The Students’ Union launches a new strategic plan every three years to shape the direction of the organisation but also to help effectively communicate and share our priorities with our stakeholders, our members, the students of Bucks New University, our staff team and volunteers, the institution and the wider community.
The new plan is launched this October and focuses on making life better for students at Bucks, taking us right up until 2022.
Our President, Tao Warburton, said: “It is a really exciting time to be part of the Union and extremely rewarding to be able to launch this new strategic plan and to be part of making great things happen at Bucks.
"Our purpose as a Students’ Union is to ‘make life better for students at Bucks’. Through dynamically supporting and representing our membership on a daily basis we aim to achieve this mission.
"I know that without Bucks Students’ Union my university journey would have been far less rich and I’m not sure my outcomes would have been anywhere near as favourable, so I fully understand the value of our work and am passionate about driving the organisation forward, enabling us to have the same impact for many, many more students. This plan will enable us to do that.
"We have engaged in extensive consultation with the membership and we believe this plan is taking us in the right direction to meet their expectations, ensuring that our offer represents the diverse interests and requirements of all our community and that both students and Union staff are properly equipped to have a positive impact on the Bucks experience.
"Our plan not only gives us focus for the next three years but also enables us to clearly communicate our intent, which we hope will inspire an even greater level of engagement from the people around us.”
Tao added: “I am fully confident that we will make good on our commitments and successfully deliver this plan ensuring that the Union continues to make positive change, is growing responsibly and in a sustainable fashion at the heart of the University’s offer. All while amplifying our members voice as the powerful and tenacious ‘critical friend’ the institution deserves. There is a lot of ground still to cover for Bucks New University, but you can rest assured that we will be with our institution throughout as a trusted ally, invaluable resource and a creative supporter.
"I’m incredibly excited to have this opportunity to play my part in delivering on these commitments, and hope this plan inspires more people like me to get involved.”
Tristan Tipping, Chief Executive Officer at Bucks Students' Union, went on to add: ”While we are rightly proud of our achievements to date the new document outlines our strategy for continuing progress, it is a series of commitments designed to build on the foundations we have established over recent years, and in keeping with our nature is ambitiously looking forward.
"Once again it is not necessarily a radical departure from our previous work but does take us in new directions, sets fresh priorities and ensures we are responding to the changing environment and the evolving priorities of our membership.
"We have shaped these commitments following thorough consultation with our stakeholders and having reflected on the outcomes and impact made during the period of our last plan, and every element has been informed by the membership. We are extremely confident that this approach will take us in the right direction to serve their needs whilst enabling us to remain agile, innovative and ambitious, meeting new challenges as and when they arise.
"Our previous strategies successfully captured and defined the ‘character’ of the Union, and sharing this with our members, staff team and the wider community has been a key factor in our ongoing accomplishments. We have developed a credible brand and our stakeholders know what we stand for. It is now important that we continue to role model our values and strive to meet, and where possible exceed, the high standards we have set ourselves.
"Detailed operational plans, focusing on how we will continue to improve our diverse services and overall offer, support the delivery of this strategy and I have every faith that our driven and dynamic team will continue to achieve great results.
"We approach the next three years with renewed enthusiasm. We have high hopes for the development of the institution during this time and will work hard to inspire the next generation of Bucks students to enjoy the benefits of their membership, fully participate in the opportunity we provide, become influential in what we do and leaders in their chosen areas.
"On behalf of the Union I’d like to say thank you in advance to all who will be part of our onward journey and our sincere gratitude to those who have contributed so far.”
To find out more you can either pick up a hard copy of the plan, from the Students' Union offices, or by reading the online version.