Phase 2 Project Report

The second phase of the Smudie project is now complete and the outcomes are summarised in the report to be presented to the next steering group meeting on Friday. The report covers the findings from a series of interviews with key users of the Swansea Metropolitan University student information management system.
The first group of stakeholders were the Faculty Management Information Officers (MIOs).
The role of the MIO is to oversee the completion and accuracy of student records managed by the Faculties. They are central to the adoption of QLS V4 by the Faculties and the direct entry of student assessment information by academic staff. In principle they have no direct input of primary information, but check that the students are registered on the correct modules and that assessment outcomes are entered and up to date. Having said that, where changes in marks, module transfers and student withdrawals are to be made, only the MIOs are authorised to make those changes.
The second group of stakeholders were the Faculty Assistant Deans (Quality) (ADQs).
The ADQs are responsible for all aspects of academic quality management in the Faculties. This includes arrangements for new course proposals and validations, exam arrangements, exam boards, external examiners and the management of all associated information. It also includes responsibility for managing relationships with external agencies including QAA, Estyn, HEFCW and the University of Wales. The ADQs chair their Faculty Academic Quality and Standards Committee, attend the other FAQSCs, and report to the main AQSC.
The third group of stakeholders were the Information Systems staff at the University.
Each member of the IS staff has a particular role in the development and maintenance of the student information management system. The roles are based on experience, technical expertise and institutional need in terms of, for example, database support, systems development, user support etc. This is not at all unusual in organisations, but there is a risk of critical capacity loss if individuals are the sole repository of expertise in a particular systems function. This is no doubt being managed through appropriate duplication/documentation and, where appropriate,
succession planning. The IS team works directly with academic, registry and other staff with responsibility for using the student information management systems. This ranges from basic systems training and user support for activities such as student enrolment; through to workbench development to improve the user interfaces with the QLS application. There are
several areas where further improvements in usability, efficiency and effectiveness of the systems have been identified. All of these are known by the IS team and the staff are working towards solutions within the constraints of team capacity.