Strategic Plan as approved by the Board of Trustees and Union Council

1. Strategic Plan 1

2. Ensure everything the Union does aims to:- 2

4. Being good employers to our permanent and student staff3

5. Develop a global perspective for us and our members Matching Halls and Countries Broadening Universal Thursdays Developing Erasmus University world wide developments and links 4

6. Expand opportunities for all students to get involved to benefit their personal and career development. Student activities more accessible Give it a go or variety club Make forming new socs better Student Staff and volunteers Flag up the skills gain from experience Offer advice for CVs Mention some things that add credibility to the Union IIP IIV other awards 5

7. Sustaining excellence through sustained improvements by.. Improvements to management systems and practices publishing our risk register and developing stronger risk management systems Report on implementation Review publishing our HR Strategy Report on implementation Review Maintain and develop our quality measurements Surveys Mystery customers Focus groups web stats/Publicity audit Health and safety audits Develop our use of KPIs and targets for all departments and sections Use awards and Quality marks as objective evaluation and drivers of excellence SUEI Sound environmental impact Best bar None IIV IIP Best Student experience Igrad survey NSS 6

8. Sustaining excellence through sustained improvements by.. Increasing our impact on national organisations NUS NUSSL AMSU Sectional Associations NASTA BUCS Rag Better reputation management Continue to develop our alumni work Complete the new life membership offer Continue to develop social events Develop our working partnerships At Loughborough In London Consider other possibilities Develop our working partnerships University departments College Imago SDC Facilities management Charnwood Council Residents Groups Local and regional Students unions 7

9. Key areas for development Establishing financial and commercial stability and sustainability Making our communication with members effective and interactive Making sure the Union governance and Planning works as it should Making sure the Student Voice is taken into account by anyone who takes decisions that affect Loughborough Students 8

10. Establishing financial and commercial stability and sustainability Continue Commercial success to stabilise this income source overall Venue Bars can expect marginal decline Function business should grow to compensate Shops Marginal profit increase Nursery profits to rise with occupancy Landlord Maintain occupancy in the light of economic down turn and Internet Rent reduction are inevitable Developing our catering services in partnership with Imago Linked in to University meal card Catering in JC's Linked to imago marketing Union for functions Some spending on refurbishment and equipment Develop better facilities for sports meals New commercial ventures Car boot sale developing a business plan/proposal for a new employment agency Marketing Advertising venues are under threat Growth in E-commerce 9

11. Establishing financial and commercial stability and sustainability Working with the University to establish a sustainable fee regime Develop an agreed outline of what the Union does for the fee Establish benchmarks of performance ensure funding is appropriate to sustain activity Fundraising and grants Participate in NUS initiative 10

12. Establishing financial and commercial stability and sustainability (3) Develop and maintain our building as the hub of the student community and a first class facility by:- Making it the physical demonstration of our values and excellence Continuing to be an outstanding venue refurbish Room1 Queue awnings down the side of the building Admissions till arrangement Improve toilets in Fusion especially female Develop proposals for a major refurbishment of the Piazza, bookshop and entrance in 2010 Facilities bookings Possible SDC staff Employment agency Union services reception Knock through Bookshop and entrance Improving the entrances Art work Screens Colour scheme Tidiness and presentation Night time impact making it more user friendly and easy to navigate Improvements to maintenance and cleaning develop its daytime use JC's Furniture in Piazza Student activities External bookings Re allocating the existing Student advice space Student voice for part New Staff agency Something else being a model of sustainability Target 4% reductions on energy each year Target 4% reduction in land fill waste All investment should be based on whole life cost calculations As far as possible all refurbishment should reduce environmental impact Ongoing investment in building to reduce environmental impact and cost 11

13. Making our communication with our members effective and interactive by... Continuing to develop the web site as the communication hub Everything should have a link on there New items should be News We should develop comment boxes Using other sites facebook Wordpress Youtube fliker Web 2.00 developments Ed rate Other institutional performance feedback Housing Exec Comments boxes on pages Closely monitoring developments in social media Twitter other up and coming things 12

14. Making our communication with our members effective and interactive by... Developing a reputation management strategy Developing our use of the " 9 words" to communicate our values Raising the profile of the Strategic plan Appropriate version for different jobs Fold out plan Staff and volunteers Web based Powerpoint Mass communication include photos and video Mind map filtered for time, responsibility etc Working document Higher profile on web site Updates and reporting to council Trustee reporting 13

