Project - Academic Workload

To establish a single on-line system for operating the University`s nine Academic Workload Models.

Project Sponsor: Anne Lamb, Director of Human Resources
Project Manager: Steve Harris
Project Status: Scale up

Historically each school operated its own Academic workload model independently via an excel spreadsheet. As result the models where time consuming to operate, difficult to change, inaccessible to staff, and those who were responsible for administering the models were often single points of failure. 

This three-year project has established a single online platform for administering the different workload models. This has provided schools with much more control over their models, allowed staff to better view and discuss the workload allocated to them and has considerably reduced the complexity of populating the models 

In addition, some limited standardisation of tariffs has occurred and further areas where standardisation of tariffs would be desirable have been identified. These latter changes are in the process of being implemented. 

Additional benefits that have also accrued. Firstly, the data has been inputted to the models at the earliest point in the Academic year ever achieved (November) which means that staff have a better idea of what they are going to be asked to do across the year at an earlier point than ever before. Secondly the data from the Workload models will be used in the University’s TRAC return meaning that Academic staff will no longer need to perform the Diary Exercise. 

Further information is available from: Steve Harris.