SENATE
SEN07-M1
Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of
Senate on Wednesday 7 March 2007.
Shirley
Pearce
Memis Acar Gemma
Godfrey Charles
Oppenheim
Jo Aldridge
(ab) Peter Golding Ken
Parsons
David Allen David
Goss (ab) Gareth Pritchard
Chris
Backhouse Keith
Gregory Peter
Render (ab)
Anja
Baumhoff (ab) Harriet
Gross Jon
Beaverstock (ab)
Neil
Halliwell Steve
Rothberg Karen
Roxborough
Morag Bell Roger Haslam Paul Sobers
(ab)
David Berry
(ab) Elaine Hobby (ab) Dennis Smith
Stuart
Biddle Tony
Hodgson Tony
Thorpe (ab)
Jon Binner Sarah Holloway (ab) Rob Thring
Zoe
Buckingham Ray
Jones (ab) Yiannis Vardaxoglou
Paul Chung Terry Kavanagh Richard
Wakeman (ab)
Sandra Dann David
Kerr (ab) Peter Warwick
Ian
Davidson Feo
Kusmartsev Tom
Weyman-Jones (ab)
James
Dearnley (ab) Jeremy Leaman David
Whalley
Helen Drake
(ab) Chris Linton Bryan Woodward (ab)
Clive
Edwards Julian Mackenzie (ab) Martha Wőrshing (ab)
Maurice
Fitzgerald (ab) Mary Morley Dominic Wring
In
attendance: Robert
Bowyer (for minute 07/2)
Chris Dunbobbin
Jennifer
Nutkins
John
Town
Peter
Winter
Apologies
for absence were received from: Anja Baumhoff, Jon Beaverstock, James Dearnley,
Helen Drake, Maurice Fitzgerald, Elaine Hobby, Sarah Holloway, Ray Jones, David
Kerr, Julian Mackenzie, Peter Render, Tony Thorpe, Tom Weyman-Jones, David
Whalley, Bryan Woodward, Martha Wőrshing,
07/1 Minutes
It was
resolved to confirm and sign the Minutes of the Ordinary meeting held on 22
November 2006 (SEN06-M11).
07/2
SEN07-P1
2.1 Institutional Validation
Senate received a summary report
of the Institutional Validation Panel, and approved the Panel’s
recommendations that:
(i)
the validation process continue to its next stage
(subject validations in April 2007), and:
(ii)
the conclusion of a formal agreement beyond the next
stage, to proceed with the validation of BUE programmes, be contingent on BUE
responding positively to the information requests and other recommendations
contained in the report, and on the satisfactory resolution of whatever issues
may arise from the subject validations.
It was noted that the preferred
approach of both institutions was that students completing validated programmes
would receive dual awards, with distinct certification, containing appropriate
wording to indicate that programmes had been delivered at BUE and validated by
Loughborough.
SEN07-P2
2.2 Regulations for Progression
and Reassessment
Senate approved in principle
proposed regulations on progression and reassessment for Loughborough validated
programmes at BUE. It was noted that the detailed wording would be subject to
further discussions with BUE, and would be likely to contain restrictions on
the ability of students to ‘trail’ failed modules while being
permitted to progress, where the modules concerned were pre-requisites for more
advanced modules in the next part of the programme.
It was noted that BUE was
interested in exploring the possibility of obtaining professional accreditation
for its programmes from
The Vice-Chancellor thanked all
who had been involved with the BUE project to date, and looked forward to
reports of further progress.
07/3 Amendment
to Ordinance XV – Study Leave and Leave to Accept an Externally Funded
Award
SEN07-P3
Senate approved proposals from the
Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research) to amend Ordinance XV on Study Leave and Leave
to Accept an Externally Funded Award. The amendments were intended to increase
the flexibility of the existing regulations, not change them in a fundamental
way. It was hoped also, that they could be signalled in RAE returns as an
administrative measure designed to enhance and support research activity and
productivity.
