Happy New Year! I hope 2022 has got off to a good start for you.
Thank you all for your contributions to our strategy consultation so far. Developing an effective strategy is only possible with the ideas, engagement and shared commitment of our City community, so I am delighted that so many staff, alumni and students are getting involved.
What we have achieved together so far
Our programme of engagement began in late 2021 and asked colleagues, students, alumni and external stakeholders to exchange ideas about the kind of institution we want City to be and the direction we want to take. This is enabled through a variety of activities and particular the Big City Conversation, our online digital platform.
I am pleased to share with you that almost 1,600 staff, students and alumni joined the Big City Conversation online, generating over 7,500 contributions. This included 785 alumni from over 80 countries – an exceptional result!
Our first conversation closed on 24th December, but you can still log-in to see what our community said before the next phase opens in February. You have generated a huge number of exciting and thought-provoking ideas and comments and have played an invaluable role already. But there is more to do!
What happens now?
Your contributions are now being analysed, with every comment submitted to the Big City Conversation read by a real person before being fed in. They will be combined with insight and analysis from a broad range of external perspectives and data sources, to inform and ground the strategy. These include case studies to identify best practice from organisations inside and outside the sector, interviews with graduate employers and higher education sector leaders, and focus groups with our students.
What happens next?
The analysis will be used to facilitate a series of workshops throughout January with a broad range of stakeholder representatives. This will enable us to develop our draft vision and strategic themes.
We will then ask for your feedback through a second Big City Conversation using our online platform in mid-February and are aiming to deliver our new Vision and Strategy by the Spring.
Thank you again for all your excellent contributions so far. I am excited about what we will achieve together in 2022.
Best wishes,
Anthony
President
City, University of London