SENATE
SEN09-M1
Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of
Senate on Wednesday 28 January 2009.
|
Jo
Aldridge (ab) Simon
Austin Chris
Backhouse Anja
Baumhoff Morag
Bell David
Berry (ab) Jon
Binner Edwin
Bowden-Peters Ed Brown (ab) Sandra
Dann (ab) Ian
Davidson (ab) James
Dearnley (ab) Phill
Dickens (ab) Neil
Dixon (ab) Clive
Edwards Peter
Golding Neil
Halliwell Jon
Harper Roger
Haslam |
Shirley
Pearce Oli
Hiscoe (ab) Elaine
Hobby Tony
Hodgson Ray Jones
Terry
Kavanagh David
Kerr (ab) Feo
Kusmartsev Fiona
Levey Chris
Linton Julian
Mackenzie (ab) Danny
McNiece Marsha
Meskimmon Mary
Morley Paul Palmer Rob
Parkin Ken
Parsons Chris
Peel Eric Pentecost |
Iain
Phillips Jonathan
Potter (ab) Gareth
Pritchard Ian Reid Peter
Render Chris
Rielly Steve
Rothberg Dennis
Smith (ab) Richard
Stobart (ab) Gerry
Swallowe Tony
Thorpe (ab) David
Twigg Yiannis
Vardaxoglou Peter
Warwick Andrew
Watson Mark Webber David
Whalley Dominic
Wring |
In
attendance: Chris Dunbobbin, Jennifer Nutkins, Will Spinks, Nigel Thomas,
Caroline Walker, Kathryn Walsh
Apologies
for absence were received from: Jo Aldridge, Ed Brown, Sandie Dann, Ian
Davidson, Phill Dickens, Neil Dixon, Oli Hiscoe, Jonathan Potter, Steve
Rothberg (for late arrival), Dennis Smith, Richard Stobart, Tony Thorpe.
09/1 Minutes
It was
RESOLVED to confirm and sign the Minutes of the Ordinary meeting held on 19
November 2008 (SEN08-M7).
09/2 RAE
Outcome
SEN09-P1
Senate RECEIVED a summary report from the
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) on the results of the RAE 2008 exercise. The
University’s overall performance was very good, and a high proportion of
research had been recognised as world-leading or internationally excellent,
underlining Loughborough’s status as one of the country’s leading
research universities. The results, together with the sub-profiles, written
feedback and subject overviews, had been reflected on and discussed by ELT,
within departments and Directorates, and within the Research Office, and would
be considered further in future research planning. The results also reinforced
proposed changes in arrangements for supporting research applications which would
shortly be brought forward. Further executive action would be informed by the
funding outcomes which would be released in March 2009.
Thanks were offered to Heads of Department, Directors of
Research, and all other staff in academic departments who had been responsible
for producing high quality research, and to Angela Crawford, and all in the
Research Office, who had been involved in preparing the University’s RAE
submission.
09/3 University
Strategy
SEN09-P2
Senate NOTED a draft timetable for
the review of the University’s Strategic Plan. The review would take
account of changes in the HE environment and determine whether any amendments
to the Strategy were required.
09/4
SEN09-P3
The Director of Internationalisation presented a paper,
which noted that the University was in the very early stages of considering a
feasibility study into the establishment of a branch campus in the proposed
Kuala Lumpur Education City (KLEC). No commitment to proceed had been made at
this stage, and Senate was invited to note the development and comment on
issues that might be considered during the feasibility study.
The following comments were noted in discussion:
(i)
It
was unlikely that the project would yield significant direct financial rewards (although
the view was expressed that it should at least be expected to break-even, if
not return a small profit). Rather, the benefits would lie in the potential to raise
the University’s international profile. The financial risks and
opportunity costs were under initial assessment and would be fully evaluated as
part of the feasibility study.
(ii)
Careful
consideration would need to be given to a number of practical issues relating
to the delivery of taught programmes, including the responsibility for administrative
arrangements; the extent of local governmental intervention in relation to
issues such as academic regulatory framework and intake of students; and
staffing, including the extent to which Loughborough staff would be required to
deliver teaching, and whether it would be possible to recruit sufficient
high-quality, full-time staff locally. There were also issues to be addressed
relating to co-operating with other partner institutions involved in the
project.
