Faculty of Science
Faculty Board
SCI09-M1
Minutes of the Meeting of the Faculty Board held on 21
May 2009
Members: Professor Ken Parsons (Chair),
Observers: Professor Paul Chung, Jo Corlett (ab), Dr Sandie Dann (ab), Professor Rachel Thomson,
Apologies for Absence: Jo Corlett, Dr Paula Griffiths,
Peter Lund,
In attendance: Martine Ashby
(Secretary), Professor Chris
Backhouse and Christina Yan Zhang (for 09/04), Susan Reed (for 09/05), Lesley
Mansell (for 09/06) and Shirley Horner (for 09/18).
09/01
Welcome
Members were welcomed to the meeting and were asked to introduce
themselves.
Dr Caroline Robinson was congratulated on being appointed Director of
the Mathematics Education Centre.
09/02 Minutes
The minutes of the
Meeting of the Science Faculty Board (SCI08:M2) held on 19 November 2008 were
confirmed.
09/03 Matters arising from the Minutes
08/28 imago Presentation: The Secretary would seek information from imago on
short-term accommodation for international visitors. ACTION: MA
08/29 IT
Services Consultation: Change Priorities for 2009/10: It was noted that plans for a centralised timetabling
facility were being moved forward.
08/47 Faculty
E-Learning Officer Report: The Director
of e-learning would be invited to give a presentation at the next meeting. ACTION:
MA
09/04 Internationalisation
SCI09-P1 (updated
version tabled)
Professor Chris Backhouse,
Director of Internationalisation Strategy, and Christina Yan Zhang, LSU
International Development Officer, attended for this item.
Professor
Backhouse provided an update on progress in implementing the University’s
internationalisation strategy.
The
University was seeking a limited number of research-focused, strategic,
international partnerships. Those partnerships which aligned with its strategy
would be formed at departmental or institution level. It was continuing to
establish credit-bearing exchanges with partners that fitted individual
departmental strategies in order to improve outward student mobility. It was
also seeking more overseas internships and placements for its students.
The
University was working hard to optimise the employability of its international
students, providing them with opportunities to develop transferable skills and
to improve their knowledge of the English language. In addition, renewed efforts
were being made to secure paid work experience for them.
Loughborough
Students’
Departments
were encouraged to consider further strategic research partnerships and
opportunities to improve outward student mobility when drawing up their
development plans. Professor Backhouse would be happy to give his view on
proposed links with individual HEIs overseas. It was noted that for some time
now departments in the Faculty had been actively pursuing links overseas. The
Faculty had contributed to many of these internationalisation initiatives by
providing part funding for them.
Ms
Yan Zhang was congratulated on her contribution to the University’s
internationalisation strategy as LSU International Development Officer.
09/05 Career Destinations
SCI09-P2
Susan Reed, Careers Advisor, attended for this item
Susan Reed summarised the key findings of the 2007/08 Graduate Destinations Survey and noted some of the initiatives that the Careers Centre was engaging in to help students and graduates find employment during the current recession. It was noted that the 2007/08 Graduate Destinations Survey report was now available on the Careers Centre’s website at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/careers/section/reports/reports.html.
The survey had revealed that more of the Faculty’s students had opted for further study than in the previous year, while the percentage of graduates in the faculty who had entered either employment, further study or work and study had remained constant overall. However there were large variations in the percentage of students in each category across departments.
Both students and the Careers Centre itself were receiving conflicting messages about the availability of jobs, and the situation appeared to be constantly changing. Nevertheless, the Centre continued to be notified of many vacancies and to publicise them.
The Centre was looking ahead in order to be able to advise future finalists appropriately. The Loughborough employment fairs remained very popular at a time when fairs at other HEIs were being cancelled. The Centre had launched a web-based recession advice section which was updated regularly. This included hints and tips for different stages of a student’s programme. The Centre was also preparing graduate packs for students to make use of later in the year. Departments could help by including links to the Careers Centre website on their web pages and encouraging students to make use of the Centre.
ACTION:
HoDs
It was noted that local and national initiatives were likely to provide work experience for some graduates. These included the Government’s recently launched Graduate Talent Pool scheme, the local Graduate Gateway initiative and the Shell Step Programme.
