Creating a first-class student experience

A major investment in improving the student experience – from enquiry to graduation – has been given the go-ahead.

Student Lifecycle Programme given funding. February 2019

The Student Lifecycle Programme – a four-year transformation programme aimed at improving the processes, systems and ways of working we use to manage the student experience – has been granted £46.7m in funding for the next four years by the University's Council

The programme aims to create a single view of a student, reduce complexity in our systems and processes and create consistency across the University, so staff spend less time on transactional activity and more time enhancing the student experience. 

The programme is also looking at how any new systems help us meet our data reporting requirements, and how we can protect and enhance our reputation as a world-class organisation.

The programme is being overseen by a team of more than 45 project managers, business analysts, process improvement specialists and subject matter experts, recruited from both inside and outside of the University. It is led by Programme Director, Sarah Lund, and is sponsored by Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Education, Professor Tom Ward. 

The programme is expected to last four years, with the first 12-month ‘readiness’ phase dedicated to further exploring requirements and business needs, before a three-year delivery period begins.

Commenting on the award of full funding, Professor Ward said: “The approval of the full business case is a significant step, and the next few years will see exciting developments. 

“I’d like to thank the many people who have already contributed so much to the SLP, often alongside already busy lives. 

“I’d also like to look back and forward as we contemplate the next steps. Looking back, we should acknowledge the great creativity and effort that has delivered an excellent student education service through a period of under-investment in systems. Looking forward, the most important part of making this a success will be how we collaborate. The SLP needs to access the energy and expertise of everyone involved, and we are determined to make this a genuinely collaborative project.”

Key to the SLP’s success will be consultation and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders from across the University. Not only will colleagues be asked about any issues they face, they’ll be actively involved in mapping processes and needs to find effective, standardised solutions, with regular opportunities to shape, test and challenge any decisions the SLP makes.

The Programme will be guided by three key groups:

  • Change Champions – a diverse group of people, from admin and academia, who will be consulted on both broad-ranging and specific issues where they have relevant experience and knowledge. This group will also act as a conduit between their teams and the programme, sharing their colleagues' views with the SLP team and ensuring all staff are kept up-to-date on the latest developments.
  • Academic Advisory Group – a small group of academics, led by a dedicated Chair, who will feed in the views of academics and share SLP messages with their colleagues; and
  • Student Champions – a panel of current students from a range of departments, who will help inform, test and sense-check any proposed systems, processes and ways of working, with a focus on student experience and expectation.

Want to know more about the SLP and how you can get involved? Email the SLP team for further information.

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