2010 Student Services and Amenities Levy Report

Student Services and Amenities Levy

2010 Report

March 2011

2010 SSL Report v1 00.docx ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 1

PURPOSE ....................................................................................................................................... 1 THE STUDENT SERVICES LEVY ....................................................................................................... 1 ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE STUDENT SERVICES LEVY ........................................................... 1

2010 IN REVIEW ............................................................................................................................. 2

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ................................................................................................. 3

ACCOMMODATION SERVICES .......................................................................................................... 3 COUNSELLING SERVICES ................................................................................................................ 7 DISABILITY SERVICES ..................................................................................................................... 9 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERVICES ................................................................................... 11 FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND ADVICE ................................................................................................ 13 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES ........................................................................................ 15 NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION AND TE PŪTAHI ATAWHAI ............................................................... 18 RECREATIONAL AND SOCIAL SERVICES AND AMENITIES ................................................................. 20 STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES ........................................................................................................ 23 STUDENT LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES .................................................................................... 26

TOTAL SOURCES OF FUNDING AND COSTS ........................................................................ 28

APPENDIX A – KEY FINDINGS FROM ACSSL RESEARCH .................................................. 29

FOCUS GROUPS ............................................................................................................................ 29 SUBMISSIONS ............................................................................................................................... 29

APPENDIX B – KEY FINDINGS FROM THE SERVICES SURVEY ........................................ 30

APPENDIX C – KEY FINDINGS FROM THE VUWSA SURVEY.............................................. 31

2010 SSL Report v1 00.docx 1

INTRODUCTION

Purpose

Victoria University of Wellington (Victoria) provides a range of services for students that seek to nurture the development of the academic and life skills necessary for a positive university experience. These services also prepare students for life beyond their studies, through focusing on supporting students in their studies, fulfilling social and recreational needs, fostering basic health and wellbeing as well as career preparation. The purpose of the 2010 Report is to provide a summary the achievements of the services funded entirely or partially by the Student Services Levy by measuring the outcomes against expectations (both financial and performance expectations).

The Student Services Levy

The Student Services Levy was introduced in 2010 with the intention of securing the ongoing delivery of the services essential to the success of students at Victoria. For 2010 the Levy was set at $510 and applied in full to all students, except distance students, students studying in trimester 3 only, NZAID students, Chosun students and Vietnamese Government Officials. For 2010 the services agreed to be funded through the Levy were:

health and counselling

student accommodation services

early childhood service (student crèches)

career development and employment

disability services

financial support and advice

student learning support services

Te Putahi Atawhai

new student orientation and transition programmes

information technology services

recreational and social services

retail services

any further services agreed between the parties Whereby the money collected via the Levy was ring fenced and could only be spent on the above services.

Advisory Committee for the Student Services Levy

An Advisory Committee for the Student Services Levy (ACSSL) comprises representatives from Victoria and the Victoria University of Wellington Students‟ Association (VUWSA) was established in 2010. The role of the Committee was to provide strategic and financial oversight of the Levy and to make a recommendation annually to the Vice-Chancellor on the amount of the following year‟s levy, to ensure appropriate services continued to be provided. ACSSL also reviews the services funded by the Levy on an ongoing basis, as part of the levy setting process.


2010 IN REVIEW

2010 was the inaugural year for the Levy; as a result the focus of the ACSSL was on establishing a common understanding of the needs and expectations from the students, as well as the value the services provide. To this end a set of objectives were agreed by ACSSL and potential key performance indicators (KPIs) identified. The KPIs were tested with students through focus groups before agreement was reached on the final set of measures. Satisfaction, performance/delivery and impact were identified by students as being the key areas of interest. The ACSSL also sought submissions from students prior to developing a recommendation on the Levy for 2011 to gain an understanding of the impact of services on students, areas of concern and views on the level of the Levy. A strong desire was expressed to maintain the Levy at the 2010 net rate. A recommendation of limiting the increase in the Levy to cover the rise in GST (from 12.5% to 15%) only was ultimately approved by Council. See Appendix A for a summary of the key findings from the focus groups and submissions initiated by ACSSL. Overall, the performance of the services in 2010 was at or above expectations on almost all KPIs, with the average satisfaction rating being 90%. Also, the amount of service delivered to students was maintained or increased for the majority of services, with the number of students using the Financial Support and Advice service rising by 40% and the number of students accessing CareerHub by 14%. The demand for Accommodation Services was down slightly, which reflects a drop in the demand for accommodation across all New Zealand universities. Students have embraced the self service options implemented by ITS, such as Print Kiosks (which enable students to charge money to their printing account through EFTPOS) and wireless internet. As a result the demand for ITS support has dropped by 38% and satisfaction with ITS services is 6% above target. It must be noted that the method of collecting data to measure the KPIs in 2010 changed from individual services measuring their own performance to a consolidated survey. This has had an impact in the comparative validity of some measures. A summary of the services survey results can be seen in Appendix B; also a summary of the 2010 VUWSA survey can be seen in Appendix C. Revenue from the Levy was $495,000 below what was budgeted. This drop was due to the University having to manage enrolments mid-year, reducing student numbers from what was forecast, and the change in policy implemented in 2010 to be more equitable by reducing the Levy rate for students studying less than 25 points and those studying in the third trimester only. Despite the lower revenue, expenditure was able to be contained and some expenditure was able to be covered as capital rather than operating costs – most notably in the recreation and social services area. As a result the operating budget returned a $106,000 surplus.


STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

A range of support services are provided through the levy that are aimed at supporting students personally and academically, enhancing their student experience as well as preparing them for life beyond Victoria.

Accommodation Services

Description of service Accommodation services include the following:

managing a letting service, home-stay service and advocacy for students in flatting situations

providing specific services for international students such as the airport pick-up service

providing oversight of the halls‟ placement process

2010 update 2009 2010

Number of applications for the halls. 4,600 4,585

Objectives and measures of performance The objectives and measures of performance of accommodation services include:

Objective

Provide quality accommodation services that meet the needs of students.

Indicator Performance Measure 2009 Actual

2010 Target

2010 Actual

Awareness Percentage of students aware of the availability of the advocacy and placement service

Not available

80% 89%

Quality Percentage of users reporting they have successfully obtained accommodation using the service

Not available

55% 86%1

Satisfaction Percentage of students seeking advice from the Kelburn accommodation service office who are satisfied with the timeliness and courtesy of the service they received

80% 80% 85%2

Percentage of students applying for a hall place who are satisfied with the placement, timeliness and courtesy of the service they received

80% 80% 85%2

1 This measure was of people seeking halls or home stay accommodation, data on those

seeking flats was not available. 2 The results are a measure of overall satisfaction, rather than measures of the specific details

stated.


Sources of funding and costs The sources of revenue to fund the accommodation services and the costs of delivering the services are as follows:

Revenue Budget Actual Variance

Student Services Levy 133,086 129,226 -3,860

Administration charge 25,000 38,502 13,502

Commercial income 40,007 21,065 -18,942

Other sources 238,025 291,256 53,231

TOTAL REVENUE 436,118 480,049 43,931 Expenditure Budget Actual Variance

People 270,832 276,000 5,168

Occupancy 4,793 3,800 -993

Equipment, plant and machinery 3,332 4,000 668

Information technology 30,178 25,000 -5,178

Operating 88,200 82,385 -5,815

Depreciation 10,110 10,110 0

Overhead allocation 28,673 28,673 0

TOTAL EXPENDITURE 436,118 429,968 -6,150 Net Variance

50,081

Points to note on the budget include:

The increased revenue from other sources was the result of an increase in the halls application fee.


Career Development and Employment

Description of service Career development and employment includes the following:

managing Victoria CareerHub to give students and graduates 24/7 access to job vacancies, career articles, events and news

hosting the NZ Uni Job Vacancy service on behalf of all of the universities

providing individual and group career advice and guidance

running skill development workshops for students, prospective students and graduates

organising career fairs and other graduate recruitment programmes

managing the Graduate Destination Survey on behalf of the University

providing relevant student destination data and industry trends information to Faculties, Schools and programmes for academic reviews and accreditation processes

managing the Victoria Plus Award programme

managing the promotion and training of e-portfolio

managing publications, such as Career View

2010 update 2009 2010

Number of students registered and accessing the Career Hub online service.

7,776 8,856

Number of active participants in the VicPlus Awards. 143 283 (+20 changed from „active‟ to „achieved‟)

Career consultations given 2,584 2,935

Vacancies advertised on CareerHub for student and graduate positions

3,617 3,841

823 employers contacted during the year (engaged in graduate recruitment

programmes & advertising job vacancies).

The increase in vacancies advertised was much welcomed following the 30% decrease experienced the previous year due to the recession.

New Career View booklets published on Cultural Anthropology and Sociology, Human Resources and Industrial Relations, Criminology and Pacific Studies and Samoan Studies.

Career Expos were held for: Commerce & Law, Science, ICT and Campus (all disciplines) - 93 organisations exhibited at the Career Expos which were attended by just under 3,000 students.

Careers in Focus events and mock interview evenings with employers held.

Employer presentations/industry events held and attended by 906 students.

151 workshops held and attended by 1,959 students.

Front office re-furbished to create a more open, flexible and welcoming space.

Volunteer Career Assistant Programme provided student with opportunity to work with Vic Careers team to development professional skills and graduate attributes.

Significant improvements made to CareerHub, myVictoria and website increasing accessibility and interactivity.

On-going development and enhancement of the ePortfolio tool on CareerHub – students use this to reflect on their learning and development of graduate attributes.

Graduate Destination Survey 2009/2010 currently being analysed for distribution of results to the Senior Management Team, Deans and Heads of Schools.


Objectives and measures of performance The objectives and measures of performance of career development and employment include:

Objective

Provide quality career and employment services that meet the needs of students.


2010 Target

2010 Actual

Satisfaction Percent of users of the service who were satisfied with the overall service they received

Not available

1

Not available

1

87%

1 The original 2009 Actual and therefore 2010 Target were based off the question historically

asked of “Overall satisfaction of the level and quality of service provided by Vic Careers staff”. The 2010 question is about service in general, therefore there is no basis for the target so it has been removed.

Sources of funding and costs The sources of revenue to fund the career development and employment services and the costs of delivering the services are as follows:



Commercial revenue 32,375 33,340 965

Other sources 200 250 50

TOTAL REVENUE 691,425 673,162 -18,263 Expenditure Budget Actual Variance

People 533,752 507,284 -26,468

Occupancy 0 50 50

Equipment, plant and machinery 5,229 3,938 -1,291


Operating 67,469 39,280 -28,189

Depreciation 0 0 0



-48,742


People costs are under budget as the 0.5 eportfolio position is yet to be filled.