(iii)
It
was likely that there would be a significant impact on those Loughborough departments
involved, as the proposed branch campus would need to be fully integrated into
the University’s operations. However, it would not be assumed that
Loughborough staff would be in a position to take on work relating to KLEC in
addition to their existing roles.
(iv)
It
was suggested that the feasibility study should include consideration of an
exit-strategy, so this was ready if required.
The Vice-Chancellor thanked members for their comments, and
asked for any further views to be directed to the Director of
Internationalisation.
09/5 School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences
SEN09-P4
Senate RESOLVED to approve the
new name and associated revised departmental structure for the
The following comments were noted in discussion:
(i)
There
had been a broad consultation process, involving staff and students, and the
name chosen had received the most support.
(ii)
There
would be no immediate changes to module and programme provision for existing
students.
(iii)
Discussions
had taken place with the Director of Development and Alumni Relations to ensure
that any Advancement opportunities arising as part of the establishment of the
new school were maximised, and that Alumni links relating to the old
departments were maintained.
09/6
SEN09-P5
Senate NOTED that discussions were taking place regarding
the possible formation of a School of Design (working title) involving the
Department of Design and Technology, the Ergonomics and Safety Research
Institute, and the Department of Human Sciences (Physical Ergonomics).
The following comments were noted in discussion:
(i)
Clarification
was provided that the paper originated from Tony Hodgson, Head of Department of
Design and Technology, Roger Haslam, Head of Department of Human Sciences, and
John Richardson, Director of the Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute.
(ii)
It
was felt that the proposed new school was an exciting development which would bring
together a number of areas of excellence within the University relating to
design, and facilitate multi- and cross-disciplinary working. It would be
important, however, to ensure that there was clarity in relation to the use of
the word ‘design’ in the context of different disciplines. The new
school would be open to collaboration and interaction with other parts of the
University. Plans were also under discussion to form a
(iii)
Council
was expected to decide on whether to proceed with a proposed new Design Centre
building in July 2009. If the project went ahead, it was hoped that it would be
completed by Summer 2011.
(iv)
The
proposed new school offered the opportunity to establish a single, larger, and
more financially robust cost-centre, building on recent RAE successes, in line
with the University’s strategic planning.
The Vice-Chancellor thanked members for their comments, and
asked for any further views to be directed to the Head of the Department of
Design and Technology.
09/7 Research Committee
SEN09-P6
Senate
RECEIVED a report of the meeting of Research Committee held on 12 January 2009,
and on the recommendation of Research Committee:
SEN09-P7
7.1 Amendments
to the Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research and Notes for Guidance
Senate RESOLVED to approve proposed amendments to the
Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research and to replace the existing Notes
for Guidance with a new Code of Practice, subject to the following comments,
which would be addressed by the Director of the
(i)
There
was some discussion of the implications, under copyright law, of the proposal
that candidates be required to deposit a copy of their final PhD thesis in
electronic format. It was noted in particular that where a thesis contained
third party copyright material, it was illegal for an electronic version to be made publicly
available, unless permission from the copyright holder(s) had been obtained. The Director of the
(ii)
Differing views were expressed as to whether it was
necessary to retain a requirement for final PhD theses to be provided in hard (as
opposed to electronic) copy. In some discipline areas, the hard copy was not subsequently
used in the department and an electronic copy was preferred. However, this was
not the case across all departments, and it was felt that careful consideration
would need to be given to a number of issues including the formatting and
long-term storage of electronic copies of theses (to guard, in particular,
against software becoming obsolete), and the ease of reading for examiners,
before hard copies were abandoned. Hard copies would continue to be required
for examiners.
09/8 Student
Services
8.1 Loughborough Students’ Union
Voice Service
Senate RECEIVED a presentation from the Vice-President
(Education) of Loughborough Students’
The Voice initiative included the establishment of a central
website, part of which was named “Ed-Trac”. It was noted, however,
that the term “TRAC” had a particular meaning for University staff
- Transparent Approach to Costing - and it was suggested that in order to avoid
any confusion, LSU consider changing the name of this part of the service, for
example to “Ed-Trak.”
It was AGREED that the Vice-President (Education) would
circulate to Heads of Department a brief summary of the duties of programme
representatives, which staff could then use to publicise these roles within
their departments.
SEN09-P8
8.2 Senate
NOTED that the Department of Student Guidance and Welfare would be renamed as
the Department of Student Services, and that discussions were ongoing as to the
most appropriate date to action this change.
