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Minutes of
the meeting of the University Council held on Friday 27 October 2006.
Members:
Sir Bryan Carsberg (Chair); Dr Memis Acar; John Blackwell;
Roger Boissier (ab); Penny Coates; Dr Sandie Dann; Vivian Dhaliwal (ab); Venu Dhupa
(ab); Gifty Edila (ab); Sir John Gains; Marc Gibson (ab); Paul Glover; Gemma
Godfrey; Professor Neil Halliwell; Peter Haslehurst; Norma Honey; Sir John
Jennings; Jim Mutton; Professor Richard Parry-Jones (ab); Professor Shirley
Pearce; Graham Picken (ab); Simon Proffitt (ab); Dr Fytton Rowland; Jackie
Strong; Jeremy Swaffer; Professor Rachel Thomson; Professor Y Vardaxoglou (ab);
Professor Peter Warwick (ab); Dr Cyril Woodruff; Alan A Woods
In attendance:
Professor Morag Bell; Chris Dunbobbin; Professor Terry Kavanagh; Professor Ken Parsons; Michael Pearson; John Town; Jon Walker
Apologies for absence were received from:
Vivian Dhaliwal; Venu Dhupa; Marc Gibson; Simon Proffitt; Professor Y Vardaxoglou; Professor Peter Warwick
Special Agenda item 3.1, concerning the Induction Programme for New Members,
was considered during the Ordinary Meeting, following item 5 on the Duties and
Responsibilities of Council Members.
The
Minutes of the Meeting of Council held on
The Chairman welcomed new members to Council. The
session ahead would be the first full academic year of Professor Pearce’s
term as Vice-Chancellor, and it would present a number of exciting challenges
and opportunities for the University and the Council.
06/75 Duties and Responsibilities of Members of
Council/Committee Guidance
COUN06-P76
It had been agreed following the review of the effectiveness of Council,
that at the first meeting of each academic year, Council should note its duties
and responsibilities and consider the key issues likely to emerge in the year
ahead (an annual agenda, available on the web had been created to assist with
the latter). As the governing body, Council was ultimately responsible for
ensuring that the University was well-managed, and in particular, that the
appropriate financial controls were adhered to.
It was suggested that paragraph 2 of the Notes for the Guidance of
Members of University Committees contained too strong an emphasis on
confidentiality and non-disclosure, given that the most successful organisations
tended to be those that were most open. It was agreed that this paragraph would
be amended to state as a general principle that Committee business would be
open except where otherwise stated. It was noted that there were some
Committees where most business would be confidential, and it would be
appropriate for their agenda to contain a standing item relating to
confidentiality.
ACTION: Secretary
06/76 Induction Programme for New Members
COUN06-P97
Council received a tabled paper from the Registrar containing an outline
of arrangements for the induction and development of Council members. The
proposed programme included introductory visits, an induction event, and
further development and training within the University and externally. The
programme was available to all members, and would offer opportunities for
existing members to update their knowledge, and to interact with new members. Efforts
would be made to find a date for the induction event that was suitable for all
who were interested, but if some members were unable to attend, separate
arrangements would be made. The Registrar emphasised that members of Council
had access to officers of the University on a one to one basis, and were
encouraged to make use of this to gain a deeper perspective on the operations
of the institution.
Members were invited to propose further additions and enhancements, and
the following suggestions were noted:
i) That the induction event included a visit to at least one academic
department, and a tour of campus provided by LSU Student Ambassadors, so that
members could receive a number of different perspectives on the University.
ii) That the induction event included a session on Loughborough
Students’ Union, and that the proposed session on Teaching and Research
also included activities relating to
iii) That a glossary of acronyms was provided.
iv) That a system of appraisals was established for new Council members,
after 6 months or one year of membership.
v) That the web-page for Council was enhanced to allow materials to be
posted, and members to interact online.
Council welcomed the proposals, and the Registrar was asked to organise
the first induction event as soon as possible.
ACTION: JMT
06/77 University Corporate Strategy
COUN06-P77
(Fidelma Hannah attended for this item)
The Vice-Chancellor introduced the
draft Corporate Strategy and sought comments from Council members. The process
of preparing the Strategy had begun with the Strategic Planning Away Day in
June 2006, and the draft was now being circulated for widespread consultation
within the University, and on a semi-confidential basis to certain external
bodies. It was intended that a revised version would be formally approved by
Council in December 2006, and that the more detailed supporting strategies
would be approved by Council in July 2007. The Strategy aimed to be aspirational and to provide a guide for
decision-making whilst being sufficiently flexible to accommodate unforeseen
opportunities. It was important that staff felt ownership of the plan and that
Council was comfortable with its role in shaping it and overseeing its
delivery. The Strategy had been developed based on the assumptions of building
on Loughborough’s existing identity and strengths, striving for
excellence in everything the University chose to do, and being recognised as a
leading international university. Careful thought was being given to
establishing key performance indicators for measuring and reporting progress
back to Council, to ensure alignment with the Strategy and to avoid
duplication.
