B. Strategic Business Plan

Transcription

1 B. Strategic Business Plan Department Name: Activities & Sports Zone Organisational goals We will help to achieve this between by: Our priorities for 2014/15: Measure of our success: Bold and effective student voice Engage in representation Collaborate with Student Voice to undertake a review of departmental societies in relation to curriculum links, representation, social activity programmes and membership inclusion. Support the Sports Officer to ensure that student views on sports participation are conveyed to Sport Sheffield and the University. Collaborate with Student Voice to undertake a review of departmental societies in relation to curriculum links, representation, social activity programmes and membership inclusion. Continue to make representations to increase provision of rehearsal and performance space on campus. Represent student views to Sport Sheffield in order to widen opportunities from access to competitive and elite sports participation and ensure facility provision prioritises the needs of students sport and wellbeing. Student Voice will receive regular feedback on departmental issues through formal association with departmental societies. All decisions taken by Sport Sheffield and the University have considered the impact on the student sporting experience. Led by students Consult with Societies Committee to identify priority areas for staff support for societies and committees. Consult with Societies Committee to identify priority areas for staff support for societies and committees. Society and committee leaders will report high levels of satisfaction with staff support and guidance. Campaign for change Develop stronger links between political / campaigning societies and the R&D and Officer teams. Improve training and support for political and campaigning societies. Facilitate closer links between Student Voice and the political/campaigning societies. Evidence of campaigning outputs and impact will be available. Student Voice / Officer team will be able to mobilise student activists for major campaigns. Strategic Business Plan page 1 of 8

2 Opportunities for students to develop A global perspective Identify a programme of activities to ensure that international students are able to access membership of and participate in welcome programmes organised by departmental societies. Develop new collaborative initiatives to increase integration between home and international students and encourage integration between home and international students through membership of societies and committees. Provide cultural/global awareness training for Society Committee members to ensure that are better informed and supported. Review policy on international volunteering, evaluating liability, safety and resource issues if included in the range of opportunities available to students. Support the departmental societies sports teams to be inclusive and welcoming. Seek to allow national and other societies to provide affordable food at events, and include non-members and provide a budget to meet the costs of qualified staff to oversee large national society food events. Support the departmental societies sports teams to be inclusive and welcoming. Support the One World Ambassadors to organise and promote global events and activities which can appeal to a wide student demographic. Investigate developing closer links with Sheffield International College. International students active membership of departmental societies will reflect numbers of students in each department. Home students will report high awareness and satisfaction levels with being part of a global community at Sheffield University. Societies and committees report high levels of international student membership. Suitable and safe volunteering opportunities are available to students. Expand and enhance opportunities Review the current New Society approval criteria, aiming to reduce the number of rejected society applications. Provide staff support for large, collaborative society events. Improve advice available to students wishing to set-up a new society. Increase the number of priority societies to between 50 and 60. Liaise with the Events Team to provide staff support for large, collaborative society and committee events; and better advertise the Students Union s bookable spaces website to encourage students to Students will feel that they are receiving greater value from their SU Membership and report higher levels of loyalty as a result of receiving appropriate training and support. Numbers of rejected society applications will be reduced (currently c. 50% of all Strategic Business Plan page 2 of 8

3 use internal venues. Create a new Society Development Coordinator post to improve support, training, guidance, health and safety management, legal compliance and increase awareness of all creative and performing arts societies. applications). Student participation in social sport increases from 2013/14 base levels. Assist Sport Sheffield with the promotion and delivery of the new Sport England Activation Fund (if successful). Support employability Implement the relevant objectives and measures agreed as part of the University/Students Union Employability Strategy 1. Dependant on funding, create a new post of Employability and Training Coordinator to provide more advice and guidance to improve students skills understanding of employability outcomes gained through involvement in extra-curricular activities through training, mentoring and recognition initiatives. Promote HEAR 6.1 (SU) opportunities to recognise students achievements and increase students understanding of how extracurricular involvement relates to employability skills. Develop a working partnership with the Careers Service to actively promote skills acquisition through engagement in extra-curricular Offer Train-the-Trainers training in Extend the society training programme to improve student skills, and increase students understanding of employability skills gained through leadership of student Promote HEAR 6.1 (SU) opportunities to recognise students achievements, and increase students understanding of how extracurricular involvement relates to employability skills. Improve liaison with, and sign-posting to the Careers Service to actively promote skills acquisition through engagement in extra-curricular Offer Train-the-Trainers training in order to encourage more Peer Training. Students will report high levels of awareness and understanding of employability skills gained through involvement in extra-curricular Students will report high levels of satisfaction with the range of opportunities provided by the SU and the quality of support and guidance provided. 80% of societies & committees will request inclusion of leadership positions under HEAR At least 60% of eligible roles will be verified under HEAR 6.1 Personal tutors, Careers Service & 301 Centre will understand the value extra-curricular activities in helping the University deliver strong KIS Employment result. Average attendance at training courses will exceed 60%. Strategic Business Plan page 3 of 8

