| 2.1 Defining UCAS 2.1.1 The Company Vision: To be the world's most respected admissions organisation
UK higher education not only benefits the lives of the students and the UK communities, it is also recognised as one of the most important exports in the UK economy. The ever-increasing globalisation of the higher education market makes it particularly important that, by the end of the decade, UCAS should be the world's most respected admissions organisation: that is to say, it should provide a model to which other admissions organisations aspire.
More specifically, the Company's vision is to:-
- Operate and develop national and international application systems beneficial to the UK higher education sector and to member institutions
- Provide a series of additional services and products which add value to its core business, benefiting students, HE institutions and the HE sector
- Be trusted by institutions and governments to offer first-class, cost-effective, mission-enhancing solutions to their needs
- Be an important and leading stakeholder in HE policy development and be effective in communicating the benefits of change
- Act as a key partner for UK higher education institutions in accessing the international student market
- Be trusted by students, throughout the world, to provide coherent, effective and efficient admissions services
- Operate in accordance with good business practice whilst being mindful of its charitable status and maintaining its belief in education and social enterprise
2.1.2 Company values and behaviours
UCAS' values and behaviours can be categorised under the following four main headings:
- Persona: UCAS is a guide. It exists to give direction, point, steer and lead those who are in contact with it. It also provides instruction and help in everything it does
- Values: UCAS' values describe what the Company believes to be most important, i.e. applicants, advisers, higher education staff, business partners and UCAS employees will find an organisation that is approachable, knowledgeable, reliable, experienced and authoritative
- Behaviours: As a guide, the values that UCAS wishes to exhibit will be expressed by giving direction, being crystal clear, providing value and being safe and secure
- Voice: The tone and feel of UCAS' voice is confident, clear, brief, useful, interesting and accurate.
2.1.3 The Company mission: to inform, enable and connect
UCAS' mission is to provide services to applicants, advisers, schools and colleges, and to institutions offering higher education programmes, that:
- Ensure applicants are well informed via coherent, comprehensive, accurate and timely information, allowing them to make appropriate choices and so establish the best basis for success
- Enable institutions to admit students efficiently and effectively, on an equal and fair basis, and thus support the achievement of their admissions goals and policies
- Connect, support and work with partners in education to the benefit of students and member institutions
In achieving its mission, UCAS will:
- Provide efficient, cost-effective and professional admissions systems, together with associated information services
- Provide innovative and creative solutions that take account of the requirements of both students and educational institutions
- Facilitate and promote access to higher education
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