York St John University

At York St John University we strive to be exceptional in all we do and achieve. We are building a reputation as a high quality, friendly university, known for its academic excellence, a strong community spirit and a magnificent campus based in the heart of the city. Our size, our strong community ethos and our personal approach to learning have made us a special place to study for all these years.

Our students and staff make a meaningful contribution to the fabric of the University and we hope their experiences here inspire them to shape their communities throughout their lives. We offer our students and staff personal opportunities to learn and grow – both academically and individually – and this is facilitated by the high levels of student-staff interaction within our community. We pride ourselves in identifying and developing potential in all our students and staff.

Our Mission to inspire our students and staff to reach their full potential, advance knowledge, and make a positive contribution to the world. We are an inclusive, innovative, transformative and ambitious community with a strong sense of belonging. Everyone who works here at York St John plays an equal part in our success. So it’s up to all of us to respect our mission, values and vision, sharing responsibility and taking pride in the University community, improving the way we work, creating a better study environment and build on our success. Our Contribution Framework (PDF, 0.4MB) sets out all the qualities and behaviours we look for in all our people.

We have been educating and inspiring students on our campus in York since 1841. Our success and achievements over the years are partially due to our institutional capacity to plan effectively, to set clear goals and focus our efforts on achieving them.

2012-15 has been a period of growth, success and increased external recognition for the University. We now have more students than ever before and our continuation, attainment and graduate employability rates have rarely been higher. Our profile in the higher education sector is increasing through our successes and our growing reputation for effective leadership and management of the University. We have worked hard on enhancing our courses, facilities, academic standards, and governance and management.

York St John University is strongly rooted within its region, with a large proportion of students drawn from the Yorkshire and Humber area. It also works actively with local and regional businesses, such as Nestle, CPP and Aviva, to add to the wealth, skills and welfare of its community. Listed below are a few examples of York St John’s areas of community, partnership and professional activity. York St John University is part of the Higher York partnership along with York College, Askham Bryan College, University of York and the City of York Council. Craven College is an associate member of the partnership.

The University is actively involved with different areas of the public and voluntary sector, including NHS Trusts, the NHS Institute for Improvement and Innovation, York City Council, Joseph Rowntree Trust, Leonard Cheshire Disability, North Yorkshire Sport Partnership, a range of LEAs and directly with schools and colleges. Much of this work is supported by business development staffs based in the University’s faculties and supported centrally by the Pro Vice Chancellor’s external community engagement work.

At York St John University we value and prioritise the mental health of students, staff and citizens. We do this through collaboration in the community and by providing a distinctive approach to supporting and making a real difference to peoples’ experiences and perceptions of mental health and wellbeing. Our practice-led work and evidence-based research makes a sustained contribution to local communities. Our initiatives benefit mental health service users from York and the wider region and our partnership work with citizens and organisations involves our staff and students. We provide many ways in which people can engage in our health, mental health and wellbeing activities and you can access further information by clicking on the links below.