New approach to TLSE change projects and Student Experience Programme (SEP)

As part of the Manchester 2035 strategy consultation, our President and Vice-Chancellor, Duncan Ivison, has highlighted the importance of achieving greater impact, engagement, innovation, and a commitment to excellence in teaching and research over the next decade. 

The rate of change in student expectations and in the Higher Education sector will continue to drive our own need for change across the University. It is increasingly challenging to deliver change through long-term programmes where requirements are identified at the beginning and delivered a long time later.  

To deliver this vision, a new, more agile approach is needed to the design and development of one university strategic projects across TLSE that allow the University to make the right choices and react to changes in sector drivers and opportunities. 

To achieve greater agility, it is proposed by the University's Teaching, Learning and Students Sub-Group (TLS SG) working in conjunction with IT Services that TLSE projects are in future delivered around the concept of ‘themes’ that broadly relate to the student experience. While still under development, an example of these themes could be:  

• Student Intake  

• Student Administration  

• Student Wellbeing 

• Teaching and Learning. 

Within each theme, we can deliver big changes as well as smaller, more rapid changes and continuous improvements. This new approach will give us the agility to make choices at the right times and react to sector changes and opportunities.

Each theme will enable us to implement significant changes, as well as smaller, quicker adjustments and ongoing improvements. This approach provides flexibility to make timely decisions and respond effectively to changes and opportunities in the sector.  

Changes to SEP 

SEP is a long-standing programme at the University which has introduced new technologies and structures and has delivered many benefits to students. The programme has recently relaunched the My Manchester portal to students providing valuable self-serve features such as My Library and  My Financials.  

To align SEP with the new approach to TLSE change, the remaining active SEP work will be delivered as independent projects. These include: 

• My Manchester (Portal Platform Project) 

• Assessment and Progression 

• Mitigating Circumstances and Extensions 

• E-Prog (Postgraduate Research) 

Next steps 

The transition from the SEP programme to five stand-alone projects was approved by the SEP Board in November and will require final approval by the Strategic Change Sub Committee (SCSC) at the first meeting in 2025.  

We sincerely thank all staff involved in delivering SEP for their hard work and dedication. We look forward to continuing this important work with colleagues through these projects. 

Contact information 

• If you have questions or would like more information, please contact us at studentexperienceprogramme@manchester.ac.uk. 

Key Contacts: 

For TLSE Approach: 

• Professor Dan George, Associate Vice-President, Blended and Flexible Learning 

For SEP Transition: 

• Phil Francis, Programme Manager 
• Catherine Schofield, Head of Student Lifecycle Business Delivery 
• Jasmine Riley, Senior Project Manager.