Change management tool kit project management templates
Terms of Reference (Project Brief) What are we going to do?
Name of project:
Enhancing the undergraduate first year student experience: supporting student transition into higher education
Author / project manager:
Mark Ames, Head of Student Services
Date last modified:
10 June 2013
Authorising sponsor:
Bernie Morley, Pro-vice Chancellor (Learning and Teaching)
Authority Whose job is it to approve this? Vice Chancellors Group
Purpose A brief statement of the overall picture. What is project intended to achieve, who will benefit and how. This project is intended to enable all students to: prepare more effectively during the pre-arrival period for their transition into higher education develop a sense of belonging within their department and across the wider University community manage effectively the key transitions they will encounter during their first year. plan and manage their overall student experience to make best use of the opportunities available to them.
These proposals are also intended to enable the University to: maximise the efficient and effective use of existing institutional resources through increased collaboration between Academic Departments, Professional Services and the Students Union. develop the use of digital technologies to support this work.
Project brief / terms of reference template
04/07/2013
Change management tool kit project management templates
support the conversion, retention and achievement of all students, but particularly those from international and non-traditional UK family backgrounds.
Background Why the project is being set up, the context within which the objectives will be achieved. The QAA has identified the first year of higher education as critical for laying the foundations of academic study, and a key time for learning how to cope with the demands of a new environment and personal responsibilities. A large body of international and UK research evidence backs this up, including the recent report1 of the What Works? Student Retention and Success programme, initiated and funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and HEFCE. Key areas identified for improvement include: pre-arrival information and interaction to engage and help prepare students both in terms of academic and social induction and preparing for life on campus; information overload when students first arrive; support for student transition beyond initial induction; developing a sense of belonging; involving experienced students in supporting the transition of new students; personalising the student experience through contact with academic and other staff.
Our students enjoy access to a wide range of academic, extra-curricular and employment related opportunities. However, it is clear from student feedback that further improvements are needed in the areas identified above.
Objectives / outcomes What specifically will the project set out to do, and what will have changed as a result? The following objectives have evolved from the original proposals in light of the work and consultation already undertaken by the Project Group. a. Agree key transitional phases throughout the first year to provide a common frame of reference for first year undergraduate students, and the staff and students supporting them. This will help first year students to anticipate and meet the transitional challenges and opportunities they are likely to face, as well as provide a shared framework for organising the on-line, Personal Tutor, Peer Mentor and other support provided throughout the first year. Lead: Project Leads
1
http://www.actiononaccess.org/wp-content/files_mf/phfhighereducationreportfinalmar122.pdf
Project brief / terms of reference template
04/07/2013
Change management tool kit project management templates
b. Enhance access to on-line induction-related resources structured through the themes of student life, academic study, extra-curricular activities, employability, as well as the key transitional phases students will typically encounter during their first year. This will enable students to prepare themselves more effectively both pre-arrival and throughout their first year, and enable them to make the most of their academic and broader student experience. It will also allow other induction activities to focus less on information giving and more on interactive activities that help students develop a sense of belonging and to personalise their experience. Lead: Web Content Manager c. Engage students with a programme of induction activities to develop and support them during the key transitional phases of their first year. These will be provided by the Professional Services and Students Union, and promoted across academic departments by Student Experience Officers, Personal Tutors, Directors of Studies and Peer Mentors. This collaborative approach to developing, delivering and promoting development and support opportunities will help ensure a greater proportion of our students benefit from the resources and opportunities available to support their development and transition, and help reduce the need for more reactive support provision. Lead: Head of Student Services d. Extend and enhance peer mentoring so all first year undergraduate students have the opportunity to benefit from the experience and support of their more experienced fellow students across a greater proportion of their first year. The key transitional phase framework, on-line resources and programme of induction activities will provide important points of reference and resource for Peer Mentors in their work supporting first year student transition. Lead: SU Deputy Chief Executive (Planning and Membership) e. Enhance student communication for academic and professional purposes through short lecture series delivered by English Language Centre staff within academic departments and tailored to the specific academic discipline. This will enable students to understand and develop at an early stage the discipline specific communication skills required to underpin their academic and professional development, as well as to identify other resources available to them. Lead: Director of English Language Centre f. Enhance institutional communication to ensure first year students are provided with relevant information from the Professional Services and Students Union in a more coordinated, timely and interactive manner, using a range of shared communication platforms. This will help reduce information overload for students and enable them to navigate more effectively the resources available to support their transition and make the most of their student experience. Lead: Director of Marketing and Communications
Project brief / terms of reference template
04/07/2013
Change management tool kit project management templates
g. Future proofing the project to ensure the resources and approaches being developed to enhance support for the transition of new undergraduate students are embedded and can be further developed in light of student and staff feedback. Consideration will also need to be given to how this more proactive and coordinated approach to supporting the student experience is extended beyond the first year. Lead: Head of Student Services
Scope Who and what are involved in the project? Who and what are not? First year undergraduate students are the focus of this project from the point at which they become Unconditional Firm applicants through to the completion of their first year. Some of these resources may also be of value to our partner Schools and Sixth Forms in the preparation of their students for higher education, and we are drawing on the views of staff and students in those institutions to inform their development.
