Caroline Mitcheison, Operations Support Deputy Manager in Student Services answers some of our questions on the Welcome Project.
What is the Welcome Project?
The Southampton Welcome Project started in February 2012 to improve the Welcome experience for new students. Its ultimate aim was, and still is, to deliver a consistent, high quality joining experience that sets us out as a world class institution.
What was achieved in the first year of the Welcome Project?
During the first phase of the project, which ran up to September 2012 intake, we focused on improving specific areas of dissatisfaction shown in the all student i-Barometer report. Within seven months we delivered high impact changes to the Welcome experience:
- Produced clear, consistent and co-ordinated communications to students from receipt of results to arrival:
– Updated automated banner emails
– A new “Are you Ready” microsite
– Direct mail to remind students (and their parents) to review the site and get ready for arrival
– Multiple smaller changes (halls arrival pack, enrolment communications, ID card application)
– Communicated with staff where processes were unclear (e.g. bank account letters)
- Improved the experience around welcome weekend/week
– Introduced a new formal University Welcome Talk during the first week
– For the first time started to dovetail SUSU and University induction activities
– Improved the distribution of ID cards
- Had a significant impact on queues
– Created an enhanced experience for students visiting the Student Services Centre
– Made many smaller changes to processes to remove queues in student offices and elsewhere
The result of this work has been an improvement against our key i-Barometer measure, with a significant increase in certain areas such as disability support on arrival (up 11.7 per cent in 2012), bank accounts (up 10.4 per cent in 2012) and Student Advisory Team (up ten per cent in 2012).
How is the project team planning to build on those achievements in year two?
The second phase of the project is now underway with a focus on continuing to improve on the good work from 2012 and expanding the scope from an undergraduate focus to considering students who have less typical needs. As before, specific areas of focus have been selected based on market intelligence from student satisfactions surveys. We expect to deliver the following improvements for students arriving this year:
- Communications
– Close the communications gap between offer and acceptance by sending “keep warm” emails to UK UG students to help to build relationships prior to results and improve recruitment.
– Continue to refine current communications with our students both before and during their arrival, particularly focusing on improvements to the automated emails from Banner, segmenting these for UG, PGT and PGR students to ensure relevant and timely communication for each group. We will also make further improvements to Student Resources Network (and the signposts to it) on SUSSED.
– Update the “Are You Ready?” website for 2013.
– Improve communication of the Student Charter, as required by QAA.
– Update the online Student Handbook and investigate moving it to the student section of SUSSED.
- Inclusive induction activities
– Provide a diverse range of inclusive induction events that maintain a healthy balance between academic and non-academic activities and give all students the opportunity to participate.
– Blend UK and International arrivals by moving arrival dates closer together, offering events and activities tailored towards encouraging integration and promoting them in a way that supports this.
– Encourage the sharing of current best practice induction activities within faculties.
– Refine formal welcome talks to focus on inspirational messages from the VC’s Office and SUSU, with all other arrival information available online.
- PGT and PGR Students
– Develop a separate version of the “Are You Ready?” website specifically for PG students.
– Provide a separate, more relevant, formal welcome talk for PGT students.
– Introduce a new welcome talk for PGR students in a more appropriate format.
– Create a rolling welcome programme for PG students to capture those that start at Southampton outside of the traditional induction period.
– Work with SUSU to offer PG specific social events and activities.
Continuing and Improving the Excellent Work from 2012
– Build on the successful management of queues through continued recruitment and training of queue busters and improved signage.
– Continue to enhance the processes introduced in 2012, e.g. relating to ID card distribution and council tax letters.
– Expand availability of services and staff during Welcome weekend and the following Welcome weeks.
What activity is already taking place in preparation for the 2013 intake?
As last year, the project is moving at a very quick pace with working groups and the Project Team already up and running. Two of the key decisions that have already been taken for this year are:
- International Meet and Greet will take place on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 September , which is later in International Arrivals week than has traditionally happened. This is in response to feedback on the i-Barometer survey that shows International students want more opportunity to meet and make friends with UK students. International students will have their international-specific induction on Friday 20 September between 9am and 2pm, with the afternoon free for faculty-based activities if required. UK students will then arrive as normal on Saturday 21 September.
- Central welcome talks will take place on Wednesday 25 and Friday 27 September. Faculties have been asked to keep these days free on their induction programmes. This year’s talks will focus on inspirational messages from the VC’s Office and SUSU, with all other information being made available online pre-arrival. Undergraduates and postgraduates will both have talks on the Wednesday and Friday, but will be separated this year to ensure the content of the talks is relevant to each group.
Is there anything you are asking staff to do at this stage?
Not really, apart from getting in touch with questions, ideas and comments – and also for faculties to keep the days free in induction week as detailed above.
When will impacted colleagues find out more about the plans for this year?
Monthly updates are being emailed to key stakeholders, with the first one due to come out in the next week. There will also be regular updates on SUSSED. I’m in the process of arranging to go into staff team meetings around the University to provide an overview of the project – if anyone would be interested in me doing this, please contact me. Each Faculty/Service has a representative on the Welcome Project Team and I would invite people to find out who their local contact is and get in touch with them.
You’ve taken on the role of project manager this year. What was your previous role in the University?
I’m still doing the job I was before – Southampton Welcome has just been given to me as a new responsibility. I work in Student Services as the Operations Support Deputy Manager. Our team undertake projects on behalf of the Student Services Directorate. As Nicky Passmore (Deputy Director of Student Services) is the Project Lead for Welcome, it has been brought into our service to manage.
How can people get in touch with you?
I can be contacted at [email protected] or on extension 29294.