09/06 Single
Equality Action Plan
SCI09-P3 (tabled)
Lesley Mansell, Equality and
Diversity Advisor, attended for this item
The
Board was informed that the University had developed a new single Equality
Action Plan for race, disability and gender. The plan, which was to be made
available on the University website in due course, would also cover duties for
sexual orientation, religion or belief, age and gender identity at a later
stage.
Departments had a
role to play in ensuring that policies were implemented. They needed to agree
their priorities and to identify realistic targets. They were asked to identify
one issue to focus on each year, seeking the advice of the Equality and
Diversity Advisor as necessary to resolve the issue. They would be asked to
report on their progress in Spring 2010. ACTION:
HoDs
09/07 Dean’s Report
i RAE:
The Dean drew attention to the Faculty’s significant successes in the
RAE.
ii Faculty
Financial Position 2008/2009: The Faculty was now in a strong financial
position as a result of its successes in the RAE and in student recruitment in
2008.
iii Staff
Survey: The Dean had visited all departments in the Faculty to discuss the
results of the staff survey. The Dean and the HR Advisor had drawn up a list of
key issues from each department which would be revisited at a later stage to gauge
whether action resulting from the survey had resolved the issues. The seven
working groups were to report to HRC on their progress in June.
iv HOD
Appointments: The Dean was congratulated on being appointed PVC(R) from
August 2009. He noted that he was in the process of seeking new HoDs for six
departments within the Faculty.
09/08 Associate Dean’s (Research) Report
i Postgraduate
Research Student Issues: The AD(R) noted that Senate had recently approved
amendments to the PGR regulations. One of the key changes was a requirement for
students and their supervisors to meet at least 12 times each year. These
meetings would need to be recorded, preferably using Co-Tutor. The change will
help the University to meet new Government requirements to monitor the
attendance of international students. All staff who were
involved in the supervision process would be required to attend training to
learn how the new processes would operate.
Departments would also be asked to agree to
targets for PGR students. These would be difficult to devise but important to
put in place.
ii REF
Update: Information about the nature of the REF was emerging through the
work of the Expert Advisory Panel, of which the AD(R) and others at the
University were members. No final decisions had been made. HEFCE was to publish
a consultation paper on the REF, and the agreed structure would be made
available at the end of the year. Until further information on the REF was made
available, departments were advised to carry on with their research and to
continue to recruit high quality staff and students. Members were encouraged to
participate in the consultation process and to ensure that their professional
bodies did so too. ACTION:
Faculty Board Members
Members
were also encouraged to carry out bibliometric/citation analyses for themselves to gauge how their publications could be rated by
others.
ACTION:
Faculty Board Members
09/09 Associate Dean’s (Teaching) Report
Recruitment 2009:
i Recruitment Targets
SCI09-P4
The Faculty had exceeded its UG
UK/EU target in 2008. It had retained the same target in 2009 but would not be expected
to exceed it. It was noted that, for the first time, the Faculty target
included departmental SEFS targets.
ii Application Statistics
a) UG Home Applications
SCI09-P5 (tabled)
2009 UG home recruitment had been pleasing to date. There had been a
considerable increase in the number of applications received by departments
across the Faculty, and the predicted yield indicated that the Faculty would
need to recruit fewer students during and after Confirmation Week. It was
possible that some departments would be asked to stop recruiting before they
had reached their business plan target to ensure that the University did not
exceed its overall target.
This year, for the first time, applicants who exceeded their offer would
be permitted to seek a place at another university during a five-day adjustment
period. It was not clear whether this new arrangement would have a noticeable impact
on intake numbers.
The Dean and AD(T) would meet with departmental
admissions tutors following the receipt of A-level results to discuss the
Faculty’s approach.
b) UG International Applications
SCI09-P6
UG
International recruitment was also in a better position than in the previous
year, with departments receiving more applications, responses and acceptances.
c) PGT FT Home Applications
SCI09-P7
PGT home
recruitment was marginally better than in the previous year. Departments were
encouraged to promote their PGT programmes to their own students. ACTION:
HoDs
The AD(T) would look into a delay in the processing of one
department’s applications. ACTION: MH
d) PGT FT International Applications
SCI09-P8
The Faculty had made more offers than at the same time in 2008. However,
fewer acceptances had been received to date.
e) PGT Outstanding Decisions
SCI09-P9 (Not available)
09/10 Award of Research Degrees
SCI09-P10 (tabled)
Faculty Board APPROVED the award of Higher Degrees to candidates whose examinations had been conducted since the last meeting of Senate.
