We launched our Strategy in 2016 and over the last two years we’ve taken important steps to pave the way toward our goals. This year we’ve achieved improvements across all UK and international rankings, in 2017 we secured a £300m bond to support essential investments in our campuses and systems, and this summer we made the move to a simpler, five-faculty structure. We now need to focus on building momentum with our Strategy.
This Strategy Pulse update series will be published regularly on SUSSED News and cascaded to senior managers.
Featured within this update:
- Announcing approval for the OneWeb project
- Make a virtual visit to our new Centenary Building
- Easy ways to familiarise yourself with our five-faculty structure
- New governance for the Strategy Programme
Continuity of our Strategy
Last month, our President and Vice-Chancellor announced his intention to retire in spring 2019. In a period of leadership transition, it’s natural to question whether our Strategy is about to change. Last week, our Chair of Council Philip Greenish reiterated that:
“Our strategy and ambitions are clear, and we will ensure a smooth transition to [Sir Christopher’s] successor next year, who will continue our exciting transformation journey.”
Announcing approval for OneWeb
We’re pleased to announce the approval of a major new university project: OneWeb.
Crucial to the delivery of our Strategy, OneWeb is an ambitious web transformation project that will ensure the University web estate – our window to the world and critical to student recruitment – provides a dynamic, sector-leading experience focused on the needs of the user. OneWeb will empower us to create clear, accurate and compelling content which projects our brand, reputation and values around the globe. Ultimately, creating a website we are all proud of. To achieve this, we will transform not only the content itself, but also the systems, processes, governance and strategy that underpins it.
Ayala Gordon, Head of Digital and Strategic Lead for OneWeb, is in no doubt about the importance of this project:
“Delivering an outstanding user experience online must become a way of life for any organisation expecting to survive in an increasingly competitive digital era. We have no choice, but we have a great opportunity now we have decided to embrace this.
“As a global University, our web presence is fundamental to our reputation and a vital tool in the recruitment of high quality students from around the world. This project will deliver to the very highest standards with the aim of being a global exemplar for our sector.”
The immediate next steps will include recruitment of a project manager to continue driving the progress of this project and the establishment of project governance.
Follow the OneWeb journey via the Digital team’s blog.
Take a virtual sneak peek into the Centenary Building, our new Learning and Teaching Centre
Many of us have been watching the ‘South Gower’ building going up on Highfield Campus over the last 18 months. The ‘Topping Out ceremony’, to mark that the highest point of the building is now in position, will take place this Friday 5 October.
This new, purpose-built centre will provide a wide range of carefully designed spaces and facilities to create a great teaching and learning environment for our staff and students. The outside areas around it, including the courtyards between buildings 58, 2 and 4, are also being developed to improve the overall campus experience. The building is scheduled to be open to students and staff from autumn next year.
2019 is also the year we mark 100 years of Highfield Campus. To celebrate this significant milestone, the new building will be formally named ‘The Centenary Building’ and will be assigned as building number 100 on our campus maps.
Take a tour inside the building in our new virtual flythrough.
Easy ways to familiarise yourself with our new five-faculty structure
Many colleagues and students were away from the University over the summer when our new structure went live on 1 August. If you’re not sure who’s who and what’s what in the new structure, visit the Strategy SharePoint site for an overview.
Direct links to some of our key content:
- Faculty organisation charts
- University organisation and key contacts chart
- Professor Mandy Fader and Ian Dunn’s thank you video to staff [published 1 August]
The next phase of the restructure project will focus on making the new structure work for us, including ensuring we have consistent ways of working across our five faculties.
Mandy Fader, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Internal Partnerships commented:
“We made key changes on 1 August but there is still plenty more work to do to bed down this new structure. We’ll continue to work on those things and will keep colleagues updated, including through these new, regular updates.”
New governance for delivery of our Strategy
Last week, University Executive Board (UEB) approved a new structure for how we govern the delivery of our Strategy. This new structure will support robust and timely decision making, a faster pace of delivery and ensure regular communication to our internal community. Read more about the new governance here.
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