IT expenditure is under budget due to the timing of the payment of Victoria‟s NZ Uni CareerHub licence.

Effort was made to reduce operating costs because of lower revenue from the Student Services Levy than budgeted.


Counselling Services

Description of service Counselling services include the following:

providing individual and group counselling sessions for students

running training programmes for staff on working with students at risk

working with individual lecturers and other staff in their relationship management of students at risk

providing crisis interventions and manage the aftermath of critical situations

working with acute cases and manages the coordinated response from Victoria and Community based services (done by the Mental Health Coordinator)

2010 update 2009 2010

Number of students registered with the service. 1,478 1,536

Number of sessions. 5,890 5,864

The Service Manager was acting in a temporary role as Associate Director Student Support Services for much of the year and his position was not filled whilst he was away. This resulted in a very pressured year for the service with increased demand and effectively one less staff member. Never the less, a higher number of students were seen and similar number of individual consultations delivered as in 2009.

Of ongoing concern is the waiting time for new appointments for students during busy times of the year. The service has put strategies in place to offer more same day brief appointments as well as using the mental health coordinators to triage students needing a prompt clinical response.

The service noticed an increase in the number of students presenting with more serious symptoms of mental ill health, in particular depression and anxiety during 2010.This is in line with national and international trends within university student populations and is connected with the increasingly pressured, competitive and financially difficult environment facing students.

The service did receive increased funding for an additional Mental Health Coordinator in 2010. This role has been successful in case managing some of the more complex and unwell students within the university as well as working in preventative areas such as training of staff in mental health awareness, developing wellbeing resources for staff and students and supporting academic and other frontline staff in their support of students with high needs.

The other significant development in 2010 was the relocation project into Mauri Ora - the Health/Counselling/Physiotherapy centre in the Student Union Building. This will provide an improved, modern, student focussed facility in a central location.

Objectives and measures of performance The objectives and measures of performance of counselling services include:

Objective

Provide quality counselling services that meet the needs of students.


2010 Target

2010 Actual

Impact Percentage of users of the services who considered the service important in contributing to them being able to continue studying

76% 76% 80%


Percentage of users of the service who considered the service made a positive difference to them academically

53% 53% 89%

Responsiveness Response time to emergency presentations

Same day Same day

100% seen on the same

day

Wait time for non-emergency presentations

Not available

Less than 3 weeks

95% offered appointment

within 3 weeks

Satisfaction Percent of users of the service who were satisfied with the overall service they received

94% 94% 92%

Sources of funding and costs The sources of revenue to fund the counselling services and the costs of delivering the services are as follows:


Student Services Levy 1,047,318 1,016,674 -30,644

Other sources 20,022 22,135 2,113

Cost of sales 0 -1,166 -1,166

TOTAL REVENUE 1,067,340 1,037,643 -29,697 Expenditure Budget Actual Variance

People 930,209 819,629 -110,580

Occupancy 744 5,661 4,917

Equipment, plant and machinery 905 593 -312

Information technology 11,741 15,319 3,578

Operating 44,061 53,750 9,689

Depreciation 0 0 0


TOTAL EXPENDITURE 1,067,340 974,633 -92,707 Net Variance

63,011

Points on the budget to note include:

Expenditure being $92,707 below budget is largely the result the Service Manager acting in a temporary role as Associate Director Student Support Services for much of the year and his position was not filled whilst he was away.


Disability Services

Description of service Disability services include the following:

providing transition resources for prospective students to promote the comprehensive disability services available at Victoria

tailoring student coaching, planning and support to ensure they can fully access the University environment while increasing their resilience and independence

providing services for students with temporary and ongoing impairments including:

o academic liaison regarding reasonable accommodations o test and exam arrangements o adaptive equipment o technology and training o sign language interpreting o note taking assistance o mobility parking o ergonomic furniture o access to rest and study rooms

supporting Victoria staff to create an inclusive University by providing disability awareness professional development and offer expertise on inclusive built spaces, inclusive teaching, technological systems, policies and practices.

2010 update 2009 2010

Number of students registered with and accessing disability services. 700 696

Equity funded project: we purchased a University wide site licence for the award

winning Read & Write Gold software, which assists students with specific learning disabilities and students for whom English is a second language. We worked with ITS to roll this out to all students PC‟s and it is available on staff PC‟s on request.

Developed Passion to Profession with Career Development & Employment. This is a collaborative professional development programme for Disability Services Academic Support Workers and Vic Volunteers which assists them to market the leadership skills they gain with us to future employers.

Six Vic Volunteer student leaders were recognised by the Victoria Plus Programme.

Conducted a detailed internal cost review, which resulted in people and operational savings.

Our transition DVD Discover received positive feedback from students, parents and school careers advisers.

Commenced roll-out of new accessible signage with Facilities Management to highlight the accessible route and enable all students to navigate the campus more easily.

Worked extensively with Education staff to support the first Deaf student who is a New Zealand Sign Language user to complete teacher training at Victoria.

Completed transfer of record keeping from physical to electronic resulting in time and monetary savings.

