aua-spa applicant experience network 25 june 2013 janet graham, director of spa and network...
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AUA-SPA Applicant Experience Network
25 June 2013
Janet Graham, Director of SPA and Network Co-ordinator andNick Bhugeloo, Head of Applicant Services, Kingston University
What is SPA? Set up in 2006 following the Schwartz Report Fair Admissions to
Higher Education: Recommendations for Good Practice 2004
“ The Group recommends the creation of a central source of expertise and advice on admissions issues. Its purpose would be to act as a resource for institutions who wish to maintain and enhance excellence in admissions. Such a centre could lead the continuing development of fair admissions, evaluating and commissioning research, and spreading best practice.”
UK’s independent, fully funded (generally free at the point of delivery) and objective voice on fair HE admissions
Small team, but with relevant practical and strategic experience
“Equal opportunity for all individuals, regardless of background, to gain admission to a course suited to their ability and aspirations.”
What is Fair Admissions?
1. be transparent
2. enable institutions to select students who are able to complete the course as judged by their achievements and their potential
3. strive to use assessment methods that are reliable and valid
4. seek to minimise barriers to applicants
5. be professional in every respect and underpinned by appropriate institutional structures and processes
Who delivers the applicant experience?
Pre-applicationenquirerspotential applicantsOutreach/ WP
Applicationstudy choices
Post-applicationselection; offersaccepted applicants unsuccessful applicants
Transitionconfirmationinductionenrolment
Retention and graduation
?
Student Services
Teaching & Learning
Admissions
Schools’ and Colleges’ Liaison
WP/Outreach
Marketing
AC
AD
EMIC
PR
OV
ISIO
N
Student Records
Planning
The applicant experience www.spa.ac.uk/applicant-experience
Built under four broad stages
Adopted a behavioural view of ‘experience’
Interactive participation and engagement,
not a passive journey
Linked and underpinned through effective
information, advice and guidance
pre-application
applicationpost-
applicationtransition
ing
ing
sing
The applicant experience
A good applicant experience is mutually beneficial to both the
applicant and the higher education provider
prepares, informs and provides equality of opportunity to enter higher education
should accurately match the student’s aims, abilities and aspirations with the character of the institution.
therefore improves student retention and enhances the strategic mission of the institution
A poor applicant experience is inherently detrimental to both the
applicant and the higher education provider – both lose out
perpetuates barriers to entry disengages potential applicants and
their advisors risks incongruence between student
expectations and institutional character therefore embeds an enrolment strategy
leading to unfulfilled potential and increased drop-out
The Applicant Experience: collaborative integrated strategy
monitor
mea
sure
institution mission and values
strategic aims policies
pre-application stage processes
application stage processes
post-application stage processes
transition stage processes
key interactions
linking interactions
IPG integrated practitioner
groups / communities
key interactions
key interactions
key interactions
linking interactions
linking interactions
IPG integrated practitioner
groups / communities
IPG integrated practitioner
groups / communities
IPG integrated practitioner
groups / communities
IPG integrated practitioner
groups / communities
IPG integrated practitioner
groups / communities
IPG integrated practitioner
groups / communities
enablers (staff; systems; funds)
The Applicant Experience Strategy
Strategic leadership in admissions is integral to an institution’s learning and teaching strategy, management and planning.
SPA’s view is that an applicant experience strategy underpins the student experience, it supports the management and processes of both academic and professional staff.
The benefits for the institution should be more integrated ways of working, with possible efficiency gains enhanced staff professionalism and understanding of strategy improved quality practices and procedures which may give competitive
advantage, enhance reputation and aid retention ability to take advantage of external changes quickly
The benefits for the applicant: transparency, a better experience
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Content
Part 1 – Paperless
Part 2 – SLA decision turnaround times
Something you might find interesting.....
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Part 1 – Paperless
• When?• Why?• How?• Impact on applicants’ experience
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Part 1 – Paperless
When?
