Our mission at Arc is to create the best student experience.

Arc and UNSW: A Deep Collaboration

Arc and UNSW are the epitome of a true partnership. Arc and UNSW are separate entities, but their goals are intrinsically aligned. In order for both Arc and UNSW to deliver on their strategic missions they must first ensure a strong, multifaceted and cooperative relationship. The breadth and depth of this partnership spans social, administrative and reputational paradigms while remaining agile in order to respond to the evolving needs of the tertiary sector. Arc and UNSW are both committed to developing remarkable students and, in turn, empowering dynamic graduates. 

The partnership between the two organisations is both formal and informal, and it embodies collaborative behaviours by colleagues at all levels. Arc recognises and celebrates the vital importance of UNSW, values its relationship with UNSW and will seek to consolidate its position as first choice for the delivery of new student opportunities and services in the future. 

Arc also emphasises that Arc and UNSW are a true partnership as the entities evolve alongside each other. We know that higher education is changing and that when we work together with aligned missions we can evolve and enhance the experience of all students at UNSW. 

Strategic Pillar 1

LOVE STUDENT LIFE TOGETHER

Our university is a vast community of communities with plenty of pockets and places for everyone to belong. From starting to settling, progressing to parting, Arc facilitates the gamut of social experiences that build confidence and drive cohesion. The connections you make at university should be meaningful, transformative and nourishing for your soul. Our organisation takes immense pride in driving an array of opportunities for students to meet others and make positive impacts in the world around them.

Nurture Vibrant Clubs & Communities

We love Clubs. We know that Clubs are the single largest engagement opportunity at university and underpin the entire student experience. Clubs represent a broad mix of interests, from large to small, eclectic to mainstream. Each club has a unique proposition and plays a part in establishing and fostering communities within UNSW. We will work closely with club leadership to ensure they have access to the appropriate training and resources that will help them to broaden their engagement across all demographics. 

Set You Up for Success

One of our highest privileges is the delivery of student orientation at UNSW. Arc is determined to warmly welcome every new student and support them in their first friendships. From the moment you decide to join our uni, we want you exploring opportunities, making friends and feeling connected. By delivering a world-class onboarding program and facilitating social cohesion Arc can sow the seeds of success for generations of students. 

Celebrate Diversity in All Forms  

Diversity is a great strength at Arc. With students heralding a range of backgrounds and lived experiences, we are able to listen and deliver the opportunities they need the most. We will champion equity, diversity and inclusion in innovative ways that drive an institution-wide sense of belonging. Arc will audit, listen, respond and act on inequalities facing students at university. Our role will always be to make space for others, amplify voices and inspire UNSW through diverse causes. 

Create Spaces for Students to Thrive

Arc will make UNSW a truly student-centric place to hang, learn and grow. From quiet time to raging nights out, we want everyone to experience the breadth of activities available through Arc. We will advocate and strive to secure more student-run spaces on campus, so there are more ways that students can get connected, feel connected and be among their peers.  

Deliver Engaging Events & Activities

Arc recognises that social events and activities play a key role in creating and cementing friendships, the creation of community and the activation of campus. Arc will deliver valued and diverse experiences, from 2,000 people dancing the night away in the Arc flagship venue Roundhouse to a weeklong mental health-focused festival and from pulsating international night markets to electrifying eSports tournaments. Our event programming will always be adaptive and listen to students’ wants. 

Strategic Pillar 2

BE THERE FOR YOU

Every student is unique, and that means that every experience of university is different. Regardless of where you come from, Arc is determined to make university a safe and nurturing place to grow. Throughout your degree you will be given the opportunity to develop your toolset and mindset so you graduate with skills for life. We know that wellness is a profoundly diverse experience, which is why Arc delivers a range of services to our university community. Underpinned by evidence-based programming and driven with principles of co-design, Arc will enable students to care for themselves and others. When rough patches arise, Arc will be there to support and guide you and make sure you always love uni life. 

Be Champions of Wellness 

An acute sensitivity to wellness should emanate from everything we do. Arc is determined to lead the sector when it comes to developing the skillset, toolset and mindset of students. Whether it's raising awareness about the importance of building resilience or helping students find the right support, we will be champions of wellness.  

Get Everyone Moving 

We know a healthy body supports a healthy mind, and we are keen for everyone to find a way to participate. From the weekend walkers to the #teamUNSW superstars, accessible sport is our passion. Sport is the great equaliser, unifier and pride-raiser; Arc will deliver a wide range of opportunities for students to move their bodies. 

Help You Care for Others 

At Arc, we have a saying that ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’. That’s why we are committed to enhancing the culture of care at UNSW. From formal training to raising awareness, we believe in providing a range of ways for students to better support each other. Capacity to care can be limited by time and money, so Arc is here to lower barriers and make mental wellness accessible to everyone.  