Completed stage one of Inclusive Victoria project, which gathers data from Course Coordinators on their teaching style to inform our support decisions. Seeking to turn this into a collaborative project in 2011 as many students benefit from inclusive teaching methods.

Produced Information for Staff and Information for Students booklets highlighting our approach, how we work with students, disability at Victoria today, key


services and FAQs. These have received a lot of positive feedback and several universities have asked to use these as a guide for creating their own. University of Melbourne recognised our website as an exemplar and the website template our Adaptive Technology Adviser designed has now been utilised by other Student Academic Services.

Objectives and measures of performance The objectives and measures of performance of disability services include:

Objective

Provide quality services that meet the needs of students with disabilities.


2010 Target

2010 Actual


79% 79% 83%


69% 69% 84%

Satisfaction Percentage of users of the service who were satisfied with the overall service they received

93% 93% 92%

Sources of funding and costs The sources of revenue to fund the disability services and the costs of delivering the services are as follows:



Government grant 447,601 447,601 0

Commercial sources 2,400 2,222 -178

Other sources 100 488 388


People 771,630 722,951 -48,679

Occupancy 3,850 10,241 6,391

Equipment, plant and machinery 2,000 5,424 3,424


Operating 73,329 65,851 -7,478


Intra-university -28,965 -28,965



44,180

Points on the budget to note include:

People costs are under because of delays in making appointments and the use of

fixed term interpreters

Occupancy cost includes pre-approved spending on the office refurbishment.

Effort was made to reduce operating costs because of lower revenue from the Student Services Levy than budgeted.


Early Childhood Education Services

Description of service and amenities Early childhood education services include the following:

providing early childhood services for the children of students Note: Early childhood education services are currently provided in four crèches for the children of students.

2010 update 2009 2010

Number of places provided for children of students in the crèche. 90 90

Objectives and measures of performance The objectives and measures of performance of early childhood education services include:

Objective

Provide quality early childhood services that meet the needs of student parents and their children.


2010 Target

2010 Actual

Access Places provided for children of students

90 90 90

Funding equity

Percentage of student hourly rate compared to the staff hourly rate

96% 95% 95%


Not available

80% 73%


Not available

80% 92%

Quality Percentage of users of the service who were satisfied with the quality of the service they received

Not available

90% 92%

Outcome of the ERO report Not available

Satisfactory report

Good report

Sources of funding and costs The sources of revenue to fund the early childhood education services and the costs of delivering the services are as follows:



Ministry of Education 846,000 861,676 15,676

Parent fees 576,607 614,508 37,901

Other sources 0 5,364 5,364

TOTAL REVENUE 1,873,679 1,919,536 45,857


Expenditure Budget Actual Variance

People 1,593,197 1,579,946 -13,251

Occupancy 500 1,897 1,397


Information technology 8,300 8,706 406

Operating 44,000 37,096 -6,904

Depreciation 23,866 1,468 -22,398


TOTAL EXPENDITURE 1,873,679 1,828,801 -44,878 Net Variance

90,735


Financial Support and Advice

Description of service Financial support and advice includes the following:

administering the Student Assistance (Hardship) Fund

administering the Victoria Hardship Fund Equity grants

administering the Tumau and Outreach Awards

providing comprehensive support on all StudyLink matters, including completing online applications and resolving problems

assisting Victoria International US Aid staff and NZ Aid staff with budget plans and active financial management for their students

preparing VIC OE budgets and financial statements for scholarship applicants

providing financial advice on a wide range of matters to currently enrolled as well as prospective students and their parents

presenting a range of workshops both internally and externally.

2010 update 2009 2010

Number of students using the financial support and advice service. 2,500 3,500

Objectives and measures of performance The objectives and measures of performance of financial support and advice include:

Objective

Provide quality financial support and advice services that meet the needs of students.


2010 Target

2010 Actual


86% 86% Not available



Responsiveness Response time to students presenting to the service in a financial crisis.

Same day Same day Same day

Satisfaction Percentage of users of the service satisfied with the overall service they received

97% 97% 91%

Sources of funding and costs The sources of revenue to fund the financial support and advice services and the costs of delivering the services are as follows:



Government Grant – MPSF 96,000 96,000 0

Other sources 0 0 0

TOTAL REVENUE 299,119 293,173 -5,946



People 184,420 175,608 -8,812

Occupancy 0 0 0

Equipment, plant and machinery 0 241 241

Information technology 3,306 2,825 -481

Operating 96,624 94,750 -1,874

Depreciation 0 0 0


TOTAL 299,119 288,193 -10,926 Net Variance

4,981


Information Technology Services

A range of information technology services are provided to aid in the support of students learning, study and research needs while studying at Victoria. Services include:

Access @ Vic provides all enrolled students with:

an individual username and password that will allow access to Victoria‟s technology based services and applications

myVUW e-mail account provides students with:

10GB of email storage and shared calendars

instant messaging and online blogging tools

25GB SkyDrive online storage

the myVUW account remains available for Alumni once study at Victoria has ended

Wireless Vic provides:

connectivity for students to access digital information from computers or laptops on campus and externally via the internet

Files @ Vic provides students with:

personal file storage available from within the University on all ITS student computers and externally via the internet

25GB of online storage via Microsoft SkyDrive accessible via the myVUW email account, which allows documents to be stored and shared with other SkyDrive users

