1. JOB DESCRIPTIONS
- Acting as the middle ground between the two employers, Studygroup and University of Sussex
- Assessing the qualifications of rejected Sussex applicants for potential ISC Sussex courses
- Double checking the rejected Sussex applications to see if there was any potential
mishandling
- Investigating any known gaps between the entry requirement between Sussex Courses and
ISC courses
- Point of contact between Students and Studygroup, with information initially provided, with
permission, from Sussex
- Following up and stimulating the application process for referral cases.
TRAINING UNDERTOOK
- Getting used to the screen and call process
- Getting familiar with the spreadsheet
- Using spreadsheet and table to register contact details and log in info
- Taking into account practical and ethical issues such as the private nature of the student
contact details
- Using the Sussex student info system (Oracle)
- Using the StudyGlobal student info system
- Getting familiar with a list of contacts at Sussex and Studgroup and know when to contact
which one when matters arise
- Communicating guideline when calling or emailing
- Writing weekly reports to Sussex and Studygroup
ACTIVITIES UNDERTOOK
- Analyze and systemactically categorize the information provided from from the list of rejected
applicants for Sussex Masters courses that were deemed suitable enough for an automatic
email introducing ISC Sussex to be sent out
- Divide them into YES/NO/MAYBE cases
- Contacting the qualified candidates for Pre-Masters courses through phone or email

2. - Report back to Martin on a daily basis and to Studygroup weekly with regular check-up call
from James
- Follow up phone and email correspondence with any potential applicant
- Takes notes from boTh students and agents for improvement on this relatively new procedure
of referring rejected Sussex applicants
- Double checking to see if any student in the list provided by Sussex has actually applied for
courses at Studygroup, an action which would effectively assess the relevance of the ISC
automatic email
CHALLENGES IN THE ROLE:
- Contact details not up to date, or not even accurate so contacting students sometimes were
troublesome
- The process began late
- The students mostly did not get the ISC automatic email from Sussex
- Students do not have a clear idea of what a referral assistant is and what the role does (for
them)
- Students sometimes confused about the dynamic between ISC and Sussex (self-applicants)
- Timezone difference
- Language barrier (parents, some Chinese applicants do not speak English well)
- Students rarely check the email inbox they provided in their Sussex applications
- Students taking Masters offers from other low ranked Uni already
AGENTS NOTES:
- Some agents, or rather some employees working for them, have little idea about the University
of Sussex
- Some agents such as The Chopras and Hands On Education ask for more information about
the ISC at Sussex in order to 'sell' the course and the Centre on Sussex Campus better to their
students, many of which fail to qualify for Undergraduate and Postgraduate course at Sussex.

3. - Some were reluctant to disclose student info (offers from other Universities for example)
- Student counsellors are more likely to be informed about students and the course, but the staff,
whose phone number is usually on the students contact details? Not so much
- Sometimes agents did not react quickly enough, lost touch with students subsequently
- Agents like UKEAS, despite the fact that Sussex has high ranking, prefer to refer students to
take offers for Masters from other lower ranked students as soon as they are turned down by
Sussex, some, like Thai Agents they actually do prefer Sussex and more likely to refer students
towards ISC (albeit more info should be supplied to them for better, more informed marketing)
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT:
- Constantly checking and updating students' newest contact details, (eg. Most Chinese
numbers do not work, and most email addresses are not check on a regular basis)
- Quicker response to the students especially the period after they are initially rejected by
Sussex for direct entry onto Undergraduate or Postgraduate course
- In order not to confuse students whether the University and ISC really do work that closely
together, should get in touch more about knowing if rejected Sussex applicants have applied for
ISC before being contacted again
- Informing agents/ sponsors better about ISC courses such as IY1, as it is appealing in the
sense that it still counted within the 3-year undergraduate program, adding no extra time and
financial resources, should not be discriminated or compared too much with regular
undergraduate 1st year, should not feel like too much of a downgrade compared to regular 1st
year
- Making the role referral assistant between Studygroup and Sussex more transparent/
straightforward to students?