Www.swansea.ac.uk Swansea University Professionalising Support Services: A perspective on the...

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Professionalising Support Services: A perspective on the challenges and developments for central university services

Simon Wright

Chair of AMOSSHE


1995 Cardiff University Graduate – Law & Sociology

1995–97 Cardiff University Students Union

Education & Welfare Officer / Academic Affairs Officer

1996-97 National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education

(Dearing review)

1997-98 Volunteering UK, National Development Officer

1998-2000 Mencap, Campaigns Officer

Simon Wright – background


2000–03 Universities UK

2000–01Higher Education Wales, Assembly Officer

2001-03 Universities UK, Campaigns Officer

Since 2004 Swansea University, Director of Student Services

2005–10 AMOSSHE - the student services organisation

2005-08 Executive Committee Member

2008-10 Chair

Simon Wright – background


Membership 147 HEIs – Heads / Directors of Student Services

Elected board of 12 – on top of busy day jobs!

National Office – In 2009 London Office & recruiting Policy & Public

Affairs Manager + Administrator

Promotes student well-being, retention, progression and achievement

Unique strength - the knowledge, experience and skills of members

Annual conference, CPD events, website, disseminate best practice

AMOSSHE


Represent, promote and engage

Government - DIUS

Input to DIUS National Student Forum response

HE Debate / Community Cohesion

Funding bodies

HEFCE input to The sustainability of learning and teaching in

English higher education

Sector bodies – UUK, Guild HE, NUS, ECU, Skill, LFHE etc

Professional associations - Counselling, Careers, Disability

AMOSSHE

Increasingly influential


Economic recession – pressure on public finances

Cap on student numbers

Possible tuition fee increases

Increasing and significant competition – India / China

Security – increasingly important for students & Government

Global citizens – increasing need for an international experience

Contemporary issues are global – curriculum developments /

marketing opportunities

HE Context - Global


Increases in….

Sector fragmentation – Russell Group / 94 Group

In a decade will there be a recognisable and coherent

sector? (Sir Professor David Watson)

Fees (2009-10 review)

Expectations, demands & complaints – students and parents

Non-academic opportunities – key differentiator between

students groups and HEIs

HE Context - UK


Less traditional A level cohort – demographic time-bomb

More work-based learning – Leitch agenda

More part-time

More to balance – finance, family, work & study

Context - technology

Digital natives & digital immigrants – more to follow

Context - Students


• Administrative deficit model last port of call for student problems Students ‘dealt with’ & processed according to administrative systems and convenience

• Integrated customer care model one stop shop support services – partial integration students placed at the centre of service delivery recognition of cost effective central expertise (See Student Services: Effective approaches to retaining students in higher education Universities UK 2002:

http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/Publications/Pages/Publication-184.aspx)

Models of Central ServicesHistorical


• Professional support services model

Full integration of student facing functions

Single point(s) of contact for students

Physical & virtual front line help desk

Customer Relations Management (CRM) system

More holistic, personalised & responsive

Proactive, intelligence & evidenced based interventions

Models of Central ServicesCurrent


• Professional support services model Increasing influence in student learning

• Study skills support• Peer mentoring

Engaged in the broader student experience• 1st year experience / transition support • Healthy universities / civic responsibility / Life-wide learning

Student Services today are a precursor to student learning Students don’t learn if they are in crisis – financial, emotional, academic, regulatory

Models of Central ServicesCurrent


1. In groups describe an example of either the worst or best customer care you have experienced

2. Describe the characteristics of that experience:

your treatment

the attitude

how did you feel

3. Choose an example from the group - feedback to full group

4. Remember the characteristics

Customer experience


Customers / co-creators / investors

The world of customer care applies

Student Experience & Expectations - Why only expectations?

Should we not be seeking to engage with hopes, aspirations and

fears?

More powerful emotional dimension

Customer experience in HE


A possible model – Student Transactions

Student Life cycle

Transitions – e.g. arrival weekend / enrolment

Transactions

Identify the hopes aspirations and fears of each transaction

Review & develop responses

Customer experience in HE


Economic pressures increase the need for value and impact measures:

• From HEIs to Government

• From Central Services to HEI management

Student Services impact and value for Government:

• Widening participation – support services / OFFA arrangements

• Equality legislation – ensuring compliance especially DDA – positive

economic impact of graduates with disabilities in work

• Citizenship – chaplaincy, interfaith and community cohesion

Some challenges…. Demonstrating impact & value


Student Services impact and value for Government:

• Retention a core function of support services and crucial to government

with respect to:

increasing levels of unemployment

rising welfare benefit costs

consequential social division and decreasing community cohesion

• Employability - graduates in work:

contribute to economic revival

repay student loan as opposed to claiming benefits

spend money in the economy



Student Services impact and value for HEIs:

• Retention and fee value

With a cap on numbers – every student counts….


Cost of service to HEI 0000's

Number, category and fee value of students supported

Total Fee Value of Students Supported

Number and type of students to retain to meet costs of service in line with % client load.

Service area

UG @ £5.6K/YR

PG @ £5.4K/YR

INT @ £9.2K/YR

Disability Office 186 786 126 25 5,312,000 28UG + 4PG + 1INT

Money Advice (incl. 28K INT Hardship)

124 1139 142 26 7,384,400 19UG + 2PG + 1INT

Counselling 200 328 60 34 2,473,600 28UG + 5PG + 2INT

International Advice 111 0 0 1000 9,200,000 12 INT


18year olds have never known a world without the internet

• Time shifters become information shifters

• Time poor but network rich

• Learning and support tools lagging behind lifestyle tools

• Professional v Public ownership of information, advice and

guidance

The dangers of IT Dad Dancing

Some challenges….

The Digital Natives are here!

Taken from Making virtual out of necessity, Brian Hipkin, Director of Student Services, and Sarah Frame, Head of the School of Distance and E-Learning, University of East London. AMOSSHE Conference 2008


The New Student Mindset

Computers aren't technology Internet is better than TV

Reality is no longer real Doing is more important than knowing

Multitasking is a way of life Typing is preferred to handwriting

Staying connected is essential There is zero tolerance for delays

Consumer and creator are blurring Leaning more closely resembles

Nintendo than logic

Some challenges….



Some challenges….

Social Networking - Internet’s fastest growing phenomenon

• 60m members; $15bn

• 100m members; 240k daily

• 75% UK 11-14yr olds use Bebo

• 2744 uploads in 1 minute

• 10hrs video uploaded every min

Presents a major challenge for HE - Why/when/how should we adopt social

networking tools as part of learning and support?



e-mail – texting - The Power of texts

• Students don’t use University e-mail

• E-mail address will become a password

• Texts are the preferred means of networking

• 98% mobile ownership

• Inverse relationship between income and high spec phones.

• The text as a portal - convert to TinyURL!™

Some challenges….



To think about…..

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&feature=related



Thank you for listening

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