This strategic plan aims to: 1) Ensure all of the Union's work aims to be green, ethical, and develop staff through campaigning and partnerships. 2) Expand opportunities for student involvement and career development through more accessible activities, advice for CVs, and highlighting skills gained. 3) Establish financial stability through commercial success, fundraising, and developing facilities as the hub for students.

1. Strategic Plan1

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

3. Be Green and ethicalDriven by Sound Impact to set a standard of excellenceDevelop our staff and officer educationdevelop our campaigning workact honourably with all our partnersThe highest standards of openness and honesty with all our clients

4. Being good employers to our permanent and student staff3

5. Develop a global perspective for us and our membersMatching Halls and CountriesBroadening Universal ThursdaysDeveloping ErasmusUniversity world wide developments and links4

6. Expand opportunities for all students to get involved to benefit their personal and career development.Student activities more accessibleGive it a go or variety clubMake forming new socs betterStudent Staff and volunteersFlag up the skills gain from experienceOffer advice for CVsMention some things that add credibility to the UnionIIPIIVother awards5

7. Sustaining excellence through sustained improvements by..Improvements to management systems and practices publishing our risk register and developing stronger risk management systemsReport on implementationReview publishing our HR StrategyReport on implementationReviewMaintain and develop our quality measurementsSurveysMystery customersFocus groupsweb stats/Publicity auditHealth and safety auditsDevelop our use of KPIs and targets for all departments and sectionsUse awards and Quality marks as objective evaluation and drivers of excellenceSUEISound environmental impactBest bar NoneIIVIIPBest Student experienceIgrad surveyNSS6

8. Sustaining excellence through sustained improvements by.. Increasing our impact on national organisationsNUSNUSSLAMSUSectional AssociationsNASTABUCSRagBetter reputation managementContinue to develop our alumni workComplete the new life membership offerContinue to develop social eventsDevelop our working partnershipsAt LoughboroughIn LondonConsider other possibilitiesDevelop our working partnershipsUniversity departmentsCollegeImagoSDCFacilities managementCharnwood CouncilResidents GroupsLocal and regional Students unions7

9. Key areas for developmentEstablishing financial and commercial stability and sustainabilityMaking our communication with members effective and interactiveMaking sure the Union governance and Planning works as it shouldMaking sure the Student Voice is taken into account by anyone who takes decisions that affect Loughborough Students8

10. Establishing financial and commercial stability and sustainabilityContinue Commercial success to stabilise this income source overallVenueBars can expect marginal declineFunction business should grow to compensateShopsMarginal profit increaseNurseryprofits to rise with occupancyLandlordMaintain occupancy in the light of economic down turn and InternetRent reduction are inevitableDeveloping our catering services in partnership with ImagoLinked in to University meal cardCatering in JC'sLinked to imago marketing Union for functionsSome spending on refurbishment and equipmentDevelop better facilities for sports mealsNew commercial venturesCar boot saledeveloping a business plan/proposal for a new employment agency MarketingAdvertising venues are under threatGrowth in E-commerce9

11. Establishing financial and commercial stability and sustainabilityWorking with the University to establish a sustainable fee regimeDevelop an agreed outline of what the Union does for the feeEstablish benchmarks of performanceensure funding is appropriate to sustain activityFundraising and grantsParticipate in NUS initiative10

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 excellenceContinuing to be an outstanding venuerefurbish Room1Queue awnings down the side of the buildingAdmissions till arrangementImprove toilets in Fusion especially femaleDevelop proposals for a major refurbishment of the Piazza, bookshop and entrance in 2010Facilities bookingsPossible SDC staffEmployment agencyUnion services receptionKnock through Bookshop and entranceImproving the entrances Art workScreensColour schemeTidiness and presentationNight time impactmaking it more user friendly and easy to navigateImprovements to maintenance and cleaningdevelop its daytime useJC'sFurniture in PiazzaStudent activitiesExternal bookingsRe allocating the existing Student advice spaceStudent voice for partNew Staff agencySomething elsebeing a model of sustainabilityTarget 4% reductions on energy each yearTarget 4% reduction in land fill wasteAll investment should be based on whole life cost calculationsAs far as possible all refurbishment should reduce environmental impactOngoing investment in building to reduce environmental impact and cost11

13. Making our communication with our members effective and interactive by...Continuing to develop the web siteas the communication hubEverything should have a link on thereNew items should be NewsWe should develop comment boxesUsing other sitesfacebookWordpressYoutubeflikerWeb 2.00 developmentsEd rateOther institutional performance feedbackHousingExecComments boxes on pagesClosely monitoring developments in social mediaTwitterother up and coming things12

