Our work is grounded in direct engagement with the staff who run these services and the students who use them, then tested against sector practice and current regulatory expectations so that recommendations are both realistic and defensible. We are willing to tell universities what they might not want to hear, because a review that avoids the difficult finding is of little use. Often this isn’t just about a service or process for students, but about university culture and approach to change. We will always champion partnering with students as much as possible – their voices are always more powerful than ours!
Introduction: Growth and diversification in Ulster’s programme portfolio had outpaced its student administration operating model, and the university was clear that investment in new systems could not proceed without first reviewing the service model.
Our approach: We combined an organisational capability self-assessment against the UCISA Higher Education Reference Model, stakeholder interviews, and student journey mapping with both staff and students, guided throughout by ten design principles agreed with the Project Board.
The outcomes: A target operating model built on three foundational themes, with 31 improvement initiatives mapped to a three-year roadmap and agreed decisions on the ownership of admissions.
