This paper was presented at the 2008 Engineering Conference - Innovation Good Practice and Research in Engineering Education.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England in its largest single teaching and learning initiative (£315m) created 74 Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in 2005 in areas of recognised strength. The Engineering CETL at Loughborough University received £1.645m capital and £0.5m per year recurrent funding for 5 years to build on its strong links with industry and expand the role of the existing Engineering Education Centre. The engCETL is now approximately half way through the funding period and the paper reflects on some of the achievements and issues associated with this step change in funding levels. The capital funding provided the opportunity to develop bespoke high quality teaching space which has raised the profile of the CETL at all levels across the University. The paper reports on the outcomes of the development of this space and the evaluation of its use. The recurrent funding has expanded the remit of the existing Centre particularly in the area of pedagogic research and wider engagement across the University. Contact with academic departments has increased and the strategy of using seconded academics has been successful. The paper reflects on the impact of the recurrent funding and some of the issues that have emerged in managing the changes associated with large scale but short term grants.
