Strengths & Areas of Good Practice / Areas of Concern
The graph above shows a significant improvement over 2012, however, UoB are still behind the sector average so there is still room for improvement.
ICT, working with colleagues in LRC and the Faculties have instigated a rolling replacement programme for all key IT resources across all UoB campuses, including:
· Student facing PCs – both in general and specialist areas
· AV kit in the teaching rooms
· Wired network and network speeds
· Wireless access at all UoB sites
· Move from Google mail for students to Microsoft Outlook
· Latest Windows software, including Windows 7
· New software distribution, which will enable ICT to re-image all student facing machines on a regular basis to improve both performance and login times
There have been positive comments about the new PC equipment and AV equipment installed over the last few months.
Additionally, we have added an increased number of Macs in the LRC area for students.
The overall aim is that, by July 2014, all student facing PCs will be either Excellent or Good and all AV equipment in UoB teaching rooms at all sites will be Excellent. / In general there have been concerns about too few student facing PCs and poor equipment, especially at the smaller UoB sites.
There have also been general comments about pockets of poor wireless access across all UoB sites. This is addressed in specific action below.
There is a general feeling from students at the remote campuses that they receive a worse service than their counterparts at Luton and Bedford Polhill.
There have been some comments about not enough student facing PCs, once again, at remote campuses.
Section B: Learning & Resources Action Plan
Ref / Specific Actions / Monitoring Method for Confirming Delivery / Specific Additional Requirements / Individual Lead / TimescaleStrengths to build upon / Good practice to proliferate
17.1 / New and additional PCs implemented at all UoB sites but especially LRC areas in Luton and Bedford
July 2013
Desktop PCs
Site / Staff / Student
Good / Average / Poor / Good / Average / Poor
Luton / 142 / 537 / 487 / 206 / 744 / 667
Polhill / 50 / 141 / 125 / 75 / 203 / 83
Putteridge / 0 / 66 / 48 / 36 / 33 / 20
Butterfield / 15 / 20 / 15 / 0 / 27 / 20
Aylesbury / 2 / 7 / 10 / 0 / 12 / 25
Total / 209 / 771 / 685 / 317 / 1019 / 815
July 2014
Desktop PCs
Site / Staff / Student
Good / Average / Poor / Good / Average / Poor
Luton / 679 / 487 / 0 / 873 / 744 / 0
Polhill / 210 / 106 / 0 / 158 / 203 / 0
Putteridge / 48 / 66 / 0 / 56 / 33 / 0
Butterfield / 30 / 20 / 0 / 20 / 27 / 0
Aylesbury / 12 / 7 / 0 / 25 / 12 / 0
Total / 979 / 686 / 0 / 1132 / 1019 / 0
/ Work with Student Experience team to determine success of implementation / Annual rolling replacement programme initiated / Minesh Chikniwala / On going
17.2 / Additional Mac computers added to LRC areas / Work with Student Experience team to determine success of implementation / Annual rolling replacement programme initiated / Minesh Chikniwala / On going
17.3 / AV equipment in all UoB reaching room across all sites being upgraded throughout this year. By July 2014 all rooms will be at Excellent standard.
As at August 2013
Site / Excellent / Good / Average / Poor / Very Poor / Grand Total
Luton / 14 / 51 / 17 / 15 / 6 / 103
Bedford / 12 / 24 / 9 / 13 / 58
Putteridge Bury / 8 / 6 / 14
Butterfield / 2 / 6 / 8
Aylesbury / 1 / 3 / 4 / 8
Milton Keynes / 6 / 6
Alexon House / 5 / 5
Total / 35 / 89 / 34 / 38 / 6 / 202
As at July 2014
Site / Excellent / Good / Average / Poor / Very Poor / Grand Total
Luton / 52 / 51 / 103
Bedford / 29 / 35 / 64
Putteridge Bury / 16 / 16
Butterfield / 3 / 6 / 9
Aylesbury / 5 / 3 / 8
Milton Keynes / 6 / 6
Alexon House / 5 / 5
Total / 111 / 100 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 211
/ Use the PGC as the standard for all teaching rooms / Annual rolling replacement programme initiated / Minesh Chikniwala / On going
17.4 / Work with colleagues in the LRC to implement a booking system for student facing PCs in the LRC areas so students can pre-book PCs at critical times / Monitor usage of booking system / Mujib Rahman / March 2014
17.5 / Implement a new wired network across all UoB sites. This will improve the reliability, resilience and speed of the network and enable faster browsing across all student facing PCs / Utilise network management system to monitor performance / Arran Lewis / February 2014
17.6 / Following the implementation of a new network, ICT will make additional enhancements to the wireless coverage at all sites and, especially, at all remote UoB sites / Conduct a specialist survey to determine improved performance and coverage / Arran Lewis / February 2014
17.7 / Deliver a student portal to improve access to all key student systems such as BREO, e-Vision, personalised Timetabling and email. This will also include single-sign on to avoid having to logon to multiple systems and deliver improved IT resources for students. / Regular Student feedback.
Student engagement with ICT Strategy Board / Karl Grocock/Mark Gamble / January 2014
17.8 / Implement a student app for smartphones and tablets to enable the following: / Regular Student feedback.
Student engagement with ICT Strategy Board / Possibly use CST students to work on this project / Karl Grocock / February 2014
Ref / Specific Actions / Monitoring Method for Confirming Delivery / Specific Additional Requirements / Individual Lead / Timescale
Concerns & challenges to be addressed
17.9 / Students are not the technology natives we assume they are.
We need to implement specific student IT training in such areas as BREO and eVision / Monitor number of students attending / Gary Nye/ Marcus Woolley/ Mark Gamble / On going
17.10 / Students are not the technology natives we assume they are.
ICT to work with colleagues in the LRC and CLE to provide improved student IT support.
Implementation of NorMan out-of-hours help desk – already detailed in section 16 response. / Monitor number of students attending / Gary Nye/ Marcus Woolley/ Mark Gamble / On going
Section C: Further Investigation Needed
Ref / Area of Concern / Uncertainty / Intended Resolution (Inc. Data Triangulation & Student Involvement) / Individual Lead / Reporting Timescale17.11 / Do we really have enough student facing PCs at all our campuses? / Undertake a detailed analysis of usage / Mujib Rahman/ Marcus Woolley / April 2014
17.12 / Is there a need for more specialised software to be implemented on standard student facing PCs or can this be addressed through longer opening hours for the specialist computer labs? / Engage with Faculties, especially, CATS and HSS / Wojtek Adamek / February 2014
Section D: Risk Register – Risk Level after mitigation control is in place
Ref / Risk Description / Suggested Internal Control(s) / Likelihood / ImpactR1 / Covered in response to Question 16
R2
R3
R4
R5
R6
R7
R8
1