Urban College Alliance

Objectives

Advocacy and Lobbying:
To collectively represent and advocate for the interests of member colleges in discussions with central government and other relevant stakeholders.
To ensure that policy changes reflect the needs and challenges faced by large town or city-based, geographically centred colleges with diverse student populations.

Collaboration and Networking:
To facilitate the sharing of best practices, resources, and ideas among member colleges.
To support each other in the development of innovative solutions to common challenges, including curriculum development, student support services, and community engagement.

Promotion and Visibility:
To raise the profile of member colleges and highlight the important role they play in their communities.
To showcase the successes and contributions of member colleges through joint initiatives, events, and media engagement.

Capacity Building:
To provide professional development opportunities for staff across member colleges through workshops, conferences, and collaborative projects.
To strengthen the institutional capacity of member colleges by sharing resources and expertise.

Scope of Activities

The Urban College Alliance Will:

• Advocate for policies that support the unique needs of member colleges.
• Collaborate on initiatives that benefit member colleges and their communities.
• Share resources and best practices to enhance the capacity and effectiveness of member colleges.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Chair:
  • To convene and facilitate meetings.
  • To represent the UCA in discussions with external stakeholders.
  • To ensure that the group’s objectives are being met.
• Members:
  • To actively participate in meetings and discussions.
  • To contribute to the development of group initiatives.
  • To share relevant information, resources, and best practices with the group.

Membership

Membership in the Urban College Alliance is open to Principals of:

• City-based or large urban, geographically centred colleges with a significant diverse student population
• A strong focus on adult education and community engagement
• A large Study Programme cohort >3,000 learners

Structure

• Chair: The group will be chaired by one of the member college principals, elected by the group for a term of one year.
• Meetings: The UCA will meet biannually, with additional meetings as required. The first meeting will take place at Bradford College and rotate around the member colleges.