Have your say with UNE21+

Running a university, as you can probably imagine, is an incredibly massive undertaking with a lot of different variables and factors to consider. So, as we enter another decade, UNE is turning its focus to the next ten years of growth and future direction – and they need your input.

UNE21+ is the consultation process for the university’s strategic plan which will be in effect from 2021 to 2030, and will be reevaluated every two to three years throughout the next decade. It comes at a key point in UNE’s history, as the rapidly changing world around us presents a challenge and an opportunity for UNE to be at the forefront of change and development in education into the future.

So, as an initial step in putting together this historic plan for the future of the university, Vice-Chancellor and CEO Brigid Heywood has put out the call for input from students, staff, alumni and the general UNE community to help shape the future of the university.

Here’s how you can get involved:

Do the survey

UNE21+’s feedback portal is located online at http://jointheconversation.une.edu.au

Here, you can complete an initial survey that will identify your priorities for the future of UNE, whether they lie in a particular area of research or education, or in other aspects of the UNE community and faculties.

This information will be used to identify where the UNE community’s priorities are and what some common trends are in what the community wants from the university in the future.

This survey is really quick and easy to complete. It should only take you 5-10 minutes, and you can log in with your student details just to make everything easier. Plus, it provides really helpful baseline information that UNE can use to assess what students prioritise and what they like and dislike about the way UNE is currently, and what they would like to see changed in the future.

Share your thoughts on the conversation portal

After you’ve completed the initial survey, you can share specific thoughts with the university through the Join the Conversation page. Here, you express any suggestions, likes and dislikes and ideas you have about specific elements of the university.

These responses are monitored by the Vice Chancellor’s Office and UNE’s Office of Strategy Management, so don’t think your thoughts will go unheard. The input of every member of the UNE community is appreciated, so now is a great time for students to have their voice heard on what’s important to them about the future of the university.

If you prefer to express yourself without logging in to the webpage, you can also get in contact with the strategy team by emailing jointheconversation@une.edu.au

Join an online group discussion

If you’re particularly passionate about a certain area of the university, consider joining an online group discussion scheduled over the next few weeks.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, July 14 & 15, the groups will be discussing the Student Journey, while on Monday and Thursday, July 20 & 23, the focus will turn to Knowledge Partnerships.

Register your interest through the Join the Conversation webpage and a Zoom link will be forwarded to you. It’s a great way to get involved in an active conversation about the future of various different areas of the university.

Continue to follow the plan

This is only the first stage of inquiries that will determine UNE21+ and the strategy that UNE takes into the next decade.

The initial consultation will culminate with the UNE in Conversation forum on August 19, leading up to a draft strategic plan in early October and the presentation of the final plan to the UNE Council in late November. So there’s plenty of time to get involved in various different ways and have your say on the future direction of the university.

So why not head over to the webpage now and check out all the ways you can get involved and what other members of the community are already saying? Your ideas could help to shape the growth of the university into the next decade!

Just head to http://jointheconversation.une.edu.au to check it out!

For more information and a bit of encouragement to get involved, listen in to Jake discussing the plan with Vice-Chancellor and CEO Brigid Heywood on Tune!FM last week in the podcast clip below: