SENATE
SEN07-M5
Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of
Senate on Wednesday 21 November 2007.
|
Memis
Acar (ab) Jo
Aldridge David
Allen Chris
Backhouse (ab) Anja
Baumhoff Morag
Bell David
Berry Jon
Binner Ed Brown Paul
Chung Sandra
Dann (ab) Simon
Darvill Ian
Davidson James
Dearnley (ab) Neil
Dixon Sophie
Driscoll Clive
Edwards Peter
Golding Keith
Gregory |
Shirley
Pearce Neil
Halliwell Jon
Harper Roger
Haslam Emma
Herod (ab) Elaine
Hobby Tony
Hodgson Ray Jones Terry
Kavanagh David
Kerr (ab) Feo
Kusmartsev (ab) Chris
Linton Julian
Mackenzie (ab) Danny
McNiece Marsha
Meskimmon Mary
Morley Charles
Oppenheim Rob
Parkin Ken
Parsons |
Eric
Pentecost Jonathan
Potter Gareth
Pritchard Ian Reid Peter
Render Chris
Rielly Steve
Rothberg Dennis
Smith (ab) Gerry
Swallowe Tim Swift Tony
Thorpe Rob
Thring (ab) David
Twigg Yiannis
Vardaxoglou (ab) Richard
Wakeman (ab) Peter
Warwick David
Whalley (ab) Peter
Winter Dominic
Wring |
In attendance: Chris Dunbobbin, Fidelma Hannah
(for items 07/81-07/83), Jennifer Nutkins, Will Spinks
Apologies for absence were received
from: Memis Acar,
Sandra Dann, James Dearnley,
Emma Herod, David Kerr, Julian Mackenzie, Dennis Smith, Rob Thring, Yiannis
Vardaxoglou,
Richard Wakeman, David Whalley
The Vice-Chancellor
welcomed the University’s new Chief Operating Officer, Will Spinks, and
all others for whom it was their first meeting.
07/79 Minutes
It was RESOLVED
to confirm and sign the Minutes of the Ordinary meeting held on 4 July 2007
(SEN07-M3), subject to amendments to the final sentence of 07/34 (Loughborough
Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, Singapore), as follows: “It was
noted in discussion that it was likelypossible that
Loughborough’s presence in Singapore wouldcould trigger a
tax liability, and the implications of the extent of this were being
investigated.”
07/80 Powers
and Functions of Senate
SEN07-P69
Senate NOTED the powers and
functions of Senate.
07/81 University
Strategy
SEN07-P70
Senate RECEIVED a report from the Deputy
Vice-Chancellor on monitoring and review arrangements for the University
Strategy implementation plans. The aim was to fully integrate for the first
time the strategic and financial planning processes for departments and support
services with the University’s overall strategy.
The
progress reporting structure was a digested version of the full implementation
plans, and did not therefore contain all points of detail. Senate
would welcome more explicit emphasis on development of the Library as the
Learning & Teaching and Research implementation plans were taken forward.
It was confirmed that plans for investment in the Sports Development Centre
would be monitored closely for value for money.
07/82 Advancement
SEN07-P71, SEN07-P72
Senate RECEIVED an update on steps taken in relation to the
Development aspect of Advancement since the last meeting, and NOTED the
following in particular:
i)
The
University had appointed Ron Gray (currently Director of Development and Alumni
Relations at
ii)
In
order to allow the Vice-Chancellor to provide senior leadership and significant
time commitment to this area, it was proposed that there would be a gradual
adjustment of the Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor’s roles
(involving a greater delegation of operational matters to the latter and a
reduction in the involvement of the former in internal management activities).
It was proposed also that the following expanded titles would be used, although
only in appropriate contexts: Vice-Chancellor and President, Provost and Deputy
Vice-Chancellor. There was no intention to change fundamental accountabilities
in terms of the Charter and Statutes and HEFCE, nor to formalise the above
titles in the Charter and Statutes.
iii)
The
University had participated in consultations regarding the government’s
match-funding scheme. It was likely that under the scheme, £2M would be
available to the University over a 3 year period (2008-11) if it was able to
raise £4M above a “baseline” of existing performance.
