Learning and Teaching Committee

Subject: Formalising the Development Priorities for Learning and Teaching Space

Introduction

This is an updated version of the paper which went to Learning and Teaching Committee at its last meeting.

It has been discussed by Andrew Burgess and David Fulford (Director and Deputy Director of Facilities Management), Morag Bell and Anne Mumford since this last meeting.

It is proposed that a Learning Spaces Development Group is set up and that the group should report to Learning and Teaching Committee with the PVC(T) forwarding issues, priorities and recommendations to the Facilities Management Service and/or their Management Committee and/or Space Allocation Sub-Committee as is appropriate. The success of this would need to be reviewed but this would mean that Learning and Teaching Committee would be the driver for changes, prioritisation and following through issues.

Background

The last nine years have seen significant investments in learning and teaching spaces on campus. This has been assisted by the availability of ring-fenced funds from HEFCE for capital projects relating to teaching space. The developments have been championed by Anne Mumford supported by her colleagues, in particular Caroline Pepper, and undertaken in partnership with Estates Services. Anne’s role has largely been one of sitting at the interface between the academic requirement and the construction project. Advice has been forthcoming on the academic side from the Media Services Users’ Group and information and best practice has been sought through the CETLs and from external conferences, workshops and visits. Priorities for developments have also been influenced by the formal student feedback.

The demise of Media Services means that the academic input through the Media Services Users’ Group is no longer available. Many of the negative comments raised through student feedback also relate to departmental rooms and not just pool rooms and there is no formal mechanism for addressing these comments.

For these various reasons it is timely to consider what processes and structures need to exist to enable construction projects including learning and teaching spaces to be guided by the academic requirement, to facilitate best practice in learning and teaching and to learn from case studies elsewhere in higher education (in the UK and internationally).

Proposal

That a standing committee be created to

review the requirements for learning and teaching spaces (guided by student numbers, programmes, room requests and utilisation surveys).
review best practice and experience relating to the development of learning and teaching spaces.
have a view of how space can enhance (and detract from) the learning experience.
review any relevant feedback including student feedback, APRs, PPRs.
Develop priorities for the development of learning and teaching spaces for the next five years – both pool space and departmental space.
Ensure appropriate academic guidance is given to all projects being considered, specified and constructed at the University.

This committee would report to Learning and Teaching Committee who, through the PVC(T) would forward recommendations to Facilities Management Services, their Management Committee and/or Space Allocation Sub-committee as appropriate.

That the membership should be:

Senior academic as chair
Academic Faculty representatives (people enthusiastic and knowledgeable about learning and teaching spaces), perhaps two to three per Faculty.
Facilities Management Development Office
Librarian
Director of IT Services
Space manager
Teaching Centre
CETLs based on campus
Student representation through the LSU Executive and chairs of student groups from departments.
Room Bookings Administrator
Chief Technician
2(?) Departmental Administrators
Imago
Others who might have particular expertise in this area through their jobs, research activity or external involvement.

The style of the meetings would need to reflect the size of the group and be more of a “workshop” style of event. Meetings would be held once or twice a year perhaps one with a short-medium term agenda and the other a medium-long term agenda.

Setting this up and establishing the group’s terms of reference, mode of operation and style could be an institutional project led by Dr Mumford.

Author Dr Anne Mumford

Date - October 2008