Phased approach
2006 – Paperlite
2009 – Paperless
2011 – Paperlite confirmation
2012 – Paperless confirmation
2013 – Paperless clearing
CRM solution – Ongoing
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Part 1 – Paperless
Why?
a) Statutory requirement – UCAS - This will take effect for students commencing in Academic Year 2014-15
b) Green agenda
Consider the environmental impact of just 10 million pages:2,500 trees56,000 gallons of oil450 cubic yards of landfill space595,000 KW (kilowatts) of energy (Data Source: www.epa.gov)
c) FinancialCost associated with handling paper based admissions (post, printers, ink)Human resource inputs to handle the shuffling of paperCost of paperVolume of applications
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Part 1 – Paperless
Why?
d) Position in the market place (ranking / application volumes)Areas where we could make a difference (quick fix)Application volumes - +40,000Vision - paying ‘customers’ and perceived expectations that come with it...
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Part 1 – Paperless
Why?e) End user/customer or applicant’ experience
The voice of the applicants ....
Nearly 80% of our applicants expect a decision within 30 working days
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Part 1 – Paperless
How?• What tools were available to us then: online application – now web-link, SRS,
electronic data transfer
• First step 2007– cut back on paper usage from the centre– no UCAS paper forms – use of summary form (A4)
• Step 2 (2008/2009) – replacement of printed summary form with word document.
• Step 3 (2010 / 2012)– replaced word document with share-point lists – ability to manage workflows and document management capabilities within the list.
• On-going work with Tribal to find a suitable CRM solution for the future
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Part 1 – Paperless
Impact
• Applicants’ experience
• Financial
• Staff experience
• Contribution to the performance indicators
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Part 1 – Paperless
Impact
• Financial
Efficiency gains over 3 years (30% per year on paper, ink, human resource costs)
2009-10 to now – cost relating to admissions processing = null
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Part 1 – Paperless
Impact
• Staff experience Reliance on print copies & infrastructure around them Reliance on postMinimised risk of paper forms/summary forms getting lostMore room – less cabinets to hold paper forms
• Contribution to the performance indicators
To be covered in part 2
• Challenges?
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Part 2 – SLA decision turnaround times
• When?• Why?• How?• Impact on applicants’ experience
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Part 2 – SLA decision turnaround timesWhen?
Managing performance of our decision times / turnaround times from 2005
Measures include: % application processed at a given point by faculty and by central or
faculty decision.
% on-time decisions (Faculty / centre – interview & non-interview courses)
Number of days to decision
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Part 2 – SLA decision turnaround times
Why?Ensure that we are providing the best possible /
optimum service to our applicants
Our positioning does not allow us to ignore this key indicator
It is a nice thing to do – courteousness to our customers – they feel valued
To remain competitive
The expectation of the paying customer
Focus staff (academic and non-academic) on collective institutional performance (culture change)
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Part 2 – SLA decision turnaround timesHow?
2005 -Measure performance without any indicators (where we are?)
2005 – 2006 Disseminate the information Institution-wide
2006 -7 Agree turnaround times targets
2006 Monthly bulletin –providing colleagues with an update on performance ( name and shame? )
2008 - Our SLAs are now publicised in our admissions policy
Next milestone is to turnaround decisions on international applications within 5-10 working days at 90% (currently 82%)
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Part 2 – SLA decision turnaround times
Impact on applicants’ experience
What would have been the result on application numbers if we did not address the turnaround times of decisions?
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Part 2 – SLA decision turnaround times
Work in progress
• The development of a CRM solution to fit the current context
• The implementation of such solution together with the response times would lead to an improved conversion across all programmes at Kingston.
Want more about the applicant experience? More detail on the SPA website:
www.spa.ac.uk/applicant-experience
Share your experience or become a case study institution, working with SPA
Talk to Dan Shaffer, Head of Professionalism in Admissions at SPA, [email protected] Tel 01242 544895
Join the SPA-AUA Applicant Experience Network:
http://www.aua.ac.uk/pigroups-1-Applicant-Experience.html