The following points were
highlighted by the Director of Student Services:
(i)
Student
Advice Centre staff had continued to offer support and guidance to students who
were in dispute with the University, and would continue to do so until 1 March
2009, as part of interim arrangements pending the formal establishment of the LSU
Voice service.
(ii)
There
were plans to broaden the remit of the Chaplaincy Centre, to include a new Muslim
Prayer Room, and facilities for other faith groups.
(iii)
A
new Student Support Centre would be established in the Angela Marmont building,
from the merging of the Student Advice Centre, and the International Student
Centre.
It was noted that the number of students supported by DANS
had increased from 655 in 2003-04 to 1,559 in 2007-08. It was suggested that
this was attributable in large part to students with disability and mental
health related issues becoming more willing to seek assistance. HESA statistics
showed that this was a sector-wide phenomenon. Reassurances were provided by
the Director of Student Services that proposals were in place to ensure that
DANS had sufficient staff and other resources to meet this additional demand on
its services. Senate’s views would be taken into account by Operations
Committee in considering budget submissions for 2009/10.
Academic departments were also affected by the increase in
the number of students presenting to DANS. In particular there appeared to have
been an increase in the number of students sitting exams in departments because
their additional needs were such that they could not be accommodated in the
main exam hall, or in the central extra-time venue. It was noted that there was
an ongoing dialogue between Registry and departments in relation to such
arrangements, and that Registry was happy to explore whether any more could be
done to centralise this provision.
09/9 Matters
for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)
SEN09-P9
9.1 Research
Applications – Quarterly Analysis by Department.
Senate RECEIVED data on research
applications for the period 1 August 2008 – 31 October 2008. The first
quarter performance was encouraging, with the total quantity of applications at
27%, and the total value of applications at 31% of the overall totals for
2007-08.
SEN09-P10
9.2 New
Research Grants and Contracts.
Senate RECEIVED data on new
research grants and contracts for the period 1 August 2008 – 31 October
2008. The first quarter performance was encouraging, with the total value of
new grants and contracts at around 29% of the overall total value for 2007-08.
9.3
Research Outputs.
The PVC(R) presented a brief
summary of some recently completed research from across the University, as
below:
(i)
Open Access Publishing. Professor Charles Oppenheim (Information
Science) together with a colleague in Australia had published research showing
how sharing research information via a more open access publishing model would
bring millions of pounds worth of savings to the higher education sector as
well as benefiting the UK generally. The research was commissioned by JISC, and
other partners within Loughborough were from Information Science, LISU and
Economics.
(ii)
Workplace
Learning. Research led by Professor Kevin Daniels in the
(iii)
The
Arts and Refugees and Asylum Seekers. Dr Maggie O’Neill (Social Sciences)
and Professor Phil Hubbard (Geography) had been leading research supported by
the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) knowledge transfer scheme. This
had recently included ‘The Sense of Belonging’ exhibition, which formed
one strand of their work as part of a larger project: ‘Beyond Borders:
making connections’.
The PVC(R) also noted the following new books:
(iv)
Loughborough’s new Professor
of History Chris Szejnmann,
had co-edited a book entitled ‘Ordinary People as Mass
Murderers’, which
explored how ‘ordinary’
people come to participate in mass murder.
(v)
Dr
Andrew Millie (Social Sciences): ‘Anti-Social Behaviour.’ Using
case studies and examples, this book introduced the concept of anti-social
behaviour and examined its implications for society in the 21st century.
(vi)
Dr.
Michael Atkinson and K. Young (
09/10 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching)
10.1
Student Recruitment.
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching) reported that
the deadline for undergraduate applications had passed on 15 January 2009, and
taken together, the number of applications from home, EU and international
students was up by 18% on the previous year, compared to a sector average of
+7%. The University’s very strong performance across the majority of
departments was attributable to its increased visibility, and to the
attractiveness of its programmes (the excellent work of Curriculum
Sub-Committee, chaired by Professor Simon Austin, was acknowledged in this context).
It was particularly pleasing that more than 300 applications had been received
for the new suite of history programmes.
The large number of applications provided an
excellent opportunity to increase the quality of the intake. However, they would
need to be managed very carefully to ensure the University did not over-recruit,
and face being
subjected to financial penalties.
It was
noted that demographic data made it likely that institutions across the sector
would experience increased demand for entry in 2009. Further consideration
would be given to the demographic data referred to, with a view to making
representations to DIUS and HEFCE as appropriate.
