The Civic University Network
The Civic University Network builds on the 2018 UPP Foundation Civic University Commission which challenged universities to re-shape their role and responsibility to their communities to realise their potential as drivers of a new civic agenda. Our vision for the Civic University Network is to help make this ambition a reality – supporting universities to develop and embed civic aspirations at an institutional level, as well as working with government and strategic partners to ensure that a university’s geographic role and responsibility is used more effectively as an agent to drive positive societal change.
Our Focus
The Network will work to support the growing Civic University movement by sharing best practice between participating universities, support those HEIs who are developing Civic University Agreements (a key recommendation of the UPP Commission), develop a peer review scheme so that universities increase their civic impact, and connect universities with other sectors which are prioritising issues around ‘place’ to level up the economy and society. The civic university network is funded by the UPP foundation, Department for Education, Carnegie UK Trust and Arts Council England.
Our Ambition
The Civic University Commission challenged universities to re-shape their roles and responsibility’s to their communities to realise their potential as drivers of a new civic agenda. Our vision for the Civic University Network is to help make this ambition a reality – supporting universities to develop and embed civic aspirations at an institutional level, as well as working with government and strategic partners to ensure that a university’s geographic role and responsibility is used more effectively as an agent to drive positive societal change.
Resources
The Network has been working hard to support the growing civic university movement, and our resources area contains a wealth of information to support you on your civic journey.
Access to these resources can be done through our Members’ Area and are available for free to anyone with an interest in the civic university agenda. Signing up is easy, and takes less than a minute.
Civic Connections
Our policy mapping tool ‘Civic Connections’ aims to map some of the key policy ‘hooks’ of most relevance to ‘civic’ agendas, with the dual aim of helping institutions and their localities capitalise on the available opportunities as well as identifying potential government agendas of most relevance to universities’ civic mission.
The policy mapping tool is just one of a number of civic policy resources that are free to access and aim to help build connections and crossovers with Government policy.
Recent Events
Latest Civic University Network event: Improving local prosperity through pathways and participation
We are pleased to announce the latest Civic University Network event taking place on Wednesday 10 February, 13.30-15.00 ‘Improving local prosperity through pathways and participation’ is a panel event which builds upon the publication
Civic University Agreement: Consultation and evidence gathering
Bookings are now live here for the next event in our Civic University Agreement workshop series 'Civic University Agreement: Consultation and evidence gathering' will take place on 28 January, 10:30am - 12:00pm. This will
Universities’ role in ‘Levelling up’ and building back better
Our latest webinar was to coincide with the UPP Foundation launch of two reports on the role of Universities in the 'levelling up' agenda, and on addressing the forthcoming employment crisis. Introduced by Richard