Estates Directors, by and large, are significant net spenders of university income.
While we may also run aspects of our institution’s income-generating commercial services – conferencing and retail for instance – and we know our university built environment can be key in attracting research income, staff and students too, on the whole we sit on the expenditure side of the balance sheet, with buildings second only to people in terms of operating costs.
A recent AUDE presentation to colleagues from our Australian equivalent organisation TEFMA made the point that with a UK HE sector operating margin of around 1 per cent, compared with a historical trend of around 5 per cent, there simply is far, far less money around in the system at the moment than there has been.
Australian jaws dropped by the way, even informed ones as they were. As incoming AUDE Chair, I want to be transparent about some of the choices estates directors are now having to make.
