T HE B IG PL A N 2 0 1 5 - 1 8
THE UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING STUDENTS’ UNION
Purpose
& Values
03
Summary of
The Big Plan
Aims
04
05
Democratic
& Academic
Representation
06
Communities,
Volunteering &
Environmental
Activities,
Sports, Clubs
Development
07
08
09
Social, Cultural
& Enterprise
Support
& Wellbeing
10
-
Enablers
11
People
/Finance
12
Communications
/Facilities
13
PUR POSE
A N D VALUES
Our Purpose is to
‘Make Students’ Lives Better’
Our Values are:
Equality &
Diversity
Helpful &
Fun
Sense of
Belonging
Ambitious
Responsible
03
SUMM ARY O F
THE BI G PLAN
Summary of the Big Plan
This plan sets out our ambitious and comprehensive strategy to be an exemplary Student Union. We aim to ensure
all students enjoy University life to the full and that the Student Union achieves its mission to Make Students’ Lives
Better. Our principal strategic aims can be summarised as follows;
Create a sense of belonging by being helpful and supportive, delivering professional services and vibrant
activities in a framework of Equality and Diversity.
Provide academic Support Services that are accessible, inclusive, independent and available at all campuses
for students in need of individual support.
Influence key decisions and embed and evaluate any curriculum, learning and teaching modifications;
achieved through enhanced student representative structures and a full year support service.
Work with the University’s Student Support Service to ensure all students’ individual needs are being met,
by providing neutral professional mediation services within the Student Union. Individual crisis situations can
occur at any time, with this in mind we aim to develop an out of hours peer listening and signposting service.
To maximise effectiveness of club presidents and committees, we aim to develop training and coaching
provision whilst also working with the University’s Sport Development Service to ensure all students’ sporting
needs are met. We will help to deliver the University’s Strategy for Sport, focusing on participation and
performance to harness the links between sport participation and improved health and wellbeing.
Facilitate student led co-curricular and collaborative activities through clubs, societies and volunteering
opportunities. To enhance employability prospects, we will seek module accreditation where work experience
links to coursework and support enterprise ideas opportunities for all students. We will support delivery of the
University’s Employability Strategy and work with the Career Development Centre and Enterprise Incubator.
Provide relevant and inclusive events, activities and social study spaces, to enhance cultural and social life
on campus for our internationally diverse population. Our commercial services (shop/catering/café/bar) will
deliver quality, value for money and employment opportunities for students.
Minimise the environmental impact of the University and its students by implementing our innovative Green
agenda in collaboration with the University. We aim to communicate the benefits of these life enhancing and
enjoyable activities to enrich the University experience.
Additional funding and resources will be required in order to deliver this ambitious strategic plan. We are confident
that the University appreciates the benefits and impact that a better resourced Student Union will provide. Achieving
this plan will translate directly to improving the University experience for all students at Stirling.
Amy McDermott
Union President
Barbara Mckissack
Chair of the Trustee Board
04
This plan aims to deliver:
AI M S
Social, Cultural
and Enterprise
Communities,
Volunteering and
Environment
Activities, Sport,
Clubs and Societies
Support and
Wellbeing
Democratic and
Academic
Representation
05
DE M OC RAT IC A ND
ACA DE M IC RE PR E S ENTAT IO N
We will represent students’ interests at both local and national
level, influencing key decisions and shaping the curriculum in
line with students’ changing requirements. We will enhance
student representative and democratic structures and increase
the ‘listening’ that we do.
How will we achieve this?
Facilitate and support the student voice and support the
delivery of relevant and effective campaigns informed through
evidence from casework, surveys and other student feedback.
Ensure the Union’s electoral process is appropriately
governed, well publicised and administered.
In partnership with the University, recruit and train course
representatives and school officers to represent all student
groups.
Support and develop the leadership qualities and skill sets
of student officers, to enable them to represent students
effectively at the University and externally.
Measure of Success
Increase the number of course representatives and school
officers recruited and trained.
Ensure that elections are contested and electoral turnout
increases year on year.
Improve participation levels in surveys and use the analysis of
the results to shape change.
Evidence and publicise changes to University policies or
decision making which are attributable to Union interventions.
Increase RATE and StARs programme participation and
evaluate outcomes.
Drive student participation in all surveys including the National
Student Survey (NSS), the Post Graduate Taught Survey
(PTES), Post Graduate Research Survey (PReS). Analyse the
results and identify areas of improvement for the University
and Student Union.
Effectively develop and deliver programmes, such as
Recognising Achievement in Teaching Excellence (RATE) and
Students as Researchers (StARs).
Work in partnership with the University on the Enhancement
Led Institutional Review (ELIR).
