Welcome from the Vice Chancellor, Professor April McMahon

Dear Colleague,

Welcome to Aberystwyth University! I am delighted that you are joining us as a new member of staff, and look forward to meeting you in due course.

I firmly believe that the most important asset for any university is our people. It doesn’t matter whether you will be working in an academic or a support department, or whether you will have contact with both – you have a vital part to play in building a successful, ambitious and sustainable future for Aberystwyth University.

In our university we aim to recognise everyone’s talents and contributions, and to provide opportunities for your personal and professional development which will allow you to reach your potential. If you are the best you can be, our University will also grow, develop and thrive. This welcome website provides a range of information and contact details, and you can find out more at induction and training events. We are a friendly community – please ask if you need help or advice, and remember that it is in everyone’s interests for you to be settled and happy in your work.

You are joining Aberystwyth at an exciting time. We are just embarking on the development of our new Strategic Plan, and I hope that you will choose to get involved in that enterprise over the next few weeks and months. We need to work together to decide on what we want our University to be, and where we want to get to together, and then to formulate clear plans to make that happen. This will involve enhancing our already outstanding student experience; developing world-class services for our students and staff; bringing in more postgraduate students; pushing forward our international strategy; improving our performance on employability for our excellent graduates; and sharpening our research performance ready for the Research Excellence Framework in 2013-14. There are major changes to come in streamlining our structures and ways of working, so we can all spend more time and energy focusing on what is really important. I look forward to hearing your thoughts through the events we will be arranging on the Strategic Plan.

For the moment, it is simply my pleasure to welcome you to our joint communities of Aberystwyth and the University. I wish you every success here.

- April McMahon