Southampton’s strategy

The University is currently in the process of developing its future strategy, consulting widely to draw inspiration from one another and ask how we can change the world for the better – and we’re looking for our alumni and supporter community to help shape that vision.

The pandemic naturally placed an obstacle in the way of progress – but the University and its community adapted and responded with flexibility and innovation. We began strategic planning in early 2020; however, we soon found the need to pause and refocus our efforts on a more short-term approach. The COVID-19 Response Bridging Strategy helped – and continues to help – the University navigate the impact of the pandemic and future uncertainties around health, wellbeing, and economy.

Now, we’re eager to build on our response to the pandemic, and are consulting segments of our University community – students, staff, and civic partners – on our long-term strategy. We recognise the importance and value of involving our alumni and supporters too, so for the first time, we’re inviting feedback from your 260,000-strong community. And, having lived through a pandemic and witnessed considerable changes to how Higher Education and its institutions can operate, we’re even keener to hear from a wide range of people who have a connection to the University about their renewed thoughts and ideas.

This is why, over the next few months, we’ll be encouraging you and other alumni and supporters to get involved in developing our strategy. We want to hear your priorities and expectations, how you believe we could develop our value and impact, and the opportunities you see for us to embed innovation, sustainability, and diversity. Our vision is to change the world for the better, and you can shape how we collectively achieve that.

Q&A event with Vice-Chancellor

One of the ways you can engage with this consultation is to attend an introductory online event for alumni and supporters. You’re invited to join our President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark E. Smith CBE, who will present an outline of our new strategy and vision; this will be followed by an opportunity for you to pose questions about the plans directly.

The event will take place on Wednesday 15 September at 12:30 – keep an eye out for an email and posts on our social media channels over the next few weeks, which will include full details and how to sign up. We’ll also continue to share information on how you can feed into the consultation later in the year.