Student Experience Programme reaches important milestone

In January our Student Experience Programme (SEP) will reach one of its most important milestones – the final stage of delivering new structures in key student-facing teams. 

What’s happening

Throughout January 2023, several student-facing areas of the University will make their final transition to new structures:

• Teaching, Learning and Student Experience teams in Schools and Faculties
• PGR teams within Faculties, Schools and central directorates 
• DSE Student and Academic Services 
• DSE Campus Life

You can see an overview of changes across all the impacted teams on our SEP web pages. This stage of the transition directly affects around 500 colleagues at grades 2-5. Colleagues at grades 6-9 already transitioned in earlier stages of the programme. 

These changes are years in the making and preparing for this final transition has been a massive undertaking over many months. A huge thanks to leaders and managers across the impacted areas, People & OD colleagues and the SEP programme team for their efforts. We also thank colleagues in our student-facing teamsfor their continued patience and hard work during an uncertain time – especially because these changes have taken a few years to develop and come to final delivery.

Change in your area 

All colleagues have been matched to suitable roles and assigned to teams. Where possible, individuals will be kept in their current teams to maintain business continuity and expert knowledge within each area. However there will be some movement, to ensure we have the right balance of experience across all areas. 

Individual moves will be staggered throughout January, according to the needs of different teams. We will also welcome around 50 new colleagues, to fill vacancies in the new structures that remained after existing colleagues were matched. Leaders and managers will work together throughout this period, training and supporting colleagues in their new roles while ensuring teams can maintain business-critical activities.  

If there are changes happening in your area (e.g. a Faculty or School), your local team will stay in touch about this and will advise if they need your help in any activities to support the transition. We ask that colleagues please support and be patient with the affected teams and individuals throughout this period. 

Benefits of new roles and structures 

January is only the beginning of a transition period – it will take time for colleagues to settle into new roles, teams and ways of working. 

We are working with different areas of the business on a few key processes (e.g. shared inboxes, online enquiry forms, and mitigating circumstances). Given the complexities, work is continuing on these activities from next semester – we will share more information when available. Schools will implement local solutions in the interim. In 2023 we will also set up collaboration through Communities of Practice and teams will continue to develop their skills, processes and ways of working.

As this work progresses,we will begin to see the benefits of more consistency in student services across different areas, and more efficient and clear processes. It will be easier for colleagues to move around the organisation and progress their career. Teams will be more flexible and collaborative, and able to respond to changing demands.

Further information

• Common questions about the new structures and other aspects of SEP are answered in our FAQ on Staffnet.
• Further information about change in your area will be communicated locally – look out for information from your Faculty, School or local team.
• If you or your team are impacted by this change, please speak to your line manager in the first instance and they will escalate the query if needed.
• For general questions about SEP contact studentexperienceprogramme@manchester.ac.uk.

We thank everyone who has contributed so far to this extremely complex undertaking, and all our other colleagues for their continued support.

Simon Merrywest
Programme Director, SEP