Minutes of the 250th Meeting of the University Council held on 25 March 1998.
Present:
Dr. S.C. Miller (Chair); Mr. H. Barber (ab); Mr. G. Barfield; Mr. J.B.C. Blood; Mr. R.H. Boissier; Dr. W.R. Bowman; Dr. T.G.M. Brooks; Professor L.M. Cantor; Professor S.J. Cox; Professor J.V. Dawkins; Dr. A.M. Duncan; Dr. D.W. Edwards (ab); Dr. A.N. Fairbairn; Professor J.P. Feather; Mr. G.P. Fothergill (ab); Dr. M. Gilbert; Mr. S.J. Gorton; Dr. J.K. Green; Professsor N.A. Halliwell; Mr. P.W. Harrisson (ab); Miss J.E.L. Harvatt (ab); Dr. R.A. Haskins; Dr. T. Higgins; Professor J.R. Hough; Professor D.J. Hourston; Professor M. Hutchinson; Mr. M. Joyce; Mr. E.O. Maxwell (ab); Professor R. McCaffer; Mr. A. Milne; Mr. M. Moghal; Professor I.C. Morison; Mr. W.M. Moss; Mr. D'A.T.N. Payne; Dr. A.C. Pugh; Professor P.H. Roberts (ab); Sir Denis Rooke; Professor M. Shaw; Mr. M. Shuker (ab); Ven. I. Stanes (ab); Mrs. C. Stephens; Mrs. J.A.M. Strong (ab); Mr. E. Waite (ab); Professor D.J. Wallace; Professor C. Williams; Ms. J. Willmott.
By invitation: Mr. T. Kavanagh
In attendance: Mr. R. A. Bowyer; Dr. D. E. Fletcher; Ms. E.A. Howarth; Mrs. J. Ireland; Mr. H.M. Pearson
Apologies for absence were received from: Dr. Edwards; Mr. Fothergill; Mr. Harrisson; Miss Harvatt; Professor Hutchinson; Mr. Shuker; Mrs. Strong and Mr. Waite.
The following agenda items were unstarred: 13(a), 17.1(iii) and 17.1(vi).
It was RESOLVED to confirm the Minutes of the 247th and 249th Meetings of the Council held on 17 December 1997 and 11 February 1998 respectively [COUN 97:M6, COUN98:M1].
.1 The Vice-Chancellor reported that the Department of Economics had begun to occupy the Business School and Economics Building, to be followed shortly by the Business School.
.2 As regards bids for external funding for the Engineering Project, no funds would be forthcoming from HEFCE under the ‘Poor Estates’ initiative, but two bids to the Funding Council under the ‘Refurbishment of Research Laboratories’ programme were still under consideration. The application to the Garfield Weston Foundation had been successful: £500K had been awarded, a higher figure than anticipated. Thanks were recorded to Mr Jon Walker in the External Relations Office for his work on the bid. Lord and Lady Wolfson would be visiting the campus the following day in the light of the bid to the Wolfson Foundation.
.3 Support from the European Social Fund, for programmes in which unemployed persons were enrolled, had increased from £400K to £600K.
.4 Dr John Tyrer had delivered this year’s Institution of Electrical Engineers’ annual Faraday Lecture during National Science Week on three separate occasions to a total audience of 2000 school pupils and 1000 adults, at the Derby Assembly Rooms.
.5 An exhibition of paintings and prints by Professor Brendan Neiland, R.A. had been mounted in the Edward Herbert Building, to mark the merger of the University and Loughborough College of Art and Design. It had included a painting of the Pilkington Library which had been commissioned for the new Business School and Economics Building.
.6 In student sport, the women had enjoyed another outstanding year in the UAU championships; the men, whilst still successful, had encountered stiffer competition. It emphasised the need for the development of a strategy to maintain the University’s sporting prowess and this was being taken forward by Mr Rod Thorpe.
.7 A bid would shortly be submitted for Lottery Funding for the construction of a 50 metre swimming pool on the campus. The project had been ‘on hold’ pending the outcome of the competition for the British Sports Institute.
Council received a presentation from Mr Terry Kavanagh, Principal of LCAD, on the work and future direction of LUSAD. This ranged across the history of the College, the steps towards merger with the University and work currently being undertaken to ensure a successful transition, the development of the particular culture and ethos of the College, and its future plans. The Principal referred to the many opportunities which would exist for collaboration with other parts of the University, and to the ways in which merger would enhance academic provision for students and staff.
In thanking the Principal for his presentation, the Chair gave an assurance that Council would take care to maintain the distinctive characteristics of the College within the University context.
The Vice-Chancellor reported on the HEFCE recurrent grant for the academic year 1998-99. As indicated in the agenda paper, income from grant and fees would rise by £1.1M (2.63%) over the current year. Attention was drawn to two major changes. The government’s imposition of a £1000 tuition fee for home undergraduates was accompanied by a move away from the previous differential fee banding: estimates of home fee income had been reduced but the balance had been transferred to teaching grant. The fee income would come partly from the LEAs, and partly from students themselves after means-testing.
Income for research would increase by 4.8% overall.
There were unfortunately a number of factors which would mean that the settlement would be less positive than at first sight. Changes in National Insurance would impact on the University, adding to the salary bill by perhaps 0.5%. Pay negotiations were still in progress and the outcome uncertain. The economic problems in the Far East could lead to a substantial decline in the intake of students from the countries concerned, particularly Malaysia, although the University was working hard to address the matter. These factors together meant that the University budget for 1998-99 might be closer to cash constant when compared with 1997-98.
