Membership: Professor S A Austin (Chair), Ms R Church (ab), Professor J P Feather, Dr J L Horner, Dr E A O'Brien, Ms C J Tormey

By Invitation: Mr J G Boocock (for Minute 00/21), Mr J G Dickens, Professor P W Dobson (for Minute 00/17), Dr D R Green, Professor L Hantrais (for Minutes 00/19 and 00/20), Mr W P J Maunder, Mr R Watson (for Minute 00/22)

In Attendance: Dr J E M Elliott

CSC00-M1

The minutes of the seventeenth meeting held on 20 January 2000 were confirmed and signed.

.1 It was noted that all recommendations to Teaching and Learning Committee, and subsequently to Senate where appropriate, had been approved, with one exception which was yet to be considered (see Minute 16.5 below).

.2 Minute 00/2.4 - Regulations for the Curriculum-based Component of the Doctor of Engineering (EngD) Research Programme

The AD(T) of Engineering reported on action taken in response to the Sub-Committee's requests resulting from its meeting on 22 October 1999.

.3 Minute 00/2.3 - MSc Advanced Engineering: New Programme Proposals

The Sub-Committee noted the implications of a Faculty-based programme on the constitution of a Programme Board. It was AGREED to recommend to Teaching and Learning Committee that in the case of the MSc in Advanced Engineering and for the purposes of Ordinance XIX:-

• The Faculty of Engineering be nominated to Senate as being equivalent to a Department.
• The Dean of Engineering be nominated to Senate as being equivalent to a Head of Department.

.4 Minute 00/4 - MSc Materials Evaluation: New Programme Proposals

It was noted that the PDQ Team at a meeting in May would be considering a draft internal Code of Practice on the Quality Assurance of Distance Learning Provision, in line with new QAA Guidelines.

.5 Minute 00/7 - MA Investigations Management (Distance Learning): New Programme Proposals

It was noted that the proposed new programme was now intended for October 2000 entry and the proposals had not been considered by Teaching and Learning Committee at its last meeting. Revised proposals would be considered by Teaching and Learning Committee at its meeting on 8 June 2000.

.6 Minute 00/8 - Teaching of Mathematics to Engineering Students

The Sub-Committee noted the relevant minute of Teaching and Learning Committee. The Sub-Committee received conflicting reports as to developments:

• That the two MA modules would continue but with heavy input from Chemical Engineering into their content.
• That there were revised proposals for the proposed two replacement CG modules.

In view of the absence of a formal submission of the latter to the Sub-Committee from Chemical Engineering, it was AGREED that any such proposals would need to be received by Teaching and Learning Committee at its meeting on 8 June 2000 as an unstarred item and without the benefit of the Sub-Committee's comments. If no agreement could be reached the status quo should prevail.

.2 It was noted that many of the proposed modules had no internal examiner assigned as yet. The Sub-Committee was informed that LUBS had yet to decide on these appointments. In that context it was noted that Operations Sub-Committee had approved the programme proposals in strategic phase on condition that no additional staff would be required.

.3 Attention was drawn to the implications for Library material identified in the proposal. Professor Dobson expressed his personal view that whilst the provision of journals and books was well covered at the present time, there was a weakness in the provision of data information material such as market-based studies. The Sub-Committee hoped that with the strong income anticipated from this premium-priced new programme, extra resources could be directed to the Library for this purpose. The Sub-Committee noted the comments of the Director of the Careers Service on the incremental pressure exerted on the Careers Service from the growth in Masters programmes.

.4 It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Teaching and Learning Committee, subject to the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the AD(T) prior to the meeting of Teaching and Learning Committee:-

(i) Amendments to Programme Regulations as follows:-

• Delete specific reference to the Programme Director
• Make provision in paras 1.3 and 4.1 for the award of LPD with distinction
• Remove assessment details from module lists

(ii) References in module specifications to '….. assignment submitted after completion of the module' to be amended to read '…. assignment submitted after delivery of the module'.

.2 It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Teaching and Learning Committee, subject to the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the AD(T) prior to the meeting of Teaching and Learning Committee:-

(i) Completed consultation forms to be received from the Library, Computing Services and Learning and Teaching Development.

(ii) The Method of Teaching, Learning and Assessment field in Module Specifications to be revised to ensure appropriate hours of student effort for the module weight, quantification of distance learning hours and an appropriate balance in other forms of student effort, to include any work-based learning.