07/83 Reorganisation
of Committees
SEN07-P73
Senate RESOLVED to approve a number of changes to the
Committee Structure, relating to the abolition of Resources and Planning
Committee, with effect from 1 January 2008.
The changes would lead to efficiencies (as debate would no
longer be repeated at Resources and Planning Committee and Council), and to a
greater degree of clarity and transparency (as reports from the former
Sub-Committees of Resources and Planning Committee would be received directly
by Senate and Council), without any reduction in the important contribution to debate
provided by staff and student members. Decisions and recommendations relating
to financial issues were to be devolved to Operations Sub-Committee and
Performance Monitoring Group.
07/84 QAA
Institutional Audit 2008
SEN07-P74
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching) provided an update on
arrangements for the QAA Institutional Audit 2008, which would take place on
10-14 March 2008, following a briefing visit on 4-6 February 2008.
07/85 Monitoring
of Research Student Progress
SEN07-P75
Senate RECEIVED revised proposals from the Research
Committee Regulations Review Group. Senate was satisfied that concerns
expressed at its last meeting (in relation to the potential for the proposed
Annual Report on Progress form to create a duplication of effort, and to the
need to recognise legitimate diversity by subject in the way in which students
were supervised) had been addressed, and it RESOLVED to approve the proposals,
for implementation as soon as possible, from a specific date to be confirmed by
the Group. In discussion, the following points were noted:
i)
The
proposals required that a minimum of 12 formal contacts between supervisor and
student should normally take place per annum. However, this contact did not necessarily
need to take the form of a face to face meeting, and it would be for
departments to interpret this requirement in a manner appropriate to the
discipline concerned, and to manage compliance accordingly.
ii)
It
was the responsibility of the supervisor, on behalf of the institution, rather
than the student, to ensure that the 12 formal contacts took place and that
they were recorded. This could be implemented locally by requiring the student
to prepare a written record.
iii)
It
would be crucial for departments to ensure that an Annual Report on Progress
form was completed for all active students so they were subsequently formally
re-registered by the Research Student Office, and therefore included in the
University’s HESES return.
iv)
There
was support for the notion of recording formal supervisory contact meetings and
their outcomes on Co-tutor, but it was noted that it would be helpful in this
context if the application was enhanced to allow documents to be uploaded.
ACTION: Secretary
07/86 Revision
of Undergraduate Bursary Scheme and Access Agreement
SEN07-P76
Senate RECEIVED proposed revisions to the Undergraduate
Bursary Scheme and Access Agreement. Under the proposed new scheme there would
be two rather than six income bands, and the proportion of additional fee
income spent on bursaries would be approximately 17% (although the University
had yet to explain to OFFA the rationale for reducing this proportion from 19%
in the original Access Agreement). It was noted that:
i)
No
students would be worse-off as a result of the changes.
ii)
No
evidence had yet emerged from within the University, or from the sector
generally, to suggest that bursary schemes were having any impact on student
recruitment. However, the situation would continue to be monitored.
iii)
The
University could not discuss schemes directly with other institutions, but it
was felt that many would make similar adjustments, and that some might raise
their upper income threshold for the award of bursaries, possibly as high as
£40K.
iv)
The
failure of some students to claim bursaries to which they were entitled had
been a problem across the sector, but the University was working hard in this
area, and it was hoped that improvements to the documentation issued by the
Student Loans Company would help to improve the situation.
Senate RESOLVED to recommend the revisions to Council.
07/87 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor
(
SEN07-P77
Senate RECEIVED a report from the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (
In discussion, it was noted that there were indications in
the pre-budget and Sainsbury reports that increased funding was likely to be
made available to Higher Education Institutions for enterprise-related
activities, but there were some concerns about the likely metrics to be
employed. It would be important, therefore, to ensure that the University was
in a position to influence the national debate about how such activity was
defined and measured for the purposes of allocating funding, and that it had in
place appropriate mechanisms to record its activities in this area.
07/88 Matters
for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching)
SEN07-P78
88.1
Student Recruitment
Senate RECEIVED a report on student recruitment, and offered
its thanks to all Admissions Tutors for their hard work during August 2007.
