University of Southampton

University of Southampton is able to keep critical records of students safe and accessible with Invu electronic document management

School of Health Professionals and Rehabilitation Sciences complies with standards, frees office space and stores student information more efficiently

The Freedom of Information Act that came into force in January 2005 and the Cooke recommendations for standards in higher education have laid down a challenge to universities in the UK. Much effort has been channelled into assuring quality of data kept by universities is maintained and that the highest standards are met by those storing, protecting and maintaining information as well as making sure that it is readily available.

The main result of these two factors arriving simultaneously is that universities have to implement measures to manage their documents (printed as well as electronic) more effectively. They need to be able to manage requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act as well as improve the internal processes and practices to store documents.

These challenges have been grasped by one of the Schools at the University of Southampton, The School of Health Professionals and Rehabilitation Sciences.

The Schools academic and administrative staff found it increasingly difficult to keep track of the records and other academic files of the students in accordance with the standards laid down by the Health Professionals Council and the Freedom of Information Act. The team at the school decided they needed an electronic document management solution to enable them to adhere to the standards and to make them more efficient.

The standards advise that educational establishments should keep any records of students training for a health professional for the duration of their training and for 7 years afterwards. These students include those being trained in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and podiatry.

The School has purchased two modules of the electronic document management software from Invu. Within the contract the School purchased a 6-user licence for Invu S200, for the administrative staff and a 20-user licence for Invu i200. The second module gives online access to academic staff from anywhere whether on the campus or off, via an intranet. It allows users of the system password-secure access to log on to the Universitys system and gives the users the ability to access any files stored there.

"We had to keep the records of all training, exams and assessments that our students undertook while at the University and we had to find a system that made this possible without preventing our staff from accessing this information easily," explained Mary Hurst, Education Manager at The School of Health Professionals and Rehabilitation Sciences.

There is a double benefit to the School of Health Professionals and Rehabilitation Sciences. As Mary Hurst goes on to explain, the School will be able to keep ahead of the pressing regulations with the minimum of disruption, allowing both students and staff to carry on with their normal work with enhanced efficiency. "Invu has enabled many of our staff to access student records and papers in their charge without having to be on the network on campus, making us more efficient and allowing us to spend more time on education provision and less on admin."

Jon Halestrap, Director of Sales and Marketing, Invu, adds, "With the new regulations in place to make it mandatory for universities to store files for longer periods and more efficiently, we will see many universities and other further education institutions invest in effective electronic document management systems. We are delighted that Invu was chosen here above all others."

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