Building on Excellence

1
Building on Excellence

• The part played by the development of a Student
  Services Centre in delivering the University of
  Glasgows strategy for students

2
University of Glasgow

• Founded in 1451
• Research intensive university ranked 81st in
  world, 26th in Europe and 12th in UK
• 9 Faculties, including a Medical School
• Annual turnover 291m
• 15,500 undergraduates and over 4,000
  postgraduates
• Administrative and management services grouped
  into Divisions within University Services

3
Academic Planning and Student Support Division

• Largest Division in University Services
• All Student Support Services (except
  Accommodation) plus Senate Office and Planning
  Office.
• The core objective of the Division is
• to provide outstanding, well integrated
  services for students, staff and external
  customers, delivered consistently from the
  perspective of the service user

4
Challenges for student services

• Silo nature of service delivery
• Poor accommodation
• Services dispersed across campus
• Lack of accessible information about services
• Few on line services
• Resources allocated to core student services
  reducing in real terms

5
Service improvements 2000-2005

• Student Information Desk
• Restructuring of University Services to bring
  most student support services into one Division
• Refurbishment of accommodation for some services
  - notably Student Disability Service
• Development of WebSURF web based registration
  and records system for students
• Co-ordination of Current Students webpages by
  Student Information Desk Manager

6
Need for Step Change

• Improvements to date incremental and tactical
  rather than strategic.
• Increasingly competitive environment.
• The growing diversity of the student body and
  increasing numbers.
• Prospective students and students expect
  on-line/self service to be available.
• Face-to-face contact still important but cannot
  be effectively provided with dispersed services.
• Drive to deliver services as efficiently as
  possible demand for efficiency gains.

7
University of Glasgow Strategic Planning Process

• 2002- 2005 major restructuring to achieve
  annual surplus 3 of total income on a recurring
  basis. Achieved through voluntary severance,
  re-organisation of certain academic activities
  and reductions in spend on University Services.
• New budget and planning process established in
  session 2005/06
• Planning process highly consultative , giving
  administrative staff as well as academics the
  opportunity to contribute to and influence the
  process.

8
Translating strategy into action

• The Hub a 1960s building at the centre of
  campus lying empty.
• 2005 Scottish Funding Council initiative to fund
  Learning and Teaching Infrastructure projects.
• Fresh approach to student support service
  delivery recognised in the developing strategy
  for learning and teaching, a key theme of which
  is recruitment and retention.
• These opportunities enabled us to develop case
  for funding for the relocation and development of
  Student Services providing a One Stop Shop.

9
Ist stage of Success

• Successful bid for funding to LTIF enabling go
  ahead for preparation of a detailed and fully
  costed proposal for Student Services Centre.
• Hub identified as an ideal location and agreement
  given in principle to relocate Student Services
  there subject to inclusion income generating
  catering and commercial activity.
• Enhancing the Student Experience is a key element
  in the development of the new Learning and
  Teaching Strategy.

10
University Strategic Plan Building on Excellence

• Looking to 2010 the University of Glasgow will
  be
• In the UKs top 10 Universities and in the
  worlds top 50 Universities.
• An international leader in research across a
  broad spectrum.
• Renowned internationally for enquiry-led
  learning.
• Recognised as a leading postgraduate University.
• A University which attracts and retains the very
  best staff.

11
A new Strategy for student support

• Students will be part of an increasingly diverse
  community of talented undergraduates and
  postgraduates from a wide range of social,
  cultural and national backgrounds.
• There will be effective support for students to
  succeed, targeted to key transitional stages such
  as starting to study, moving up a year and
  preparing to leave University.
• New facilities for student support and social
  life

12
Student support at the hub of the University

• The iconic Hub building, located at the heart of
  the campus, is to be redeveloped to house a
  central one stop shop which pulls together our
  wide range of student services
• 9.5m development will provide a variety of
  student services, coffee bars, food court,
  bookstore and medical practice.
• Student needs are at the heart of the
  Universitys strategy and the exciting plans for
  the new Hub demonstrate this commitment an
  attractive contemporary development at the heart
  of the campus.

13

• The HUB's levels

Meeting Rooms
14
Hub Project Initiation

• University Court give go ahead for overall Hub
  project Oct 2005 to include Student Services,
  Catering, a bookshop, GP Surgery and Pharmacy.
• Project initiation stage taken forward by
  Estates and Buildings Service a complex project
  involving a range of clients.
• Progressing Committee established with
  responsibility for delivery of overall project on
  time and within budget.

15
Hub Project Initiation Student Services Project

• Workshops of Student Services staff and student
  representatives developed ideas for vision for
  student services in the Hub. (October 2005)
• User Group including Heads of all Student
  Services, Estates and Buildings Project Officers
  and student representatives set up. (January
  2006).

