Scotland's university sector may be small but it boasts great diversity and tremendous quality including one of the worl
Scotland’s universities Scotland’s university sector is comprised of 19 world class institutions Scotland’s university sector may be small but it boasts great diversity and tremendous quality including one of the world’s oldest universities, some of the best modern universities and a world-leading reputation for lifechanging research. Scotland’s universities and higher education institutions deliver over 4,400 courses via a range of distinctive institutions including traditional campus-based universities, the Open University in Scotland which offers part-time and distance-learning, the Glasgow School of Art, a royal conservatoire, an agricultural college and Scotland’s newest university, the University of the Highlands and Islands which is a unique partnership model of colleges and research institutes. Scotland’s universities are spread across Scotland’s geography from East to West and from the Borders to the Orkney Islands in the far North.
All higher education institutions are private bodies and all have charitable status. Each institution is led by a Principal or Director and governed by a university Court or Board of Governors which has a majority of lay members from outside of the university. A bit of history Scotland’s universities developed in three broad stages, each with a different legal basis. The ancient universities (St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh) date from the 15th and 16th centuries. Four other institutions (Dundee, Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt and Stirling) achieved university title in the 1960s. The newest group (Glasgow Caledonian, Napier, the West of Scotland [formerly Paisley], Robert Gordon and Abertay) became universities in the early 1990s. Most recently Queen Margaret University Edinburgh gained its university title in July 2007 and the University of the Highlands and Islands in 2011.
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1. Robert Gordon University 2. University of Aberdeen 3. University of Strathclyde 4. Glasgow Caledonian University 5. Glasgow School of Art 6. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland 7. Edinburgh Napier University 8. University of Edinburgh 9. Queen Margaret University 10. University of St Andrews 11. University of Abertay Dundee 12 & 13. University of Glasgow 14-16. Scottish Agricultural College 17-19. Heriot-Watt University 20-22. University of Stirling 23 & 24. University of Dundee 25- 37 . University of the Highlands and Islands 38-41. University of the West of Scotland
Scotland’s university sector
99.6 per cent of degree and postgraduate degree-level qualifications in Scotland are delivered by universities
Universities have traditionally been known and funded for their teaching and research but nowadays their remit goes far beyond that with knowledge exchange and widening access also core activities. Learning and Teaching Learning and teaching will always be at the core of higher education. The quality of education in Scottish universities is internationally recognised as all institutions undergo a rigorous process of quality and standards assurance. Scottish institutions operate a unique system of enhancement-led institutional review which places a greater emphasis on the learning experience of students and creates a direct role for students in internal and external quality review process. The enhancement-led approach also means there is a culture of continuous improvement of quality within Scottish higher education. The Scottish sector’s completion rate is also good with 84 per cent of students completing their courses. This equals the UK‘s rate and better than other comparable higher education sectors around the world. Colleges in Scotland also deliver some higher education primarily Higher National Qualifications. However, universities are responsible for the delivery of 99.6 per cent of all of the degree and postgraduate level study in Scotland. Research The pursuit of new knowledge is another Scottish success. Research quality in Scotland is strong with 86 per cent of all research submitted to the research assessment exercise (RAE) judged as being of international quality or better.
Scotland punches above its weight in regard to competitive sources of research funding winning more than 13 per cent share of the UK sector’s funding from UK Research Councils and a 12 per cent share of the UK sector’s funding from industry, commerce and public corporations. Knowledge translation This is the process of getting the knowledge, ideas and discoveries created in higher education out of the universities and into the places where they can have the most effect. This might mean spin-out companies based on new discoveries, consultancy work with both multinational companies and small to medium sized enterprises, intellectual property and patenting. But it equally means getting high-skill graduates into the workplace, into public services and policy environments where they can improve Scotland’s competitiveness. A recent government survey has shown that Scotland is more successful at knowledge transfer than the other UK countries and is more efficient at knowledge transfer than the top US universities. Widening access Scotland’s higher education institutions are committed to ensuring that everyone has an equal chance of getting a degree based on ability rather than socio-economic factors. Universities run a wide range of programmes to widen access to under-represented or non-traditional groups. While much still needs to be done Scotland has had a strong record in attracting students from low participation areas. Recent statistics released in 2012 found that 88.3 per cent of students in Scottish universities enter from state
schools. 27.2 per cent of all students also come from the lowest socioeconomic groupings (NS-SEC 4,5,6 and 7), Participation rates of mature and disabled students have also increased in Scottish institutions in recent years. The size and shape of the sector in Scotland Students In 2010/11 there were a total of 221,075 students studying in the higher education sector in Scotland. Around 75 per cent of students at all levels study full-time. Seventy-five per cent of students study at the undergraduate level and the remaining 25 per cent at postgraduate level. Scotland’s higher education providers also deliver vocational education and training courses to over 30,000 people. Scotland’s higher education sector is internationally competitive in both teaching and research and therefore it is not surprising that the sector holds a great appeal for international students. Just over 16 per cent of students in Scottish institutions come from outside the UK which makes Scotland’s university campuses amongst the most international in the world. Staff The sector directly employed 35,159 people in 2007/08 of which 73 per cent are employed full time. Higher education’s greatest asset is its staff and therefore it’s not surprising that it is also the single largest expenditure for higher education institutions, costing £1.4 billion in 2009/10 or 57 per cent of total expenditure.
www.universities-scotland.ac.uk
