Redesigning Award and Outcome Letters at the University of Strathclyde
Authors
KIRSTY PATERSON-SMITH
Head of Admissions and Student Lifecycle Services
University of Strathclyde
Summary
The University of Strathclyde wanted to improve the warmth and consistency of its award and outcome letters used across four devolved faculties. A cross-faculty project team reviewed all 30 letter templates, reading the letters from a student's perspective to rework tone, clarity, and terminology.
The challenge
The University of Strathclyde's Education Strategy Committee identified an opportunity to review the language used in its formal letters to students, approaching the work through the lens of compassionate communication. Across the university, around 30 different letter templates were used across four faculties, each of which manage their own processes. The team recognised that existing letters often focussed on facts and processes, with crucial outcome information buried at the bottom. Even in positive messages such as award letters, the tone could be overly formal, focussing more on processes than on congratulating students for their achievement. The project’s goal was to embed a consistently warm and supportive tone across these communications, providing clear recognition of students’ effort.
The approach
The project was led by the Head of Admissions and Student Lifecycle Services, working with a high-level team including a Deputy Associate Principal and Senior Faculty Quality Officers within each Faculty. Work began in December 2025 with a review of the award letter, which seemed to be the most straightforward starting point. The aim was to consider the letters from a student’s perspective, ensuring that even positive letters were reviewed through a compassionate lens. This involved rewriting award letters to celebrate students’ achievements and welcome them into the university community, rather than simply providing technical information.
From there, the project extended to other letters, including those covering resits. In these situations with less positive outcomes, the team adopted a supportive tone with an acknowledgement of the student’s effort so far, followed by clear instructions for progression. For each letter, the team considered: what does this mean for the student, what do they need to do next, and who exactly do they need to speak to? The team identified instances of vague instructions such as "speak to X department,” and replaced these with more specific directions including key email contacts. Similarly, the team worked with the Head of International Student Journeys to consider how language would land for international students and paid particular attention to the use of acronyms and internal terminology that students might not recognise.
The impact
The revised letters have already made a tangible difference. The updated award letters were used for the first time in June, and students' reactions were striking: some shared images of the opening congratulatory paragraphs on LinkedIn, a clear sign that the change in tone had felt genuinely meaningful.
Over the summer, the team worked with faculty colleagues to revise the remaining exam board letters, with the majority going live this autumn. A matrix has been developed tracking the use of stock paragraphs across letters, meaning that changes can be rapidly implemented across templates. As part of the next phase of development, the incoming Student Union VP Education is set to consult on the revised letters in the autumn, allowing for the student voice to help inform the final versions before the next launch in January.
The project has also raised broader questions about consistency across the institution. The review surfaced several cases where there is varying use of terminology — for instance, the use of "exam board," "board of examiners," and "examination committee" which has prompted wider conversations about achieving more consistent language not only in letters, but across the university's website and app, and between the different teams that communicate with students. What began as a letter-writing project is gradually becoming a wider effort to ensure that students receive clear, supportive, and compassionate communication at every touchpoint.