Printing @ Vic provides students with:

printing from all ITS student computers Laptops @ Vic provides students with:

support utilising their own laptop

entry level support for personal laptops

laptop clinics at Karori, Pipitea and Kelburn campuses for in-depth support and diagnosis, including basic diagnosis and troubleshooting, anti-virus installation or software loads (ITS do not provide software but will assist in installation), installation of drivers as required, assistance with wireless connectivity, printing assistance

Internet @ Vic provides students with:

high speed internet connection via all ITS student computers and personal laptops accessing the Victoria University student network when logged on using a valid student account

access to core web based services including:

o student email

o the Library catalogue and external library databases

o student collaboration tools such as SkyDrive, Live@Edu Spaces and

Workspace

o external support sites such as VUWSA, StudyLink and Student Job

Search

PC labs @ Vic provides students with:

computers configured with a standard operating environment, which enables students to log on to any ITS student computer and receive the same look, feel and application selection

usage of standard current applications to support their study


other course specific applications where required

virus and spyware protection to ensure the security and privacy of student data

2010 update 2009 2010

Number of student support requests received. 38,645 23,786

Average number of concurrent students using the Wireless Network per day.

2,049 2,400 (peak was

2,800)

The drop in the demand for ITS support of 38% was the result of the implementation of self service tools to better meet the needs of students, such as such as the Print Kiosks which enabled students to charge money to their printing account through EFTPOS. The uptake of students having their own laptops and using the wireless network continues to climb. This is helped by the improvements Campus services have made to spaces across the campuses where students can sit and work on their laptops. Objectives and measures of performance The objectives and measures of performance of ITS Student Services include:

Objective

Services are available when needed by students and outages are pre-planned and conducted outside business hours.


2010 Target

2010 Actual

Quality Service availability 99% 99% 99.92%

Objective

Support for services is timely, available when required by students and meets their needs.


2010 Target

2010 Actual

Responsiveness

Response to requests within target timeframes in the Student Service Level Agreement

97% 97% 98%

Satisfaction Percent of students satisfied with the service they received

Not available

85% 91%

Objective

Improved utilisation of student computing resources to meet increased student demand


2010 Target

2010 Actual

Access Number of student computers available within the Rankine Brown Library

172 190 211


Sources of funding and costs The sources of revenue to fund information technology services and the costs of delivering the services are as follows:



Other sources 239,771 239,711 0


People 993,480 993,480 0

Occupancy 0 0 0

Equipment, plant and machinery 0 0 0

Information technology 1 673,800 690,006 16,206

Operating 0 0 0

Depreciation 0 0 0


TOTAL 2,419,310 2,435,516 16,206 Net Variance

-147,124 1 Information technology includes internet costs and software costs.


New Student Orientation and Te Pūtahi Atawhai

Description of services The new student orientation and transition programmes include the following:

providing the mechanism to ensure better acculturation of new students to Victoria university

co-ordinating and organise the University-wide New Students Orientation programme in Trimester 1 and a smaller programme in Trimester 2

running the Campus Coaches programme

producing the New Student Guide Te Pūtahi Atawhai includes the following:

providing an integrated support service for Māori and Pacific students including a peer mentoring programme (Manaaki Pihipihinga) for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the faculty of Commerce and Administration

providing student pastoral support (Kaiakiaki, Māori Support Coordinator, and Pacific Support Coordinator)

providing Māori and Pacific specialist staff within other Student Services such as Counselling and Student Learning Support

working in a consultative manner with staff within Student Services to improve their services to Māori and Pacific students

2010 update 2009 2010

Number of attendances at New Student Orientation events in trimester one

9,561 10,929

Number of students participating in the Campus Coach Programme. 707 1,001

Number of Maori and Pacific Island students using the Te Pūtahi Atawhai.

698 701

Mentoring format and structure relaunched after evaluation/research and

speaking with coordinators delivering similar programmes at other universities.

Collaborated on Strengthening Pathways projects with the Faculty of Commerce and Administration and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (Maori & Pacific tutorials and study wananga coordination with Ngai Tauira and Nga Taura Umaga).

Developed and implemented a training and support package for Maori and Pacific Island liaison staff in schools (Faculty of Commerce and Administration and Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences).

Coordinated the development and implementation of a support package for Maori and Pacific students offered targeted equity places (those below the guaranteed entry score) under managed enrolment.

Began work on developing Equity Awareness workshops for staff (Te Tiriti O Waitangi, what it looks like in practice).


Objectives and measures of performance

The objectives and measures of performance of the new student orientation and transition programmes include:

Objective

Provide quality services to assist the transition of students into the University.


2010 Target

2010 Actual

Usefulness Percentage of participants who found the New Student Orientation Programme useful

94% 94% 80%1

1 The question to derive this measure asked for “satisfaction” rather than “usefulness”.

The objectives and measures of performance of Te Pūtahi Atawhai include:

Objective

Provide quality support services that meet the needs of Māori and Pacific students.


