Abstract
The Higher Education (HE) sector is currently under increasing pressure to respond to challenges from a number of quarters. Aside from the obvious economic factors, student expectations are also changing, particularly with regard to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). So how can the HE sector meet these changing (and challenging) expectations? One approach is to focus on the small-scale efforts that can be made to improve an institution’s effectiveness in enhancing the student experience.
This paper describes how using techniques traditionally associated with customer relationship management in the commercial sector can be used in conjunction with the student lifecycle to meet the changing expectations of the student. It should be considered as an early announcement of the research from several of the JISC Relationship Management Programme projects, which have been trialing service design as an approach to Student Lifecycle Relationship Management (SLRM). Examples of some of the small-scale technological changes made are also provided. This approach places the student firmly at the heart of the process and may help institutions be more flexible, efficient and effective.