SENATE
SEN05-M1
Minutes of the 374th (Ordinary) Meeting of Senate on Wednesday 2 March 2005.
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Serpil Acar Morag Bell David Berry (ab) Matt Best (ab) Stuart Biddle Russell Bowman Paul Chung Sandra Dann (ab) Ian Davidson Lesley Davis Helen Drake (ab) John Feather |
David Wallace Maurice Fitzgerald David Gillingwater (ab) Neil Halliwell Roger Haslam Tony Hodgson Sarah Holloway (ab) Tom Hook (ab) Ashok Jashapara (ab) Terry Kavanagh Feo Kusmartsev (ab) Mark Lansdale Jeremy Leaman (ab) Chris Linton Ruth Lister Geoff Mason Mario Minichiello (ab) Mary Morley |
Ken Parsons Colin Rhodes Fytton Rowland (ab) Jason Scott Peter Smith Rob Thring (ab) Tony Westaway (ab) Tom Weyman-Jones Nigel Wood (ab) Bryan Woodward Martha Wőrsching (ab) |
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In attendance: |
Jennie Elliott Jennifer Nutkins |
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Apologies for
Absence were received from David Berry, Matt Best, Ed Brown (Study Leave),
Sandra Dann, Helen Drake, David Gillingwater, Sarah Holloway (Maternity Leave),
Ashok Jashapara,
Mario Minichiello, Steve Rothberg, Fytton Rowland, Richard Wakeman and Martha
Worsching.
05/01 Business
of the Agenda
Items 12 and 17 had
been unstarred.
05/02 Minutes
It was RESOLVED to confirm and sign the Minutes of the 373rd meeting held on 15 December 2004 (SEN04-M10).
05/03 Matters Arising from the Minutes
Minute 04/160 – Tuition Fees Strategy and Access
Agreement
SEN05-P1
Senate noted the University’s proposed Access Agreement as submitted to OFFA and was reminded that the document was still confidential. Senate recorded its thanks to the Academic Registrar for her oversight of the document’s development and submission. Unofficial comments from OFFA had been positive, but no formal response had yet been received. Approved agreements would become public on 17 March 2005. Work was underway to have a University Communications Strategy in place in preparation for that date.
05/04 Strategic Review Group
Senate received a report from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor. The ambition was for at least two Virtual Research Schools to be in place by the next academic year, and also the University (Virtual) Graduate School. Following comments that the possibility of some physical entity for the Graduate School should not be lost and that the term ‘virtual’ had other connotations, it was AGREED that ‘virtual’ be removed from the description of the University Graduate School. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor outlined the likely demands, both capital and revenue, on any additional fee and other income.
05/05 Estates Strategy
SEN05-P3
Senate received a report from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor. The University’s submission to Charnwood Borough Council’s consultation on the Local Development Framework would be submitted by 8 March. Recommendations on the first phase of additional residential provision would be submitted to Resources and Planning Committee on 11 March 2005.
05/06 Strategic Review: Review of Committees
SEN05-P4
.1 Further to Minute 04/161 of the 373rd meeting on 15 December 2004, Senate considered a revised report, and a tabled paper intended to facilitate more focussed discussion.
Senate AGREED those actions listed under Section A of the tabled paper. It was queried why Executive Management Group did not appear under the formal committee structure. The Vice-Chancellor responded that EMG was effectively a Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Group to support coherent and prompt actions on the many issues which arose weekly. It did not make resource decisions, and he felt that something like it was needed outside the formal system.
ACTION: Academic Registrar
.2 In regard to Section B of the tabled paper, it was AGREED that:
(i)
Information Services Committee
The function and membership should be reviewed by a body comprising the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Chair of ISC), the Director of Information Services and Systems, and any other individual(s) felt to be appropriate.
ACTION: Deputy Vice-Chancellor
(ii)
Ordinances and Regulations Committee
The Committee be abolished from 2005/06 subject to Senate receiving a satisfactory report at its next meeting on an operational procedure that would take into account:
· How consultation with relevant parties would be ensured when changes to Ordinances/Regulations were proposed, particularly where there was no obvious responsible committee
· The need for legal advice in some cases
· The need for an individual to take ultimate responsibility for the revised wording of Ordinances and Regulations
ACTION: Academic Registrar
.3 In regard to Section C of the tabled paper concerning issues likely to require further work on an ongoing basis:
(i)
Review of Individual Committees
It was commented that there were 3 broad types of committees: the large collegiate bodies such as Senate and Council; the operational day-to-day bodies which should be explored to see if the load on senior management could be reduced and other members brought in; and the small policy development Working Groups which worked well. Collegiality could not be the only driving force and the function of any additional members on Committees would need to be clear. Leaner committees could be possible with better communication and moves to ensure that staff felt enfranchised. It was AGREED that an Action Plan be developed for taking this matter forward.