Be Here When You Need 

We know that university isn’t smooth sailing for everyone. Every student goes through rough patches, and Arc will always be here to lend a helping hand. We believe in providing support that is unconditional, confidential and accessible so that you can focus on your studies and make the most of student life. Our commitment is to be agile to address emerging student needs and ensure that we are there when you need.

Strategic Pillar 3 

COMMITTED TO OUR FUTURE 

If the last few years have taught us anything it is that, despite our best efforts, we don’t know what is around the corner. What we do know is that, despite the challenges and uncertainty, the constant will always be Arc’s commitment to our people and the students of UNSW. We will ensure we remain best placed to deliver on our mission by ensuring our staff are equipped with the right support and tools to get the job done. 

We want to be doing good great things, not just this year but for the next 10 or the next 20, to ensure we are always ready to evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of students, UNSW and the world. 

Embed the Student Voice 

Striving for excellence is only possible with strong governance. Arc will enshrine transparency, accountability and robust stewardship at the very heart of our company. We honour our history of, but look forward to contemporary configurations of, leadership with an embedded student voice. Throughout our organisation we will actively seek student co-design and participation in our strategic processes. 

Grow our Opportunities  

As part of our evolving enterprise, Arc will seek to grow and establish new revenue streams and maximise our existing ones. We stick to our guns with exceptional value-creation in world-class Roundhouse and epic merchandise, but we scan continuously to create value in and beyond UNSW. Consolidation of our financial position will enable Arc to fulfil its mission to students. 

Great People Doing Great Things  

People are our most important asset. Arc will invest in people and culture, growth and development and always a spirit of cohesiveness. As an organisation we must nurture our human resources, continuously develop our people and drive a distinctive sense of belonging. We will refresh our Employee Value Proposition, retain high levels of staff satisfaction and seek new ways to engage and excite the Arc team. 

Have the Right Tools 

Great people need great systems to do great things. We will make the appropriate investments in our infrastructure to enable the most effective delivery of our services. Arc will periodically review all systems to ensure that we work smarter, not harder. Our ambition is to keep our systems secure, simple, interconnected and up to date.

Supporting Pillar 1  

Be the Spring in Your Next Steps 

Arc stands on the interface between the safety of university and the rest of students’ lives. We know that co-curricular experiences play a pivotal role in the development of individuals, so we want to support our students in recognising their own career development. 

Build Classroom Confidence 

Arc can be the link between the curricular and the extra-curricular. By creating safe spaces for students to learn, grow and interact, we can build individuals’ confidence as a life skill.  

Translate Experiences to Skills  

Any student who participates in Arc programming should understand the enterprise capabilities they gain along the way. By exposing students to teams, projects, communication, governance and more we are contributing to exceptional graduate outputs from UNSW.  

More Professional Opportunities 

There should always be a myriad of ways that students can gain experience through Arc. Whether it’s workshops, volunteering, work-integrated learning or casual employment we want Arc to be a safe and accessible place for early career experiences.

Supporting Pillar 2 

Enable our Digital Evolution 

COVID-19 accelerated the evolution of higher education. Increasingly, more students will be accessing university digitally, and this isn’t limited to those who are students of the cloud campus. Adapting to this new pattern of engagement is critical, and we know we must evolve to ensure the ongoing relevance of our services to all students. We will seek to enhance our digital capacity and literacy in order to innovate and improve, for the benefit of our staff and students.  

Align Platforms & Systems 

Through an ongoing commitment to technological advancement in our organisation we can ensure that our service delivery is supported. Despite there being a range of systems, we aspire to have all our pieces working together so that we can focus on the mission of creating an incredible student experience. 

Engage & Enrich Online 

The online experience is now well and truly a mainstay of student experience. Arc program delivery will focus on enhancing online and hybrid components to create continuous, high-quality opportunities for all students to be involved in student life. Our ambition is to propagate online communities that are inclusive, enriching and adaptive. 

Stay Secure 

Cyber safety is an emerging focus worldwide, and we will ensure that our constituents’ data is safe. Using an educative model alongside robust policy and smart technology we will be proactive in securing our digital activity.

Supporting Pillar 3 

Maximise Social Impact 

We will supply a range of social impact opportunities and volunteering to all students no matter what the stage of their degree. We are serious about supplying real opportunities within a structured framework to enhance the student experience, maximise social impact and make a tangible impact upon the UNSW, local and international community. 

Make Change on Campus 

Within the UNSW ecosystem Arc will focus on improving the quality of our UNSW environment. We will seek to increase our impact, make meaningful improvements and do good on campus.  

Support our Community  

Raising our gaze to the local and broader community, Arc will leverage its strength in volunteering to scale impact and drive positive change. Through strategic partnerships we will have depth and breadth to our involvement across Sydney, Australia and the world.  

Adapt & Evolve 

Intrinsic to Arc is the ability to listen at every level of our organisation. Armed with this capability, we will be ready to adjust, adapt and evolve our involvement programming based on the requirements and requests of our members.