St Mary’s current partnership activity in the UK includes franchise arrangements with private providers and a public university, flying faculty arrangements with colleges, and validations with Catholic institutions. International partnership activity includes dual degrees with private universities, validation arrangements with colleges, and articulations with private universities. These partnerships benefit the university and student and staff community in a number of ways by:

Diversifying the university’s offering through provision of flexible programmes delivered in ways that meet local and international needs.
Enriching students' education and learning by building a diverse and inclusive student community both on campus and through distance learning.
Enabling the university to meet its civic mission by providing alternative routes into higher education for students with non-traditional qualifications.
Strengthening the university’s financial position through diversifying income
Provide opportunities for staff development through international collaboration and expanding academic networks.
Create more opportunities for civic engagement and create positive impacts through teaching, research and enterprise.

In terms of future partnership developments, there are many partnership models and opportunities available both in the UK and internationally, but considering the regulatory environment, government priorities, and St Mary’s mission and resource constraints, the following areas will be prioritised for exploration and development:

Regional further education partnerships
Catholic Mission-driven partnerships
Transnational Education

The strategic priority to develop high-performing academic partnerships will therefore be met through achieving the following objectives:

Ensure partnerships contribute positively to St Mary’s reputation and financial position, including supporting the University’s to achieve its measures for student success.
Develop and strengthen partnerships with further education colleges that expand the university’s impact in local communities, and connect further and higher education
Develop and strengthen partnerships with institutions both in the UK and overseas that contribute to the University’s Catholic Mission.
Develop and strengthen transnational education and international recruitment partnerships to grow St Mary’s international standing and meet local needs.

It is important that St Mary’s demonstrates the value that it can provide to prospective partners, in order to realise these strategic priorities. Our values of Excellence, Generosity of Spirit, Inclusiveness and Respect will guide our approach to partnership selection and working, and we will be pro-active, flexible, and open in managing these relationships.

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