Council welcomed
the document and was fully supportive of the key themes. The following points
made in the discussion were noted for consideration in preparation of the next
draft:
i)
There was agreement that the Strategy should be aspirational, in order to
stretch the thinking of all members of the University as to what was possible.
It was suggested further that an emphasis on a small number of very clear
aspirations that could be easily remembered would have a positive effect on
staff motivation. However, it was equally important that the stated aspirations
were achievable, built on existing strengths, and led to practical actions.
Ultimately the actual performance of the University would be key to its
success, and in this context, it was important to remember that growth should
not necessarily be an end in itself, but should follow from successful
performance.
ii)
The Strategy should be kept under review on an annual basis, and be
sufficiently flexible to allow the University to respond in a pragmatic way to
changing circumstances.
iii)
Careful consideration should be given to the presentation and marketing of the Strategy.
It was suggested in particular that a concise form of words, describing the
Loughborough Experience and the ways in which the University intended to
achieve its goals, could be contained on a credit card, which could be distributed
to all staff and used as an external marketing tool.
iv)
Some members felt the Strategy should contain a greater emphasis on the
attributes that made Loughborough graduates special, in both academic and
non-academic terms. In particular, it was suggested that additional weight be
given to the University’s successes in developing its students through
the provision of industrial placements with a broad range of employers
nationally and internationally, and through the charitable and community-related
activities of Loughborough Students’
v)
It was recognised that
university league tables were based on sometimes dubious metrics which could
drive strategy in inappropriate directions.
vi)
Some members felt the Strategy could be more positive, and should contain explicit
references to the University’s strengths in specific subject areas.
vii)
It was suggested that reference should be made to the University’s
strategy in relation to the recruitment of staff and students.
COUN06-P78
The Bursar presented a review of the University budget for 2006-07, and
noted in particular that the University had enjoyed a very successful
admissions season, despite the introduction of higher tuition fees for home
undergraduates, and an increasingly difficult and competitive international
student market. The Admissions team was thanked for this excellent performance.
The budget presented in July 2006 had shown a surplus of just over ₤3M,
and this was secure. Funds remained in the strategic investment fund, and
although it was possible that the relocation of the Jet Nozzle Rig could have a
significant revenue impact, it was not expected to undermine the budget.
(Roy Hill attended for this item)
06/79.1 Progress Report
COUN06-P79
Council received an update on Major
Building Projects, and noted in particular that work on the extension to the
06/79.2 Car Park 7 Development
COUN06-P80
The Director of Estates Services presented a progress report. It was expected that Council would be asked to agree final approval to proceed in December 2006. The following points were highlighted:
i)
The background to the project was summarised, and it was noted in particular
that Council had previously resolved not to use University capital to fund new
student accommodation, in order to preserve it for other projects, such as
research facilities, in which others were less likely to wish to invest. The
first phase would therefore utilise an off balance sheet approach, which was
felt to be justified given that most of the risks had been transferred to UPP.
ii)
The final design had not yet been accepted by Charnwood Borough Council, but
negotiations were ongoing, and a decision was expected in early December.
iii)
It was intended that a ground lease would be granted to UPP for 35 years, after
which the land and buildings would revert to the University for no
consideration. All customer-facing activities, including security, would be
carried out by University staff. There would be a covenant which restricted the
University’s ability to build additional student accommodation without
agreement from UPP. This had yet to be agreed, and it would be important to
ensure it was drafted in a form that safeguarded the University’s interests.
iv)
The project was still attracting a negative premium, and although it was hoped
that this would be as low as possible, it was difficult to quantify because a
number of key variables were still under negotiation. It was noted, however,
that even if the University undertook to build a hall of this nature on its
own, it was unlikely that it would be able to do so without incurring an
operating loss.
06/79.3 William Morris Hall
Re-development
COUN06-P81
Council NOTED that the William Morris Hall project had been authorised to proceed, and work was beginning on site. The scheme was different to that presented to the July meeting of Council, following a decision by the Accommodation Steering Group in August 2006 to revisit the implications of including John Phillips Hall. This approach had improved the project financially and operationally, and had produced a positive premium of ₤2.3M. The Chairs of Resources and Planning Committee and Council had endorsed the inclusion of John Phillips, and the accommodation was due to be delivered for September 2007.