Constraints (Append more details using separate templates where provided) Include consideration of the following key issues: Equality analysis Focus groups have already been used to provide an Equality Analysis in relation to agreeing the key transitional phases framework, and to review the new pre-arrival landing page. Student focus groups will also be used to review the first year landing page and other navigation pages prior to their launch. The performance measures and other data sets identified will enable us to undertake an Equality Analysis in terms of actual impact, and inform further research and subsequent enhancements. Risks and controls A key risk is the lack of sufficient Project Management capacity for what is a large and complex project. It has proven difficult for the Head of Student Services to give sufficient attention to structuring and coordinating this project, and this needs to be resolved in relation to the remainder of the project. There has been some slippage and we are working to increasingly tight deadlines for the beginning of 2013/14. That said, the Project Leads, Student Experience Officers and Web Services have been driving forward the work relating to agreeing the key transitional phases, the content and design of the pre-arrival and first year landing pages, and the coordination of communication using shared platforms.
Project brief / terms of reference template
04/07/2013
Change management tool kit project management templates
Staff training and development implications Directors of Studies, Personal Tutors and Peer Mentors will need regular briefings about the new resources available in relation to each of the key transitional stages, so they can help students engage with and make the most of those resources. There will also need to be a more general awareness raising among all staff about the launch of these new resources and approaches, which the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) has agreed to lead on 17 September. Legal / policy parameters We need to ensure this project effectively links with, supports and is supported by other developments designed to enhance the student learning and broader experience, including the University, Learning and Teaching, Widening Participation, Internationalisation, Community, and Employability Strategies, as well as other developments being considered to enhance support for students in University Accommodation, and the development of a virtual and institutional hub for initial information, advice and referral.
Roles and responsibilities Who are the key individuals in seeing the project through? Project Manager Head of Student Services Project Board Chaired by Project Manager Project Group Student Services Manager (Health and Well Being), Director of the English Language Centre, Academic Lead on Placements, SU Deputy Chief Executive (Planning and Membership), Student Experience Officers, Web Content Editor Communications Steering and Coordination Groups - Director of Marketing and Communications and Web Content Manager
Deliverables What tangible products or achievements will the project deliver 1. An agreed framework identifying key transitional phases for first year undergraduate students from when they become Unconditional Firm through to the end of their first year. 2. Enhanced pre-arrival and first year web pages which focus and enhance access to new and existing induction-related content through the themes of Student Life, Academic Skills, Extra-Curricular Activities and Employability, as well as highlighting specific content throughout the year relating to the key transitional phases.
