Strategy 2035

Shaping the future

We live in times of profound change. Technological acceleration—including the rapid rise of AI—is reshaping how we learn, work and communicate. Economic uncertainty, skills shortages and demographic shifts are transforming expectations of higher education, while sustainability imperatives and geopolitical volatility require new forms of collaboration, resilience and civic purpose.

These forces are not abstract. They shape the daily realities of our learners, colleagues, partners and communities nationally and globally. Demand for lifelong learning and skills is increasing, new industries and creative technologies are emerging, patterns of study, work and living are evolving. Learners are balancing more responsibilities, seeking new forms of flexibility, and requiring stronger support to thrive.

Bath Spa University is uniquely positioned to thrive in this context. Professional creativity—our defining strength—provides the mindset, skills and behaviours needed to navigate uncertainty, imagine new possibilities and design practical solutions. Our diverse student communities and locations, our longstanding commitment to inclusion, and our network of educational, civic and industry partners place us at the heart of the social, cultural and economic systems undergoing the fastest transformation.

We will move into the next decade as the Professionally Creative University for the future: shaping industries, empowering communities, expanding opportunity and inspiring learners at every stage of life.

Our foundations

1. Outstanding, innovation-intensive teaching, research and knowledge exchange

The interconnection of our innovation-intensive teaching, interdisciplinary research and impactful knowledge exchange will be the engine of professional creativity. We will:

Partner with schools, colleges, professional bodies, industry, employers, and other universities to deliver innovative, career enhancing, lifelong learning pathways.
Respond to new learning needs proactively through flexible, personalised, practice-driven delivery methods that develop skills and unlock talent.
Harness digital fluency and creative technologies to enhance teaching, research and innovation, using AI responsibly and ethically.
Offer outstanding student experiences, enriched by world class research, enterprise and knowledge exchange.

2. Regionally essential, nationally leading, internationally connected

Our value and contribution to the places we inhabit will be undisputed and bespoke. We will:

Support the everyday core economy, where microbusinesses, SMEs, creative enterprises, public and third sector organisations drive growth and employment.
Strengthen our civic, regional and international partnerships so that ideas, research and creativity have real-world impact.
Expand our deep and innovative partnerships with further education colleges, cultural institutions, industry, professions, and purpose-led organisations to deliver social and cultural value as well as economic growth.

3. Values-led and socially responsible

Social value and inclusion will remain an essential part of our DNA as we break down barriers to opportunity, fuelling social mobility and inclusive growth. We will:

Ensure that lifelong learning opportunities reach those historically underserved by higher education.
Enact our core values of respect, inclusion, collaboration and sustainability.
Be recognised for our leadership and research in sustainable, responsible and ethical practices, including the ethical use of AI.

4. Organised for success: One BSU

Our staff and learners will be valued, challenged and supported to thrive. We will:

Collaborate across departments and disciplines as One University, aligning priorities, sharing expertise, streamlining processes and working together to deliver our strategic goals.
Shape our portfolio by developing innovative, career enhancing learning opportunities, and ensure our long-term financial sustainability by growing learner numbers at our teaching sites in London, Birmingham and overseas, maintaining learner numbers in Bath, and reducing the proportion of learners studying with educational partners.
Our teaching sites will be differentiated to meet the needs of the learners and communities that they serve and connected through our shared purpose and values.

an image showing the year 2025 written in text

What will 2035 feel like?

A university alive with possibility, purpose and Professionally Creative energy.

By 2035, Bath Spa University will feel distinctive—more connected, more confident and more future-facing—while remaining unmistakably true to its creative, inclusive character. The experience of being a learner, colleague or partner will reflect a university that has continued to grow in ambition, clarity and impact.

Learning that adapts to life

Learners—whether 18 or 80—will experience flexible, personalised pathways that meet them where they are and take them where they want to go. Learners will move seamlessly across modular, hybrid, work-integrated and campus-based study, supported by academic communities who know them and a digital ecosystem that makes navigation easy.

Learning at BSU will feel Professionally Creative: alive with collaboration, experimentation and making. Classrooms, studios, labs and digital spaces will blend fluidly, supporting learning that is practical, immersive and industry connected.

A community where you matter

Everyone—learners, colleagues and partners—will feel they belong. Inclusion will be visible not only in policy, but in daily interactions, outcomes and working cultures.

Support will be proactive, personalised and consistently excellent. BSU’s culture will be characterised by collaboration, kindness, curiosity and high expectations. People will feel trusted, empowered and motivated to do their best work.

Creative industries and civic life enriched by BSU

Across Bath, southwest Britain, Birmingham and London, the footprint of BSU will be unmistakable. Microbusinesses, freelance practitioners, cultural organisations and social enterprises will be flourishing through our support, spaces, research and talent pipelines. Our graduates will be shaping sectors—from creative technologies to sustainability, education, wellbeing, science, business and design.

Public services, schools, FE colleges, charities and businesses will trust us as a partner who listens, collaborates and delivers meaningful mutual value.

Research and innovation with visible impact

In a workshop in a creative space, a student uses a brush to paint on a canvas on a table while other students watch

Transdisciplinary teams will be tackling complex challenges—from digital inclusion to climate resilience, cultural participation to mental health and creative technologies.

Research projects will be embedded in communities and industries, producing outcomes that matter.

Innovation will feel natural: part of how we teach, how we partner and how we contribute to the world.

Digital that feels human

An abstract image of coloured lights representing a digital data stream

Our digital platforms will feel intuitive, supportive and connected. AI-enabled tools will enhance creativity, accessibility and collaboration, while never replacing the human relationships that define BSU.

Virtual and physical spaces will blend to create campus experiences that are seamless, sustainable and engaging—whether in person or online.

A university that is aligned and agile

Colleagues will experience an institution that is organised for success: clear structures, simple processes, and a shared sense of purpose. Decision-making will be transparent, communication will be coherent, and collaboration will feel intuitive.

We will be financially sustainable, academically confident and strategically connected—able not only to adapt to change but to shape it.

BSU in 2035 will be a university that is creative, inclusive, sustainable, and full of possibility. A place where ideas grow, where people flourish and where creativity is a force for good in the world.