Help us deliver faster, better student support

The Student Information Service (SIS) – an innovative approach to handling student enquiries – has proved to be a huge hit.

One of the Student Information Points on campus

Student Information Service promotion. November 2021

Little more than 12 months after its launch in September 2020, the SIS has processed more than 16,000 calls and 20,000 emails, as demand continues to soar.

The service was created in response to the growing challenges of providing support and information to students during the covid-19 pandemic, thereby reducing the need to redirect them to faculties, schools or other teams.

One year on, the SIS is our first point of contact for student enquiries and includes a helpline, an email address and four physical information points across campus, offering another support avenue for students discovering or rediscovering campus.

Positive reputation

Staffed by more than 200 colleagues in the Student Education Service and supported by student ambassadors, the SIS has quickly established a positive reputation for timely and coordinated student support on topics ranging from navigating studies to adjusting to life at Leeds, getting connected with specialist advice and more.

And this is where you come in!

We need your support to help us promote the SIS to students.

Claire Flegg, who was appointed earlier this year as a Business Lead to further shape the development of the SIS, said: “We’re building the SIS into a sector-leading enquiry service, expanding the channels through which students can get to the information they need, first time and in full.

“We’re now exploring new opportunities, including launching a chat bot to help connect students to the right support and information more quickly and outside of normal working hours.

“Now, we need colleagues across the University to help us promote the service even further, to ensure we’re reaching as many students as possible who would benefit from accessing this type of support.”

Enhancing our approach

As student awareness of the SIS increases, so does demand for the service. Currently, the team responds to an average of 150 emails each day, up to 1,000 calls per week and thousands of in-person interactions with ambassadors and advisers across campus.

Chris Warrington, Head of Student Support, said: “The SIS provides the opportunity for us to not only respond to student enquiries in a timely and coordinated way, but also to learn from what students are asking about, so we can enhance our approach, better meet their needs and create a more positive experience for students.

“Thanks to Claire and the team, the SIS has become an innovative and integral new dimension to the Student Education Service.”

Further information

There are three main strands to the service that colleagues can direct students to.

The helpline is staffed from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Students can call from inside the UK on 0800 915 0402 or from outside the UK on +44 (0)113 343 7000.

The SIS team can also be contacted via email.

Information points are open from 10am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday, and are located in the Worsley, Marjorie and Arnold Ziff, Maurice Keyworth and the Sir William Henry Bragg buildings.

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