York St John University positions itself as “the University for Social Impact” and the Institute for Social Justice is currently undertaking work to better understand how the University can evidence and communicate its positive impact on communities and society.

A vital first stage in this work is gathering insight into how the University community itself understands and defines social impact. To explore this we will be undertaking surveys, and follow up focus groups, with staff, students, alumni and external stakeholders. Alongside this we will be explore how the HEI sector articulates and evidences social impact, while also seeking to develop a bespoke approach for York St John that has strong internal and external validity.

We believe in the value and impact of what we do, but also that we need the assertion of ‘University of Social Impact’ to have integrity, rigour and evidence. Findings from the project will be used to help us to better understand York St John University’s social impact better and help inform our future strategy and planning.

For further information contact: isj@yorksj.ac.uk

You can read all our post about this project here:

University Social Impact Archives – Institute for Social Justice

For me, York St John’s social impact means using education and the community as a platform to genuinely improve people’s lives, extending far beyond the university itself. It is about moving beyond conversation and actually making things happen for the better, encouraging people to find their gift and give it away for good. York St John’s commitment to social impact shaped both me and Menfulness, with our joint research helping us grow our reach across the UK. Developed in collaboration with the university, this work led to significant funding and expansion, enabling wider support for communities. (Jack Woodhams, Menfulness).