Development of the new system will progress in phases, released where possible for Lent or Easter applicants in the first instance, to allow users to acclimatise to the system before the Michaelmas rush. Phases may not be rolled out to all users simultaneously if it is more appropriate to let a few groups 'road-test' it first.
Key points to consider when looking at these phases:
- The details of the phases will be subject to modulation in response to feedback from users
- The ordering of the phases follow business and technical dependencies; however, some phases may be released simultaneously if it is appropriate
- Timing will be determined at a later date but plenty of notice will be given
- Phases will be released in such a way as to ensure no functionality is lost in the transition
Phase 1: References - released December 2015 for applications for admission in Lent Term 2017
Phase 1 will see the development of the referee facing side of the reference submission system. Applicants will continue to request references as they do currently, but referees will use the new system to provide them.
| Who it will affect? | How? |
|---|---|
| Applicants | Fewer queries from referees |
| Referees | Simplified access to system, improved usability |
| Academics | Higher quality referee rankings; improved presentation of referee details to aid decision making process |
| Administrators | significantly reduced queries from applicants and referees; improved management and transparency of reference requests |
Phase 2: Application Form - released August 2016 for applications for admission in Michaelmas Term 2017
Phase 2 will introduce a new application form offering a similar functionality to the existing form, but with much greater usability. There will be no changes to the way in which supporting documents are provided in this phase (apart from references, which will be requested within the Applicant Portal) - applicants will continue to use the existing self-service.
| Who it will affect? | How? |
|---|---|
| Applicants |
Improved usability of form (dynamic presentation of questions; character limit issues resolved; additonal information provided; visibility of information after submission) |
| Referees | No change |
| Academics | More clarity and relevance in questions asked of applicants; improved presentation of applicant details to aid decision making process |
| Administrators | More clarity and relevance in questions asked of applicants; improved presentation of applicant details to aid decision making process |
Phase 3a: Supporting Documents - expected in August 2017 for applications for admission in MichaelmasTerm 2018
Phase 3a will add the ability to upload supporting documents to the form from phase 2. This is the phase that will see the introduction of the single submission process. Applicants will only move over to the existing self-service once they have received an offer.
| Who it will affect? | How? |
|---|---|
| Applicants | Upload all documents and provide application information through the same system at the same time |
| Referees | Applicants will be able to resolve more referee issues such as resending email |
| Academics | No change |
| Administrators | Applications will be received with all necessary documents present speeding up the decision making process |
Phase 3b: Course Specific Questions - expected in August 2017 for applications for admission in MichaelmasTerm 2018
Phase 3b will provide another key benefit of the new system - far greater control of the questions asked of applicants. This will allow departments to create their own questions to be asked of applicants within the Applicant Portal.
| Who it will affect? | How? |
|---|---|
| Applicants | More relevant questions asked, more informative help and guidance |
| Referees | No change |
| Academics | More relevant questions |
| Administrators | Potential for additional filters (e.g. streams) |
Phase 4: Improvements - released iteratively from August until December 2017
Following the two elements of Phase 3 is the release of incremental improvements, which will include low-priority functionality that were not released in the previous phases. This phase also allows for bug fixes, support and general improvements to both the Applicant Portal and Referee Portal.