Data intelligence

The University of Glamorgan changed its reporting practices for a number of their full-time postgraduate taught students that were active over two reporting years. These students were previously returned as active in their first year but dormant in their second year. For 2009/10 these students are now returned as active in both academic years.

In 2013/14, Cardiff Metropolitan University had a significant increase in their full-time postgraduate taught student numbers from 2,245 in 2012/13 to 3,275 in 2013/14. This was largely due to a significant increase in recruitment to their franchise partners.

In 2013/14, The City University recorded a significant increase in its full-time postgraduate taught students numbers, from 3,705 in 2012/13 to 5,585 in 2013/14. This was mainly due to improving the recording practice for full-time Master's students on 13+ month courses, which were previously coded to part-time after the first 12 months of their course. This also affected their full-time postgraduate taught qualifications awarded, which increased from 1,175 in 2012/13 to 3,100 in 2013/14.  A corresponding decrease in part-time postgraduate taught qualifications awarded can also be seen.

In 2017/18, among Northern Ireland Further Education Colleges approximately 110 graduates were included in the Graduate Outcomes population in error. These graduates completed a short course (ILM Level 5 Making Professional Presentations) that was taken alongside their main qualification but had a different date of completion.

Rounding strategy

Due to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 HESA implements a strategy in published and released tabulations designed to prevent the disclosure of personal information about any individual. This strategy involves rounding all numbers to the nearest multiple of 5 and suppressing percentages and averages based on small populations.

HESA Services Standard Rounding Methodology:

1. All numbers are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5
2. Any number lower than 2.5 is rounded to 0
3. Halves are always rounded upwards (e.g. 2.5 is rounded to 5)
4. Percentages based on fewer than 22.5 individuals are suppressed
5. Averages based on 7 or fewer individuals are suppressed
6. The above requirements apply to headcounts, FPE and FTE data
7. Financial data is not rounded

Total figures are also subject to this rounding methodology after calculation; so the sum of numbers in each row or column may not match the total shown. Suppressed values are normally represented as '..' in published tables (prior to 2006/07 these were represented as a blank value within the UK Performance Indicators.

Note: The suppression level within the UK Performance Indicators changed from 20 to 22.5 in 2011/12.

From 2011/12, data within the employment indicators have been suppressed and represented as a blank cell where the response rate for a HE provider is less than 85 per cent of the target response rate (68.0% for table E1a, 59.5% for tables E1b-E1d). Data for these HE providers have been excluded from all indicator and benchmark calculations. In 2010/11, data for HE providers in table E1 have been suppressed where response rates to the destinations of leavers survey was considered to be sufficiently low that their data may not be comparable with other HE providers.

From 2012/13, where data for a HE provider has been suppressed, they have been removed from all totals and benchmark calculations, see PITG paper 13/01. Also from 2012/13, in the event that a HE provider's data contains more than 50 per cent unknown values within the benchmarking factors, the benchmark has been suppressed and represented as a blank cell. This data has, however, been retained and included in totals and benchmark calculations for the rest of the sector. See PITG paper 13/03 and PITG minutes, 28 February 2013.

Manchester Metropolitan University have misreported their Generation of electricity exported to grid in the 2014/15 Estates Management record return. They submitted the figure of 1821 kWh when this should be 0 as they do not export any electricity to grid.
 

In 2019/20, The University of Cambridge reported a significant increase in Estimated current employment of all active firms, Estimated current turnover of all active firms, and Estimated external investment received for graduate and staff start-ups compared to previous years. These figures are presented in Table 4e and Chart 1.
These increases were due to additional support provided by Cambridge Enterprise to incentivise staff and student start-ups during the reporting period. The University of Cambridge have also made improvements to their processes for capturing these data.

In 2020/21, The University of Cambridge reported a significant increase in estimated current turnover on all active firms for formal spin-offs, not HEP owned. This figure is presented in Table 4e and Chart 1.  This increase is due to the provider making improvements to their process for capturing data, which included a review and validation of the categorisation of spin-offs and start-ups. 

The most comprehensive assessment of data quality in the Graduate Outcomes survey currently available can be found in the Graduate Outcomes quality report.

The University of Buckingham publishes audited accounts to 31 December each year. Consequently, the income and expenditure in this finance data is prepared from management accounts spanning two financial years, which can be reconciled to the published accounts for multiple years, e.g. 2013 and 2014 for 31 December 2013.

Guildhall School of Music and Drama is owned and run by the City of London Corporation and does not produce their own balance sheet, statement of total recognised gains and losses, or cash flow statement.

Scotland’s Rural College, SRUC, was formed on 1 October 2012 by the merger of Barony, Elmwood and Oatridge Colleges and SAC (Scottish Agricultural College). The merger resulted in a significant uplift in the size of the estate. Due to the land based nature of the college we have an unusual estate compared to the majority of other institutions.

The following providers did not make an Estates Management record data return to HESA:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
The University of Buckingham

The FSR submissions for The University of East Anglia and The University of Essex include figures for income, net return, net assets and deferred capital grants for the University Campus Suffolk, which is a 50:50 joint venture between these two universities.

The University of East London incorrectly returned £8k under ‘Taxable benefits – Subsidised accommodation’ of Table 11 instead of ‘Performance related pay and other bonuses’ in relation to the head of provider in post at the financial year end 2019/20. The correct value for ‘Performance related pay and other bonuses’ is £8k, and ‘Taxable benefits – Subsidised accommodation’ is £24k for this head of provider.

The University of Essex incorrectly returned £24k under ‘Taxable benefits – Subsidised accommodation’ of Table 11 instead of ‘Non-taxable benefits – Living accommodation’ in relation to the head of provider in post at the financial year end 2019/20.

Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance recorded incorrect start and end dates of service within Table 11 of the FInance record in 2017/18 for their Heads of providers.

The correct dates are as follows:

Head of provider at 31 July 2018

• Year ended 31 July 2018
  • Start date of service (YYYYMMDD) - 20180108

Previous Head of provider (1)

• Year ended 31 July 2018
  • End date of service (YYYYMMDD) – 20170915

In Table 11 of the published Finance tables the data for Glasgow Caledonian University head of the provider's basic salary divided by the median pay (salary) has been suppressed. The correct ratio for the head of provider at financial year end 2019/20 is 5.2 and the correct ratio for the head of provider at financial year end 2018/19 is 5.3.

In 2014/15 Falmouth University reported in error their CE and CPD for individuals in HEBCI Table 2 £27.75 million. This figure should read £27,000.

In 2015/16, Heythrop College did not complete a HESA Finance Return.

In 2015/16, The University of Sunderland incorrectly reported some figures within the Finance record Table 7, section 4. The correct figures are as follows:

• 4 Other income
  • 4a Other services rendered
    • 4ai BEIS Research Councils, UK central government/local authorities, health and hospital authorities, EU government bodies £1,805K
    • 4aii Other £71K
  • 4e Other grant income £3,370K
  • 4h Other operating income £3,082K

Ulster University reported a significant increase in other regeneration grants and income from local and regional bodies from £3,179,000 in 2019/20 to £27,753,000 in 2020/21. This figure is presented in Table 3 and Chart 2. This increase is due to the university receiving considerable support from regional government to assist with the ongoing costs of the development of the Ulster University Belfast campus, which will be the nexus of research and innovation activity, with funding being provided for collaborative research and development facilities, translational research facilities, incubation, and entrepreneurial hubs.