Membership: Professor S A Austin (Chair), Dr J L Horner, Professor I C Morison, Mr M Sharp (ab), Ms C J Tormey, Professor P Warwick

By Invitation: Mr J G Dickens, Professor P Dobson (for Minute 01/7), Dr D R Green, Mr W P J Maunder

In Attendance: Dr J E M Elliott

Apologies for Absence: Mr Sharp

.1 It was noted that all recommendations to Learning and Teaching Committee, and subsequently to Senate where appropriate, had been approved.

.2 Minute 00/31.2 - MA Investigations Management (Distance Learning)

It was noted that revised proposals were not yet available.

.2 The question was raised as to whether the programme offered sufficient specialisation in the subject area to warrant its title. It was noted that this concern had also been raised by the Engineering Directorate, in addition to other concerns on content, which had considered that the department should look again at the balance of modules but that the programme was likely to recruit strongly and should go ahead. As the first two years of the programme were common to other programmes in the Department, it was suggested that approval could be given now for Parts A and B, with revised Parts C and D to be submitted at a later date with an improved balance of modules specific to the subject area. It was, however, recognised that impending students might be less attracted to the proposed programme as currently presented, and modifications to Part B at this time, to incorporate a specialist module, would be advantageous.

.3 The Sub-Committee was generally supportive of the proposals, but identified the following issues requiring attention before the proposals could be further considered:-

(i) The incorporation of another specialist module in Part B of the programme should be considered and the likely impact of any future changes in Parts C and D on requirements in Part B anticipated where feasible.

(ii) The Programme Aims in relation to business, financial and project management skills were not felt to be reflected in the modules available. Either the programme content or the programme aims should be modified accordingly.

(iii) The Programme Objectives should be revised in accordance with the headings provided on the proposal form.

(iv) Consultation should be sought with the member of staff in Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering responsible for the wind tunnel.

(v) Written evidence of external support was required. Industrial support identifying potential demand for such specialist graduates would also be valuable.

(vi) Reassurance was needed from the Engineering Faculty that Faculty Computer Laboratories could cope with a possible significant increase in overall student numbers.

(vii) Information in the Method of Teaching Learning and Assessment field of Module Specifications was minimal and required expansion, particularly in relation to self-motivated work over and above contact time.

(viii) Conflict between the module specification for MAB203 and the Programme Regulations concerning the semester in which the module would be taught should be resolved.

(ix) Reference to the 'Engineering Mathematics Department' should be revised to 'Mathematical Sciences Department'.

.4 It was AGREED to request the Department to submit revised proposals to the next meeting of the Sub-Committee on 10 May 2001. It was hoped that at least one of the new staff appointments might be made in time for that person to contribute to the revised proposals.

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

(i) The Department should provide a clear view as to whether professional accreditation for the programmes was intended. If so, an approach should be made now for provisional accreditation.

(ii) Evidence of external support should be provided.

(iii) Programme Objectives should be revised in line with the headings provided on the proposal form.

(iv) The Method of Teaching Learning and Assessment field of Module Specifications required expansion on the nature and weighting of coursework.

(v) Conflict between the Programme Regulations and Module Specifications in regard to the semester for EUA223/224 should be resolved.

.2 The Sub-Committee observed that Part D modules were designated as 'C' modules and noted that this was true for the other MEng programme in the Department. The Sub-Committee requested that the Department review its programmes and designate Part D modules as 'D' modules where this was feasible, and report back to the Sub-Committee on this at its next meeting on 10 May 2001.

.3 The Sub-Committee AGREED to recommend the proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee subject to the following requirements being met to the satisfaction of the AD(T) prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:-

(i) Programme Aims and Objectives be revised to conform with standard requirements.

(ii) Para 3 of the Programme Regulations be revised to identify the particular BEng award available to a student who had failed to achieve the MEng award, there being no BEng in Chemical Engineering with Management, and to make clear any additional requirements that would need to be met for the award of the BEng.

.2 The Sub-Committee was informed that the Department might choose to commence the programme in October 2001 as intended, using conventional delivery should the distance learning material not be available, and introduce the distance learning material as this became available. The need to revise Module Specifications to identify the intended delivery mode, and to make clear when recruiting that the more flexible elements of delivery would not be available in 2001, was acknowledged. The implication for on-campus teaching room requirements was highlighted.

