Data-driven timetables provide better work-life balance to students

With more students juggling work and study than ever (55%), the UK’s leading universities are turning to TechnologyOne’s Software as a Service (SaaS) Timetabling and Scheduling (T&S) solution to minimise dropouts and maximise student satisfaction amid the cost-of-living crisis.

The University of Leicester, Edinburgh Napier University and Ulster University are among 15 UK institutions live with the SaaS-enabled solutions including Timetabler, Exam Scheduler, Resource Booker and Publish. This initiative marks a significant step forward in leveraging data-led insights such as attendance, room accessibility and alternative arrangements. Globally, more than 50 higher education institutions have committed to adopting SaaS T&S to enhance student experiences and ensure inclusive educational environments.

University of Leicester Timetabling and Examinations Manager Matt Kaylor said: "T&S is key to everything we do, providing a holistic view of student and academic timetables and available resources allows us to create the best possible outcome for all parties. At the push of a button, Exam Scheduler generates a flexible schedule that we can then finesse using the built-in metrics. We can ensure that we are providing a high-quality experience for all our students and free up time within the team to spend on our alternative arrangements (NEPs), which are growing massively across the sector year on year."

“We've seen significant performance improvements with SaaS. Despite the fact we are working with huge datasets, it is a slick operation. We have a true partnership with TechnologyOne, which regularly releases software updates to ensure operations are running seamlessly. This allows our team to focus on what matters—supporting the future workforce, maximising research resources, facilitating exams and assessments and monitoring students’ attendance, all so we can get them across the stage on graduation day."

According to recent HEPI research, even recipients of the maximum maintenance support need to work 10-23 hours a week to reach the minimum acceptable standard of living, despite most universities recommending no more than 15 hours of work during term.

T&S supports students with balancing their workload, enabling them to seamlessly integrate class and exam timetables with personal calendars, book resources like equipment and study rooms and arrange meetings with staff and support services from their own device anytime, anywhere.

TechnologyOne UK Executive Vice President Leo Hanna said: “As part of their duty of care, universities work hard to ensure every student thrives academically, socially and economically but without the right data that is an impossible task. Technical debt only further limits their ability to spot patterns or behaviours that, if caught early, could change the trajectory of a student’s future. It is heartening to see so many progressive organisations recognising the transformative impact real-time, holistic data-driven insights can have on student wellbeing.”

“The one thing students care about the most is their timetable. With many conflicting demands put on academic resources, scheduling and effectively managing resources across multiple faculties and sites is incredibly intricate. Smart technology can step in to reduce the administrative burden on staff allowing them to redirect their efforts towards supporting students.”