its Access and Participation plan in 2023-24. 

OUR PEOPLE AND PLACE
Measure 2021-22 Performance 2030 Target
14. Staff engagement 77% 80% and above
15. Best Companies to work for certification - Achieve Best companies to work for certification and Best place to work award by 2030
16. International academic staff ratio (QS) (world rank) 131 100
17. Industry staff ratio (Innovation Fellows, Industry Fellows, Professors of Practice) <20
  • At least 1 Professor of Practice per Department
  • At least 1 Industry Fellow and / or Innovation Fellow and/or Clinical Fellow per programme
18. Diversity in leadership and governance roles
  1. Minoritised Ethnic Groups in senior roles 13.55%
  2. Female Senior roles 34.58%
  1. Minoritised Ethnic Groups in senior roles to at least 30%
  2. Female senior role to at least 50%
19. Number of staff completing Entrepreneurial Bootcamps - 100 staff per annum, 700 by 2030
20. Number of staff undertaking leadership and management development - 100 staff per annum, 700 by 2030
21. Community engaged on campus on university business 5,000 25,000
22. Companies incubated / embedded on campus / Hubs 8 (live spin outs) 41 (graduate starts incubated) 50 (live spin-outs) 100 (graduate starts incubated)
23. Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Aston University estsate)

Gas consumption per year (3,900 MWh.y-1 )

Emissions per floor area per year (45.3kgCO2e.sqm.y-1)

 Net zero emissions by end of 2030 25% reduction of per floor area emissions by end of 2030

 

OUR IMPACT
Measure 2021-22 Performance 2030 Target
24. Research Excellence Framework (REF) / Times Higher Education GPA Ranking 58th Top 35 for research quality
25. Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) Placed in second quintiles nationally (e.g. very high or high engagement) in three out of four key areas aligned with strategy Top quintile in all 7 categories
26. International reputation - QS World University Ranking QS 561-570 Top 300
27. International reputation - Times Higher Education Impact Ranking THE 401-500 Top 300
28. International reputation - Times Higher Education Impact Ranking - Top 100
29. National reputation - Guardian 22 Top 20
30. National reputation - The Times / Sunday Times 44 Top 30
31. Number of revenue generating business partnership agreements 380 500 (Focus on larger scale contracts)
32. Number of community partnership agreements 5 50
33. Number of revenue generating international partnerships agreements (JVs) 5 25
34. Number of commercial / corporate Joint Ventures 1 25
35. Number of active Knowledge Transfer Partnerships 30 (£7m total portfolio value) 50 (£15m total portfolio value)
36. Digital inclusion - Digital Skills Academy provision - 1000 p.a.
37. Health equity - Health Services Hub community access to clinical services on campus (external, staff, students) 1,500 p.a. 22,000 p.a.