Strategic Plan

Our Strategic Plan 2018—2022

Our Strategic Plan
2018—2022

We are here to make a positive impact on the lives of every student at UWE Bristol and will facilitate and empower students to: placeholder image Join In, Speak Up and Be More.

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Student Prioirities

Active

Students choose to come to university to expand their opportunities for the future, by gaining new experiences that will enable them to be more and add value as UWE Bristol graduates.

By 2022 we will:

Have a clear pathway for us to develop student leaders from our membership
Enable students to participate in activities when they want, where they want, and how they want
Transform the way in which activities are offered to ensure that students are included irrespective of their identity

Network

Students create a feeling of belonging at university within our programmes, social groups and campuses. This is where students make friendships that will last a lifetime, enabling them to be respected and valued members of our community.

By 2022 we will:

Have worked with UWE Bristol to ensure we have a 24/7 student community
Develop networks for students to embed a sense of belonging across the membership
Provide opportunities for students to be respected members of the wider community and champion their causes

Support

University is a hugely enriching experience but many can find this a challenging environment at various times. Having access to open, available and welcoming services is critical to our students.

By 2022 we will:

Deliver and implement a joint mental health strategy with UWE Bristol
Ensure students have access to student support when they need it, where they need it, and how they need it
Champion the delivery of a positive campus culture
Embed student welfare to respond to the needs of the 2022 student within The Students’ Union structure

Value

University life and the cost to students has transformed in its type, style and impact in recent years. Students are feeling the impact of these pressures more acutely than ever before. Students need to make their money work harder at university and ensure they are getting a sense of value for their money.

By 2022 we will:

Have achieved up front transparency of the costs of all university services, availability of access funds and availability of information to enable students to make the best choices
Provide clear ways for students to assess the impact of external pressures on their pocket
Ensure The Students’ Union is good value for money across all of its opportunities and services

Voice

Each individual at UWE Bristol represents the student voice. It is important to represent that collective voice through understanding what works well for them and what challenges and concerns students are facing, which is critical to their success at university.

By 2022 we will:

Transform the ways in which issues of concern are raised to us, and the way we as a students' union can represent them and get the answers we need
Match our representative and democratic structures to the needs of students, ensuring their voice is inclusive and diverse
Establish strong connections and agendas with our key stakeholders to ensure the student voice is heard

Enabling Priorities

Communication

We have the best tools to help us communicate, get our message across and demonstrate our impact.

By 2022 we will:

Have targeted communications based on demographics, interests and needs of students
Have clear channels for all stakeholders to understand our impact
Have a dynamic two-way internal communication network to enable all of our members to be on board with our strategic objectives
Have the skills to develop our evolving communications channels for our members

Environment

In an expanding multi-campus university, we represent a large community of students. The creation of the right learning and social environment is critical.

By 2022 we will:

Have created an environment that facilitates and inspires us and our members to meet our sustainability targets and work towards the UN sustainable development goals
Have reviewed our space and facility needs at each campus to ensure they are fit for purpose and can respond to our students' changing needs and the opportunities available to them
Ensure the student voice is prominent within each development across the UWE Bristol estate

Finance

In uncertain financial times, The Students' Union needs to have a clear, open and transparent financial plan that provides the opportunity for sustainable growth and development. This is the hallmark behind the most successful students’ unions in the UK.

By 2022 we will:

Ensure a sound financial plan that ensures The Students’ Union is fit for purpose, has a balance of income sources and is able to deliver its priorities
Ensure our commercial operations continually contribute to the charitable activities of the organisation, both financially and through operational practices
Develop clear targets for return on investment in our activities, services and campaigns
Develop department balanced scorecards to ensure they are clear and accountable

Governance

The space in which students’ unions operate has evolved with increasing scrutiny placed by the government, students and the public on our role. We need to ensure we are acting in the interests of our members, have clarity over competing interests and develop sustainable practice.

By 2022 we will:

Have fully reviewed our governance, ensuring our members are central to our decision-making and we are compliant with the Good Governance code for charities and students’ unions
Have implemented a new model of accountability that creates transparency of our decision-making

People

Our people are our biggest resource, facilitating the things students get involved in and the services that are provided. Having the right people, passion, skills and experience are vital to our future success.

By 2022 we will:

Employ the right people at the right time to fit our priorities and needs as members
Establish a new people development strategy focusing on recruitment, retention and progression for all levels of The Students’ Union
Ensure our people reflect the diversity of our membership