15. Making our communication with our members effective and interactive by... Developing a stronger corporate ID for student activities Focusing on reporting progress and achievements Web based impact report Using student stories to show what we do Impact of representation Increasing the amount of video/animated content available to our media Powerful accessible and popular LSU TV for the highest production values More Vblog quality from others by spreading the capability through the Union Exec Staff Section volunteers Recruit animators 14

16. Effective communication by:- really understanding what our members need, want, think and do and make sure this drives the Union's work Improving mechanisms for using data in decision making Develop improved systems for analysis of existing data Improve mechanisms for drawing conclusions Cross reference data against target groups Identify no/low contact members Researching Students experience of living and working in Loughborough town 15

17. Effective communication by:- really understanding what our members need, want, think and do and make sure this drives the Union's work Improving mechanisms for using data in decision making Develop improved systems for analysis of existing data Improve mechanisms for drawing conclusions Cross reference data against target groups Identify no/low contact members Researching Students experience of living and working in Loughborough town 16

18. Effective communication by:- really understanding what our members need, want, think and do and make sure this drives the Union's work Experimenting with new ways to reach students for comment and feedback Post its Exec polls Develop ways to use OST as regular tool creative use of web Continuing to focus on key groups to increase understanding and involvement namely:- Post Grad Internationals College 17

19. Making sure that the Union's governance and planning works as it should by Developing Union Council's effectiveness Experiment with other meeting formats e.g. OST Proposal referred to Exec or Trustees How they are to be taken up reported back electronically Challenges at next formal council General exec reporting could be a topic proposal E.G Develop the profile and role of councillors Work on the relationship with the Board 18

20. Union's governance and planning Developing mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of the Trustee Board Ensure that there are ongoing mechanisms for Board induction and training Ensure that good communication exist between the Board, council and executive Complete board recruitment Lay members New Students Reviewing how best to support elections other than general elections Dept. Committee Programme reps Sections Societies Options Separate Democracy unit Train and support responsible officers and staff 19

21. Union's governance and planning Developing the effectiveness of Officers and exec Executive Elections improvements and targets All posts contested Increase number of candidates Should we aim to increase the range Demographic mode of study Create sustainable adequate staff support Improve publicity and candidates pack Review Exec post set out clearer job outlines initiate a discussion on roles Change will take at least 9 months 20

22. Union's governance and planning Improve exec accessibility and profile Improve web presence Video bloging Exec polls Reception is effective Signage of exec weekly plans/diary's on screen Make exec and staff roles in delivering on the Strategic plan clearer Review sections of the plan at monthly meetings Publish updates and progress Improve offer training and support Develop handover plans for each officer Make contact with new officers between Feb and July Review the training and induction programme Better training on budgeting and budget control Undertake 360 officer appraisals 21

23. Union's governance and planning Reviewing the effectiveness of the associations As our way or understanding specific groups As the best ways of satisfying their needs As mechanisms for identifying representative students Publishing our delegation of powers document Report on implementation Review Being more outward looking to get new ideas and challenges Use external Trustees to assist with broadening our vision Creating effective partnerships with other Students Unions Attendance at conferences for Union and sections International conferences and visits Support our global perspective 22

24. Union's governance and planning Publishing our delegation of powers document Report on implementation Review Being more outward looking to get new ideas and challenges Use external Trustees to assist with broadening our vision Creating effective partnerships with other Students Unions Stimulate and spread the costs and risk of innovation 94 Group Other top unions Shared values Unions Local Unions Attendance at conferences for Union and sections International conferences and visits Support our global perspective 23

25. Union's governance and planning Improving financial accountability Monthly finance committee meeting Better financial commentaries on management accounts Review budget and accounting formats to consider cost centring overheads develop core and desecration spending Review the role of the Chair of Council Develop a strategy in relation to college members 24

26. Making sure the Loughborough Student voice is taken into account by anyone who takes decisions that affect students by.. More systematic use of EMT partner mechanism Executive discussion on issues and feedback Getting students represented where it really matters EMT Operations sub-committee Interview panels Wardens Other key senior posts Challenge the "special business“ Establishing Academic Congress To support and co-ordinate the union's academic work Developing stronger working relationships with academic departments Critical Friends group Work with department committees Visits and discussion from Student Voice Improved feedback of formal representation Exec reports Video blogs from key meetings News items on key issues 25

27. Making sure the Loughborough Student voice is taken into account by anyone who takes decisions that affect students by.. (2) Establishing Academic Congress To support and co-ordinate the union's academic work Termly review of all data and feedback Develop the priority issues for students Agree key messages to be put forward on students behalf Establishing the new student voice service Student advocates Ed track Ed web feedback system 26