06/79.4
COUN06-P82
Council RECEIVED a paper from the
Bursar outlining proposals for a project to provide accommodation for several
sports governing bodies, currently residing in various parts of the University
or Loughborough, or keen to move to Loughborough. The next stage was to appoint
a design team to begin preliminary work so that firmer negotiations with
potential tenants could begin in the context of outline designs and cost plans.
It was anticipated that the development would be very important in
consolidating Loughborough’s position as the centre for sport in the
06/79.5 Jet Nozzle Test Rig
Re-location
COUN06-P83
Council RECEIVED an update on the project to relocate the Jet Nozzle Test Rig, and noted that the cost had risen to £1.667M. It was noted, however, that the scheme was now significantly different to that originally envisaged, and presented the most sustainable solution. A contribution of between £0.6M and £1M was expected from emda.
06/80 Imago at Loughborough
Limited
Council RECEIVED a
report from the Chief Executive of imago at Loughborough Limited, which was presented
by the Chair of the imago Board. Council’s attention was drawn to the
following points in particular:
i) The
ii) Taking into account its consolidated surplus, and adding in rents,
depreciation and interest charges, imago’s overall input to the
University had been almost £4M in 2005-06. This was on target with the 5 year forecast.
iii) imago had recently
won the prestigious Meetings Industry Marketing Award for Best Print
Advertising Campaign.
iv) imago was committed to providing an excellent service to its
internal customers, and the Chief Executive would be opening a dialogue with
University departments in order to ensure this was achieved.
v) imago’s operations away from the campus were important
commercially, and also provided a strategic advantage in giving the University
a presence in Loughborough town. It was important, however, that these
activities did not compromise imago’s core business.
06/81.1 Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)
(i) Research Grants and Contracts
COUN06-P85: NOTED
(ii) Update on RAE 2008
COUN06-P86: NOTED
06/81.2 Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching)
(i) Recruitment for 2006/07 Entry
COUN06-P87: NOTED
(ii) National Student Survey
COUN06-P88: NOTED
06/81.3
COUN06-P89: NOTED
06/81.4 Director of External Affairs
COUN06-P90: NOTED
The Vice-Chancellor
reported on the following matters:
i) Work relating to
the validation agreement with the
ii) The University was
on a shortlist for consideration as the venue for the holding camp for the 2012
British Olympic team.
iii) Loughborough had
been placed 17th in the Sunday Times league table, compared to 6th
in the Times. It was noted that the former contained as one of its criteria the
views of Head Teachers, and the University’s relatively low score in this
measure had pulled down its overall rating. Work would continue to ensure that
future marketing and publicity campaigns served to raise Loughborough’s
profile with Head Teachers.
iv) The University had
appointed a Director of Marketing. Ian Cairns would join from
v) Successful
graduation ceremonies had been held in
COUN06-P91
Council RESOLVED to pass a number
of Special Resolutions to recommend amendments to, or the repeal of, various
University Statutes.
COUN06-P92
Council APPROVED an amendment to Ordinance XI (Conduct of Meetings) with
immediate effect.
06/85.1 Council Committees and
Joint Committees with Senate
COUN06-P93
Council NOTED
appointments to vacancies on Council Committees and Joint Committees with
Senate.
06/85.2 LSU Appointments to
Council Committees and Joint Committees with Senate
COUN06-P94
Council NOTED LSU
appointments to Council Committees and Joint Committees with Senate.
Council APPROVED a change in title of the University Medal Working Party
to the University Medal Committee.
Council NOTED that the 2007 Annual Meeting of the
Council NOTED the dates of Graduation
Ceremonies to be held in the academic year 2006/07 as follows:
Council NOTED that the Chair of
Council had taken action on behalf of Council to APPROVE the following items
between meetings:
i. Tuition Fees and Bursary Scheme Details 2007-08
ii. Changes to Programmes
Title
changes:
MSc
Physical Education to MSc Physical
Education and Sport Pedagogy, with effect from September 2007 entry.
PG
Certificate in Management (Sports Industries Federation) to Management (Federation of Sports and Play Associates), with
immediate effect.
Discontinuation
of programmes:
Security
Management (
Postgraduate
Diploma in Integrated Research Studies, IPTME, with immediate effect.
COUN06-P95
Council RECEIVED a
report from the Performance Monitoring Group meeting held on
COUN06-P96: NOTED.
06/91 Any Other Business
(some information has been redacted due to commercial sensitivity)
COUN06-P102
Council RECEIVED a tabled paper from
the Bursar regarding the proposed purchase land.
Council APPROVED the continuation of
negotiations, and the delegation of authority to the Chair, the Treasurer and
the Vice-Chancellor to settle the terms of acquisition, having taken the
appropriate professional advice.
06/92 Dates of Future Meetings
Author – Chris Dunbobbin
Date – November 2006
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