By Invitation: Professor B A Marples, Mr W P J Maunder, Dr R B Wilcockson, Dr D R Green
Apologies: Dr P D Dine
In Attendance: Mr J S Wilcox
Minute 28: The Sub-Committee was informed that consultation forms had been received in respect of the proposal to introduce an M Eng variant of the programme in Electronic and Computer Systems Engineering. It was AGREED to recommend the proposal to Teaching and Learning. The Sub-Committee noted that, in response to the consultation procedure, the Librarian had expressed concern that the Library's funding was barely adequate to support the programmes taught in Electronic and Electrical Engineering. Furthermore, the position was expected to worsen in the future. It was AGREED to refer this matter to Teaching and Learning.
Minute 30: The Sub-Committee was informed that the minor changes required in respect of the proposal to introduce an LPC programme in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering had been carried out. It was AGREED to recommend the proposal to Teaching and Learning.
Minute 31: The Sub-Committee received the text missing from the original proposal to introduce a postgraduate programme in Manufacturing Management. It was informed that the other minor changes previously requested had been carried out. It was AGREED to recommend the proposal to Teaching and Learning.
Minute 33: The Sub-Committee was informed that the requested amendment to the programme regulations had been made. It was AGREED to recommend the proposal to Teaching and Learning.
Minute 35: The Sub-Committee was informed that the proposal should have been to introduce a postgraduate programme in Exercise Physiology with effect from September 1999, not 1998. This removed the logical difficulties which had been identified at the previous meeting. The Sub-Committee was broadly supportive of the proposal but identified details which required further consideration: specifications for the current and proposed versions of the modules should be provided. If Dr Austin and Mr Maunder were in a position to give assurances of their satisfaction with the additional material requested then Teaching and Learning would be recommended to endorse the proposal for Senate's consideration.
Minute 37: The Sub-Committee was informed that the requested amendment to the programme regulations for the undergraduate programme in Ergonomics had been made. It was AGREED to recommend the proposal to Teaching and Learning.
The Sub-Committee was content with the proposals for Backcare Management, Healthcare Management, Women's Studies, Ergonomics, Information Studies and Process Chemical Engineering. Teaching and Learning was recommended to approve these.
The Sub-Committee was supportive of the proposal to re-structure the Recreation Management degree but was not entirely content because module specifications had not been provided. Those modules which were not a straightforward 50% scaling should have been presented in their old and new forms. It was AGREED that the department should provide Mr Maunder with this information as soon as possible. If he and Dr Austin were satisfied with the documentation, Teaching and Learning would be asked to approve the proposals.
The Sub-Committee was disposed to approve the proposal for Analytical Chemistry and Instrumentation but could not approve the proposal in the absence of the module specifications. These would only be required for the modules which were not increasing their weight by 50%. It was AGREED that the specifications should be provided to Professor Marples as a matter of urgency. He would then be in a position to make a recommendation to Teaching and Learning.
The Sub-Committee was disposed to approve the proposal for the multi-university programme in Analytical Science but required the correction of two points in the regulations: the removal of a reference in paragraph 2 to "Loughborough University of Technology" and the use of the word "credits" which should be "weight". It was AGREED that the regulations should be amended and presented to Professor Marples as a matter of urgency. He would then be in a position to make a recommendation to Teaching and Learning.
The Sub-Committee was largely content to approve the proposals for Design of Mechatronic Products, Engineering Design and Mechatronics and Optical Engineering. However, it wished to have the programme regulations written in line with the standard University layout. The required changes were: to separate the regulations into three - one per programme; to remove the grid of modules and display the compulsory and the optional modules in two lists; to indicate the modular weight of each module in the regulations. It was AGREED that the regulations should be amended and presented to Dr Wilcockson as a matter of urgency. He would then be in a position to make a recommendation to Teaching and Learning.
The Sub-Committee was content with the proposal for Computing. Teaching and Learning was recommended to approve this.
The Sub-Committee was supportive of the proposal to re-structure the Global Transformations degree but was not entirely content because some improvements were required to the module specifications. The nature of the coursework should be more specific and more information about the quantity of coursework expected was also required. Where there was more than one piece of work, the relative weighting of each should be indicated. The Sub-Committee also wished for reassurance concerning the duration of the written examinations. The proposal was to award a masters' degree for four written papers of two hours each in addition to five items of coursework and a project dissertation. This could be accepted if the coursework was sufficient in depth and student effort (each module would require 300 hours of student work). It was AGREED that the department should provide Mr Maunder with additional information as soon as possible. If he were satisfied, Teaching and Learning would be asked to approve the proposal.
The Sub-Committee was supportive of the proposal to re-structure the Computer Integrated Manufacture programme. However, the module specification for the group project (MUP031) ought to make it clear that the assessment required the production of a written report together with an indication of the length of this. It was AGREED that the department should provide Dr Wilcockson with a modified specification as soon as possible. If he were satisfied, Teaching and Learning would be asked to approve the proposal.
The Sub-Committee was supportive of the proposal to re-structure the Information Technology programme. However, the specifications for optional modules taught by Electronic and Electrical Engineering were unsatisfactory and the proposed modular weights were uneven. It was AGREED that the department should provide Professor Marples with modified specifications as soon as possible. If he were satisfied, Teaching and Learning would be asked to approve the proposal.
The Sub-Committee was informed that the paper should have included the programme in Education Studies. However, the proposal to convert the programme to the 180 tariff by scaling the existing programme had subsequently been received. It was AGREED to approve this proposal.
The Sub-Committee was informed that proposals for the six programmes taught within WEDC had been received; they were to convert the programmes to the 180 tariff by scaling the existing programmes. It was AGREED to approve these proposals.
The Sub-Committee noted that no proposal had been made in respect of the postgraduate programme in Surface Science and Technology and that the intention had been to leave the programme dormant for the time being. It was AGREED to request the department of Physics to have the programme withdrawn permanently.
The Sub-Committee had not received proposals from the Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering and Transport Studies in regard to its three postgraduate programmes. The Associate Dean (Teaching) had received two of the proposals required but neither was complete enough for consideration by the Sub-Committee. The third proposal regarding the validated programme in Aerosystems Engineering was understood to be in preparation. It was also noted that the Sub-Committee did not have primary responsibility for considering the validated programme. It might be that Teaching and Learning would be able to consider some or all of these proposals upon its own initiative. If that were not possible then Curriculum Sub-Committee RECOMMENDED the following procedure for the consideration of Teaching and Learning. Decisions upon outstanding proposals to convert the programmes to the 180 tariff could be delegated to a working group consisting of Professor Feather, Dr Austin and Dr Wilcockson. This group should be granted authority to act for both the Sub-Committee and Committee in this regard.
Author - Mr J S Wilcox
Date - May 1998
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