Warwick SU has appointed Advance HE to undertake a Governance Regeneration project, to help us engage our members more effectively in policy and decision-making.
Warwick SU has appointed Advance HE to undertake a Governance Regeneration project, to help us engage our members more effectively in policy and decision-making. We know from student feedback that some of our policies and processes are in need of review, and this project will ensure we are well governed, with up-to date and effective governing documents in place, which are reflective of good practice across the sector.
Advance HE is a membership charity that operates across the higher education sector, with the purpose of helping higher education be the best it can be. They have over 280 members in 27 countries, and bring together higher education-focused expertise in teaching and learning; equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI); leadership; and governance.
The Warwick SU Governance Regeneration project will take place between now and December 2021, and by the end of this process we hope to receive clear recommendations from Advance HE on how we can implement sector-leading governance and structures at Warwick SU. Any changes that are suggested as part of this review will be considered by the SU’s Board of Trustees, Student Council and All Student Vote.
The project is being led by a Transformation Group compromising of Student Officers, Student Trustees, Lay Trustees and senior SU staff. Various SU colleagues have worked with Advance HE to co-create this project, ensuring that it is underpinned by the key principles of being:
- Kind
- Open, honest, and transparent in communications
- Innovative
- Respectful
- Supportively critical and constructively challenging
- Forward-facing
Outgoing SU President, Luke Mepham, said: “This review has been commissioned with the aim of making the SU more engaging, more representative, and more accessible for all students at Warwick. Whilst I will shortly be handing over the baton to Shingai, I’m excited to see where this review takes the SU over the next few months and years, and I urge all students to get involved, share your thoughts, and ensure you have an impact on how your SU supports and represents you in the future.”
Throughout the project, we will be working with as many different SU stakeholders as possible, to understand the perceptions and challenges of our current governance and democratic structures, as well as how they could be developed. Students have told us how important it is that we make improvements in these areas, so it is crucial that you, as a member of the SU, no matter your level of involvement, are able to contribute to this project. There will be multiple opportunities over the next 5-6 months for you to be able to share your thoughts, opinions, and experiences.
Dan Tinkler, Membership Manager and Project Lead for Advance HE, said “We have already been impressed with the work undertaken by Warwick SU, the agreed principles, and their desire to be forward-thinking so that the SU has the most effective governance and structures in place. We have been particularly impressed by the Transformation Group’s willingness to co-create this project with us, and the desire to see positive changes that benefit the members of Warwick SU.”