Student Communicationsat the University of Sheffield

• First port of call for student services

• Institutional reputation for quality service delivery

• Front face of student services

• Delivers a wide number of services for other sections

• Developments can be tackled straight away

Why SSiD?

• 2010: Student Communications Research project- Student Service- Students’ Union- Faculties and departments University-wide

• 2012: Student Communications Coordinator appointed- Implement finding of research project- Based in SSiD- Remit 70% Student Services 30% University-wide

• 2013: Student Communications team created- New roles for Web development and projects officer and Student Communications Assistant

• 2014: Student Communications Team expands- New role for Digital Media Officer- Web support assistant- Graphic media assistant

Where it all began

Partners

• Student Services

• Students’ Union

• Internal Communications

• Central Outreach

• Estates and Facilities Management

• University Health Service

• University counseling service

• Exams team

• International office / student support

• Corporate Affairs (External Relations)

• Student advice and guidance

• Multi-faith chaplaincy

• Sabbatical officers

• Faculties / departments

• South Yorkshire Police

• Central digital team

• Student Advice Centre

• 301

• Student Financial Support team

• Corporate Information and Computing Services

Projects

• Student news and events page

• SU Smart move project

• New building comms (SU / Diamond)

• Student financial support video and publications

• SSiD branding and publications

• Registration / new student comms

• Faculty outreach films

• Things Not Going Right? tool

• University website development

• Parents webpages redevelopment

• Library fines communications campaign

• Incident communications

• NSS comms

• Student Comms Ambassadors

• Crime reductions / campus security

• Campus Master plan

• Student services welcome video

• Website usability testing

• Support and guidance comms

• New email policy / round-up

• Central point for student news and information

• Student Announce email moderation

• Social Media– Twitter followers up from 1190 (2012) to

3926 (2015)– Facebook relaunched March 2014 now

731 likes– Pinterest 226 followers since 2013– Instagram 551 followers since 2014

What’s gone well

www.sheffield.ac.uk/students

• Semester 2 campaign to get students to update their address details.

• 3 films produced.• University-wide competition.• Raise awareness of SSiD social media.• 50% more students updated their address in

semester 2, compared to 2014.• 63% more students updated their home

address in semester 2, compared to 2014.• 38% more students updated their term-time

address in semester 2, compared to 2014.• 1 in 3 students saw at least one of the Ralph

films.• 6,726 total YouTube views of the Ralph

series by the end of semester 2.

What’s gone well

#GetRalphHome

http://vimeo.com/ssiduniofsheffield

• 231 expressions of interest• 21 Ambassadors taken on for pilot

year• 16 UG 5 PG• More than 70 news stories / blog

posts• Topics from bank holidays to student

mental health

What’s gone well

Student Communications Ambassadors

www.sheffield.ac.uk/students/blogs

• 77% of students trust that messages sent by the Student Communications team are important.

• 70% of students who have been at the university for more than a year think there has been an improvement in email communications.

• 77% of students find out news page helpful and interesting.

• More than 50% of students find our films informative and interesting.

Student Communications survey

What’s gone well

Any questions?