• Our new University Strategy

    Learn more about our upcoming Strategy 

  • We shape tomorrow through our unique blend of the modern and the traditional, embracing diversity, seeking out the new and excelling in education and research.

  • This strategy sets out our focus and priorities for the next 15 years. We have worked closely with our students, staff, local community and other stakeholders to create a new vision for Oxford Brookes University for 2020/2021 and beyond. As part of this work we have articulated our bold and ambitious 2035 Vision Statement - an expression of the kind of institution we want to be in 2035.

    We are proud to launch a new Guiding Principle of Inclusivity as part of this work. This new Guiding Principle will sit alongside our established principles of Confidence, Enterprising Creativity, Connectedness and Generosity of Spirit. This launch offers the opportunity to reassert our commitment to taking positive steps in creating an environment in which we celebrate, value, and provide equal opportunity for all.

    As part of our strategic development work, we examined the external and internal context, including Brookes’ current strengths and areas for improvement and innovation. We took into account the competitive environment and future developments such as the digital agenda and the universities regional, national and international positioning. As work on the strategy progressed we factored in a complete re-prioritisation of our aims in light of the global outbreak of Coronavirus and the steps required for the University to successfully recover and indeed gain strength in the future.

    University Governors worked closely with us to define the Educational Character of the institution, which serves as a foundation for the strategy along with the universities guiding principles.

    Read the emerging University Strategy

  • Developing our strategy

  • The University Strategy Group

    A new group established to develop our new University Strategy

    The University Strategy Group met for the first time in February 2019 and has since been undertaking a series of tasks to support the development of our new University Strategy. The Group meets monthly and is constituted of the 10 members of the Vice-Chancellor’s Group with the addition of the Academic Registrar and Director of Academic and Student Administration, and two link Governors. Its first activity was to examine the context for the new Strategy, including Brookes’ current strengths and weaknesses, the competitive environment and future developments such as the digital agenda and its regional, national and international positioning.

    This work resulted in the group initially focusing on two areas:

    • Defining the educational character of the University;
    • Determining the structure for the new University Strategy.

    Since then, the Group has been working hard to provide opportunities for Oxford Brookes staff, students and key local, national and international partners to feed into the emerging Strategy.

    View the Membership and Terms of Reference for the University Strategy Group.

  • Timeline

    Work on our new University Strategy formally kicked off in early 2019 

    This is an important piece of work which will set the University’s direction and approach for the next 15 years. We are keen that our students, staff and the wider Oxford Brookes community have an opportunity to feed into the developing strategy.

    Engagement sessions

    University Strategy Group held a number of engagement sessions to reach out to students, staff and the local community in order for these groups to contribute their views and help to shape the new university strategy. These events took place from November 2019 until March 2020.

    Staff

    Staff strategy engagement sessions began in November 2019 and were held at all university sites. Staff can access lecture capture and documents relating to these events from this Google site.

    Students

    We then held Student Strategy engagement sessions in February 2020. Engagement sessions were facilitated by Professor Anne-Marie Kilday, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Student and Staff Experience and Kaylee Trafford, Assistant Registrar at all university sites. Students were invited to discuss the new strategy content to date, feed in their comments and share their ideas.  

    Community

    A Strategy Community Supper was held in March 2020. We looked to our nearest neighbours, our critical friends, and our committed partners to help us be ambitious, creative, cooperative, and conscientious - to help us develop a vision for Oxford Brookes in the future. Guests were invited to comment on and discuss a series of specific questions on how the University could continue to work closely with local partners and the community and what the priorities should be within a new strategy.

    Feedback from staff, students and community members were collated and brought back to University Strategy Group so that the identified priorities and themes could be built into the emerging strategy.