Targets had been exceeded in all areas other than UK/EU Taught Postgraduates
(where there was a downward national trend), without lowering the quality of
the intake. The above-target intake was expected to put pressure on certain
parts of the University, and it would be important to ensure that it did not
impact in a negative way on the student experience. A strategic review of
student intakes and populations for the next 5 years was underway, including
the impact of external pressures and opportunities for new developments. Close
communications would be maintained with departments as the review progressed.
SEN07-P79
88.2 National Student Survey 2007
Senate RECEIVED a report on the National Student Survey
2007. For the third year, the University had achieved a good result, and was
ranked second only to
The Academic Registrar advised members that the University
had recently signed up to a survey of all students (excluding those in the NSS
2008). It included questions on academic issues, and on support services, and
it was hoped that it would generate a set of interesting data, including sector
comparisons, that would complement that produced by the NSS.
07/89 Matters
for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)
SEN07-P80
89.1 Research Applications – Quarterly
Analysis by Department
Senate NOTED a quarterly analysis
of research applications by department. The University’s success-rate in
terms of applying for external funding was already good, but there had been
420 unsuccessful applications in
2006-07, and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) was reviewing the extent to
which performance in this area could be improved.
SEN07-P81
89.2 New Research Grants and Contracts
Senate NOTED an analysis of new
research grants and contracts. There had been a drop in the grand total
achieved for 2006-07, as compared to the two previous years, and this was a
cause for some concern. However, 2004-05 and 2005-06 had both seen very large
specific awards that were heavily front-loaded and these served to distort the
analysis to some extent.
89.3 RAE 2008
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) presented a verbal update
on RAE 2008 preparations, ahead of the submission deadline on Friday 30
November 2007, and thanked Heads of Department, research co-ordinators, and
academics for their hard work. It was anticipated that the University would
return 93-94% of all its teaching and research staff. This was likely to be
towards the top end of the scale in comparison with other institutions, and
served to underline Loughborough’s status as a research intensive
University. Senate offered its thanks to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research),
Angela Crawford, and all in the Research Office for their work in preparing for
the RAE 2008. A consultation paper on future research assessment was to be
issued shortly. Concern was growing about the likely reliance on metrics, and
it was further noted that Professor Charles Oppenheim was serving on a
committee advising on technical aspects.
89.4 Research Outputs
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) presented a verbal report
on research outputs, and referred specifically to two strong examples of
ecologically directed research within IPTME: A new rubber formulation for green
tyres, which reduced the use of rubber chemicals by up to 60-70%, developed by
Dr Ali Ansarifar, and a hafnium-containing steel that would outlast its
equivalents currently operating in power plants around the world by almost a
factor of two, developed by Professor Roy Faulkner's research group.
89.5 Other Matters
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) noted that the RAE 2008
process had highlighted a number of areas in which similar research was being
carried out by different individuals and/or groups which appeared to be unaware
that there were others within the institution with whom they might be in a
position to collaborate. It was intended to invite such groups to meet in order
to explore the potential for collaborative work.
07/90 Matters for Report by the Vice-Chancellor
The Vice-Chancellor
reported on the following matters:
i)
Congratulations were offered to those involved in
the successful bid to host the ETI Hub, and to all those in the Vehicle Safety Research Centre and
the Driver Sleepiness Research Group responsible for securing the
University’s sixth Queens’ Anniversary Prize (QAP) in recognition
of its vehicle, road and driver safety research.
ii)
Professor Chris Backhouse had established an
Internationalisation Advisory Group, and was working with Christina Zhang (LSU
International Development Officer) on initiatives to enhance the international
experience for all students, and seeking to identify institutions across the
world with whom the University might wish to establish and develop mutually
beneficial relationships.
