Kingston University optimises timetables for greater student success

Kingston University has reached a major milestone in its digital transformation journey, going live with TechnologyOne’s Software-as-a-Service enabled Timetabling and Scheduling (SaaS T&S) solution. The move is set to create better outcomes for its cohort of 20,000 students, allowing them to find the right balance of study, paid employment, and university life.

For the first time, most students (55%) in the UK are employed during term. To reach the minimum acceptable standard of living, HEPI and TechnologyOne research shows English students must work 19 hours a week placing greater importance on administrators to develop efficient timetables that allow students to maintain regular paid work.

Kingston University Deputy Academic Registrar Mark Bonetzky said: “Inefficient timetables can be detrimental to student satisfaction and more than ever it can be the deciding factor in their success. Many of our students rely on public transportation and don’t want to spend money travelling in multiple days – particularly if they spend more time on their commute than they do on campus. Therefore, ensuring an efficient timetable that is inclusive and student-centred is fundamental.”

Transitioning to SaaS T&S in July, Kingston University worked closely with TechnologyOne to develop new processes and integrations. Encompassing Timetabling, Exam Scheduler and Resource Booker, Kingston University joins 50 of the world’s leading institutions with the SaaS solution including the University of Leicester, Edinburgh Napier University and Ulster University.

This initiative marks a significant step forward for the university, leveraging data-led insights such as attendance, room accessibility and alternative arrangements. SaaS T&S supports students with balancing their workload, enabling them to seamlessly integrate class and exam timetables with personal calendars, book resources and arrange meetings with staff and support services from their own device anytime, anywhere.

“Our timetabling team is already seeing the benefits in a stabler, faster system. This transition lays the foundation for additional integration that will enable us to reduce our administrative overhead, meaning we can divert our resources to better serving our students,” Mr Bonetzky said.

TechnologyOne UK Executive Vice President Leo Hanna said: “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.”

"Our scalable SaaS solution was developed for the education sector and can grow with Kingston University to meet the increasing demands for better systems and provide them with the data and insight they need to make smart, evidence-based decisions for the long term.”