Unified Administration

We work as a unified administration to meet the changing needs of our students and academic colleagues. We accomplish this by using our collective talents and by working across organisational boundaries to work as one team with a common purpose.

What is it?

The biggest barrier to administrative effectiveness and efficiency is the fact that university administration doesn’t just take place “at the centre” but in academic departments across the institution. Consequently, one of the keys to a successful administrative function is making the structural boundaries weaker than the institutional processes which cut across them. This doesn’t ignore the importance of the central administrative units working seamlessly across their boundaries as well. 

What are the benefits?

Breaking down the organisational boundaries and working as teams across the institution will result in: 

• A better student experience and improved support for research.
• Increased opportunity for career development.
• An improved and more fulfilling working environment.
• Smarter working – making the best use of our skills and resources.
• Improved experience for all of our external stakeholders, which contributes to building University reputation.

What does it mean for the way we work?

It is a way of working that incorporates:

• teamwork between Corporate Services, Colleges, Schools and Departments;
• it will define the role of the College administrative functions with relation to Departments/Schools and Corporate Services as a result of the academic restructure and adjust and integrate roles and structures where necessary;
• sharing common data, such as student and staff records;
• identification of one person who has University-wide responsibility for the leadership, management and operation of a process;
• horizontal and vertical line management structures – staff will have a reporting line to their local manager and where applicable also to the University-wide process owner;
• joined-up, efficient processes and systems, which we will make happen through a series of systems thinking work exercises;
• clear and transparent internal communications;
  commitment to the continuing professional development of all our professional services staff;
• a culture that embraces a flexible, team approach in all that we do, one which cuts across structural boundaries.

How will we achieve a unified administration?

Systems thinking is the approach that is being adopted by the University to examine current services and reconfigure them. A unified administration is the natural outcome to be expected resulting from a systems thinking exercise.