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Bulletin

Making the Future – 2013-18

This has been a significant week for Sussex, as we published our new strategy - Making the Future 2013-18 - as well the latest masterplan for the development of campus.

Prof Michael Farthing Vice-Chancellor

I was pleased to be able to speak about the strategy and the masterplan to many staff at the open forum meetings on Monday and Tuesday.

I was also able to share our strategy with more than 250 alumni and friends at the reception we held in the House of Lords and, in addition, we welcomed 40 local councillors to campus on Thursday to hear about our plans.

As well as being published in print in an attractive and engaging design, the detail of the strategy is also available online for sharing with the wider community.

The strategy reaffirms the existing values of Sussex and our mission as a progressive university delivering innovative thought and action, with a worldwide reputation for excellence in learning, research and discovery.

In the strategy we set out a framework for the University to achieve growth, as this will significantly enhance the positive impact that our research and teaching have on society, to strive for quality in all our activities, to sustain and enhance the distinctiveness of Sussex.

The creation of our new strategy for Sussex for 2013-18 has been a collaborative endeavour, to ensure that the goals and ambitions we set are the right ones for the positive development and continued success of the University.

Those discussions confirmed for me that ambitious plans that deliver high-quality growth are the best way in which we can thrive and shape a strong future for Sussex.

Our previous plan, launched in 2009, ran to 2015, but through collective endeavour we have already achieved many of its goals.

The strategy sets out the vision for how the University should continue to develop – with goals for teaching, learning and the student experience; research and knowledge exchange; campus development; engagement with the community; economic and social impact; and operating sustainably.

The published strategy includes examples of the investments being made in staff, students, the campus estate, services and technology and the people and partners across the University who are making these plans come to life.

The strategy is a working document with a strong emphasis on implementation – so that the individual plans of schools and professional services teams and the detailed work carried through in committees come together to achieve the University’s common goals.

I hope all staff will have the opportunity to discuss within their teams or services how their work is developing for the future in this context.

We have also this week been able to publish the latest revision to our campus masterplan, which shows how campus can develop over time to enhance the facilities and extend the unique architectural heritage and downland setting.

If you did not get a chance to see the designs at the open meeting or the drop-in session for staff on Thursday, I hope you will find an opportunity to see the model and display boards in the Library from next week onwards.

Next week we will also be publishing a detailed study of the economic impact of the University. The study shows the significant economic and social impact that Sussex has on the region.

I am proud that since a similar study in 2010 we have grown from a contribution of about £500m a year to the economy to around £600m, and that we support some 6,000 jobs. Our goal is to grow that impact by 50% as we develop – and seek to contribute close to £1bn.

As I say in the introduction to Making the Future, I believe that this new strategy, and the activities at Sussex which then flow from it, will continue to enable Sussex to make a positive contribution to society through the work we do together.

Going forward, it is important that we continue to work with staff, students and partners to map out the detailed delivery of activity to achieve these goals.