On the positive side, the University had been successful in its bid for additional student numbers and funding for the Peterborough project, which would amount to some £400K per annum after initial phasing.
The University’s ‘Maximum Aggregate Student Numbers’ (MASN) had been increased by some 76 students. This adjustment was to support migration towards the HEFCE standard resource within the new funding model for teaching, it having been calculated that Loughborough’s assumed T resource was 8% higher than the standard figure. The admissions targets already set for 1998/99 would bring the University close to the HEFCE tolerance band of ±5% of the standard resource.
In the course of discussion, it was queried whether the new arrangements for collecting fees would affect the University’s cash flow. Council was informed that the Funding Council would be adjusting its own payment profile to compensate. There was concern however that LEAs might not be geared up to manage the new arrangements. Within the University, the operational implications were being given careful consideration, with the impact on individual students firmly in mind.
Members expressed concern that it was the public perception that the imposition of tuition fees on new undergraduates would resolve the funding crisis in Higher Education, whereas this was far from the case. The point needed to be made strongly whenever the opportunity arose.
Council considered recommendations concerning hall fees and operating arrangements, brought forward following negotiations with the Students’ Union chaired by the Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor. Attention was drawn to the objectives for the negotiations set out in paragraph 3 of the agenda paper which included an agreement that would free up funds to invest in the accommodation needed to attract students to Loughborough in the future. There were two elements to this. Firstly, provision for ongoing maintenance and refurbishment of areas outside the student village, of £400K per annum. Secondly, identification of an income stream to fund the redevelopment of the student village (a major project costing £7M over three years) particularly from conferences and retail outlets. Council was also reminded of the requirement that the current £1.2M subsidy to the Residential Organisation be phased out over the next three years.
It was noted that a three-year agreement had been reached which met the objectives of the negotiating committee. Fee increases had been kept to a manageable level by a reduction in some of the services provided (paragraph 4 of the report). The changes agreed would represent a reduction in costs of £584K. It was noted that the changes had been ratified by Students’ Union Council, though it was pointed out that the Union Council had noted rather than agreed the conversion of Telford Hall from catered to self-catered accommodation.
Proposed fee levels for 1998-99 were indicated in the report. Future increases were expected to be limited to 4% in 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
The Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor commended the President of the Students’ Union, Jo Willmott, for her contribution to the negotiations and her constructive leadership of the Union team.
In discussion, members of Council commented on the importance of hall life to the ethos of the University and the ‘Loughborough Experience’. It was hoped that any further reductions in service, particularly the closure of dining rooms, would be considered very carefully. Council was assured that all the changes negotiated for autumn 1998 would be kept under close review.
It was RESOLVED that the recommendations concerning hall fees and operating arrangements for 1998-99 be approved, as set out in the agenda paper.
It was RESOLVED to appoint a Nominating Committee to consider and make recommendations to Council on co-opted membership for the period 1 August 1998 to 31 July 2001 as set out in the agenda paper. The Committee was asked to continue to bear in mind the need to increase the representation of women and the ethnic minorities in the membership of Council.
It was noted that only one nomination had been received, that of Dr S C Miller, and it was thus RESOLVED to appoint Dr Miller to the Chairmanship of Council for a further period of three years commencing 1 August 1998.
It was RESOLVED to approve the following recommendations referred by the Audit Committee at its 27th meeting on 6 March 1998:
It was RESOLVED to approve the following recommendation from the Equal Opportunities Committee:
Election of staff to Committees, Council, Court, Senate and General Assembly
and to refer the matter for consideration and action by Ordinances and Regulations Committee.
It was RESOLVED to approve the following recommendations referred by the Health, Safety and Environmental Committee at its 69th meeting on 12 March 1998:
It was RESOLVED to approve the following recommendations referred by the Resources and Planning Committee at its 101st meeting on 11 February 1998:
It was noted that Loughborough Students’ Union remained fundamentally opposed to the imposition of tuition fees on UK undergraduates which, together with the abolition of the maintenance grant, would in their view deter entry to higher education and stand in the way of widening access.
It was RESOLVED to approve the following recommendations referred by Senate at its 318th meeting on 4 March 1998:
It was RESOLVED to ratify the action of the Registrar in affixing the University Seal to the documents listed.
Council noted that the date of the Winter 1998 Degree Congregation would be Tuesday 15 December 1998.
.1 Council received reports of the following committees:
In respect to item (iii) above, it was noted that a student survey on attitudes towards and experiences on the Web as a teaching tool would be conducted as part of the next LSU annual survey.
In respect to item (vi), Council was informed that there had been some student criticism of the arrangement whereby, on the departure of the Warden of Falkner/Eggington Hall, the hall had been placed under the oversight of the Warden of The Holt, and the matter had been discussed at the last meeting of the Students’ Union Officers with the Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Group. It was pointed out that the arrangement was being piloted during the current session and was believed to be a reasonable way of proceeding in the light of the pressures on the budget. It would be reviewed at the end of the academic session and it was agreed that the Students’ Union would be involved in that review.
.2 Council also received a report of a joint meeting of the Audit Committees of the University and Loughborough College of Art and Design of 6 March 1998.
Author - R A Bowyer
Date - April 1998
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