Outlined below are some real examples of objectives and the associated evidence/demonstration of contribution. They should not be treated as an exhaustive list and in terms of evidencing your contribution you may want to provide more detail. Click on the arrows of each example for further detail:
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Improving the enrolment process…Objective: To improve the enrolment process focusing on; data quality, reducing the total number of queries, scheduling and the conditional enrolment process in line with the start of the next academic year. Contribution: I led on system and process improvements which reduced the enrolment queries by 3.5% and increased the number of students being enrolled by the final deadline of 3 weeks, which included a proportion of students who were conditionally enrolled, by 12%. This resulted in data quality improvements which supports the University’s external reporting requirements and overall improved the student and staff experience of enrolment. |
Act as a first point of contact for recruitment agents…Objective: Act as a first point of contact for recruitment agents, ensuring queries are responded to and issues resolved swiftly within the next 12 months. Contribution: By ensuring that our recruitment agents receive a positive customer experience, I have contributed to a positive business relationship between them and the university (82% satisfaction in annual agent survey 2017). Positive and effective relationships with agents are essential to meeting the university’s international recruitment goals. |
Action HESA errors specifically those relating to student record screens…Objective: To action HESA errors specifically those relating to student record screens e.g. start/end dates ensuring they are all resolved within 48 hours. Contribution: I actioned 352 of the 391 total end date errors for the year within the agreed 48 hour turnaround time. This directly contributed to the university’s reporting compliance with external agencies. |
Throughout the year; Take appropriate steps to ensure your own safety and that of others…Objective: Throughout the year: Contribution: To ensure that risk assessments and safe systems of work are fully understood and adhered to I actively involve Multi skilled team in annual review and creation of new assessments. I also ensure that all colleagues report all incidents ,accidents or near misses and ensure they co-operate in any resulting investigations that arise and follow any recommendations from resulting investigation. As part of my role I ensure that colleagues attend all requested training sessions as required and record/review on Team Development plan Matrix. |
Manage the university’s Erasmus charter application…Objective: Manage the university’s Erasmus charter application, grant funding and programme administration within the next 12 months. Contribution: By ensuring that the university is fully compliant with Erasmus financial and reporting requirements, I have helped to ensure that we maintain an Erasmus charter and are able to continue to offer mobility opportunities to staff and students. These opportunities are key to the university meeting its Global Engagement objectives. |
Line manage the incoming graduate interns…Objective: To line manage the incoming graduate interns ensuring appropriate induction preparation and delivery and placement co-ordination and management. To hold regular keep-in-touch meetings to make sure operational practice is being undertaken in a professional manner and in accordance with relevant frameworks and that the individuals’ well-being is being considered. To discuss with your line manager your support requirements in order to facilitate this. Contribution: The feedback that I gained from this years intake of graduate interns was really positive. They reflected that my style had supported them to gain good experience and to help them effectively contribute to the operational practice of the University. In addition, they gained an understanding of the university’s staffing structures with a desire to apply for roles across a range of teams. The impact of managing the interns positively and thinking about their wider engagement and development, contributed to the Hallam Deal within the Building a Great University pillar of the Transforming Lives Strategy. |
Coordinate the development and launch of a university Study Abroad…Objective: Coordinate the development and launch of a university Study Abroad offer within the next 12 months. Contribution: By working with colleagues across the university to design, cost and validate a new Study Abroad programme, I have helped to create new opportunities for students from across the world to spend time at SHU. This activity will contribute to student recruitment/income generation objectives and enhances UK student experience. |
Increase volume of high quality leads generated from international digital marketing campaigns…Objective: Increase volume of high quality leads generated from international digital marketing campaigns within the next 12 months. Contribution: By generating more quality leads from our digital campaigns (from ## to ##), we have been able to convert more of these into applications (conversion from ##% to ##%). This has contributed to meeting international student recruitment targets and supported income generation. |
Support implementation of online application and paper-light admissions processes…Objective: Support implementation of online application and paper-light admissions processes across the overseas offices within the next 6 months. Contribution: By implementing these new processes, I have helped to increase efficiency in the overseas offices and contributed to an improved applicant experience (spontaneous feedback from applicants across office-serviced markets). This has supported student recruitment and income generation objectives. |
