Leeds Trinity University College

Leeds Trinity University College

Leeds Trinity University College aims to be a successful university community, inspired by Catholic values, empowering individuals to contribute to their communities as productive, enterprising, and creative global citizens.

Website: www.leedstrinity.ac.uk

Key Facts

  • Learner Statistics:
    • Full-Time Undergraduate: 1,727
    • Part-Time Undergraduate: 405
    • Full-Time Postgraduate: 240
    • Part-Time Postgraduate: 174
  • Courses:
    • 66 Undergraduate
    • 15 Postgraduate
    • 6 Foundation

XCRI Champions:
Sue Scott-Kerr, David Spark

Institutional Awareness of XCRI-CAP

Leeds Trinity University College first became aware of XCRI-CAP at the Web Managers Conference in 2008. Interest in XCRI-CAP grew after attending the WYLLN XCRI-CAP Seminar in 2009, leading to an exploration of its benefits and the resources required for implementation. Internal discussions led to the Vice Principal endorsing the project, which began in 2009.

Despite the internal team having the technical capabilities to review and implement XCRI-CAP, they faced challenges due to scarce resources and demanding workloads. However, the team identified key system requirements. WYLLN provided support for raising awareness, project planning, and technical implementation, which helped the team better understand XCRI-CAP and how it fit within their existing and proposed database structures. WYLLN’s support increased the team’s confidence in progressing toward XCRI-CAP implementation.

Internal Systems Pre-XCRI-CAP Implementation

Before XCRI-CAP implementation, course validation involved completing a paper form that was forwarded to marketing. Marketing then created the course in a SQL database and sent the relevant information to Registry, which entered the course and module data into the SITS student records system.

Discussions were held on the possibility of migrating the SQL database into the SITS IPP module, but a decision was made to follow a bespoke XCRI-CAP-based development. This ensured the internal team had control over the system’s structure and content and could align it with institutional needs and strategies.

Process

  • The technical team at WYLLN mapped the existing database structure onto the XCRI-CAP framework.
  • Results were fed back to Leeds Trinity.
  • Leeds Trinity created an alternative view, identifying key “required fields” instead of the full database structure.
  • With WYLLN’s support, Leeds Trinity reviewed the database structure for a new system based on the XCRI-CAP framework.
  • WYLLN created an XML feed for the new system in line with XCRI-CAP.
  • The institution intends to create additional fields outside the XCRI-CAP framework to meet internal and external needs while keeping developments aligned with national standards where possible.

Key Drivers for Implementation

Leeds Trinity recognized the need to update their internal systems to create a more efficient way of collating, collecting, and presenting course information. This update would support the generation of both print and web-based marketing materials.

Key Challenges

One major challenge was allocating time and resources for XCRI-CAP exploration and implementation. The small team often faced competing demands, and XCRI-CAP was not seen as a priority outside the team. Active support from WYLLN helped overcome this challenge.

Another challenge was promoting XCRI-CAP to non-technical staff. The technical team often felt that non-technical staff “switched off” when the acronym was mentioned. There was a need for more guidance and resources to help promote XCRI-CAP and its benefits in one-on-one conversations and group briefings.

Aspirations

Leeds Trinity University College is exploring other uses of XCRI-CAP feeds, including potential applications on platforms like Facebook. The institution aims to streamline the marketing process for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and postgraduate study, which are not currently held in any databases.

The university has also engaged with WYXCRI-CPD, a JISC-funded project conducted by WYLLN to review CPD course information and transform it into XCRI-CAP format. This project will assist Leeds Trinity in marketing CPD and postgraduate programs.

Additionally, the institution is researching previous XCRI-CAP developments to create external feeds for consumption by other applications.

Conclusion

Leeds Trinity University College is excited about the opportunities that XCRI-CAP will bring for marketing and course advertising. The team acknowledges that external support from WYLLN was instrumental in advancing the project, and without this support, they would not have progressed to this stage.