Project brief / terms of reference template
04/07/2013
Change management tool kit project management templates
3. A programme of induction activities delivered by the Professional Services and Students Union which extend throughout the first year and enable students to engage proactively with induction issues and resources relating to key transitional phases in a timely manner. 4. Peer Mentors available for all students across a greater proportion of the first year who use the key transitional phases framework, on-line resources and programme of induction activities as key points of reference. 5. Short lecture series within an increasing number of academic departments that will help enhance the communication skills of first year students for academic and professional purposes. 6. An agreed communications framework and the identification of shared platforms that will provide first year students with a coordinated and appropriate range of communication to support their engagement with the activities and resources available to support their transition into higher education. 7. Agreed proposals to future proof and extend this area of work beyond the duration of this project.
Monitoring and reporting What systems will be in place to monitor progress, and how will the project team communicate progress / problems to sponsors and stakeholders? The Project Board is due to meet three times per year over the duration of the project to maintain oversight of progress and inform the development of the project. The Project Manager and Project Group meet on a regular basis to agree and monitor progress with the detailed implementation of the project. The Communications Steering and Coordination Groups meet on a regular basis to agree and monitor progress. The Project Manager is also a member of the steering group. Regular updates and opportunities to contribute to resource development have been provided for key staff and student representative stakeholders through the Student Experience Forum, CSSU, Senior Tutors Forum, Induction Week Working Group, Student Support Forum, elected Student Officers, Student and Sixth Form Focus Groups, as well as through the Universitys internal homepages. The Directors of Studies Forum and other student representative bodies, such as Academic Council still need updating on the progress with this project.
Project brief / terms of reference template
04/07/2013
Change management tool kit project management templates
Success criteria How will we know if the project has been successful? 1. Students feel supported to develop a sense of belonging to the University community 2. Students feel supported to make the transition into HE 3. Students are aware of learning support resources, and understand how to make effective use of them 4. Students are aware of the opportunities available to them for extra-curricular activities and development, and engage in these activities 5. Students are aware of the opportunities available to them to enhance their future employability, and make use of these opportunities 6. The retention of student groups particularly vulnerable to withdrawing from their programme during the first year is increased.
Key Milestones What and when will major stages of the project deliver? 1. Transitional phases framework Framework developed, tested and agreed by April 2013. 2. On-line resources Pre-arrival landing page developed, tested and launched by June 2013. Pre-arrival landing page reviewed, evaluated and refined for 2014/15 by March 2014. First year landing pages developed and tested by July 2013. First year landing pages launched in September 2013. First year landing pages reviewed, evaluated and refined for 2014/15 by June 2014. 3. Programme of induction activities Programme of induction activities for 2013/14 delivered by Professional Services and the Students Union, agreed by August 2013. Programme of induction activities delivered during 2013/14. Programme reviewed, evaluated and refined for 2014/15 by August 2014. 4. Peer mentoring Peer mentoring made available to all first year undergraduate students October 2013. Peer mentors briefed regularly throughout 2013/14 on issues and resources relating to key transitional phases.
Project brief / terms of reference template
04/07/2013
Change management tool kit project management templates
Peer Mentoring reviewed, evaluated and refined for 2014/15 by March 2014, in time to inform recruitment and training of Peer Mentors for 2014/15 during April 2014. 5. Communication skills Programme for second phase of Pilot APCS programme to be agreed by July 2013 Programme of lectures to be delivered to 10 or 11 UG programmes as phase 2 of APCS during 2013/14 Programme reviewed, evaluated and refined for 2014/15 by June 2014 6. Institutional Communication Framework and content for communication using shared platforms for 2013/14 agreed by June 2013. Framework and content implemented during 2013/14. Framework and content reviewed, evaluated and refined for 2014/15 by June 2014. 7. Future proofing Proposals and resources for maintaining and building on the enhancements delivered through the project beyond September 2014 agreed by December 2013. Commence implementation of approved proposals for maintenance and enhancement beyond September 2014 by January 2014.
Resources People, money, equipment, space that will be needed and what is already available / committed. The Project Board, Project Management Group, and Communication Strategy and Coordination Groups will be required until September 2014 to ensure the development, implementation, monitoring, review and refinement of the resources and approaches being developed by this project. Requirement for additional resources during and beyond project is under consideration.
Main risks (Append a more detailed risk analysis, separate template provided) Risk assessment is in progress.
Project brief / terms of reference template
04/07/2013
