Appendix I
The Case for Change section from the Student Services Function Review Final Consultation Document
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this essay are those of the author and do not reflect the views of any affiliated institutions unless explicitly stated.
Case for change (released in July 2021)
2.1 Whakamārama whānui Background
The way the University has organised its services means staff are not enabled or empowered to consider and respond to students in a holistic way, nor are staff in academic leadership positions provided with consistent support for their curriculum and programme related responsibilities. This has led to frustrations for both staff and students and an overly complex service environment, unclear decision rights, and fragmentation of resources.
As highlighted in the Student Services Function Review (SSFR) Service Delivery Model (The Model) document, the University’s current service delivery model (structures and processes) design is not sufficiently focussed on support for academic leaders to deliver on the Taumata Teitei priority for research-informed, transdisciplinary education with relevance and impact for the world. Nor is the Model effective enough to support its ambitions for mana motuhake – student- centric mana-enhancing service delivery or to keep pace with the rate of technological change and the challenges of engaging with highly diverse student population.
The current Model is characterised by a division of resources and capabilities that perpetuate barriers to sharing and communicating across the organisation, with academic leadership communities and with future and current students.
2.2 Problem statements
As part of the Business Case creation, discussions were held with key University stakeholders in late 2020 to ensure a common understanding of the business needs and confirm the key benefits from the planned investment in enhanced student services. Based on existing documentation, reporting and data insights along with the knowledge of stakeholders, an initial set of problem statements were developed:
Problem statement 1
Student services are not fit-for-purpose, and resources are poorly aligned to achieve the strategic priorities of Taumata Teitei and the outcomes of Whakamana Tangata
Problem statement 2
Gaps in expert support for academic leaders undermine their capacity to transform students education experiences.
Problem statement 3
Atomisation of structures and delegations has created high distributed, unclear decision-rights and hindered the provision of whole-of-student advice and support
Problem statement 4
Siloed student recruitment planning, inefficient ways of working and capability gaps will slow down the achievement of market share by segment.
These problems have translated into resource and capability gaps and disconnected experiences for students.
The successful implementation of the new Service Delivery Model is predicated on a student-centred culture and strong relationships between professional and academic staff. Specifically, creating and delivering value to students will provide a transformative and inspirational student service experience that encourages lifelong connections with the University and is enabled by a high-performing, integrated and future-oriented service delivery model.