4 order to encourage more Peer Training. Student support and well-being Support and guidance Improve Activities staff communication with, training & support for societies and committees to ensure that they can access advice & guidance (including in relation to conflict resolution). Review current policy not to approve peer-support societies, developing support partnerships with Student Services and the Student Advice Centre. Improve Activities staff communication with, training & support for societies and committees to ensure that they can access advice & guidance (including in relation to conflict resolution) on all aspects of running a society or committee. Pilot a selective Committee Leadership Peer Training programme to improve society handovers, confidence and skills of new committee members. Collaborate with Sport Sheffield to promote opportunities for students to engage with access routes to sport. Society and committee organisers will report high levels of satisfaction with quality of staff support, training and guidance. Students will be able to set-up self-help societies and receive appropriate guidance and support, both from the SU and as part of a collaborative partnership with the University. Society sporting activities meet minimum safety standards. Encourage safer socials by developing an alcohol policy for society events. Provide appropriate safety advice and support for society sporting Communities and friendships Celebrate the many ways that societies and committees foster and facilitate students friendships, support networks and emotional well-being, with students having fun as a core outcome. Increase the Participation Fund to increase access to sports and Provide better information and guidance relating to film licensing for societies who wish to show films in the SU. Home and international students report high levels of satisfaction with friendship groups gained through involvement with societies and committees. Continue to make representations to increase provision of suitable rehearsal and performance space on. Strategic Business Plan page 4 of 8

5 campus. Quality services Services for students Increase availability of the A&S Zone Information Desk by extending opening hours to 2 weeks during Easter vacation and 6 weeks in summer vacation in order to provide enhanced support for local, international, postgraduate, medicine & dentistry students remaining in Sheffield. Improve the quality of advice and support to student leaders delivering activities & events & provide a budget to deliver more safety training using external providers (e.g. 1 st aid, PASMA) & equipment e.g. safety/gym mats. Improve the quality of advice and support to student leaders delivering activities & events & provide a budget to deliver more safety training using external providers (e.g. 1 st aid, PASMA) & equipment e.g. safety/gym mats. Create a new post to provide specialist sports knowledge to risk manage and support society social sport; oversee and risk manage around 10 national society sports tournaments; assist with the organisation of Varsity, Sports Fair and Awards; act as a key link with Sport Sheffield s Access programmes; advise and support the Sports Officer.. Investigate the feasibility of sharing the costs of a Rugby Development Officer (employed by Sport Sheffield) to coordinate the three existing society rugby teams. Society and committee enquiries are dealt with promptly during [part] vacation periods. SU compliance with safety responsibilities for societies and committees is increased, with improvised audit trails and record keeping. Ensure that student activities are relevant to students and provides good value (subject to funding). Digitally innovative Introduce a new online society and committee membership database to meet HEAR 6.1 requirements and other support staff (SDCs/Desk) requirements. Review society and committee administration/information to identify which services areas can be available to students 24/7, prioritising online Investigate the feasibility of introducing online voting for society and committee AGMs. Investigate the feasibility of introducing an online room booking facility for societies and committees in liaison with Room Bookings. Contribute to the development and implementation of NUS Digital and its benefits to societies and committees. SU has accurate records of all society and committee members and is able approve verifiable HEAR activities for the University. Students report high levels of satisfaction with SU finance system and there is a decrease in societies opening external bank accounts. Students report high levels of satisfaction with accessibility and relevance of information Strategic Business Plan page 5 of 8

6 access to society and committee bank accounts and room bookings. Review content of the Zone online and Get Involved web pages to ensure that all information is simplified, cohesive, relevant and easily accessible to new and involved students. provided. A greater range of vibrant society websites will exist, linked to the SU site & will strengthen links & loyalty between student groups & SU. Offer societies a logo design service and provide more functional society web pages, able to be personalised and effectively linked to SU website and to incorporate ways to link social media with SU websites. Strategic Business Plan page 6 of 8

7 Department Name: Enablers Our suggestions for priorities over the next 4 years in each of the following enabling areas. ( Please highlight those which you think are essential for your department to achieve its actions and priorities as stated above) Building & Facilities Extend the current Activities staff office to provide an additional 4 workstations. Invest in additional performance space either through new capacity or venue hire contracts/slas with external providers. Communication Digital / IT Systems Specialist support to develop a communications strategy to inform and celebrate students achievements in activities & sport. IT to support and develop HEAR database, including committee details data. Improved support for society and committee web-sites and logo design. Online room bookings initiatives. Finance Club/society/committee banking investigate whether a financial systems can be used that gives students access to real-time transactions, through online banking. Governance People Secure continuation funding for a HEAR 6.1 Coordinator. University relationship Employability and internationalisation strategies. Health & Safety good practice/policy implementation. Strategic Business Plan page 7 of 8

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