Spotlight on Lyndon Mckevitt

What is your role and what does it involve?

I am the project manager for the Admissions Structures and Selection Processes project which aims to implement new selection processes and identify the most effective organisational structure to support this.

The project has been initiated to make sure that systems and processes are in place to support UCL's core academic mission and aims to deliver speedier response times, clear information for applicants, transparent decision-making and greater efficiency, including a transfer of responsibility for the decision-making on most applications to well trained support staff.

Much of my time is spent meeting with departments and faculties to discuss the aims of the project and report their feedback to the project steering group.

Having recently completed first stage of the project, I have asked for admissions criteria templates to be completed and am meeting with departments and faculties to discuss how the new selection processes could be implemented.

I am also contributing to the Admissions System project which will deliver an applicants portal for postgraduate applications in October and paperless selection for all applicants for the following admissions cycle. Work has recently started with staff from Portico Technical Services and the Portico Services Office on this project.

How long have you been at UCL and what was your previous role?

Prior to starting at UCL in January, I worked at King's College as the Postgraduate Admissions Manager for the health school programmes and also on their paperless admissions project. King's had reviewed its selection processes, restructured admissions and introduced an online selection system at the same time so it was a challenge to get the office set up and organised, as well as making sure that everyone who needed to use the system was trained to do so.

What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?

I like to think that I have achieved something in each of my previous jobs. My first job in London was in event management and I worked on the Labour Party election launch in 1997. I also worked for a long time at the LSE managing the Summer School programme which grew from 600 to 4000 students per year during my time there. Working on the admissions systems project at King's was great experience as well and for a major IT project it delivered almost the full scope of requirements, was not so over budget and was also delivered more or less on time!

What is your life like outside UCL?

I live in Tulse Hill with my partner Sally. I am a keen cyclist and I have just taken part in the Dunwich Dynamo, a 120 mile overnight ride to the Suffolk Coast which was somehow great fun! I am hoping to get a place in next year's Etape Du Tour which is an event for amateur cyclists to race a stage of the Tour de France.