2010 Target

2010 Actual

Impact Average pass rate of users of the service in their mentored courses

71% 71% 77%

Percentage of users of the services who considered the service important in contributing to them being able to continue studying

Not available

75% 77%


Not available

80% 80%

Satisfaction Percent of users of the service who were satisfied with the overall service

Not available

Not available

83%

Sources of funding and costs

The sources of revenue to fund the student services directorate services and the costs of delivering the services are as follows:



Government grant 288,892 243,424 -45,468

Commercial sources 250 98 -152

Other sources 4,572 6,020 1,448


People 569,799 593,304 23,505

Occupancy 5,200 772 -4,428



Operating 123,957 60,646 -63,311


Overhead allocation 108,101 105,670 -2,431


-11,933


Recreational and social services and amenities

Description of service and amenities Recreational services and amenities include the following:

providing recreational facilities (the recreation centres at Kelburn and Karori, plus the Boyd Wilson field and training facility), including security, cleaning, bookings, maintenance and improvement of the facilities

supporting for sports clubs

hosting of events clubs are involved in, e.g. kick boxing events

hosting events for students, e.g. hall sports days

co-ordinating and running of sports leagues

organising and supervising a range of activities

co-ordinating and delivery of incentive programmes, e.g. “Just Lose It”

liaising with other service groups to deliver specialised services, e.g. rehabilitation programmes in conjunction with the Victoria Physiotherapy Clinic

running group fitness classes

providing personal trainers

establishing links to other community activities for students, e.g. skiing and horse riding

initiating other activities identified through recreational forums or suggestions from students

Social services and amenities include the following:

providing, administering and servicing appropriate meeting space for clubs

providing equipment for clubs

providing onsite support for users of the facilities from 8am to 10.30pm plus Saturdays during term time, with reduced hours during non-term time

providing space for VUWSA, the Salient and Vic Books

providing venues for student events

hosting student events, e.g. the mixer party for halls of residence

supporting student events

providing student common rooms at the Karori, Te Aro and Pipitea campuses

providing the student bar

2010 update 2009 2010

Number of individual visits to the recreational facilities. 193,800 200,033

Percentage of the cost of providing the fitness centre and group exercise classes covered by user charges.

70% 60%

The decision by Council to manage enrolments for trimesters 2 and 3, together with the delays to the Boyd-Wilson Field project affected the budget and therefore the targeted percentage of costs covered by user charges, as the costs which were being assessed were fixed.


Objectives and measures of performance The objectives and measures of performance of the recreational and sporting services and amenities include:

Objective

To provide recreational and sporting opportunities for students that will support their student experience at Victoria.


2010 Target

2010 Actual

Access Percentage of students who have purchased memberships for the facilities or have signed up to structured programmes.

Not available

20% 20%

Funding equity Percentage of the cost of providing the fitness centre and group exercise classes covered by user charges

Not available

70% 60%


86% 86% 68%


Not available

50% 66%

Satisfaction Percentage of participants in the organised activities who are satisfied with the quality of the activities (e.g. leagues, fitness centre and classes)

Not available

90% 94%1

Percentage of users of the casual facilities who are satisfied with the quality of the facilities

Not available

90% 94%1

1 The question to derive these measures asked for overall satisfaction, rather than satisfaction

with the components of recreation services and facilities.

Sources of funding and costs The sources of revenue to fund the recreational and sporting services and amenities and the costs of delivering the services and amenities are as follows:



Commercial sources 753,055 699,514 -53,541

Other sources 135,000 22,662 -112,338

Cost of sales -80,903 -92,133 -11,230


People 754,963 764,758 9,795

Occupancy 222,084 59,048 -163,036



Operating 284,867 193,454 -91,413

Depreciation 18,231 15,275 -2,956


TOTAL EXPENDITURE 2,202,327 1,930,294 -272,033


Net Variance

62,078

Points to notes on the budget:

The impact of managed enrolment and the delays to the completion of Boyd-Wilson Field affected income, and as soon as the impact was highlighted, costs for discretionary activities were carefully controlled for the remainder of the year.


Student Health Services

Description of service Student health services include the following:

providing a full general practice medical care service

providing a part-time psychiatric service, in conjunction with the Counselling Service when students are at risk and with other areas of the University in medical crisis situations

2010 update 2009 2010

Number of students using the medical health service. 7,547 8,007

Number of individual medical health consultations provided. 32,000 33,110

Number of students using the physio service. 925 989

Number of individual physio consultations provided. 3,323 3,301

Student Health was successful last year in increasing service delivery to students, and growing revenue significantly, particularly from capitation income through the clear trend to increased Primary Health Organisation (PHO) enrolment by students. There has also been an improvement in the service for international students through the implementation of a direct billing service with Vero for our international students; this removes the burden from students of dealing with the insurers on the basis of each individual claim for care.

However, the increased service delivery comes with a significant increased administration burden mainly around transfer of medical records, in some months we transfer in and out over 1,000 sets of medical records to all parts of New Zealand. Together with the increased administration there is also an added PHO compliance burden.

The increased service delivery was made possible partly by some operational efficiency gains, but mostly through the hard work of the highly dedicated staff team. The old facilities at 4 Waiteata Rd were operating at and sometimes beyond maximum safe capacity. In 2011 we are looking forward to the move into the new Mauri Ora facilities in the Student Union building.

The service faces enormous pressure retaining medical staff at the current budgeted salary level. Recent industry benchmark data shows an urban median salary rise of 10.3 % (Medical Assurance Society Remuneration Report Jan 2011). This is reflected in the resignation of an experienced GP in 2010 to another local practice, which offered a salary 30% above our current level set around the 2009 median level. Another valued GP who has been here three years has just moved to Australia, again for significantly higher remuneration, and a third GP has given notice of a similar move in October 2011.