Be the student systems and records (SSR) link person for student records and related processes…Objective: To be the student systems and records (SSR) link person for student records and related processes with research administrators across the university to; improve communication between SSR and research administrators and develop understanding of processes and increase engagement amongst the staff groups within the next 6 months. Contribution: I improved the communication between SSR and research administrators across the university by attending all Research Operations meetings and supporting the staff through the research student life-cycle. Feedback suggests that this has had an on-going positive impact on engagement from all stakeholders to research student records and has improved our shared understanding, which means that records are actioned in a more timely manner. |
Development of Individual Apprenticeship Learner Records…Objective: Development of Individual Apprenticeship Learner Records – Ensure the Directorate of Education and Employer Partnerships (DEEP) hold a full set of documentation (in line with Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) requirements) for each student and to develop a method for storing this documentation, ensuring it is accessible to relevant stakeholders. Look at how employer feedback, NVQ progress and attendance are recorded and stored. To be delivered in time for new intake, Sept 2017 Contribution: I have developed an appropriate file system which is accessible to the key stakeholders and populated, for each apprentice, with completed signed documentation. I have also developed a means of collecting and sharing employer/apprentice feedback and attendance information. It is critical that essential details are collected and a good filing system is maintained for audit and compliance purposes which if not, would negatively impact the University’s good reputation with external agencies and partnerships. |
Record, review and update stakeholders on monthly…Objective: Record, review and update stakeholders on monthly travel activity to ensure best use of budget, demonstrating financial savings where possible over the course of the academic year. Contribution: I pull off reports on a monthly/quarterly basis as agreed and provide these to deputy heads/heads of departments. These reports inform their decision-making on types of bookings, providers etc. and these are reviewed. Decisions are made on whether to make changes to reduce spending within departments. I can have a direct impact on cost savings. |
Be the employment legislation lead…Objective: To be the employment legislation lead; investigating and keeping up to date with all current and forthcoming employment legislation changes, brief the directorate of any forthcoming legislative change and how this may impact on any of the University’s policies and ensure changes are successfully implemented in a timely manner. Contribution: I attended legislative brief at DLA Piper on the implications of GDPR. Working closely with colleagues within Governance Services to identify and minimise risks to the University in existing practises. Developed new University policy, devised communication plans working closely with colleagues to ensure appropriate dissemination across the University. |
Develop and deliver integrated student experience information processes…Objective: Develop and deliver integrated student experience information processes, such as a student survey timeline, to develop an institutional approach to managing the collection of student experience data. Contribution: I have developed an online schedule of activities that presents an institutional overview of student experience information and associated datasets. This provides opportunity for colleagues to analyse and triangulate student feedback. |
Develop and implement a communications plan for Graduation 2018…Objective: To develop and implement a communications plan for Graduation 2018, to engage with graduating students working with colleagues across the university to co-ordinate and plan appropriate content and channels. Contribution: I developed a plan working with a small group of colleagues from across the University. This was implemented and the following stats were collected: linked In, Facebook, twitter, which show an increase in engagement with students from 2017. The group established close working relationships and received positive feedback from colleagues on the outcomes. This resulted in ensuring all students and staff have the correct information regarding their graduation, communications were joined up and produced a smooth and cohesive graduation experience for students. |
Develop a new process to replace the absence telephone line for ‘student placements’…Objective: develop a new process to replace the absence telephone line for ‘student placements’ and implement this over the next 2 months. Contribution: Due to loss of the analogue telephone system I looked at other ways we might manage the required absence information came up with the use of a google form to replace this. I looked at the information currently collected and discussed the validity of holding the information on google forms with the IT Department. I then sent out an example of the questionnaire to all Course Leaders for their input and requested the information on where the current telephone number was kept in order to make the change from this to a link to the google form. This was agreed by all persons involved and rolled out as a new system and process a little over the suggested timeframe. |
Support retention activity in your department that includes attendance monitoringObjective: Support retention activity in your department that includes attendance monitoring, learner analytics, submission reporting so that retention is in line with the shaping futures measures of 92% for 2018. Contribution: I made calls in semester 1 to level 4 students that hadn’t submitted assessments and hadn’t engaged online. I provided timely, rich information and accurate signposting to students. 18 students attended recommended SSO appointments as a result of these calls. Retention statistics have improved from 90% to 94% within the department. |
