Clare Watters - Assistant Registrar (Teaching & Learning)
Service Excellence (2019)
Tell us a bit about your role…
I have recently move to Education Policy and Quality as the Assistant Registrar supporting Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Arts. I was nominated in my role of Academic Administrator for the Philosophy, Politics and Economics programme, as well as Politics, Philosophy and Law.
Tell us about your award-winning project/work…
In this student-facing role, I supported over 500 students in strategic and operational oversight: servicing the management committees for both programmes, line management of the office and student ambassadors, supporting admissions and student experience initiatives, academic administration and making sure our operations ensured these joint honours students had a consistent and well-supported experience.
How does it feel to have won the Service Excellence Award?
It was great to be recognised, but mostly to celebrate in a fun day with the many people who have supported me through my time in the role including my team. My line manager, Jackie Clarke, and the PPE and PPL academic teams were integral to taking my innovation on board and supporting me.
Why do you think people should get involved with nominating for the University Awards?
I think that all staff should be clearly recognised for their achievements by their line manager, team, fellow colleagues, stakeholders and, above all, the students whose experience their work supports if they are in a student facing role.
My nomination came from a finalist student and to read their feedback meant the world. It is also extremely useful to receive feedback to improve the management and organisation of courses.
Students – if your tutors or administrative staff support you effectively, please let them know you’ve noticed.
Academic Departments – if you see areas of great practice or for improvement in administration, let your team know. They need your feedback to provide service excellence, as well as space, listening and understanding to make effective innovations and improvements and to continue good practice.
What was a personal highlight for you from the Summer Party on 24 June? (Other than winning, of course!)
Glitter, giant hula hoops, dodgems, but mostly spending time relaxing with my new and old teams. It is an excellent opportunity to socialise and get to know my new colleagues in an informal environment and catch up on everything going on in PPE and PPL since I left.
The University Awards are a great way for the University to improve and learn from staff initiatives over the year. If you could change one thing at the University, what would it be?
Our accountability in all that we do, from the biggest, most serious matters to the smallest individual communications.
The student nomination made it clear my small gestures which were also valued: the open door policy, ensuring student enquiries were welcome and followed up on even when handed on, mental health referrals. I would ask every member of staff to be accountable and to support others by communicating effectively and joining up the piece of the student experience puzzle and to take the time to listen to students and colleagues to ensure mental health issues are not taken lightly.
What would you like to say to the person – or people – who nominated you?
They remained anonymous apart from saying they were a finalist. I’d like to thank you final cohort of PPE finalists for all the joy they’ve brought to my working life over the last 3-4 years. It was an absolute honour to support their graduation celebration and ceremony, meet their parents and find out about their future plans. I hope to keep in touch with many of them and to attend PPE Socials as an alumna of our friendly, hardworking office.
Clare Watters collecting the Service Excellence award at the Summer Party.