Self-certification is the process by which students record their absence from a mandatory class and gives their reason for this absence. An academic then approves the absence if appropriate.
There were a number of problems with the original self-certification process:
At the time of this project, approximately 350 self-certifications were lodged per academic week. Around 10% were rejected as incomplete or the student, if emailing the form, had either omitted to attach the form to their email or the attachment could not be opened.
The overall objective was to design a self-certification process that was significantly more efficient and effective for students and staff
Specifically, the team was charged to:
The Lean Team meet, at a series of meetings, with all School administration staff involved with self-certification, together with representatives of Registry and Student Support Services. A small number of academics were interviewed and the views of Deans and various Vice-Principals were also sought. The later in regard, in particular, to the need for self-certification in the first place.
After creating a current state process map, we worked with the staff to develop a new, more lean, process which was then implemented.
High-level current state process maps showing variation across the Schools
High-level map of proposed new process
Process Improvements
The self-certification form is now digital and available on the intranet, and links with other University systems
Quantitative Benefits
An estimated 5 FTE (~£124,000) was freed up annually
Qualitative Benefits
Real-time monitoring of student absence by relevant staff across the University, which means prompt intervention/assistance where required
Consistency of the process across all schools
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