Develop policy in line with students’ changing requirements.
06
SUPPO RT&
WELLBE I N G
We will provide accessible, inclusive and independent
information, support and guidance; we aim to be the first point of
contact for students who are experiencing difficulties and are in
need of individual representation.
How will we achieve this?
Promote the Union’s student support widely to all students
and University staff, to increase awareness of what we offer
and how to access the services.
Develop and deliver an appropriate out of hours peer listening
and signposting service.
Increase staff capacity and expertise to deliver professional
academic representation casework, advocacy, mediation and
out of hours support services.
Measure of Success
Increased numbers of self-referrals due to more preventative
support and signposting.
Increasing awareness and use of services within the student
population.
Increase in University retention rates especially in relation to
articulated, wider access and international student cohorts.
Strengthen links with other University of Stirling Campuses
and develop accessible information, support and
representation to these student populations.
Working with the University’s Accommodation Services,
offer support and training to groups of students undertaking
challenging roles such as Accommodation Liaison Students
(ALS).
Work closely with partners such as the University, Citizens
Advice Bureau, Shelter and other third sector providers to
develop appropriate services on campus.
Work in partnership with NHS Forth Valley to deliver Scottish
Mental Health First Aid and Assist training to staff and
students.
Continue to deliver de-stress activities and initiatives.
Ensure all staff and officers are aware of equality and diversity
issues and that support provided reflects these principles.
Develop and implement effective recording and monitoring
system to capture casework undertaken, outcomes, student
demographics, trends, potential campaigning issues,
signposting, referrals, connections to other services and
volume of work undertaken.
07
AC TIV ITIES & SPORTS,
C LU BS D EV ELOPMENT
We will create a sense of belonging, fun and enjoyment.
We will effectively communicate the benefits of these life
enhancing activities to ensure students enjoy their University
experience to the full.
How will we achieve this?
Measure of Success
Influence and actively support the implementation of the
University’s Strategy for Sport.
Increased participation in clubs, societies and sports clubs
year on year.
Development of sports clubs and clubs and societies through
professional staff support.
Effective club administration and fundraising.
Empower and develop clubs, societies and sports clubs
through clubs academy, leadership training and individual
support.
Improve club profiles and administration, identifying and
negating any barriers to participation, highlight the benefits
of club, society and sports club membership and the added
benefits of committee involvement.
Deliver HEAR ensuring that co-curricular and volunteering
activities can be evidenced.
Participation and achievement in sport and competitive
activities.
Achieve 5 stars in the NUS (National Union of Students)
Healthy Body Healthy Mind programme.
Add to employability prospects through the delivery of Higher
Education Achievement Reports (HEAR) on Stirling transcripts.
Seek module accreditation where there are direct work
experience opportunities within subject specific societies.
Ensure that students have access to a range of activities that
link Sport, Disability, Health and Wellbeing.
Celebrate and recognise active participation within clubs,
societies and sports teams at the annual Clubs and Societies
Ball and Sports Ball.
08
C O M M UNIT IE S ,
VOLUNT E E R ING AND
E NVIR O NM E NTAL
We aim to expand and enhance students University experience
by providing a wide range of volunteering opportunities within
the local community.
Working with the University, we aim to minimise the
environmental impact of the Institution and its students.
How will we achieve this?
Work closely with the University to deliver the
Internationalisation strategy through events, peer support and
other initiatives.
Provide volunteering opportunities linked to the community
and forge strong links with Alumni Ambassadors.
Work with the University to deliver the STEER mentoring
program and joint employability and volunteering events with
the Career Development Centre.
Measure of Success
Achieve Investors in Volunteers renewal.
Recognition of student community engagement through local
press and local volunteering awards.
Increase participation in all active volunteer programmes.
Monitor programmes and services through feedback and
evaluations.
Achieve NUS Green Impact accreditation.
Use volunteering to bridge the gap between the student
community and wider population. Offer employability focused
opportunities; Entry level job initiative, the V Team, F Team.
Continued attraction of external funding to deliver sustainable
projects.
Community involvement and engagement through Stirling
Digs with landlords, the Council and tenants.
Secure funds to ensure there is staff capacity dedicated to
developing and delivering environmental projects.
Build a mutually supportive relationship with the University
in regards to environmental initiatives, and encourage the
University to minimise its environmental impact and embed
sustainability throughout the Institution, through Green
Champions and other joint initiatives.
Support activities aimed at increasing on-campus biodiversity
and engagement with the campus as a natural environment.
Encourage and support the development of employability
skills through awards such as the Students’ Active &
Innovative Leadership programme (SAIL), Students as
Researchers (StARs) project and internship opportunities.
