Faculty of Science
Faculty Board
SCI09-M2
Minutes of the Meeting of the Faculty Board held on 12
November 2009
Members: Professor
Observers: Professor Paul Chung (ab),
Apologies for Absence: Professor Paul Chung,
In attendance:
09/24
Welcome
Members, and in particular those attending their first meeting of the
Board, were welcomed to the meeting.
09/25 Minutes
The minutes of the
Meeting of the Science Faculty Board (SCI09:M1) held on 21 May 2009 were
confirmed.
09/26 Matters arising from the Minutes
09/03 Matters Arising:
imago Presentation: The Chief Executive of imago at
09/27 Fundraising Project identification
SCI09-P15
and tabled paper
Ron Gray,
Director of Development and Alumni Relations, and Susie Cattermole, Development
Executive, attended for this item.
Ron Gray provided an update of DARO activities and
summarised the work of the Advancement Committee. Members were reminded of the
Government’s matched-funding scheme for higher education which would run
until 2011.
DARO was keen to receive ideas from the Faculty for new
initiatives which needed funding, particularly those over £100,000. Ideas
should be forwarded to Ron Gray via HODs. Susie Cattermole, the Faculty’s
main contact in DARO, would be able to help in honing ideas. ACTION:
All
Members
were reminded to make DARO aware when they were contacted by alumni seeking
transcripts. ACTION: All
09/28 IT Services Consultation 2010/11
SCI09-P16
Dr Phil Richards, Director of IT Services, and Carys Thomas,
Assistant Director of IT Services, attended for this item.
Dr Richards provided details of the University’s new Desktop
and Laptop policy. The policy would guarantee appropriate desktop IT access to
all categories of staff and safeguard departmental bespoke arrangements. It
would invite greater standardisation in all other areas, which would bring a
number of benefits including a reduction in costs. Members noted that
non-standard hardware and software would be permitted if there was a legitimate
academic reason for using them. The Board confirmed its support for the policy.
Dr Richards outlined progress on other major University IT
projects which had been approved by Operations Committee and significant
IT-related projects which were underway. Individual members highlighted the
importance of projects to introduce central timetabling and the new
Publications Management System.
The Board acknowledged the support provided to the
Faculty by IT Services. Members were reminded to channel IT-related issues to
IT Services via the Faculty IT Coordinator, Shirley Horner, and HODs. ACTION:
All
ACTION: All
09/29 Recent Developments in e-learning
Charles Shields, Head of E-learning,
attended for this item.
Charles Shields provided an update
of e-learning activity at the University. The support structure for e-learning
had recently changed. Support was now provided by a Library central e-learning
team and an IT Services e-learning systems team, together with the Teaching
Centre, CETLs and academic librarians. Strategic e-learning issues were
overseen by the E-Learning Advisory Group which reported to the Learning and
Teaching Committee.
It was noted that the membership of
the E-Learning Advisory Group did not include a student representative. The
Head of E-Learning agreed to convey to the Group the Board’s proposal
that the Group’s membership should include a student member in future. ACTION: Charles Shields
Recent successes had included implementation and take-up of
Learn and the University winning the JISC-funded ExPOUND project. Issues facing
e-learning staff included the desire to encourage academic staff to move from
minimum presence on Learn to more effective practice and the need to establish
an institutional approach to Web 2.0 services. There would also be a need to
develop an e-learning vision aligned with the University’s strategic
plan.
Members had mixed views on the use of lecture capture and
streaming. It was noted that the facility would be available to staff to use as
they wished, and they would be able to maintain control over content and timing
of publication.
09/30 Constitution and Terms of Reference of the
Faculty Board
i SCI09-P17a,
SCI09-P17b
The Board received
the constitution and powers of the Faculty Board and a briefing note for new
members. It agreed that they remained fit for purpose.
ii SCI09-P18
The Board had been asked to include the
subject of committee effectiveness on its agenda. It confirmed that its purpose
was clear and that it had fulfilled its purpose effectively in the last year.
It believed that it operated in an effective way in practical terms and that
communications and operations relating to the Committee worked effectively.
However, it was noted that the activities of the Board would be enhanced if
HODs reported its activities back to their departments. ACTION: HODs
The Secretary would forward this
minute to the Academic Registrar for information. ACTION: MA
09/31 Dean’s Report
i Strategic
Issues: The Dean noted that the University may face cuts in 2010 and in subsequent
years due to a likely decrease in the size of the HEFCE block grant.
The
University had set itself a very challenging carbon-cutting goal and would need
to make substantial changes to meet it.
ii
09/32 Associate Dean’s (Research) Report
i REF
Consultation and Planning: The University intended to make a response to
HEFCE’s REF consultation exercise. Key features of the REF which would
affect HEIs included the introduction of a form of measurement of impact of research, maximum use of
metrics and fewer units of assessment. It was noted that it was likely to be up
to individual panels to decide which metrics they wished to make use of.
