Community Commitment

Introduction

Located in the city centre and one of Southampton's major employers, Southampton Solent University is well placed and committed to playing a leading role in the local community.  

It has deep roots in Southampton but also strong national and international connections that it uses to make a significant contribution to the economic, social and cultural development of Southampton and the region. The importance of community to the University is reflected in its mission and objectives and is, increasingly, becoming an integral part of Southampton Solent University's work and study.

Volunteering by students and staff has long been common practice at the University but, under special funding and with a new student volunteer co-ordinator, it is bringing increasing benefits to the community. In an important step, the University is now developing units to give students academic credit for work with the community and local business, under its new Curriculum Plus programme.

Another growing area of work has been in the field of regeneration: involvement in community focused projects in Thornhill| and Outer Shirley; and undertaking regeneration programme evaluation across the region.

The University's Widening Participation team plays an important role in the community, where they work with a view to increasing the numbers of people from under-represented groups attending and succeeding at university.

Other work sees local businesses benefiting from training, consultancy and research, and our education liaison team work closely with schools and colleges across the region in a variety of educational and cultural initiatives.