10.2
NSS
The 2009
NSS was due to start in the week following the meeting. It would be important
again to ensure that the response rate was as high as possible, and the crucial
role played by the Students’ Union in encouraging students to participate
was emphasised. For departments, the NSS also presented an excellent
opportunity to provide updates on developments in their area.
09/11 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor
(
SEN09-P11
Senate RECEIVED a report from the
Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (
09/12 Matters for Report by the Vice-Chancellor
The Vice-Chancellor
reported on the following matters:
12.1Olympic Legacy.
A feasibility study was being
undertaken by Grant Thornton into the establishment of higher educational
activity on the site of the 2012 London Olympics, and Loughborough had
responded positively to an invitation from the Mayor of London’s Office
to be involved. Senate was reassured that this project was in its very early
stages, and that if any firm proposals emerged from the feasibility study,
Senate would be consulted in detail.
It was noted that the University
was close to being able to confirm which international Olympic team would be
hosted on campus prior to the 2012 Olympics. A substantial amount of preparatory
work had already been done, and further detailed planning would take place once
the identity of the team was confirmed.
12.2THE Student Experience
Article.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that the
lead article in the previous week’s edition of the Times Higher Education
magazine, on the Student Experience, had been an excellent piece of coverage
for the University. Work was underway to alert graduate recruiters to the
article.
12.3Economic Climate.
The University was to some extent
protected from the immediate impact of the recession, because much of its
income was secure for the current academic year. Nonetheless, the effects of
the economic downturn were beginning to be felt in areas such as graduate
recruitment, industrial placements, and commercial activities. It would be
important for the University to maintain its strong relationships with
industrial and governmental partners and to recognise and exploit opportunities
that arose; HEFCE, for example, had made a modest amount of money available to
support initiatives to help business.
The letter outlining DIUS’s
allocation to HEFCE for 2009-10 had indicated that there would be no further
ASNs, and that any over-recruitment in the sector could result in HEFCE being
required to return part of its grant. That the budgetary information given by
DIUS covered only 2009-10 also suggested that there might be some government cuts
in spending on higher education in subsequent years.
ELT had established a standing agenda
item on the potential and actual impact of the recession, and would act to try
to protect the University from the worst effects. Senate members were invited
to alert ELT to any areas where they felt there might be particular
difficulties or opportunities.
12.4Pay and Pensions.
The Chief Operating Officer
provided an update: At its meeting in December, Council had concluded that it
was minded to participate in national pay-bargaining arrangements in 2009-10.
It was understood that in doing so, Loughborough would be bound to
support any national negotiating position. However, it remained to be seen
whether round-table talks involving all parties would be possible. The first
negotiating meeting was due to take place in March 2009, when HEFCE financial
settlements were known, but UCU was dissatisfied with this timeframe, and had
approached ACAS in relation to this and a number of other concerns. ACAS had
subsequently met with other unions, and with UCEA, and was forming a view as to
whether it could assist at this stage. Notwithstanding the above, UCU had
submitted a pay claim for 2009-10 of RPI+5% or 8%, whichever was greater. UCEA
had said that it would consider this at the aforementioned March meeting.
12.5 International Scholarship Awards.
The Vice-Chancellor thanked all Heads of Department and
members of ELT who had been able to attend the previous evening’s
International Scholarship Awards.
09/13 Amendments to Ordinances
Senate
RESOLVED to recommend to Council amendments to the following Ordinances:
SEN09-P12
13.1 Ordinance
II Status of Students
To make explicit that a student would only be deemed to have
successfully completed his/her programme of study upon the formal conferral of
their award.
SEN09-P13
13.2 Ordinance
IV Titles of Degrees and Conditions of Award
To
provide for the award of Honorary Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts
degrees.
09/14 Reports from Committees
Senate
RECEIVED reports from the following Committees:
14.1 SEN09-P14 Costing
and Pricing Committee of 17 September 2008.
14.2 SEN09-P15 Estates
Management Committee of 6 November 2008.
14.3 SEN09-P16 Performance
Monitoring Group of 3 December 2008.
14.4 SEN09-P17 Research
Performance Monitoring Group of 21 October 2008 and 25
November 2008.
09/15 Dates of Future Meetings in
2008-09
Wednesday 4 March 2009,
9.15am.
Wednesday 1 July 2009,
9.15am.
Author – Chris Dunbobbin
Date – January 2009
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