iii)
Following the end of Professor Tom Weyman-Jones
tenure as Head of Department of Economics, ways in which the
07/91 Programme
Proposals
SEN07-P82
On the recommendation of Learning and Teaching Committee, on
the advice of Curriculum Sub-Committee, Senate RESOLVED to recommend to Council
as appropriate:
91.1 New programmes for introduction in the
2007-08 session
FdEng Foundation Degree programme in
Fundamentals of Powertrain Engineering
91.2 Award,
title or major programme changes with effect from September 2007 entry (unless
stated)
MSc, PGDip, PGCert Management (Higher Education
Administration) to MSc, PGDip, PGCert Management and Leadership (Higher
Education Administration)
MSc, PGDip, PGCert Management (NG Bailey) to MSc, PGDip,
PGCert Management and Leadership (NG Bailey)
MSc, PGDip, PGCert Management (Thomas Cook) to MSc, PGDip,
PGCert Management and Leadership (Thomas Cook)
MSc, PGDip, PGCert Management (Professional) to MSc, PGDip,
PGCert Management and Leadership (Professional)
PGCert Management (British Printing Industries Federation)
to PGCert Management and Leadership (Print and Packaging)
PGCert Management (Federation of Sports and Play Associates)
to PGCert Management and Leadership (Federation of Sports and Play
Associations)
BSc Retail Management to BSc Retailing, Marketing and
Management (October 2009 entry)
91.3 Discontinuation of the following
programmes (last intake shown in brackets)
MSc Risk and Reliability Methods
(October 2004)
MSc, PGDip, PGCert Management
(Professional) – (FKI) (2001-02)
07/92 Learning
and Teaching Committee
On the recommendation of Learning and Teaching Committee
Senate RESOLVED to approve:
SEN07-P83
92.1 English Language Entry Requirements
Amendments to English language entry requirements for entry
to postgraduate taught programmes.
SEN07-P84
92.2 Widening Participation Strategy
A revised widening participation
strategy and supporting documentation.
SEN07-P85
92.3 Assessment of Students
Amendments to University assessment procedures as described
in the Academic Quality Procedures Handbook.
SEN07-P86
92.4 Curriculum Sub-Committee
Revised terms of reference.
SEN07-P87
92.5 Procedures for Approval, Monitoring and
Review of Collaborative Provision
Revised procedures, drawing together existing validation
procedures and the code of practice for collaborative provision.
07/93
SEN07-P88
Senate NOTED the action of the BUE Validation Sub-Committee
on behalf of Senate in approving the validation of BUE degree programmes, and
other developments.
07/94 Prizes
Committee
On the recommendation of Prizes Committee, Senate RESOLVED
to approve:
SEN07-P89
94.1 The
establishment of new prizes, amendments to prizes, and the discontinuation of
prizes.
SEN07-P90
94.2 Revised Terms of Reference of Prizes
Committee.
07/95 Librarian’s
Annual Report 2006-07
SEN07-P91
This item was unstarred to note concerns about the extent to
which Loughborough’s library provision lagged behind that of its 1994
Group counterparts. There was general agreement among members that the
University’s library expenditure per student (which stood at 68% of the
1994 Group mean) was low for a
In discussion, the following points were noted:
i)
In
order to match the 1994 Group mean, the University would need to spend an
additional £1M per year on the library, and if this took the form of spending
on books, additional shelf-space would be required.
ii)
In
deciding on any increase in resources allocated to the library, it would be
important to give careful consideration to a number of issues, including the
balance between electronic and hard-copy resources, the ways in which resources
could be used most efficiently, the requirements of new subject areas, and the
priorities identified in the University Strategy.
iii) It
was suggested that developing the library could form an initial project under
the University’s Advancement initiative. It was noted, however, that
library fundraising tended be difficult where money was sought for intangible
materials (such as subscriptions to electronic journals) rather than hard-copy
books.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor noted that significant additional
funding had recently been allocated to the library, as recorded in minute
07/32(i). However, Senate’s views on the importance of this issue were
noted, and would be taken into consideration in the next budget round.
07/96 Membership
of Senate 2007-08
SEN07-P92
Senate NOTED the membership of Senate for 2007-08.
07/97 Reports
from Committees
Senate RECEIVED reports from the following Committees:
97.1 SEN07-P93 Learning
and Teaching Committee of 8 November 2007.
97.2 SEN07-P94 Prizes
Committee of 8 November 2007.
07/98 Dates of Future Meetings
Wednesday 30 January
2008 (am)
Wednesday 5 March 2008
(am)
Wednesday 2 July 2008
(am)
Author: C
Dunbobbin
Date: November
2007
Copyright ©
Loughborough University. All rights reserved.