ACTION: Academic Registrar
(ii)
Diversity of Committee Membership
It was AGREED that everyone had responsibility to encourage staff to serve on committees and make nominations that would increase diversity. The issue should also be raised at Equal Opportunities Sub-Committee and Academic and Related Staff Negotiating Sub-Committee.
ACTION: All
(iii)
Incorporating Committee work into workload models
It was AGREED that this be progressed via the small group chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor which was already looking at work load models.
ACTION: DVC
(iv)
Committee Minutes
It was commented that committee minutes needed to be fit for the purpose of the particular body and the style of minutes might therefore need to vary. The essential matters for recording were decisions and the reasons for them where the decisions were not unanimous. An archive of policy decisions needed to be retained. Reporting on individuals’ views not shared by others could often prove misleading. It was helpful for the Chair of a meeting to summarise debate, but this was not a trivial task. Further guidance on minuting would be developed by the Group working on Committee procedures.
ACTION: Academic Registrar
05/07 Loughborough Experience Award
SEN04-P5
Senate considered proposals from Loughborough Students’ Union for the Loughborough Experience Award. It was RESOLVED to approve the award, as an award of Loughborough Students’ Union, subject to the Chair of Prizes Committee being satisfied with the criteria for the award prior to any awards being made.
ACTION: LSU President, Chair of Prizes Committee
05/08 Matters for Report by the Director of Business Partnerships, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer
SEN05-P6
Senate received a report from the Director of Business Partnerships, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer. The Director was asked for a glossary of acronyms to accompany future reports.
ACTION: DBPIKT
05/09 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching)
SEN05-P7
(i) Student Recruitment
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching) reported an increase in UK/EU undergraduate applications across Faculties. Measures were in place to control intake. UK/EU PGT recruitment was close to last year’s position. International undergraduate applications were down though International PGT applications were holding up. Applications from China had fallen whilst applications from Nigeria and Pakistan had increased. Conversion of offers would be crucial and whilst Departments were already taking measures to assist this, emergency recruitment activity later in the year was also being considered. The offer of scholarships to strong applicants was particularly crucial.
(ii) HEFCE Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Learning
The University had been successful in bidding for the following Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Loughborough:
· Centre for Excellence in Employer-linked Engineering Education
· A Centre for Excellence in the Provision of University-wide Mathematics and Statistics Support (in collaboration with Coventry University)
Congratulations were extended to John Dickens, Tony Croft, the PVC(T) and all others who had assisted in the submissions.
(iii) Teaching Quality Information and National Student Survey
Summaries of External Examiners’ reports and recent Periodic Programme Review reports were now available on the Teaching Quality Information web site. The outcome of the National Student Survey would be available on the site later in the year. There had been technical difficulties, not of the University’s making, which had prevented many Loughborough students from opening up the survey by email, but this had now been resolved and the completion rate so far was reasonably good. LSU would continue to encourage students to complete the questionnaire and were thanked for their efforts so far.
05/10 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)
SEN05-P8
(i) New
Research Grants and Contracts
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) reported that new grants and contracts were on target for a record year, thanks in part to three large contracts. The Science Faculty was £0.5M up on last year, with Chemistry showing a 73% increase. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) would explore the inclusion in the figures of grant income to be transferred elsewhere, and ensure consistency of approach.
ACTION: PVC(R)
SEN05-P9
(ii) Research Grants and Contracts applications
Applications were slightly down on last year’s but broadly in line. It was noted that applications in the Science Faculty were down on the previous three years.
(iii) Research Assessment Exercise
The main RAE panels had met to determine the relative weightings of output/ environment/ esteem. It would appear that this would be variable between panels. Criteria and working methods were now being drawn up by the sub-panels for a late Spring consultation. Heads of Department were urged to look at the Guidance to Panels RAE 2008, particularly sections 3 and 4, to take ownership, and to audit returnability in their departments. Time still remained for remedial action before the publication deadline of December 2007. Outputs would be assessed for quality, but there would be no judgement on individuals.
ACTION: HoDs
SEN05-P10
(iv) New HEFCE Funding Arrangements for Research Degree Programmes from 2005/06 and investment from the Development Fund
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) outlined the new arrangements. Departments should be aware that international research students would no longer be counted in the QR income model.
