18.01.2006
The University of Brighton's Student Services department has received national recognition for the information, advice and guidance that it offers to students. The Matrix Standard confirms that the department has attained appropriate service quality standards by providing accessible, relevant and effective support services. Only a handful of universities have received this accreditation for their Student Services department.
Kim Howard, the Matrix assessor spent three days with the department at its different sites, talking to staff and viewing the facilities. He also talked to many current students about their perceptions of the service and the level of support offered. "We were extremely pleased with the positive feedback received, not only from students, but also from service partners," commented Sam Rhodes, Head of the Careers Service. "We always hope that we are actively helping students, but it's hard to know whether we're managing to reach everyone who can benefit. Kim's report is very reassuring."
The Matrix Standard is used by services and businesses across different sectors as a measure of how successfully they are running and as a tool for continuous improvement. Over 50 performance factors in ten key areas are measured including service strategy, delivery, and resources as well as provision for feedback and service level monitoring. It also gauges whether services are being effectively promoted, so that all the people who need to know about it have access.
"As we have been working towards a 'joined up approach' across our services and sites this was an opportune time to take stock and assess how well we were doing. It has confirmed that we offer a high quality and much valued service," explained Karen Jackson, Head of Student Services. "The assessor and students mentioned the commitment, dynamism, team effort, and can do attitude of staff, and now the challenge is to take this forward."
More details about the Matrix Standard may be found at www.matrixstandard.com.
Annie Carroll, Project Officer (Student Services)
The Manor House, Moulsecoomb
Place, Brighton, BN2 4GA
Tel: 01273 642462
Email: a.carroll@brighton.ac.uk
Contact: Marketing and Communications, University of Brighton, 01273 643022