09
SOCIAL, CU LT U RAL
AND ENT ERP RISE
We will provide relevant and inclusive events, activities and
support enterprise opportunities for all students. We will ensure
that our commercial services deliver quality and value to our
members in our catering/café/bar facilities delivering student
focused social study space and flexible events venues.
How will we achieve this?
Continue to build the quality brand offer and ensure excellent
customer experience for all.
Measure of Success
Variety in service provision.
Good student feedback to help shape activity.
Be accessible; working with individual students and clubs to
support the planning, organisation and delivery of successful
events and ensure that they are effectively supported by
officers and staff.
Market our offer effectively; listen to students and add value
(‘You said We did’) through communications.
Number of successful events.
Attendance, Turnover, Surplus etc.
Diversity of students utilising the facility.
Increased ranking of survey scores.
Encourage and facilitate a Union team approach to the
promotion, engagement and success of all our ventures.
Work closely with colleagues at other Institutions to share
best practice and seek to develop new initiatives such as the
Coffee House Sessions.
In partnership with the Enterprise incubator at the University,
support, where possible and practical, student enterprise
activities.
Renovate our spaces into multi-purpose venues in order to
match students’ multi-faceted requirements.
10
EN ABLE R S
Underpinning these priorities, there are 4
enablers which the Union will focus on in order
to have the greatest impact.
Communications
People
Facilities
Finance
11
People
PEO PLE /
FI N AN C E
We aim to be an employer of choice with staff operating within a positive, supportive
and empowering culture. We will ensure all staff are valued and in return provide an
excellent service.
How will we achieve this?
Recruit and retain both specialist/professional and student
staff.
Measure of Success
Low staff turnover and retention of effective staff.
Improvement in staff survey results.
Invest in training and development for individuals and teams
Evidence of Continual Professional Development (CPD).
Ensure effective Human Resource (HR) practices and policies
are in place.
Offer relevant remuneration to attract and retain professional
staff.
Conduct bi-annual staff satisfaction surveys and evaluate and
act on findings.
Ensure effective performance and development reviews are
undertaken by all staff.
Finance
We will work with the University and other funding partners to ensure that the Union is
resourced to deliver on all priorities aligned to this plan.
We will ensure that the Union is operating as a viable institution, balancing innovation
and risk.
How will we achieve this?
In partnership with the University, develop a block grant
funding mechanism which is fit for purpose, and will enable
core and additional service delivery.
Secure Capital Investment to convert internal space for social
study and various club activities.
Measure of Success
Adequate block grant funding agreed for the next 3 years to
deliver this plan.
Improved financial strength of the Union through effective
budgetary control.
Effective external reporting e.g. Annual Accounts.
Ensure effective financial planning with monthly management
accounting and budget comparison.
Ensure regular Finance and Resources Committee meetings,
with minutes submitted to the Trustee Board for financial
scrutiny and transparency.
Agree a reserves policy.
12
Communications
COMMUN ICATION S /
FACILITIES
We will ensure that our communications are effective and tailored to the needs of our
diverse student body. We aim to improve overall satisfaction by understanding our
membership, including groups which are not involved in Union activities, and targeting
approaches to include these students.
How will we achieve this?
Develop a communications plan which will combine audience,
message and channel, thus making communications more
relevant to all students.
Measure of Success
More effective communications demonstrated through more
informed members, increased attendance and web traffic.
Online resources developed and accessible.
Use the Membership Solutions (MSL) web platform to its full
potential.
Additional revenue from Marketing functions.
Raise awareness in all stakeholders of the unique services the
Student Union provides.
Ensure all internal services and departments develop a
marketing plan and publish online.
Provide ‘bite size’ offers to stimulate involvement and
inclusion.
Facilities
We will utilise the Union spaces effectively and ensure, in partnership with the
University, we have well maintained, appropriate and accessible facilities on and off
campus available for all of the Union’s activities.
How will we achieve this?
Measure of Success
Redevelop the night club space into a flexible and versatile
venue, to be used for social study, clubs, societies and social
space.
Increased activities within the Union building.
Continue with smaller tactical investments to upgrade the
facilities as appropriate.
Facilities are available as required.
Increased use of facilities in relation to diversity of students.
Continue maintenance programme of Student Union facilities
on campus.
Work with the University to ensure student sport and club
activities have access to the facilities they require to thrive.
Work with the University to ensure the commercial facilities
can operate profitably for specific events outwith semester.
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ONL INE
www.stirlingstudentsunion.com
/stirlingstudentsunion
@stirlingunion
@stirlingunion
14
University Of Stirling Students’ Union
University of Stirling
The Robbins Centre
Stirling
FK9 4LA
Making Students' Lives Better