Join Town Halls this term on UCL’s strategic goals and priorities

UCL’s Draft Strategic Plan 2022-27 has now been published, setting out our whole-university goals for the next five years. Its development has been informed by a year-long consultation with students, staff and external partners. It will be underpinned by a new Financial Strategy and Estates Strategy. .  

Through these recent years of upheaval and uncertainty, we have continued to thrive because of the passion, energy and commitment of the people who work here. Our strategic plan over the next few years is therefore about investing in support for our people, including doing what we can to improve the competitiveness of our pay structures, and ensuring they have the tools and environment they need to succeed. It is also about matching our academic ambition with action to improve our excellence and impact in research, innovation, and education over the next five years, with a particular focus on taking our work on Grand Challenges to a new level. We plan to do this by developing our systems and processes, and improving our estate and how we use it, so that we can all do our work as efficiently and effectively as possible.  

This is an evolution within the overarching framework of the 2034 Strategy, rather than a significant change of our institutional direction; but for it to be possible we need to think together about what we can afford to do and what matters most. Part of the conversation we are having together is about where we need to prioritise investment to guarantee UCL’s global excellence for the long term. That will require us to generate income and to work as efficiently as possible to unlock that investment.  

You are invited to contribute to this conversation about UCL’s future priorities through a series of three Town Halls this term on UCL’s Financial Strategy, Estates Strategy and our Draft Strategic Plan. More details of each of these and how to register are below. We are holding individual events to allow as much time as possible for discussion on these key areas; feedback from these events will inform the final drafting of these documents ahead of their publication towards the end of the year. 

Financing our Future Town Hall on Wednesday 19 October, 9.30–11am (via Zoom) 

The Financial Strategy supports the UCL Strategic Plan 2022-27 and our ambition to strengthen our position as a top ten global university.  

Ensuring our financial sustainability immediately and for the long term is our priority as we seek to strengthen our position as a top ten global university and maintain our research and teaching excellence. The decisions we make now will ensure that UCL and our people are in the best possible position to navigate this challenging time and emerge stronger.  

Join us for a question-and-answer session with Dr Michael Spence, UCL President & Provost, Charu Gorasia, Chief Financial Officer, Andy Smith, Vice President (Operations), Professor Anthony Smith, Vice Provost (Faculties), Donna Dalrymple, Chief People Officer, and Ian Dancy, Executive Director of Operations, Campus Experience & Infrastructure. 

To sign up, go to our Eventbrite link.  

Strategic Plan Town Hall on Thursday 10 November, 1.30–3pm (via Zoom) 

Due to industrial action on the London Underground, this event will now take place online only.

The Draft Strategic Plan sets out a set of priority initiatives that will help UCL to achieve our academic goals over the next five years. Professor Paola Lettieri, Pro-Provost (UCL East), chairs a question-and-answer session for staff and students with Dr Michael Spence, UCL President & Provost, Paul Clark, Vice-President (Strategy), Charu Gorasia, Chief Financial Officer, and members of UCL's leadership team. 

The Draft Strategic Plan was published on 31 October.

To sign up please go to our Eventbrite link. 

Estates Strategy Town Hall – CHANGE OF DATE: Thursday 1 December 2022, 1–2.30pm (via Zoom)

UCL is developing an Estates Strategy, aligned to the UCL 2022-27 Strategic Plan and Financial Strategy. It will consider, in consultation with the community, how we use our space in the short to long term to respond to challenges including the condition of our campus, inefficient use of space, efforts to achieve our sustainable commitments, and a lack of strategic planning, especially when making short-term tactical decisions. The Town Hall will provide staff with an opportunity to hear about how the strategy is developing and engage with it. 

The panellists and Chair for this event will be confirmed shortly.

To sign up and submit questions in advance via Slido, please use our Eventbrite link.