LSBU Student Shadowing Scheme

Why & How we did it and what we learned

Scheme Overview• Has its roots in our corporate plan –

“Students First”• Process of matching Staff with

students• Staff to engage with the student

experience• Findings to influence decision making

Inspiration• Newly appointed VC

Prof. Martin Earwicker

• Priority 1 – Students First

• 70% of leadership learning and development to take place via real work experiences

Planning and Managing the

scheme

• Senior Management Group

• Senior Manager responsible for Student Data

• Support from UCU

• Support of the Student Union

Who did we need buy in from

• What’s in it for me?

• Students have an opportunity to spend time with a staff member with knowledge in their field of study

• Knowledge of their desired area of employment

• Shape student services

• Book token really helped!

Managing The Process•BOS form for applications•Excel spreadsheet•Simple guidelines for shadowing•Touching base with staff during process•BOS form for anonymous feedback

MaMatchingtching• Best match with staff members

knowledge/ experience or interest• Matching the demographic of the student

population where possible• Cross section of year of study

• Full time/ Part time• Faculty

Outcomes & Initiatives

Pro Vice Chancellor lead on key business plan initiative for

2010/11 of creating a professional code of conduct

for staff and students

Online enrolment project successfully delivered and went live in September 2010

Project has begun to deliver online selection of course options

Local group study area created in Business Faculty for

students

Keeping Warm pilot in the Business Faculty to keep in

touch with incoming students

Estates launched a way finding project

Alternative food outlets added to the campus catering offer to

meet students needs

Increased briefings for academics on Blackboard

which has a function to allow online assessments

Plans to consolidate evening students into our flagship

Keyworth Building so that we can provide more evening

cleaning of toilets and keep the catering outlet open longer

Lessons Learned

• Manage expectations at the start, not everyone will be matched• Produce Hints and Tips for staff• Clear end date for staff entering the scheme – the longer students

are not contacted , the more work for you. Students forget what the scheme was about, you have to approach a number of students to find someone still available to take part

• If you have to re-match someone put a date for a response in the email so you can proceed quickly

• You are not always told, as requested, when the shadowing has been completed – reminder email with the link to feedback form is essential so rewards to students can be sent out in a timely fashion

• Approximately 10% of pairs do not proceed• Send out communication to staff first about the scheme• Students respond best to direct email about the scheme than on a

student website

• Students respond best to text between staff and themselves• Part-time evening students can be sensitive to promotional text

‘shadow for a day’• Review previous years matches so new applicants get a chance• The students are very amenable and want the best for the

organisation • Best way to advertise the scheme is via email to students• Produce a registration form for staff – job titles do not tell you enough• Feeding back the feedback to the relevant improvement project

to monitor outcomes

• “As a manager on the support side, shadowing really helped me to see things from an academic perspective and feel the frustration academics feel with some of our processes”