14. Making our communication with our members effective and interactive by...Developing a reputation management strategyDeveloping our use of the " 9 words" to communicate our valuesRaising the profile of the Strategic planAppropriate version for different jobsFold out planStaff and volunteersWeb based PowerpointMass communicationinclude photos and videoMind mapfiltered for time, responsibility etcWorking documentHigher profile on web siteUpdates and reporting to councilTrustee reporting13

15. Making our communication with our members effective and interactive by...Developing a stronger corporate ID for student activitiesFocusing on reporting progress and achievementsWeb based impact reportUsing student stories to show what we doImpact of representationIncreasing the amount of video/animated content available to our mediaPowerful accessible and popularLSU TV for the highest production valuesMore Vblog quality from others by spreading the capability through the UnionExecStaffSection volunteersRecruit animators14

16. Effective communication by:- really understanding what our members need, want, think and do and make sure this drives the Union's workImproving mechanisms for using data in decision makingDevelop improved systems for analysis of existing dataImprove mechanisms for drawing conclusions Cross reference data against target groupsIdentify no/low contact membersResearching Students experience of living and working in Loughborough town15

17. Effective communication by:- really understanding what our members need, want, think and do and make sure this drives the Union's workImproving mechanisms for using data in decision makingDevelop improved systems for analysis of existing dataImprove mechanisms for drawing conclusions Cross reference data against target groupsIdentify no/low contact membersResearching Students experience of living and working in Loughborough town16

18. Effective communication by:- really understanding what our members need, want, think and do and make sure this drives the Union's workExperimenting with new ways to reach students for comment and feedbackPost itsExec pollsDevelop ways to use OST as regular toolcreative use of webContinuing to focus on key groups to increase understanding and involvement namely:-Post GradInternationalsCollege17

19. Making sure that the Union's governance and planning works as it should byDeveloping Union Council's effectivenessExperiment with other meeting formats e.g. OSTProposal referred to Exec or TrusteesHow they are to be taken up reported back electronicallyChallenges at next formal councilGeneral exec reporting could be a topic proposal E.GDevelop the profile and role of councillorsWork on the relationship with the Board18

20. Union's governance and planningDeveloping mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of the Trustee BoardEnsure that there are ongoing mechanisms for Board induction and trainingEnsure that good communication exist between the Board, council and executiveComplete board recruitmentLay membersNew StudentsReviewing how best to support elections other than general electionsDept. CommitteeProgramme repsSectionsSocietiesOptionsSeparate Democracy unitTrain and support responsible officers and staff19

21. Union's governance and planningDeveloping the effectiveness of Officers and execExecutive Elections improvements and targetsAll posts contestedIncrease number of candidatesShould we aim to increase the range Demographicmode of studyCreate sustainable adequate staff support Improve publicity and candidates packReview Exec postset out clearer job outlinesinitiate a discussion on roles Change will take at least 9 months20

22. Union's governance and planningImprove exec accessibility and profileImprove web presenceVideo blogingExec pollsReception is effectiveSignage of exec weekly plans/diary's on screenMake exec and staff roles in delivering on the Strategic plan clearerReview sections of the plan at monthly meetingsPublish updates and progress Improve offer training and supportDevelop handover plans for each officerMake contact with new officers between Feb and JulyReview the training and induction programmeBetter training on budgeting and budget controlUndertake 360 officer appraisals21

23. Union's governance and planningReviewing the effectiveness of the associationsAs our way or understanding specific groupsAs the best ways of satisfying their needsAs mechanisms for identifying representative studentsPublishing our delegation of powers documentReport on implementationReviewBeing more outward looking to get new ideas and challengesUse external Trustees to assist with broadening our visionCreating effective partnerships with other Students UnionsAttendance at conferences for Union and sectionsInternational conferences and visitsSupport our global perspective22

24. Union's governance and planningPublishing our delegation of powers documentReport on implementationReviewBeing more outward looking to get new ideas and challengesUse external Trustees to assist with broadening our visionCreating effective partnerships with other Students UnionsStimulate and spread the costs and risk of innovation94 GroupOther top unionsShared values UnionsLocal UnionsAttendance at conferences for Union and sectionsInternational conferences and visitsSupport our global perspective23

25. Union's governance and planningImproving financial accountabilityMonthly finance committee meetingBetter financial commentaries on management accountsReview budget and accounting formats to consider cost centring overheadsdevelop core and desecration spendingReview the role of the Chair of CouncilDevelop a strategy in relation to college members24

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 mechanismExecutive discussion on issues and feedbackGetting students represented where it really mattersEMTOperations sub-committeeInterview panelsWardensOther key senior postsChallenge the "special business“Establishing Academic CongressTo support and co-ordinate the union's academic workDeveloping stronger working relationships with academic departmentsCritical Friends groupWork with department committeesVisits and discussion from Student VoiceImproved feedback of formal representationExec reportsVideo blogs from key meetingsNews items on key issues25