(iii) An acknowledgement from LUBS that support costs were incurred when students were registered on a programme, whatever its nature.

(iv) Amendments to Programme Regulations to:

• refer to the 'Faculty Board' in para 1.2 rather than 'Board of Studies', if that was the intention.
• delete the sentence 'certain optional ….. above' in para 2.2.

Should the consultation forms referred to in (i) above raise issues requiring discussion, the item would require to be unstarred on the Teaching and Learning Committee agenda.

.2 It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Teaching and Learning Committee, subject to the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the AD(T) prior to the meeting of Teaching and Learning Committee:-

(i) Revision of Module Specifications to:-

• equate a modular weight of 30 with 300 hours of student effort.
• indicate the number of group presentations by students and their weighting.

(ii) Clarification of the intention in the Programme Regulations for the requirements for the award of LPD and Master to be above the minimum specified in GRMPA. Should this be the intention, the opening clause of para 4.1 'As provided for in GRMPA' should be removed.

.2 The Sub-Committee was assured that all the University's quality procedures would be followed for the programme. Loughborough lecturers teaching in Singapore would be responsible for the related student assessment and would liaise with local tutors. Local tutors would undertake their own marking of assessments, but this would be subject to sampling by LUBS. External Examiners would be appointed by Loughborough, but it was as yet uncertain where the Programme Board would be held. The Loughborough input to teaching would increase as the programme progressed. Local teachers had already been identified by the University. Whilst PSB-IPT, already well experienced in buying local teaching, would have responsibility for their employment, they would be accredited by the University, subject to the University's bought-in teaching procedure and appointed as Internal Examiners of the University where required. The need was identified for contingencies in case of the need for replacement of local tutors at short notice.

.3 The Sub-Committee recognised that the proposals represented untested waters and the need for vigilant monitoring would be paramount. It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Teaching and Learning Committee on the understanding that:-

(i) There would be no further revisions to the programme in order to reach breakeven recruitment.

(ii) Student feedback would be conducted on all modules in each year until such time as the University was content to reduce this to the normal feedback timeframe.

(iii) An interim report would be submitted to Teaching and Learning Committee, via the AD(T), after the programme's first semester.

(iv) Para 3.1.3 of the Programme Regulations might require revision should proposed changes to GRUA on progression requirements and additional changes in relation to reassessment be approved by Senate.

BSc Logistics & Transport Management (revised title) (2000 entry)

BSc Air Transport Management (1999 entry)

The Sub-Committee was in effect being requested to approve formally Parts B and C of the two new programmes and the change in title of one from Logistics to Logistics and Transport Management. The Sub-Committee was informed that the proposals addressed most of the Sub-Committee's previous concerns, including the change in programme title, as it had been recognised that the term 'Logistics' was not well understood by prospective students. The proposals did not address the Sub-Committee's concern relating to the degree of differentiation from the degree in Transport Management and Planning, however, which was defended on the basis that students for each of the three degrees would receive an education appropriate to the title, and that transport itself was multi-modal. The Department had explored the possibility of artificially restricting electives to decrease commonality, but on educational grounds this had been considered to be an undesirable approach.

.2 The Sub-Committee was informed that the Logistics programme did not recruit in 1999, but that recruitment was underway for all three programmes in 2000 and 2001 and was looking very promising. The department would have the option to discontinue the Transport Management and Planning in due course should recruitment to this programme be poor. It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Teaching and Learning Committee.

It was AGREED to approve the following procedure for the approval of major changes to Programme Regulations for the period to October 2000. Proposals would receive CSC consideration by post at the discretion of the Chair. Where concerns were raised a second circulation would summarise these and invite a formal decision. The Chair would be empowered to determine whether the replies constituted a consensus.

It was noted that the Executive Management Group had approved a change in the title of Flexible Learning to 'Learning and Teaching Development'.

To be determined.

The Sub-Committee was informed that proposals for a version of the Science and Engineering Foundation Studies programme specifically for international students were under development. Most modules would be in common with those of the existing version, but there would be EFL modules provided. It was intended that the programme would recruit from October 2000. It would therefore be necessary for the proposals to be received by Teaching and Learning Committee at its next meeting, following approval by the Chair on behalf of the Sub-Committee.

Author - Jennie Elliott
Date - 15 May 2000
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