Be responsible for ensuring that changes in accounting practice…Objective: To be responsible for ensuring that changes in accounting practice are adopted by the University. Scan the horizon for upcoming changes and respond to legislation as it is published ensuring that our systems and processes are adopted accordingly. Ensure that colleagues are briefed on matters which affect them over the course of the financial year. Contribution: As well as attending updates on Taxation and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by KPMG and Deloittes I have also kept up to date with British Universities Finance Directors Group (BUFDG) forums and contributed to several online discussions to understand the position of the sector. In response to upcoming taxation changes I have drafted amendments to our policies and written covering notes so that these can be presented to the leadership team for approval. I developed and actioned a comms plan once changes to policy were approved and I led on system changes with DTS and the relevant governance groups. |
Deliver IT & AV Support Services…Objective: Deliver IT & AV Support Services (incidents & user requests) to agreed “good” service level for incident resolution, identify and implement improvements to reduce call backlog Contribution: This objective was achieved with 90% of service requests and incidents completed within target resolution time; Management of incidents breeching resolution targets – no calls breached by more than one month and there were no instances of calls breaching due to inadequate service cover. |
Manage the process to procure equipment…Objective: Manage the process to procure equipment (both capital and revenue), ensuring budgetary and legislative requirements are met and that equipment is ready to use for the beginning of the academic year. Contribution: By achieving this I ensured that new course provision was supported, and that research projects could be completed. These activities underpin student recruitment and income generation. |
Develop workshop provision at Head Post Office…Objective: Develop workshop provision at Head Post Office, evaluate current provision and assess future needs (course development, student and staff feedback), in time for next academic session. Contribution: By improving our facilities I have supported student recruitment (positive feedback was received from open day visitors and applications increased by 5%) and improved students’ course experience (positive feedback received in student voice meetings, and satisfaction with facilities – measured via module evaluation surveys – increased by 10%). |
Ensure improvements are made to the front line Information exchange…Objective: Ensure improvements are made to the front line Information exchange to achieve a consistent way with colleagues on other Receptions/Help points, sharing processes and good practice which will lead to a better service delivery which we can measure under Customer Satisfaction surveys. Set for completion before the end of the Easter term so we could review and amend ready for start of term 2018. Contribution: A senior leader in a faculty asked if we had the capacity to assist their admin team during paper assignment hand ins. Due to us being FD staff and the faculty staff unable to grant access to the SharePoint site I used my initiative in the short-term to scan the documents and then use software to combine them into one file which was then emailed to the student services staff member. In order for colleagues to work consistently, I completed a hand over document of how this should be implemented across the other FD desks in the university. The idea and the implementation of this process were very well received by the Faculty/Divisional management in the buildings we provide service to and my peers. This process is now at the core of communication strategy and used daily by the whole team. |
Work collaboratively to deliver coherent timetables for students and staff…Objective: Work collaboratively to deliver coherent timetables for students and staff, by evaluating the quality of 17/18 timetables and actioning in-year improvements (aligned with timetabling process). Contribution: By working closely with timetabling and academic colleagues, I contributed to an increased number of student timetables meeting our timetabling principles (“combined student experience” scores increased from 95% to 98%). This should contribute to improved organisation and management scores in the NSS, and a stronger league table position. |
Deliver student retention activities for 17/18…Objective: Deliver student retention activities for 17/18, including delivering the “students at risk” calling campaign. To monitor progress and outcomes after semester 1 and referral boards, and propose future activities. Contribution: By contributing to improved student retention and progression rates (L4 – L5 increased from 78% to 85%), I contributed to student success, as well as safeguarding our income. |
Develop and deliver integrated marketing & recruitment plans…Objective: Develop and deliver integrated marketing & recruitment plans for a given geographical region, working towards achievement of a regional student recruitment target and contributing to the overall university international recruitment target within the next 12 months. Contribution: This programme of activity has supported achievement of the regional target (240 new students against a target of 215) and contributed to the achievement of the overall university international recruitment target (1045 new students against a target of 950). |
Grow the number of international progression partners…Objective: Grow the number of international progression partners the university operates in Malaysia and the volume of students through those routes within the next 12 months. Contribution: By establishing 3 new progression partners in Malaysia, I have established new pathways to support international student recruitment from the market. A small number of new students (18) have progressed in this first year with the potential to make a more significant contribution in future years. |