In discussion, it was emphasised
that there was no absolute entitlement to study leave, and it should not be
considered exceptional for an application to be rejected by a Head of
Department or the relevant Dean for failing to meeting one or more of the
conditions listed in paragraph 2 of Ordinance XV. In particular, it was important
for Heads and Deans to consider carefully what each period of study leave would
deliver.
07/4 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice
Chancellor (
SEN07-P4
Senate received a report from the
Pro-Vice Chancellor (
07/5 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice
Chancellor (Teaching)
SEN07-P5
5.1 Student Recruitment
2007-08
Senate received a progress report
from the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Teaching).
5.2 National Student Survey
2007
The Pro-Vice Chancellor (Teaching)
reported that Loughborough was behind some of its key competitors in its
response rate to the NSS for 2007. Good work in promoting the survey to
students was being done in departments, and by the Students’ Union (particular
thanks were given to Karen Roxborough for her work in this area), but it was
vital that the University continued to work hard, particularly as other
Universities were becoming increasingly focussed on improving their NSS ratings.
In discussion, good practices
employed by departments who had achieved a high response rate were highlighted,
and these included making early initial contact with finalist students, issuing
reminders (without making finalists feel that they were being harassed), and
emphasising the University’s previous good performance, and its ambitions
to continue to improve performance in partnership with students.
Members were encouraged to alert
the Academic Registrar immediately to any technical difficulties experienced by
students in completing the survey, and Heads of Department were asked to
provide Marie Kennedy with details of the dates and times of finalist lectures
as soon as possible, so that members of the Executive Committee could arrange
to attend and encourage students to participate in the survey.
07/6 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice
Chancellor (Research)
SEN07-P6
6.1 Research Applications
– Quarterly Analysis by Department
The Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research)
reported that 301 research applications had been submitted in the first 6
months of 2006-07, with a total value of £35.5M. The University was therefore
on course to match its performance in 2005-06, but there was some concern that
performance had not improved, and that the average value of applications had
fallen, despite the introduction of full economic costings. The PVC(R) would
monitor the situation closely.
Secretary’s note: It was established that there was an error in
some of the data in SEN07-P6 and a revised version was circulated by email on 8
March 2007.
SEN06-P7
6.2 New Research Grants and
Contracts
Income from new research grants
and contracts stood at £14.7M after 6 months of 2006-07, and was on course to
meet or slightly exceed the total for the previous year.
6.3 RAE 2008
The PVC(R) reported on
preparations for the RAE 2008. All academic departments would be engaging with
the Research Performance Monitoring Group over the following 3 months, experienced
‘mentors’ had been allocated to each department, and the PVC(R),
together with Angela Crawford, would be meeting with all Heads of Department
and Departmental Research Co-ordinators in order to help fine-tune their
returns. Statements relating to generic elements of each department’s
return (such as support from the Research Office) would be circulated in due
course. Final decisions on the staff to be returned would be made by RPMG with
the aim of optimising the return and including as many staff as possible.
Preparations for the mini-RAE
exercise in 2009 would begin almost immediately after 2007, and it was
important, therefore, that departments made use of the systems already in place
to keep their metrics, RA2s, and publications databases up to date as an
ongoing process.
6.4 Research Outputs
There were still funds available
to help researchers engage in activities, specifically the presentation of
their work at conferences, which would contribute to the RAE return. Those
interested were encouraged to approach the PVC(R) immediately.
The PVC(R) ended by drawing
attention to a number of specific research outputs across the University.
07/7 Matters for Report by the Vice-Chancellor
The Vice-Chancellor
reported on the following matters:
(i)
Senate offered its sincere condolences to the
families, and all others affected by the sad and untimely deaths of first year
students Lindsay Kelly and Stephen Jones.
(ii)
There had been a great deal of media interest in a
series of assaults on students that had taken place in Loughborough since the
Autumn term. Thanks were offered to the Students’ Union for the way in
which it had handled the media, and offered support to students by providing
advice on, and increasing awareness of personal safety, without creating any
sense of panic.
