Student Experience Programme (SEP)

The Student Experience Programme (SEP) was a top-down, far-reaching restructure of many Professional Services (PS) areas that the University of Manchester carried out over the years 2021-23, based on the advice of private consultants and at a cost of £49.8 million.

UMUCU took an initial survey of PS staff, resulting in this report:

SEP report 1 – impact on PS staff – June 2023

At the request of our members we conducted a second survey in Q4 of 2023, focused on academic staff experience. The survey contained 11 questions with a mix of closed and open questions, including full text responses.

The top-level findings of this report suggest that:
• The SEP was experienced negatively (18%) or very negatively (78%) by 96% of respondents.
• SEP has fractured the working relationship between Academic and PS staff.
• Centralisation mandated by the SEP has resulted in a loss of community and staff identity.
• Change is pursued recklessly by the SLT without any serious attempt at consultation, evaluation, or revision

Read the full report from the second survey:

SEP report 2 – impact on Academic staff – April 2024