.3 It was AGREED to defer a decision on the proposals until the Sub-Committee's meeting on 10 May 2001, when it would receive revised proposals taking into account the following:-

(i) The need for a timetable of how and when distance learning provision would be phased into the programme.

(ii) The provision of appropriately revised Module Specifications in accordance with (i) above, ensuring the inclusion of weightings for coursework assignments and full text in keywords rather than acronyms.

.4 It was AGREED that the Sub-Committee's comments should go forward to Learning and Teaching Committee as an item for discussion, when the AD(T) could report on developments. The Sub-Committee wished to highlight its concerns to Learning and Teaching Committee on the need for an appropriately skilled full-time appointment to bring on-line the distance learning material as soon as possible, this material being a crucial element to the success of this type of programme. The Department had succeeded in achieving a substantial financial award from EPSRC, part of the bid having focused on the need for this appointment, and should not be unduly restrained because of a delay in a decision on staffing.

.2 A member raised concerns about the statement in the proposals that 'the MBA is the highest taught postgraduate qualification in this field', which had implications for the relative standing of other MScs on campus which were not conversion in nature, and also that there was possible overlap of proposed modules with those offered by the Department of Economics. Professor Dobson assured the Sub-Committee that the proposed MScs, though conversion, could not be achieved without the skills acquired from a good undergraduate degree and in these terms was appropriately classified as postgraduate. Such conversion programmes were offered by other institutions at the postgraduate level. The MBA was widely regarded as the highest taught postgraduate qualification in the field as reflected by the premium attached to it by employers and the fees that student were prepared to pay.

.3 The Sub-Committee was informed that delay in a proposal from LUBS for upgrading from MSc to MBA resulted from uncertainty about the accreditation of the MBA via this particular route from AMBA. Members were assured that potential students would not be misguided on the availability of the upgrading route at this time.

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

Assurance that the proposed modules were distinct from modules available in Economics and any other Department, and if not that there were clear reasons why existing modules were unsuitable.

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

Exploration of relevant expertise available to the programme from the Department of Social Sciences, via the Head of that Department.

.2 A member reminded the Sub-Committee that it had never approved the proposed CG Module Specifications, and that this should be done depending on the outcome of Learning and Teaching Committee's and Senate's deliberations, taking on board the original comments made by Mathematical Sciences on pedagogic issues, some of which had not been addressed in the revised CG Module Specifications. The Sub-Committee was reminded that in other circumstances new module specifications would come forward without the comments of other departments. It was acknowledged, however, that where Module Specifications were being put forward in a subject area that was the expertise of another department, the Sub-Committee had a greater duty to ensure that the content was appropriate, though it was hoped that this could normally be achieved by off-line dialogue.

.3 It was AGREED to forward the Sub-Committee's comments to Learning and Teaching Committee as part of its deliberations. Depending on the outcome of Learning and Teaching Committee's and Senate's discussions, the Sub-Committee might expect to consider the proposed new CG modules for approval at its next meeting on 10 May 2001 and to consider how future cases would be handled.

.2 It was AGREED that the ultimate responsibility of Departments for the quality of their Module Specifications, as identified in para 4.3 of the paper, be highlighted to departments in the information circulated to them on the Annual Review process. It was also AGREED that worked examples of Module Specifications for each Faculty be provided to departments, when available following the pilot study on ILOs being undertaken in the Engineering Faculty. The proposals were APPROVED.

The following new members were noted:-

Professor P Warwick (SCI)
Mr M Sharp (student member of Learning and Teaching Committee)

It was noted that, consequent upon the closure of the Department of Education from

1 August 2001, Senate had approved the discontinuation of the following programmes with a final intake in 2000/01:-

MA Art and Education
MA Education Studies
MA Education Studies (HEADLAMP - NPQH)
MA Education Studies (Peterborough)
MA Education Studies (School Effectiveness and School Improvement)
MSc Mathematical Education

Thursday 10 May 2001 at 9.15 am

Author - Jennie Elliott
Date - January 2001
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