Our Strategy 2017-20 takes effect immediately. At the Launch Event, five specific initiatives were announced, embodying the changes to our work and our priorities set out in our new vision. Each initiative will have a real and demonstrable impact on our members within the next few months.
These announcements are:
Funding for Clubs, Societies and Projects
Imperial College Union is proud to have more Clubs, Societies and Projects than any other students' union in the UK, each one of them run directly by students. Every volunteer takes on a role of real responsibility and opportunity, empowering them to develop as individuals and contribute to the creation of the Imperial student experience.
FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT:
The direct funding grant for Clubs, Societies and Projects will be increased by over 10% for the next academic year - a significant and long-needed step-change in the investment Imperial College Union makes in its activities each year.
Welfare Representatives
Studying at Imperial College London can be tough; Our Strategy recognises that our members are expected to perform well in a pressurised and fast-paced environment. Students often feel like they are directly competing with each other, and the number of students living with mental health issues is increasing every year.
SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT:
We will create a College-wide Welfare Representation Network, focusing on student support and pastoral care issues. This Network will work in partnership with our successful Academic Representation Network - which specialises in educational feedback to College.
Non-South Kensington Campuses
We are committed to reaching and having a positive impact on all of our members. We can announce that in partnership with Campus Services, we have refurbished and reopened the Common Room in Charing Cross this week. Additional works will continue in the basement to bring the facilities up to scratch.
THIRD ANNOUNCEMENT:
At Hammersmith, we will focus on increasing our presence through a dedicated listening campaign. Employing methods we have learnt through our partnership with Citizens UK, we will better understand the needs of our members there.
Alumni Life Membership
Our members value the experiences that they have with, and through, Imperial College Union. We will do more to inspire an Imperial-for-life mindset that encourages graduates to remain active within the Imperial Community, helping to make activities and the student experience better even after they have left College.
FOURTH ANNOUNCEMENT:
This year, we will relaunch our Life Membership offer, creating new ways for alumni to remain involved with Clubs, Societies and Projects. We will give Life Members more control over how their membership fees are used to benefit student groups directly.
Looking Outwards
We recognise that many of the challenges faced by our members are external - national, political, and financial. We will turn our focus outwards, engaging with the wider world to defend the interests of our members.
FIFTH ANNOUNCEMENT:
We will build capacity to influence policy decisions locally and nationally. We will strengthen our democracy, and communicate clearly with our members about how these matters affect them. We will empower our student leaders to speak up with confidence for what they believe in.