I AM BCU

At BCU, our mission is clear – we aim to be the University for our city, and to enable individuals to transform their lives and achieve their potential. Our staff, and the experience they deliver for our students, are at the heart of this work, and our shared values underpin our aims.

BCU’s values are the principles which unite the way we work together and for our students. These are not mere words on a page – they are active, real, and able to be lived by each and every one of us who works here, developed in close collaboration with our staff.

So, what are these values? Ok, here goes…

First up… We create opportunity. We empower our students and enable our staff to flourish and thrive.

We create opportunity through the work of researchers like Adam Kelly. Adam’s work addresses the barriers and issues which prevent access and representation in professional sport.

We don’t judge those who feel like they just don’t fit in - we celebrate the road less travelled.

And our next value….. We think differently. We’re not afraid to challenge the norm, using creative thinking and teaching to get the best possible results.

We think differently by employing teaching methods like those of Islam Issa. Islam uses his knowledge of classic literature to empower and inspire his students, using literature’s impact on different communities to transform his teaching.

We’re a home to free thinkers and those who ignore the word impossible.

And finally…. We build community. We are a community working to transform lives on and beyond our campuses, as the University for Birmingham.

We build community through the initiatives of heroes like Elizabeth Burton, whose buddy scheme helps her to give international students a home away from home.

We break down barriers, creating places which can be a proud home for everyone and support people to make their dreams a reality.

Our values reflect a University which cares about its community, has high expectations of the work it does and looks for ways to use its rich heritage of creative thinking to solve problems. Together, they form a unique story of who we are and how we want to support our students and our communities.