1. 1
Enterprise in the Curriculum at NorthumbriaUniversity
CurrentPositionof Enterprise CurriculumDevelopmentsCoordinatedthroughResearchand
BusinessServices(RBS) - ShortenedVersion
Roger Candy – 10th
April 2014
1. Introduction
Thisis a selectivedescriptionof the RBSsupporteddevelopmentsinenterprisecurriculumcurrently
takingplace at NorthumbriaUniversity.
These developmentsare running,orare proposedtorun,in the academicyear2013/2014…
2. Principles
Since 2003, whenenterprise curriculumdevelopmentsbeganatNorthumbriaUniversity,theyhave
followedasimilarmodel:
The approach …hasbuilt on the academicculturein the University.Wehavesoughtto establish
action centred enterprisecurriculum across[faculties] in formsas appropriateto theirparticular
vocationalareasof interest aspossible.This meansthatwe are establishing enterpriseactivities,
modules,pathwaysand programmeswhich arequitedifferentonefromanother.Theapproach
taken in Design will be differentfromthattaken in Computing and fromthatin Built Environment.
Indeed,theapproachestaken within theparticularsub-disciplinesof Design also differ.
The principlesof enterprise curriculumdevelopmentatNorthumbriahave alwaysincluded:
I. Approachingenterprise inwaysthatenable ittobe easilyabsorbedwithinthe broader
curriculumof the host discipline.
II. Developmentsnegotiatedwithprogrammeteamstoensure thattheymeetasignificant,
existing,perceivedlearningneedwithin afaculty.
III. Actionbasedlearningandsubsequentreflectionand/orintroducingthe learnertoindustrial
and commercial practice.
IV. A focuson assessedlearning.Thisgivesenterpriseinnovationsclearsignificanceforstaff and
studentsandalsoensuresregularconsiderationthroughacademicQA systems.
V. An emphasisonenterprise innovationswithpotential forscalability.Itisan overtpart of the
enterprise developmentatNorthumbriatoinvolve learnersinlarge numbers.Itisan
ultimate aimtoensure thatall learnershave accessto enterprise learningthatreflectstheir
disciplineandvocational interests.
VI. Separationof the deliveryof enterprise curriculumfromthe studentandgraduate
enterprise startupsupportprocess.Enterprise curriculumisaboutlearning.Startupsupport
isabout the sustainable survival of the new enterprise.

2. 2
VII. Enterprise curriculumisalwayscentredonthe pragmatic‘how to’issuesof start-up,rather
than the conceptual ‘why’issuesof enterprise culture.
3. Enterprise Support
The nature of the enterprise supportofferedthroughRBSvariesacrossaspectrum.What isapplied
inany situationisbasedonthe supportneedsexpressedbyprogramme teams:
i. Provisionof visitingspeakers.Theseare usuallyeitherbusinessadvisorsorentrepreneurs.
ii. Organisationof enterprise relatedeventsforstudentsand/orstaff.
iii. Preparationof enterprisecurriculumactivities,eitheronor off campus.Off campusactivities
are usuallyinpartnershipwithoutsideorganisationsandagencies.
iv. Preparationof assignmentbriefs,eitherinpartor whole.
v. Preparationof partsof modules,whole modulesor enterprise pathwaysof modules.
vi. Deliveryof partsof modules.
vii. Assessmentof partsof modules.
Acrossthe university,justover4,000 studentlearningexperiencesinenterprisewere deliveredin
the academicyear 2013/2014. Almostall of thisinvolvesRBSsupport,eitherinpreparationof
activitiesorintheirdeliveryorboth.Usually,eachinterventioninvolves>30 hours’ study.The
equivalentlearnernumbersin2003/2004, whenwhatis now the RBS supportsystembegan,was
about45….
Embeddingof enterprise withinbroadercurriculumhasfallenintosix types:
I. Enterprise Programme Support
Enterprise curriculumdevelopmentswhichinvolve entire modules,groupsof modules,pathwaysof
studyor degree programmesfocusedentirelyormainlyon enterprise. Enterprise isconsideredasa
vocational disciplineinitsownright
II. SpecialistDiscipline BasedSupport
Enterprise learningwhichispursuedwithinparticular,specialistacademicandvocational disciplines.
These developmentsformthe majorityof enterpriseinnovationsatNorthumbria.Theyinvariably
involve negotiationbetweenenterprise aimsandmethodsandthose of the hostdiscipline or
vocation.
III. SpecialistProfessionalPractice Support
Thissupportinvolvesthe introductionof learnersinvocational disciplinestoindustrialbestpractice
inan enterprise context.Thiskindof supportisstrongestwithindisciplineswhere there are
relativelyhighlevelsof successfulsmall enterprise withinthe region.

3. 3
IV. Enterprise EmployabilitySupport
These developmentsinvolve learnersbeingintroducedtothe practical requirementsforrecruitment
to and effective careerdevelopmentwithin‘newstart’small business.Thiskindof supporthas
originatedwithinvocationaldisciplineswhere there are relativelyhighlevelsof successfulsmall
enterprise whichare activelyrecruitingwithinthe region.However,supportcanalsobe appliedin
disciplineareaswhere employabilityismore apparentlyproblematic.
V. General Support
Thisinvolvesgeneral provisionof enterprise speakers,visitsandlearningmaterialtoprogrammes,
withoutnecessarilyevolvingspecialistinterpretationsof enterprise tofitahost disciplinaryor
vocational context.
VI. PartnershipSupport
These are enterprise learninginitiativesincollaborationwithoutsidepartners.The mainpartners
are local authoritiesonTyneside…. Overthe pastcouple of years,we have alsobuiltlinkswith
Europeanpartnerinstitutions,makinguse of Erasmusfunding.