1. Improving course organisation and management
David Morris
National Union of Students

2. Aims of the session
Think about the most important issues in course organisation & management
Look at trends in organisation & management nationally and locally
Introduce the Organisation & Management Benchmarking Tool
Benchmark your courses and schools

3. What is organisation and management?
In the National Student Survey:
13. The timetable works efficiently as far as my activities are concerned
14. Any changes in the course or teaching have been communicated effectively
15. The course is well organised and is running smoothly
Before clicking through, ask them to define what they think learning resources are. Then talk through how the NSS has three questions covering O&M (you will come to the NSS later so don’t dwell on what it is), but that each of these areas is very broad. If you are going to run a successful campaign, you need to know what specific issue you are campaigning for.

4. National trends and issues
Organisation and management is the black line. As you can see, all areas of the NSS have increased in the last five years. Assessment and feedback is consistently the lowest scoring area, particularly amongst Russell and 1994 Group universities, but organisation is the second lowest scoring and particularly for Million+, Alliance and GuildHE institutions.

5. Issues in organisation and management
Timetabling: access and release
Hidden course costs
Staff time, pay and conditions
Support services (IT/Estates/Registry/Planning/Comms)
Work placements and co-curricular activity
Time allowed for extra-curricular activity
Student travel and commuting
Mature and part-time students
Student parents
Any others???

6. Why does course organisation matter?
Badly organised courses:
Create unnecessary stress
Disrupt, demotivate and distract from teaching and learning
Are a barrier to disabled students, students in work, part-time students, distance students and student parents
Create animosity between students and teachers

7. Introduction to benchmarking

8. Benchmarking tool Principles Practice
After we had agreed the ten principles, we discussed examples of practice for each of the ten principles. This resulted in a benchmarking tool with five levels of practice, from undeveloped to outstanding, for each of the ten principles. You can use the tool at an institutional, departmental or course level to identify current practice and what to do to reach the next level. It’s especially useful to start conversations between staff and students at a course level to achieve the change that works in their local context.
Principles
Practice

9. Principles of effective O&M
1. Partnership decision-making 2. Consistent, accessible processes and procedures 3. Facilities equipped and accessible for learning 4. Accessible approach to organisation and management 5. Additional course costs are minimised or mitigated 6. Availability of relevant information and resources 7. Student centred course structuring 8. Selection of options/choices and modules 9. Partnership approach to placements 10. Management of changes
Based on research into the NSS and focus groups with student officers, we arrived at ten principles for effective course organisation and management covering a variety of different areas. Each of you will have one, or several, of these principles that are most relevant to your students.

10. An example
On my course at uni…

11. Benchmarking your course

12. Benchmark your institution/course
In groups:
Benchmark your course against the principles you think are most important.
Identify one principle where your course does well, and one where it does not so well.
Can you identify one key issue for your students?
How do you know it’s an issue? Where’s your evidence?!?
Take ten minutes to benchmark your institution or course against each of the ten principles. Make sure delegates are thinking about where they could gather evidence to inform their campaign.

13. Questions you can ask your peers
Are you happy with your timetable?
Are changes to your course communicated clearly and in good time?
Have you encountered any unexpected costs in your study?
Are your placements well organised?
Any admin problems in enrolment/induction?

14. Towards enhancement In groups:
Find out good practice from other courses and universities.
What areas are strong and not-so-strong on your course, or at your university?
Where can you realistically work in partnership to move ‘up a level’?

15. Next steps Start talking to your classmates
Work with your course leaders to find common solutions
Set a common goal for moving up a step on the benchmarking tool

16. END

17. Turning your issue into a campaign

18. 10 Steps of Effective Campaigns
Plan your campaign – resources, goals, timescales
Look at your institution’s current policy
Engage students – what are their issues?
Collate your research
Engage with the institution
Keep campaigning, keep students engaged
Evaluate your campaign
Celebrate your successes
Monitor policy implementation
Make further recommendations

19. Campaign planning What is your campaign issue?
What supplementary evidence do you need?
Who are your allies?
What will be your main message?
What obstacles will there be?

20. Campaigning examples Teesside SU – Wednesday Watch
University of Bristol Union – Student communications
Sussex SU – Timetabling for student parents
University of the West of England SU – Hidden Costs

21. More information david.morris@nus.org.uk @dgmorris295