05/11 Matters for Report by the Vice-Chancellor
HEFCE Grant Letter
The Vice-Chancellor reported on an increase of 5% on the headline grant for 2005/06, which appeared broadly satisfactory. There was an increase of £1.3M in QR funding, which together with the £0.7M extracted from the teaching fund under the new funding regime gave a total headline increase in research funding of £2M. The detail of how the PGR-related funding was arrived at was however puzzling, and appeared to represent a shift from laboratory subjects.
05/12 Programme Proposals
SEN05-P11
.1 On the recommendation of Learning and Teaching Committee, on the advice of Curriculum Sub-Committee, it was RESOLVED to recommend to Council as appropriate:
(i) New Programmes for introduction in the 2005/06 session:
MSc Transport Policy and Business Management
MA Banking and Financial Markets
MA Money, Banking and Finance
MSc International Financial and Political Relations
(ii) Award, Title or Major programme changes from the 2005/06
session:
BSc Transport Management and Planning to Transport and Business Management (from 2005 entry)
MSc Economics & Finance/
Financial Economics/ International Finance & Economics/ Monetary
Economics// Banking & Finance/ International Banking:
Major Programme Changes
(iii) Discontinuation of the following
programmes: (proposed date of last intake shown in brackets)
BA English and the History of Art and Design (October 2004)
MSc Airport Planning and Management (October 2004)
Diploma in Technology for Development (September 2003)
(Further details were
available on request from the Secretary)
.2 The Director of the Business School drew attention to the change in title of the BSc in Transport Management and Planning to Transport and Business Management, and requested that in future any titles likely to affect Business School rankings be discussed with him personally. It was noted that in this case the Business School had been consulted and the title change had not resulted in any coding change. Departments were asked to ensure that programme titles were not misleading in terms of programme content.
05/13 Student Services Committee
On the recommendation of Student Services Committee, it was RESOLVED to recommend to Council:
SEN04-P12
Policy and Guidelines on the use of Illicit Drugs
05/14 Prizes Committee
SEN05-P13
On the recommendation of Prizes Committee, it was RESOLVED to recommend to Council the establishment of new prizes, amendments to prizes and the discontinuation of prizes.
05/15 Academic Year Dates 2006/07 to 2008/09
It was RESOLVED to approve semester dates in accordance with Senate’s resolutions of 23 June and 26 November 2004 for the new pattern of the academic year, which incorporated four-week vacations at Christmas and Easter:
2006/07
Autumn Term Monday 2 October – Friday 15 December 2006
Spring Term Monday 15 January – Friday 23 March 2007
Summer Term Monday 23 April – Friday 22 June 2007
Semester One 2 October 2006 – 9 February 2007
Semester Two 12 February 2007 – 22 June 2007
2007/08 (Leap Year)
Autumn Term Monday 1 October – Friday 14 December 2007
Spring Term Monday 14 January – Friday 14 March 2008
Summer Term Monday 14 April – Friday 20 June 2008
Semester One 1 October 2007 – 8 February 2008
Semester Two 11 February 2008 – 20 June 2008
2008/09
Autumn Term Monday 29 September – Friday 12 December 2008
Spring Term Monday 12 January – Friday 27 March 2009
Summer Term Monday 27 April – Friday 19 June 2009
Semester One 29 September 2008 – 6 February 2009
Semester Two 9 February 2009 – 19 June 2009
05/16 Regulation XIV – Student Appeals against Programme Board or Module Board decisions: Reports for 2002, 2003, 2004
SEN05-P14
Senate received a report on the operation of the appeals procedure in the last three years and the comments of Learning and Teaching Committee thereon.
05/17 Annual Report of the Student Discipline Committee 2003/04
SEN05-P15
Senate received the Report of the Student Discipline Committee for 2003/04. A member drew attention to the table of offences by department, observing that offences per student varied between departments by a factor of 7, and that there might be something to be learnt from Departments with low levels of offences. Whilst acknowledging that the majority of offences were minor traffic offences, Senate AGREED that Student Discipline Committee be asked to undertake further analysis of the data to explore any significant trends, bearing in mind the many factors involved.
ACTION: Student Discipline Committee
05/18 LUSAD Further Education Academic Year
It was noted that from 2005/06 onwards the academic year dates for Further Education programmes in LUSAD would coincide with those for degree programmes.
05/19 Reports from Committees
Senate received reports from the following Committees:
*1. SEN05-P16 Learning and Teaching Committee of 10 February 2005
*2. SEN05-P17 Resources and Planning Committee of 28 January 2005
*3. SEN05-P18 Prizes Committee of 1 February 2005
05/20 Date of Next Meeting
Wednesday 29 June 2005 at 9.15 a.m.
Author
– Jennie Elliott
Date
– March 2005
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