09/11 Personal Titles
Faculty Board NOTED that the following member of the Faculty had been awarded a personal title since the last meeting:
Ray
Dawson, Personal Chair (Professor of Knowledge Management)
He was congratulated on this
award.
09/12 Programme Proposals
i It was NOTED that the following proposals had been circulated to members for approval:
New Programme:
MSc Digital Imaging, Computer Graphics and
Vision
Major Changes:
MSc Information
and Knowledge Management
ii It was NOTED that Learning and Teaching Committee had approved the following programme proposals:
a) New
Programme Proposals:
MSc
Digital Imaging, Computer Graphics and Vision
b)
Changes to Programme Titles:
BSc Mathematics and Computing to
BSc
Computer Science and Mathematics (last intake: October 2010 entry)
c)
Discontinuation of Programmes:
BSc
(DIS/DPS) Chemistry and Information Technology (last intake: October 2007 entry)
09/13 Annual
Programme Review
SCI09-P11
A report from the AD(T) was NOTED.
09/14 Associate
Dean (Teaching): Actions between meetings
It was NOTED that the
Associate Dean (Teaching) had taken action between meetings as detailed in the
agenda.
09/15 External
Examiners’ Reports
It was NOTED that
reports of External Examiners, and departmental responses, had been deposited
with the Secretary, and were available for consultation on request.
09/16 Staff-Student Committees
It was NOTED that
reports of Staff-Student Committee meetings had been deposited with the
Secretary as follows:
|
|
Chemistry Computer Science Human Sciences Information Science Materials Mathematical Sciences Physics |
26 November 2008. 25 February 2009 26 November 2008, 25 February 2009 20 November 2008 10 December 2008, 18 February 2009 5 November 2008,
11 February 2009, 29 April 2009 26 November 2008, 12 March 2009 25 February 2009, 13
May 2009 |
09/17 Chair’s Action: Appointment of Prize Assessors
It was NOTED that the
Dean had taken Chair’s Action to approve prize assessors for the Faculty.
09/18 Faculty IT Support
SCI09-P12
Shirley Horner, the new Faculty IT Coordinator, provided an
update on current developments within the University which were likely to have an
impact upon the Faculty. These included a major upgrade of the email/SDS
service and development of the research portal.
The Faculty IT Coordinator regularly represented the views
of the Faculty at a number of meetings. She intended to meet with HoDs to find
out what their IT priorities were and had also arranged a meeting of IT staff
within the Faculty in order to seek their views.
09/19 Faculty E-Learning Officer Report
SCI09-P13
A report from the Faculty E-Learning Officer was NOTED.
09/20 Quality Enhancement Officer Report
SCI09-P14
A report from Faculty Quality Enhancement Officer was NOTED.
09/21 Faculty Board Membership
i. It was NOTED that five vacancies existed for
elected members (1 in Computer Science, 1 in Human Sciences, 2 in Mathematics and
1 in Physics) and up to 8 vacancies for co-opted members in the 2009/10
session. The Secretary would contact HoDs regarding the appointment of elected
members.
ii It was NOTED that
Senate would be asked to consider a proposal for an amendment to Regulation X
to allow academic staff to stand for re-election without the expiration of a
year between one term of office and the next.
09/22 Valediction
for Retiring Members
Retiring
members were thanked for their support of the Faculty.
It was NOTED that the
Faculty Research Support Officer, Dr Walker-Smith, was to be transferred to the
Research Office but would continue to support the Faculty’s research
activity. The Secretary would write to thank him for his considerable work for
the Faculty.
ACTION:
MA
Professor Parsons was
thanked for his outstanding contribution to the Faculty as Dean. He had been
responsible for raising the profile of the Faculty and establishing it
nationally in his capacity as Chair of the UK Conference of Deans of Science. In
turn, Professor Parsons thanked the Board for the support which it had provided
him with during his years as Dean.
09/23 Date
of Next Meeting
November 2009 (Date
to be confirmed).
M Ashby
July 2009
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