At the forefront of graduate education: Strategic Plan to 2031
Mission and purpose
As stated in our Royal Charter, our mission is to further study, learning, education and research within the university and to be a college wherein individuals may carry out advanced study or research particularly in management studies, medical and life sciences, social sciences and a range of other subject areas as approved by Governing Body.
Vision
Green Templeton is proud to be a progressive, international and inclusive community within the University of Oxford at the forefront of graduate education.
We extend the traditional Oxford model by bringing together researchers, teachers and practitioners with parity of esteem. Our students, fellows, alumni and staff will have a welcoming and exceptional college experience with enrichment opportunities that enables all to deliver on their potential and thrive throughout life.
Our strategy will seek to enhance our reputation for academic excellence in a number of interdisciplinary areas emerging from the unique mix of subject expertise. This will be combined with our focus on understanding and enhancing human welfare and social, economic and environmental well-being.
We will ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the college and develop a costed net-zero carbon emissions plan as priorities. We will use our estate and finances to support our vision of community . Over time, this will include facilities and accommodation tailored to meet the needs of future graduate students, underpinned by principles that aim to foster belonging among college members.
We will strengthen our engagement and relationships across Oxford, while actively increasing the college’s strategic and commercial partnerships. This will include growing and strengthening our global network of friends and supporters committed to nurturing the college’s long-term future.
Green Templeton will maintain open and porous boundaries between research and practice, thereby increasing our influence externally and our ability to have a positive impact on real‐world challenges.
Strategic objectives
Green Templeton will pursue five major, interlocking objectives in order to deliver this vision.
To research and develop the opportunities in establishing up to three centres of academic excellence in the college
To create and implement a 40-year plan to manage and develop the college’s property assets
To foster strong relationships and engagement that provide for increased financial and practical support
To adopt a business model that achieves the long-term financial viability of the college while starting to build a new endowment
To adapt governance and management structures and processes to deliver this strategic plan
Strategic objective 1: Academic
To research and develop the opportunities in establishing up to three centres of academic excellence in the college
Why?
We want to maintain and develop our distinctive academic community that emerges from our mix of disciplines and history, our focus on understanding and enhancing human welfare, and our position at the nexus between research and practice. To maximize our opportunities to develop our reputation and vibrancy, and to deliver positive impact on real-world challenges, we need to focus our energy, resources and assets on building critical mass and a reputation for excellence.
What?
- We will build on the extraordinary platform of interdisciplinary academic activity developed since the college’s foundation
- Given our history and reputation, the first area of focus being explored is around clinical medical education, including maintaining excellence in our medical student teaching programme and provision of enrichment activities across disciplines such as management and leadership in health
- In exploring each area of academic focus, we will consider whether it is one:
- to which Green Templeton can make a distinctive and valuable contribution, making the most of our assets and not duplicating efforts in progress elsewhere in the university
- that will build our intellectual and reputational capital
- that will enhance our student experience
- that will contribute to college’s financial sustainability
- and where we can work with the university to achieve common goals
- We recognise that these areas of academic focus will be enhanced by retaining a diverse range of students and fellows from academic subject areas outside of and allied to these areas. There is real value in maintaining a culture of disciplinarity diversity because from this may spring new transdisciplinary areas of excellence in the future
- We will attract the brightest and best practitioners, researchers, students and teachers to our community.
Strategic objective 2: Estate
To create and implement a 40-year plan to manage and develop the college’s property assets
Why?
To provide a welcoming, well-maintained and inclusive college that enables our students and wider community to succeed individually and together. The college’s vision requires carbon-efficient facilities. With the estate accounting for 90% of college assets, it is imperative that it also supports our long-term financial security.
What?
- Gather data, test scenarios and decide on the future of the estate needed to support the long-term financial viability of the college
- Continue our rolling capital investment to meet our goal to provide an exceptional student experience
- Invest in a visible plan to decarbonise our estate
- Develop the estate and operations in ways that enables us to maximise commercial income
- Provision of suitable student accommodation matching emerging needs
- Strengthen our digital infrastructure to make it more resilient, scalable, flexible and secure.
Strategic objective 3: Networks
To foster strong relationships and engagement that provide for increased financial and practical support
Why?
- The college needs to gain significant and transformative investment to secure its long-term future, deliver an exceptional college experience and fulfil its potential for real world impacts.
What?
- Develop the overall standing, reputation and profile with key audiences in specific areas identified in our vision
- Strengthen our network from within the college and areas of complementary interest across the wider university, locally within the city and county, nationally and internationally
- Build lifelong relationships with students, including through enrichment activities, that foster an engaged alumni community
- Engage with fellows and other college members for their intellectual capital, ability to make introductions and as current or potential donors
- Develop and deliver a sophisticated, robust and engaging alumni proposition that maximises regular long-term support
- Actively engage with a wide range of individuals and organisations as friends and potential supporters
- Explore a range of prospective strategic partnerships of mutual benefit
- Publish our immediate and long-term strategic philanthropic priorities, developing and launching engaging Cases for Support.
Strategic objective 4: Finance
To adopt a business model that achieves the long-term financial viability of the college while starting to build a new endowment
Why?
Establishing a small, regular annual surplus on our operating budget will underpin the opportunities to realise our medium- and long-term aspirations. Only endowment-style income will make possible a transformative change to secure the college’s place in the university of the twenty-second century and beyond.
What?
- Deliver financial impact through short- and longer-term strategic fundraising
- Refine the college’s operations from a financial perspective
- Increase our commercial income by leveraging our physical and intellectual assets, striking a new balance between income-generating and other activities
- Optimise the return from our invested assets.
Strategic objective 5: Governance
To have governance and management structures and processes to deliver this strategic plan
Why?
Good, strong governance in terms of both procedures and practices is essential to ensuring that Green Templeton is best-placed to address future challenges and deliver on opportunities. In a changing landscape for charity governance we should also be seen to be following emerging best practice.
What?
- Eligibility for membership of Governing Body will be reviewed to make better use of the wider range of talents available within the fellowship and ensure speedy and informed decision-making
- Committees will oversee the delivery of strategic objectives. Risk and Scrutiny Committee will review and monitor risks to delivery of this strategy.
Scope
This strategic plan for Green Templeton establishes a series of priorities to be pursued and delivered for the benefit of our community of students, fellows, alumni and staff. The principles of equality, diversity and sustainability are embedded in its vision and delivery.
The strategy establishes a number of frameworks to review the work of the college and sets some long-term targets for key activities. Supporting it there will be a detailed delivery plan that will empower staff and help them understand their respective roles in achieving the objectives.
The delivery plan will be owned by the Senior Management Group of the college. Progress against the strategic plan will be overseen by the Governing Body at each of its annual sequence of meetings and its committees will contribute by providing oversight of specific deliverables. Progress will be recorded formally in the statutory annual report and accounts.
Approved by Governing Body
Michaelmas Term 2022
