STUDENT SERVICES CENTRE

1
STUDENT SERVICES CENTRE

• Student Services for Postgraduates
• Sarah Beer
• Head of the Student Services Centre

Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
2
Background to the creation of the Student
Services Centre

• The aim was
• to improve the Universitys administrative
  service to its students
• to avoid students having to go to a variety of
  different offices within the Universitys Central
  Administration
• to ensure all students queries were dealt with
  efficiently and effectively
• to improve staff abilities and effectiveness
  through multi-skilling and cross-training
• to take advantage of the latest developments in
  IT.

Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
3
Services provided in the Student Services Centre

• registration, fee collection, issue of swipe
  cards
• student loans, hardship loans, hardship funds
• awards, bursaries, scholarships, studentships
• examinations timetabling, organisation
• academic transcripts, verifications and degree
  certificates
• graduation ceremonies
• international advice - visa immigration
  enquiries
• general student enquiries

Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
4
Internal developments that have impacted on the
Student Services Centre

• Creation of the single University in October 2004
• Opening of a Satellite Centre on the Sackville
  Street site
• A relocation of responsibility for certain
  functions e.g., thesis administration, debt
  collection
• International Advice Team incorporated into the
  Centre
• Development of the devolved administration
• Implementation of Campus Solutions in 2006

Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
5
Usage by postgraduate students (1)
Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
6
Usage by postgraduate students (2)
Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
7
Usage by postgraduate students (3)
Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
8
Usage by postgraduate students (4)
Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
9
Structure of the Student Services Centre
Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
10
Specific issues

• Graduation and Verifications
• Ceremony administrative procedures revised
  following implementation of Campus Solutions
• Production of verifications and transcripts
• Student Funding
• Adopting payments by BACs rather than by cheque
  as the norm
• Direct entry of awards data into Campus
  Solutions by colleagues in Schools
• Registration and Fees Team
• Fully embed and support Registration as an
  online process
• Improve processes for setting tuition fees and
  for record set up
• Customer Services Team (including International
  Advice)
• Council tax exemption
• Points based immigration system (from entry in
  2009)

Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
11
Improving the overall student experience and
achieving administrative efficiency (1)

• Ongoing business process review and improvement
• Establishment of a Student Administration
  Management Group with three sub-groups
  Registration / Start of Year, Student Record
  Maintenance, Assessment Progression to
• provide senior level oversight of the key
  operational processes impacting on the student
  lifecycle
• oversee and prioritise the work of the sub-groups
  in mapping and improving key aspects of the
  relevant business processes
• ensure a consistent approach across the
  University to the development and implementation
  of student-related administration
• ensure that process improvement and system
  development deliver efficiency savings and wider
  benefits
• scope future requirements for process and system
  developments.

Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
12
Improving the overall student experience and
achieving administrative efficiency (2)

• Effective communication is key to the seamless
  delivery of services in a large and complex
  organisation
• Day to day liaison and ownership of issues so
  that students are not passed between offices
• Telephone / email contact details for staff at
  very busy times e.g., graduation / registration
  (current details in packs)
• SSO bulletin
• Face-to-Face meetings
• Attendance at formal / informal groups and
  sessions e.g. GAG, GEG
• Briefing and feedback sessions on a more routine
  and systematic basis to disseminate and gather
  information and inform future developments.
• Improved information on the web

Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services
13
Question

• In what ways do you think that working practices
  between the Student Services Centre and your
  office / function could be improved to enhance
  the quality of the service we (collectively)
  deliver to postgraduates and to be more efficient?

Office of the Academic Registrar Student Support
and Services