Ultimately the quality and quantity of service provided by Student Health is dependent on recruiting and retaining quality clinical staff, in a fiercely competitive national and international marketplace. A strong business case exists for reviewing remuneration levels to bring these more into line with current NZ benchmarks, acknowledging that this may create pressure on the level of funding required via the student levy to retain quality staff.

There is very limited access to GP services locally for people new to Wellington, which is of significance to the approximately 50% of our students who come from outside the greater Wellington region. This underpins the value in providing a linked in health service focused both on high quality health care, and enhancing student experience and academic success.

In addition, students are facing significantly increased pressure from many directions; financial pressure, work pressure, and pressure to perform in response to changing academic progress and StudyLink requirements. Our service for some sits „at the bottom of the cliff‟ responding to the needs of the many students who present the human face of significantly changing times. Looking ahead this will add to the pressure to deliver more from our service.


Objectives and measures of performance The objectives and measures of performance of student health services include:

Objective

Provide quality general practice health care that meets the need of students.


2010 Target

2010 Actual





Responsiveness Response time to attend to students presenting with medical emergencies

Immediately Immediately Immediately

Waiting time for a routine medical consultation

Not available 90% of appointments

within 3 working days

Not available

Satisfaction Percent of users satisfied with the overall service they received

88% 88% 91%

Sources of funding and costs The sources of revenue to fund the student health services and the costs of delivering the services are as follows:


Gen Medical ACC subsidy 33,554 51,566 18,012

Gen Medical WIPA/SH fees 240,000 230,745 -9,255

Gen Medical Services Benefit 681,990 766,452 84,462

Student Medical Casual Fees 243,928 247,984 4,056


Commercial sources 1,660 -1,939 -3,599


Cost of sales 0 -3,544 -3,544

TOTAL REVENUE 2,583,163 2,639,336 56,173 Expenditure Budget Actual Variance

People 2,124,068 2,050,225 -73,843

Occupancy 14,708 10,037 -4,671



Operating 195,022 156,611 -38,411

Depreciation 1,407 2,715 1,308


TOTAL EXPENDITURE 2,583,163 2,483,656 -99,507 Net Variance

155,680



Significantly revenue growth was achieved in the area of capitation income as a result of the clear trend to increased PHO enrolment by students.

A positive fiscal gain has also been achieved from negotiating and implementing a direct billing service with Vero for our international students.

The resulting net revenue surplus of $56K occurred despite the $40K reduction in Student Services Levy income.

Staff costs in 2010 appear to be modestly contained with expenditure 3.4% below budget, but the reality is that the service faces enormous pressure retaining medical staff at the current budgeted salary level. Part of the apparent 2010 people cost „saving‟ resulted from the resignation of experienced staff.

The increased capitation income comes with a significant increased administration burden mainly around transfer of medical records. Together with this administration cost there is also an added PHO compliance burden, which has pushed up operating costs significantly.


Student Learning Support Services

Description of service Student learning support services include the following:

running transition/orientation workshops for students new to the university

running generic workshops and individual one to one sessions to develop academic skills for under and post grad students

providing customised workshops for specific programmes,

providing learning support to distance students

providing targeted specialised academic preparation workshops for equity groups and international students

providing student led programmes such as PASS, Peer writers.

2010 update 2009 2010

Number of students using the student learning support services. 14,500 16,079

PASS continued as a very successful First Year Experience programme

engaging students in interactive study sessions run by students for students – grew by 14.4% in numbers on the programme; 97 leaders involved.

Training programmes were facilitated for student leaders including PASS leaders (over 100 in 2010), peer writers, conversation leaders, Excel leaders, campus coaches and Victoria International buddies.

Strong networks continued to be fostered with colleagues in Faculties, Schools and Central Service Units.

Worked closely with Library staff on the provision of a library help desk, Maori and Pacific space discussions, web link developments.

Worked in conjunction with the library and the Faculty of Postgraduate Research, on a postgraduate collaborative project designed to pull together currently disparate skills sessions to provide staff and students with a co-ordinated access point.

Were actively involved in leading a collaborative project to develop a “one stop shop” for student services at Karori Campus, including the use of Scopia to enable face to face appointments via technology at other campuses.

Undertook a research project to identify a best practice framework for developing undergrad research skills, to guide academic staff teaching research skills.

A review of student Learning Support Services was completed.

Objectives and measures of performance The objectives and measures of performance of student learning support services include:

Objective

Provide quality learning support services to that meets the needs of students.


2010 Target

2010 Actual


69% 69% 79%


80% 80% 91%


Satisfaction Percentage of users of the service who were satisfied with the overall service they received.

89% 89% 91%

Sources of funding and costs The sources of revenue to fund the student learning support services and the costs of delivering the services are as follows:




Government grant 65,000 65,000 0



People 861,683 861,203 -480

Occupancy 0 80 80

Equipment, plant and machinery 699 541 -158

Information technology 10,924 10,743 -181

Operating 28,968 35,763 6,795

Depreciation 0 0 0


Intra University -86,000 -8,747 77,253

TOTAL EXPENDITURE 915,442 998,751 83,309 Net Variance

-130,292


This cost centre has historically generated extra revenue from a Victoria Police Education Programme (VPEP) contract and this has been used for student learning objectives at Victoria. In 2010 there was a change to the VPEP contract and subsequent loss of commercial revenue.

