SENATE

SEN01-M5

Minutes of the 344th (Ordinary) Meeting of Senate held on Wednesday 24 October 2001.

 

		Professor D J Wallace
	Dr M Acar Ms Y Alexander Professor J L Alty Professor C J Backhouse (ab) Professor A N Baldwin Professor M Bell Professor S J H Biddle Professor B A Buffham Dr J E Bullard Dr P M Carrillo (ab) Mr P P Conway Professor T J Gordon Professor J B Griffiths Dr H Gross Professor N A Halliwell Professor C Hanson (ab) Mr J F Harper Professor D Infield Ms H Jenkinson Professor R Kalawsky Professor T Kavanagh Professor M King (ab) Dr J Leaman (ab) Mr P G Lewis Dr C M Linton Professor R Lister Professor R McCaffer			Professor T Mills Professor I C Morison Mrs M D Morley Dr A M Mumford (ab) Dr P N Murgatroyd Dr L R Mustoe Dr A H Osbaldestin Professor P C B Page (ab) Professor K C Parsons Professor A C Pugh (ab) Mr R A Reed Dr C D Rhodes Professor P H Roberts Dr S J Rothberg Dr J F Rowland Mr J S Smith Professor M H Smith (ab) Professor P R Smith Mr J Staples Professor R Summers (ab) Dr G M Swallowe Dr E Theodoraki (ab) Professor R J Wakeman (ab) Mr D R F Walker Dr G D Wilcox Professor J M Wilson Professor B Woodward
	In attendance:		Dr J E M Elliott Dr J C Nutkins Mr J M Town

Apologies for absence were received from:  Professor Backhouse, Dr Carrillo, Dr Mumford, Professor M Smith, Professor Summers and Dr Theodoraki.

The Vice-Chancellor welcomed new members.

---

 

01/93 Condolences

 

The Vice-Chancellor informed Senate of the tragic death of Miss Chu Yi, a post-graduate student killed in a road accident outside the University.  During the course of the meeting members signed a Book of Remembrance for Miss Chu's parents.

 

 

01/94 Matters for Report by the Vice-Chancellor

 

The Vice-Chancellor reported on :

(i)                  the excellent outcome of the ESR in European Studies with a score of 23/24 being achieved.

(ii)                recent league tables which if based on teaching quality showed the University to be in the top 10 Universities.

(iii)               his recent visits to China which had proved very fruitful in establishing links for both teaching and research.  China now provided the greatest number of international student applicants to the University.

(iv)              recent awards to the University, including an award for the rain cladding on the Engineering Building.

(v)                the University's success in recent funding bids, including the Higher Education Infrastructure Fund.

 

01/95 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching)

 

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching) reported on :

(i)                  Student Recruitment  (SEN01-P73)

Student Recruitment for 2001/02 was to date above target for full-time UK/EU undergraduates and for full-time international undergraduates and taught postgraduates, but below target for UK/EU taught postgraduates in line with the national trend.  Workshops were being arranged to update Admissions Tutors on the changing A-level system.  Bids were being submitted for Additional Student Numbers for 2002.

(ii)                Loughborough University at Peterborough (SEN01-P75)

Senate considered the business case for developing HE in the Greater Peterborough sub-region as the basis of a bid to the HEFCE Restructuring and Collaboration Fund, and the need for the University's restated commitment to the venture for the bid to be successful.  Members' comments included :

-                     the need to explore why Loughborough staff might be reluctant to be involved in teaching at Peterborough

-                     the possibility of establishing a Foundation Programme at Peterborough

-                     the need for academic quality at Peterborough to be assured to the University's standards

-                     the importance of the Peterborough involvement in meeting the Government's agenda for widening participation

-                     the difficult balance between involvement in developments such as Peterborough and the University's aspiration as a research-led University

-                     the need for direct and visible connection of staff and students between the Peterborough and Loughborough campuses to ensure that Peterborough did not become a 'poor cousin'

-                     the need for a senior 'champion' for the project at Loughborough.

Mindful of the above comments, Senate AGREED that the University's involvement in Peterborough should be progressed as presented in the paper.

(iii)               Widening Participation (SEN01-P74)

The draft Widening Participation Strategy would be submitted to HEFCE shortly.  Members were generally supportive.  Their comments included :

-                     the need for the document to acknowledge the implications of the Disability Discrimination Act.  The Disabilities and Additional Needs Service provided a comprehensive service to students at present but would be under strain should such student numbers increase.

-                     the need to interview prospective students from disadvantaged backgrounds was implied and this would be very time-consuming.  Visiting potential students rather than requiring them to attend a campus interview should be explored.

-                     the need to ensure that 'widening participation' applications did not suffer as the result of other recruitment policies.

-                     changes in allocations to departments of premium funding should be timed to fit existing business planning processes as far as possible and major changes would need to be phased.

01/96 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)

 

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) reported on:-

 

(i)                  the 17% increase in income from research grants and contracts compared with the previous year. 

 

(ii)                the need to improve the percentage of staff returned in RAE 2006 through Personal Research Planning.

 

(iii)               the need to increase the average number of PhD students per member of staff, currently at around one.  Subject to Resources and Planning Committee approval, it was intended to introduce immediately a scheme to allow Heads of Departments to underwrite PhD intake each year at a level consistent with actual intake in previous years.  Members' comments included :

 

-                     the need to invest in departmental infrastructure with an increase in research students

 

-                     the need to address non-eligibility of international students for departmental studentships

 

-                     the increasing burden of research student training

 

-                     the possibility of research student recruitment through a Teaching Assistant scheme.

 

(iv)              the research application support now available from the Research Support Office.

 

01/97 Centre for Nonlinear Mathematics and Applications

 

SEN01-P76

 

It was RESOLVED to recommend to Council the establishment of the Centre for Nonlinear Mathematics and Applications, with effect from 12 November 2001.

 

01/98   Membership of Senate 2001/02

SEN 01-P77

This was NOTED.

01/99 Librarian's Annual Report 2000/01

SEN01-P78

Senate RECEIVED the Annual Report for 2000/01 from the Librarian.

01/100 Quality Assurance in Higher Education - Proposals for Consultation

SEN01-P79

Senate NOTED the University's response to HEFCE on the consultation paper on a revised method for quality assurance of teaching and learning in Higher Education, published by HEFCE, QAA, UUK and SCOP.

01/101 Date of Next Meeting

Thursday, 29 November 2001 at 9.15 am

---

Author - Jennie Elliott

Date - November 2001

Copyright (c) Loughborough University. All rights reserved.