Data intelligence

University of Durham have confirmed that in 2019/20 Environmental management system existence should be reported as Yes, and Environmental management system external verification should be reported as Eco Campus Gold. These values are part of the Environmental management system data displayed in Table 4 of the published open data.

In 2020/21, University of Liverpool reported ‘Other’ for Environmental management system external verification when it should be ISO14001.

In 2016/17, University College London misreported their Environmental management system external verification. They submitted this as 05 – Eco Campus Gold, but it should be 09 – ISO14001.

Not all data fields within EMR are compulsory. Where a cell is blank, the HE provider has not returned any information.

University of Birmingham data are not included in Estates Management Record data, in line with the OfS letter to institutions dated 25 March 2020, which set out reduced regulatory requirements during the Covid-19 outbreak, including that the Estates Management Record 2018-19 did not need to be returned by the previously set deadline.

In 2020/21, The University of East London, was unable to return the values for the fields: scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions from diesel used in HEP-owned vehicles (E12CEVD), non-residential waste mass that is sent to landfill (ENRWMLAN), residential waste mass that is sent for anaerobic digestion (ERWMADI) and the total waste mass that is sent to landfill (EWMLANT).

During 2015/16 the University of Sunderland carried out a higher than normal level of construction work which has resulted in higher than normal capital expenditure data. This included work on the construction of a new building (Hope Street Xchange). The building work was still on-going at the end of the 2015/16 EMR reporting period therefore our space figures do not include this building. As a result ratios comparing our Capital Expenditure figures in relation to space are much higher than in the previous year.

As a result of the level of construction work being carried out during the year, our total waste figures were also much higher than in the previous year. Consequently, ratios comparing our total waste figures to space or staff or student figures are also much higher than in the previous year.

The Hope Street Xchange building was completed in February 2017. Unless EMR reporting requirements change, the building will not appear in our figures for 2016/17 as it is entirely commercial space and will therefore be excluded from EMR.

In 2019/20, Ulster University’s Spin-offs with some HEP ownership - Estimated current employment of all active firms (FTE), decreased from 36,189 in 2018/19 to 159 in 2019/20.  This decrease was due to a large spin out company being sold and hence is no longer included in the data return.

University of Strathclyde incorrectly returned their EU Emissions Trading Scheme participation.  Their return should have been No.

In 2013/14, The University of Huddersfield had significant Expenditure (FSR Table 7) versus student FTE for their physics cost centre. This was due to new physics courses being developed to be offered to students in the future.

In 2013/14, the Royal Veterinary College incorrectly reported within the FSR Table 7, 2 Total academic services: other staff costs and other operating expenses and the same 2 figures for 3a Central administration and services. The correct figures are as follows:

2 Total academic services:

    other staff costs £1,701K

    other operating expenses £1,331K

3a Central administration & services:

    other staff costs £5,837K

     other operating expenses £3,409K

In 2013/14, The University of Lincoln had significant Expenditure versus student FTE in the Pharmacy & Pharmacology and Chemistry academic departments (FSR Table 7). This is due to two new schools being established within these academic departments. The new School of Pharmacy accepted students for the first time in 2013/14 and the School of Chemistry is due to take its first cohort of students in 2014/15. Once both schools are established it would be expected that their unit expenditure (Expenditure divided by student FTE) would be comparable to other similar academic departments within the university.

In 2013/14, The University of Chester had an extremely high unit expenditure for its physics cost centre. This is due to a genuine small fraction of a student being returned to this cost centre within their student return. This has the effect of significantly inflating the expenditure figure when calculated as a unit expenditure, i.e. expenditure divided by student FTE.

For 2018/19, The University of Liverpool incorrectly returned the value for 202 Central administration and services, Other operating expenses for the ‘Expenditure - breakdown by activity and HESA cost centre’. The correct value is £2,794k.

For 2018/19, AECC University College incorrectly returned £37k in 202 Central administration and services instead of Premises, Other expenditure, and £29k in Other expenditure, Other instead of 106 Anatomy and physiology, for Other staff costs in ‘Expenditure - breakdown by activity and HESA cost centre’.

Hartpury University is a group with a number of subsidiary companies, one of which is a designated Further Education Institution. The data within Table 8: ‘Expenditure - breakdown by activity and HESA cost centre’ include substantial costs associated with the FE provision delivered, including at the cost centre level. 

For the University of Sheffield, their other operating expenses for central administration and services increased by £2,021K (2011/12 £10,508k v. 2010/11 £8,487k). This difference includes exchange rate differences, which were a gain of £437k in 2010/11 and a £2,719k loss in 2011/12.

For the University of Lancaster, the clinical medicine cost centre has a very high unit expenditure of £912,139. Calculated from £1,959K expenditure and 2.1 student FTE. This is genuine because Medicine at Lancaster is funded by HEFCE via Liverpool University who return the student FTE's.

Due to a data inputting error, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama's Total value with other (non-SME) commercial businesses within Facilities and equipment related services - Organisations involved and income HEBCI Table 2 is shown as £7.6million. This figure should read £7,600.

In 2014/15, the Royal College of Music misreported their Total value with non-commercial organisations within Facilities and Equipment Related Services from HEBCI Section B Table 2. This figure should have been £505k.

The Finance record is constructed each year to the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP). A fundamental review of the Finance record was completed in 2014, with the resulting changes implemented in a new specification for the 2015/16 collection, taking into consideration the changes from the implementation of Financial Reporting Standards (FRS) 102. Financial Reporting Standards (FRS) 102 is the new financial reporting framework for higher and further education providers for reporting periods starting on or after 1 January 2015. These new standards have introduced significant changes in the way financial performance is reported, which present difficulties in comparing results from 2015/16 and 2016/17 with historical trends, and in comparing results between providers. Some transitional changes reflected in the restated 2014/15 results mean this is also an atypical year.

Some of the finance data in Estates is sourced from the finance collection. Due to issues with some provider's submissions, this finance data is not available for 2021/22. This affects: Heriot-Watt (Scottish provider), Keele University, Coventry University, Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, The University of Northampton, University of Chester, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

For 2019/20, the University of Buckingham has not been included as their data was finalised after the cut off for publication.

For 2019/20 and 2018/19, Regent's University London Limited was not required to submit financial data, therefore the data for this provider is shown as zeros in the tables.

For 2020/21, the University of Buckingham has not been included in Tables 7, 8 and 9 as their data was finalised after the cut off for publication. Data in other tables is available as this is based on restated prior year figures taken from the University of Buckingham's 2021/22 return.