Revenue from other sources was for professional services provided both internally and to external agencies (e.g. NZ Aid).

Printing for 2011 has been included in operating costs.


TOTAL SOURCES OF FUNDING AND COSTS

The total sources of revenue to fund student services and the total cost of delivery of the services are as follows: Revenue Budget Actual Variance


Government grant 449,892 404,424 -45,468


Government grant - disabilities 447,601 447,601 0

MOE – Early childhood 846,000 861,676 15,676

Parent fees 576,607 614,508 37,901

Social welfare subsidies 0 5,364 5,364

Gen medical ACC subsidy 33,554 51,566 18,012

Gen medical WIPA /SH fees 240,000 230,745 -9,255

Gen medical service benefit 681,990 766,452 84,462

Student medical casual fee 243,928 247,984 4,056

Administration charge 25,000 38,502 13,502

Room rental 0 6,490 6,490

Other sources 637,690 663,672 25,982

Cost of sales -80,903 -96,843 -15,940


People 9,588,029 9,344,391 -243,638

Occupancy 251,879 91,585 -160,294



Operating 1,046,497 819,586 -226,911

Depreciation 65,800 41,754 -24,046

Intra University -86,000 -37,712 48,288

Overhead allocation 2,381,226 2,378,795 -2,431

TOTAL 14,292,885 13,692,013 -600,872 Net Variance

106,208


APPENDIX A – KEY FINDINGS FROM ACSSL RESEARCH

Focus groups

The key findings from the focus groups were students valued:

quality outcomes focused on actual needs

help that is accessible if and when needed, particularly in emergency situations

services that support the achievement of academic goals

assurance that the services are of value to students

In addition, the focus groups identified awareness of the services available was low.

Submissions

The key findings from the submissions included students:

strongly favoured a zero percent increase in the Levy for 2011

were concerned about paying for services they did not or could not access

were concerned about the fairness of the only distinction between the rate of the Levy being on campus or distance

wanted improved accessibility to popular services (e.g. health, counselling and learning support)

would valued additional services being provided under the levy, most importantly dental care and improved food

supported a reduction in the Levy through the adoption of a user pays approach to more services

requested reviews of the services be undertaken to ensure the Levy is supporting the right mix of services and that the services are operating effectively and efficiently


APPENDIX B – KEY FINDINGS FROM THE SERVICES SURVEY

The services survey was a coordinated survey used to gain an insight into how both users and non-users viewed services; which was a change of approach from previous years when individual services surveyed their users independently. The survey was sent to 20% of all enrolled students in November 2010, from which 1,163 responses were received. The survey focused on the importance of the services to students, also awareness of, satisfaction with and impact of the services. The key findings from the survey included:

Satisfaction with the services by students who has accessed them was generally very high and ranged from 80% for New Student Orientation through to 94% for Recreation and Social Services, with the average satisfaction rating being 87% across all services.

Many students valued the range of services available to them, even though they did not use all of the services. Student Health scored an average value of 78/100, with most other services being valued at 60+/100. Services only available to specific groups of students scored lower as expected, such as New Student Orientation 50/100 (only available to first year students) and Te Putahi Atawhai at 36/100 (only available to Maori and Pasifika students).

Awareness of services was generally high with 94% of students being aware of Student Health and Student Learning Support Services. Awareness of services with limited accessibility was lower than those available to all, but the results were strong given the limited population of potential users with for example 69% of students being aware of the Early Childhood Education Service and 68% of students being aware of Te Putahi Atawhai.

The services were instrumental in supporting many students to achieve academic success and also to be able to continue at the University. Other key outcomes from using the services for students include:

o better able to cope with university life (53%) o better equipped to know how to seek help in the future (52%) o improved personal health and wellbeing (41%) o have developed new strategies that assisted academic success (39%)


APPENDIX C – KEY FINDINGS FROM THE VUWSA SURVEY

The 2010 VUWSA student survey drew responses from 4,155 students measuring four main indicators: awareness, usage, performance and importance of what VUWSA does. Key findings include:

respondents strongly supported independent, trained student representation (8.4 out of 10) and having a student-led organisation providing support/advice services (8.3 out of 10), clubs and societies (8.1 out of 10), events (8 out of 10) and student media (8.1 out of 10)

95% of respondents had used one or more of the services offered by VUWSA

80% of respondents used VUWSA services on a regular basis

on average, when students had experiences of VUWSA services they found the service to be of an excellent nature

89% of students are at the very least aware of a total of fourteen of the twenty-eight services surveyed

overall students rated VUWSA as performing well (6.8 out of 10), and providing value for money (6.3 out of 10).

Students overwhelmingly supported VUWSA to continue to advocate for quality education, adequate student support, efficient spending, fair decision making, and promoting an outstanding student experience. Students highlighted a number of key issues and concerns including:

fairer public transport for tertiary students (8.6 out of 10)

greater student employment opportunities (7.8 out of 10)

a pharmacy on campus (71%)

better campus food and retail (7.8 out of 10)

better standards of student accommodation including halls of residence and flats (7.6 out of 10)

33% of female students and 42% of Asian students reported negative perceptions of campus safety as a result of a combination of discrimination, lack of lighting and security staff, or harassment. When students used a number of VUWSA services they rated their overall student experience at Victoria University higher than those who used less.

Documents

2010 Student Services and Amenities Levy Report