Departments
would be asked to provide examples of the impact of their research prior to the
forthcoming Deanery visits. Good examples would be included in a portfolio
which would be shared across departments in the Faculty.
ii Research
Studentships: HODs had been asked to put forward for studentships outstanding
applicants who would be able to register by 1 December 2009.
iii PGR
Student Issues: A
working group had been set up to improve access to research student data held
on LUSI.
PGR targets were to be introduced at
departmental level for 2010 entry onwards.
09/33 Associate Dean’s (Teaching) Report
i Intake
2009
a) UG UK/EU
SCI09-P19
Recruitment in the Faculty had been severely controlled to
ensure that the University as a whole did not over-recruit and incur financial
penalties. As a result the Faculty had not entered Clearing and had made very
few concessions. The Faculty recruited slightly under target as required.
b) UG International
SCI09-P20
The
Faculty had exceeded its overall target.
c) PGT UK/EU full-time
SCI09-P21
The Faculty had exceeded its target.
A significant number of the 2009 intake were Loughborough graduates.
Departments were encouraged to promote their postgraduate programmes within the
University as well as outside.
ACTION:
HODs
d) PGT International full-time
SCI09-P22
The Faculty had exceeded its target.
Most departments had produced an excellent result. Those that had not may need
to review their recruitment strategy. ACTION: HODS
e) PGT UK/EU part-time
SCI09-P23
NOTED
f) PGT International part-time
SCI09-P24
NOTED
ii Recruitment 2010: Applications were down slightly
overall on the previous year, though some departments were revealing marked
increases.
Departments were invited to make
bids for recruitment initiative funds
ACTION: All
iii NSS: The Faculty had achieved a very
good result in the 2009 NSS, with only one department not appearing in the top
ten in subject listings. Departments needed to analyse their results and gauge
where they could make improvements. Members were encouraged to do all they
could to achieve an excellent result in 2010. ACTION: All
iv Minimum A Level Score: An increase in A
level requirements was planned for 2011 entry. The AD(T)
would establish whether A* and Advanced Diploma requirements had been set. ACTION:
MH
09/34 Periodic Programme Reviews
SCI09-P25
Members received a copy of the report and departmental response from the Periodic Programme Review for the Department of Human Sciences. It was noted that outstanding issues would be followed up at APR.
09/35 Award of Research Degrees
SCI09-P26 (tabled)
Faculty Board APPROVED the award of Higher Degrees to candidates whose examinations had been conducted since the June meeting of Senate.
09/36 Membership 2009/10
SCI09-P27
NOTED
09/37 Programme Proposals
i It
was NOTED that Curriculum Sub-Committee had recommended to Learning and
Teaching Committee approval of the following:
Changes to Programme
Titles
BSc
Information Technology and Mathematics to
BSc Applied
Computing and Mathematics (Oct 2007 intake)
MSc
Mathematical Processes in Finance to
MSc
Mathematical Finance (Oct 2010 intake)
Discontinuation of
Programmes
BSc
Publishing with E-Business (October 2009)
Major Changes
MSc Information and Knowledge Management (later
approved by Senate)
ii It
was NOTED that Curriculum Sub-Committee had recommended to Learning and
Teaching Committee approval of the following new programmes, subject to certain
matters being agreed to the satisfaction of the AD(T):
MSc Efficient Fossil Energy Technologies
(Curriculum-based component of the EngD)
BSc,
DPS/DIntS Mathematics with Mathematics Education
09/38 Associate Dean (Teaching): Actions between meetings
It was NOTED that the
Associate Dean (Teaching) had taken action between meetings as detailed in the
agenda.
09/39 Staff-Student Committees
It was NOTED that
reports of Staff-Student Committee meetings had been deposited with the
Secretary as follows:
|
|
Chemistry Computer Science Information Science Mathematical Sciences |
6 May 2009 6 May 2009 6 May 2009 13 May 2009 |
09/40 Mathematics Education Centre Report
SCI09-P28
NOTED.
09/41 SEFS Report
SCI09-P29
NOTED.
09/42 Faculty e-Learning Officer Report
SCI09-P30
NOTED.
09/43 Faculty Representatives on University Committees
i It
was NOTED that the following would serve as Departmental Safety Officer
representing the Faculty on the University Health, Safety and Environment Committee:
Shirley
Horner, Department of Information Science
ii It was NOTED that the Dean had taken action
to approve the appointment of the following as the Faculty representative on
the University Prizes Committee:
Dr Alexey Bolsinov,
09/44 Prizes
SCI09-P31
Members
NOTED University prizes awarded to students within the Faculty in 2008/09.
09/45 Date of Next Meeting
20 May 2010
M Ashby
December 2009
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