16
Hub Project Initiation Student Services Project

• Approval for Project Manager to support delivery
  of Student Services Centre in line with overall
  Hub Project plan. (In post October 2006).
• PMs role includes working closely with Estates
  and Buildings, architects, designers as well as
  Student Services.

17
Project objectives

• 3 strands to delivery all of which are critical
• Relocation and integration of the student
  services moving to the Hub.
• Providing access to 100 of student services
  through Student Services Centre (One Stop Shop)
  and web based self service.
• Redesign of business processes to ensure that
  they are focussed on the needs of students.

18
Student Services Project Plan

• Elements of the project plan
• Student Services Objectives
• Scope of the Project what is in and what is
  out
• Communications
• Benefits
• Deliverables/Capabilities
• Time lines and milestones
• Resources
• Dependencies and other projects

19
Project Stages

• Discover
• Define
• Develop
• Deliver

20

• Hub Project Discovery Phase

Original Brief for HUB Users Group
Output from October 2005 Consultations
Reports from site visits to other One Stop Shops
Questionnaires and Focus Groups with Staff
Student Survey
Options appraisal of which services to relocate
Outcome of Options Appraisal
Completion of outline design of whole building
Submission of planning application (Oct 2006)
21
Options Appraisal

• Small Group of all Heads of Student Service set
  up to consider which services to be relocated to
  Hub.
• Core strategic objective to be met - to provide
  outstanding, well integrated services delivered
  consistently from the perspective of the service
  user.
• Output from staff focus groups, questionnaires
  and student survey informed decision.
• Student lifecycle from pre-entry through to post
  graduation, the role played within it by each
  service and the synergies between them seen as
  the crucial factors.

22
Outcome of options appraisal

• The whole of Registry (including Student
  Finance), Careers Service, International and
  Postgraduate Service and Recruitment Admissions
  and Participation Services to be co-located in
  the Hub.
• Space available means that open plan layout
  essential
• Front line services and web based self service
  must encompass 100 of student services and all
  services must be involved in the Project.

23
Define and Develop

• Workshops
• Stage launched with 2 day workshop in December
  2006 involving staff from all Student Services
  and Interior Design Consultants.
• 4 further workshops held concentrating on
  business redesign and building new synergies
  between services.
• Others planned approximately monthly.

24
Define and develop

• Task Groups of staff members and students to
  define and develop plans for implementation.
• Meet weekly and involve a wide range of staff
  and students. Work includes
• Physical layout, IT requirements, Process
  review and redesign/Job redesign/Staff
  training/Addressing required culture change in
  services.

25
Task Groups

• Relocation of Student Services.
• Design and Development of New Business Processes.
• Creation of Student Services Centre.
• IT Software, Web based Solutions and Hardware
  Requirements.
• Training.
• Documentation and Storage.
• Non Hub Located Student Services.
• Communications.

26

• Business Process Review Framing the GAP

Today
The HUB Way
Personalised Customer Services
Multi-Stop
Student Centric
Specialist
Referral in depth
Generalist
One Stop
Self-Help
No-Stop
Auto Transaction
No-Stop
Student Services interactions with students today
Student Services interactions with students in
the future

• Whats the Gap?

27
Classification of Student Interactions

• Auto transaction No Stop, 100 web enabled,
  accessible from any internet connection.
• Self Help No Stop, forms, brochures, desk top
  applications not available via web.
• Generalist One Stop, Front line enquiry or
  transaction from or for the student.
• Specialist In Depth Referral.

28
Delivery

• Construction and fitting out due for completion
  in June 2008
• Redesigned processes and systems to be
  operational by July 2008
• IPS, RAPS, Careers Service and Registry to be
  moved into the building July 2008
• New Student Services Centre to be operational for
  start of 2008/09 session
• Web based self service in place for as many
  services as possible by start of 2008/09

29
Success? What will it look like?

• Student Services will be student centric.
• The Hub will be an iconic building which students
  see as being at the heart of their learning
  experience and in which staff enjoy working.
• All student services will be working
  co-operatively and their will be a culture of
  continuous improvement in services.
• Processes will have been redesigned to meet the
  needs of students.
• Routine administrative processes enabled 24/7
  through a flexible and adaptive self service
  environment.

30
Measures of Success

• Student Satisfaction Surveys internal surveys
  First Year Experience, International Student
  Barometer, Postgraduate Survey National Student
  Survey (NSS).
• League table position.
• Improved Recruitment and Retention rates.
• Quality measures such as Matrix Standard/ Charter
  Mark/ Investors in People.
• Benchmarking against key competitors.
• Efficiency gains.

31

• Christine Lowther Director of Registry
  University of Glasgow Glasgow, G12 8QQ
• Telephone [phone] Email
  C.Lowther_at_admin.gla.ac.uk
• http//www.gla.ac.uk/studentinformation/hub/
• Acknowledgements Thanks to Ann Don, Student
  Services Project Manager Gregor Lowther for
  assistance and material for this presentation.