(iii)
There had been an increase of 5.9% in the
University’s HEFCE grant for 2007-08. It was noted also that HEFCE had
reallocated £60M of existing QR funding for 2007-08 to business element research,
based on the research income from
(iv)
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor reported that an
additional £1.9M of funding from top-up tuition fees would be income-streamed
back to Faculties. Deans would be asked to produce prioritised proposals for
use of the funding which would be scrutinised by Operations Sub-Committee to
ensure sustainability.
(v)
Senate noted the retirements of Michael Pearson at
the end of March 2007, and John Town at the end of 2007, and thanked both for
their contributions to the University. The recruitment consultants Perrett
Laver had been engaged to assist in appointing a Chief Operating Officer, to provide strategic leadership and
responsibility for the areas currently covered by Michael and John (noting
that Michael’s Director of Finance role had already been taken over by
Rachel Wiggans). The job description would state that the COO would fulfil the
responsibilities of the Registrar as indicated in the Charter and Statutes.
07/8 Programme
Proposals
SEN07-P8
On the recommendation of Learning and Teaching Committee, on
the advice of Curriculum Sub-Committee, Senate recommended to Council as
appropriate:
8.1 New Programmes for introduction in the
2007-08 session
PGCert Infrastructure in Emergencies
BSc, DPS Information Technology Management
for Business
8.2 Award,
Title or Major Programme Changes from the 2007-08 session (unless stated)
BSc Ergonomics (Human Factors) to BSC Ergonomics (Human Factors Design)
MA Making Performance and Multi-Media Texts to
MA Performance and Multi-Media Texts
BSc Applied Design (Product Performance and Safety) to BSc Design with Engineering Materials
(immediate effect)
8.3
Discontinuation of Programmes (last intake shown in brackets)
BEng Materials with Management Studies (October 2007)
MSc Vehicle Safety Engineering (no recruitment)
07/9 Learning
and Teaching Committee
On the recommendation of Learning
and Teaching Committee Senate approved:
SEN07-P9
9.1 Academic Credit
Proposals from the Programme
Development and Quality Team.
SEN07-P10
9.2 Validation Procedure
A revised validation procedure, on
the recommendation of the Validation Working Group.
SEN07-P11
9.3 Feedback to students on their work
Proposals from the Programme
Development and Quality Team.
SEN07-P12
9.4 Award of PGCE on MSc in Education with
QTS
A recommendation that students entering Year 2 having
completed the PGCE element be permitted to retain their PGCE award.
07/10 Student
Discipline Committee
SEN07-P13
Senate received a report from the meeting of the Student
Discipline Committee on 28 November 2006, and approved in principle, the
following recommendations:
10.1Procedure for Expulsions and
Suspensions
10.2Non-compliance with Penalties
07/11 Prizes
Committee
SEN07-P14
On the recommendation of Prizes Committee, Senate approved
the establishment of new prizes, amendments to prizes, and the discontinuation
of prizes.
07/12 Update on
University Strategy
SEN07-P15
Senate received a report on
progress.
07/13 Reports
from Committees
Senate received reports from the
following Committees:
13.1 SEN07-P16 Learning
and Teaching Committee of 15 February 2007
13.2 SEN07-P17 Prizes
Committee of 22 February 2007
07/14 QAA
Institutional Audit
Senate noted that the QAA had confirmed the following dates
for Loughborough’s next
institutional audit:
·
Briefing
visit – week commencing 4 February 2008
·
Audit
visit – week commencing 10 March 2008
07/15 ATLES – Access to Loughborough
Engineering and Science – an International Science and Engineering
Foundation Programme
Senate
noted that articulation agreements had been entered into with
07/16 Date of Next
Meeting
Wednesday 4
July 2007 at 9.15am
Author: C
Dunbobbin
Date: March 2007
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