About
The University of Southern Queensland Student Guild (USQSG) is committed to providing students with high-quality support services, including confidential advice and advocacy. The team manages thousands of individual student cases each year, playing a critical role in helping students navigate university life, particularly when they encounter academic or personal challenges. With a small but dedicated team, having efficient, secure systems in place is vital to ensure time and energy can be focused where it matters most – on students.
The Problem
Before adopting MSL’s Student Case Manager, USQSG relied on a clunky SharePoint system, a stopgap solution that had long outlived its usefulness. While it technically allowed them to store case files, it couldn’t cope with the volume or complexity of their casework. Generating even basic reports required exporting everything to Excel and manually combing through data, a time-consuming process made worse by system glitches and file duplication. Uploading documents was unreliable, with files sometimes vanishing or failing to save altogether.
The constant technical issues were more than frustrating; they actively got in the way of USQSG’s work and impacted team wellbeing. With over 4,000 student cases, each requiring sensitive documentation, the team lived in fear that something would be lost, or worse, irretrievably broken.
One slight mistake in the data could completely throw it off. It was very labour intensive, and it wasn’t the most secure…we’d have freezing, duplication, or it just wouldn’t upload at all. It was causing us a lot of stress and anxiety.- Kim Spencer, Advocacy Officer Manager, USQSG
The Solution
USQSG needed more than a quick fix, they needed a system that was reliable, secure, and built for the demands of confidential student casework. MSL’s Student Case Manager delivered exactly that.
From the outset, the system brought a noticeable change. For the first time, the team felt confident their documents were safe, cases were organised, and notes would save properly. With everything stored in a centralised hub, documents and case histories were always accessible, even during the most complex situations.
Kim noted: “I never had any issues and I’ve had some really complicated cases. But I never worried about those documents not being there.”
The team also benefited from features such as easy time recording and full access to case histories, making day-to-day operations far more manageable. Reporting, which previously took whole afternoons, now takes just a few hours, even when the team is juggling calls or drop-ins.
Being able to record time as easily as you can in the system is a breath of fresh air.- Kim Spencer, Advocacy Officer Manager, USQSG
The Result
The impact of the new system was immediate and significant. Admin time shrank, the quality of casework improved, and the team’s stress levels dropped. Staff who had previously dreaded the administrative side of their roles felt more positive and capable, with more energy to dedicate to direct student support.
It almost felt a bit like a life-changer. We were more effective with our admin time, which also made us more effective in our casework.- Kim Spencer, Advocacy Officer Manager, USQSG
With fewer technical barriers, USQSG could handle more cases, including those coming directly through channels such as social media and drop-ins, a sign of increased capacity and better student engagement. Most importantly, the team now feels confident in their ability to meet obligations around data security and confidentiality.
By replacing a fragmented, stressful system with a reliable, secure solution, USQSG has transformed administrative overhead into meaningful student support, allowing staff to focus on advocacy rather than the dreaded admin.
I feel secure that the system won’t collapse on me. It’s like a nice little safety net.
- Kim Spencer, Advocacy Officer Manager, USQSG