New Campus Glasgow

supercampus benefits to be measured

Scotland's top researchers are being invited by New Campus Glasgow (NCG) to come up with proposals to measure the educational and economic benefits of the ambitious project to develop a multi-million pound supercampus in the city centre for Glasgow's 4 specialist colleges - Central, Metropolitan, Nautical and Stow.

"We have been charged with developing a world class learning quarter right in the heart of the city," said NCG Project Director, Iain Marley, "so we want clear measures attached to our various proposals to ensure that our strategy will deliver the best possible outcome for the 50,000 students and 2,000 staff. We also want to ensure that we recognise the benefits to the local and national economy."

A range of top research consultants have been invited to tender and the brief has been publicised online. Proposals are invited by end November.

NCG is currently developing the business case for presentation to the Scottish Funding Council. This will be a detailed, costed plan, outlining options and their benefits. As this proposal constitutes a large public investment, the business case will ultimately also have to be assessed and approved by Scottish Ministers before it is given the final go-ahead. The decision to invest in this project will depend in part on the expected qualitative and quantitative benefits to be derived from the proposed investment.

requirements

This study will be expected to:

• Provide an assessment of the benefits of alternative options to help validate the proposed solution.
• Provide an assessment of the economic and educational impact of the new campus and the likely benefits for students and staff; key employers of students; schools and universities who link with us; and the broader economy.
• Establish baseline information against which NCG can measure success on completion of the project and thereafter.
• Assess the potential impact of the project on the colleges' position in the market and their ability to attract students from home and abroad throughout the life of the project and as a result of it.
• Address the likely issues of various departments within the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Funding Council committed £150 million to the project based on a business case drawn up in 2006. The New Campus Glasgow team is now updating and finalising the business case. This study will support the final proposal.