SENATE
SEN11-M7
Minutes of the Ordinary
Meeting of Senate on Wednesday 16 November
2011.
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In attendance: Chris Dunbobbin, Jennifer Nutkins, Paula Powditch, Jayde Savage, Caroline Walker.
Apologies
for absence were received from: Richard Bibb, Jonathon Chambers, Mike Cropper,
Jacqui Glass, Janet Harrison, Terry Kavanagh, David Kerr, Carol
Robinson.
The
Vice-Chancellor welcomed new members.
11/91 Minutes
Senate RESOLVED to
confirm and sign the Minutes of the Ordinary meeting held on 8 July 2011
(SEN11-M5).
11/92 Powers and Functions of Senate
SEN11-P105
Senate NOTED its powers and functions.
11/93 Senior Appointments
93.1 The Vice-Chancellor explained that she had
felt privileged to have been part of the University since 2005, and that after seven
years in the role she felt July 2012 was the right time to step down. Responsibility
for the appointment of the next Vice-Chancellor lay with Council, and the Secretary
to Council and Director of Human Resources had begun working with Sir Bryan
Carsberg and Sir Peter Bonfield to take forward the process as quickly as
possible. It was hoped that it would be possible for an appointment to be made
by Easter 2012.
SEN11-P106
93.2 Senate RESOLVED to recommend to Council
revisions to the procedures for the appointment of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor
and Pro-Vice-Chancellors. The procedures had been reviewed in light of changes
to the University structure, and the opportunity had also been taken to update
and streamline. It was agreed in discussion that the implementation of the
revised procedure should involve the expectation that members of Appointment
Committees would consult as widely as possible within the University.
11/94 Senate/Council Away Day
SEN11-P107
Senate RECEIVED a draft report on the
Senate/Council Away Day from the Director of Planning. The Vice-Chancellor gave
thanks to all who contributed to the Away Day, and to
Fidelma Hannah and the Planning Office in particular. Views on the draft report
were being sought from ALT, SWT, Senate and Council, before actions were
finalised. The following comments were noted in discussion:
i)
The questioning, in the ‘Using
Staff Skills More Effectively’ Action section, as to whether it was
realistic to expect academic staff to deliver across the research, teaching and
enterprise agenda was welcomed.
ii)
In relation to the ‘Investment
in our Strengths and Future Opportunities’ section, it would be necessary
to establish a transparent framework to determine how best to focus resources
in areas of strength and future potential, particularly in relation to the
breadth of disciplines covered. It was noted in this context, however, that the
University must not be over-cautious, but should be responsive to new
opportunities that arose.
iii)
It was agreed that there should be an
additional Action Required confirming that the
University would continue to focus on further enhancement of the student
experience.
iv)
Raising the University’s
international profile was implicit within all of the issues referred to in the
report, but it was agreed that consideration would be given to making this more
explicit.
Members were invited to email the Vice-Chancellor
with any further thoughts on the draft report.
11/95 Developing an Academic Activity on the
Olympic Park
SEN11-P108
Senate RECEIVED a paper providing an update
relating to the opportunity to develop a presence on the London Olympic Park.
The paper noted that the University would be required to submit a non-binding
expression of interest on 2 December 2011, and that more detailed proposals for
academic delivery would be brought to Senate in the first half of 2012, prior
to a final decision on participation being made in July 2012.
A Project Management Board, being led by
Professor Mike Caine, had begun to firm up ideas about the optimal range of
activities, the possible academic focus, and the positioning of the
development. There was a growing recognition that for the venture to be
successful, it would need to be of a significant size, and that success could
have a profound and transformational effect on the future standing and progress
of the University.
The DVC was leading a group which was
considering the academic principles which would underpin future thinking in
relation to the project.
Senate NOTED the continuing progress on the
project and the bid for space on favourable terms.
11/96 Establishment of Advanced Manufacturing
Institute
SEN11-P109
Senate RESOLVED to approve the establishment
of the Advanced Manufacturing (AM) Institute, and noted that steps would be
taken to identify a Director as soon as possible. The Vice Chancellor
congratulated all involved, and noted that the University had world-class
strengths in this discipline in research, teaching and enterprise, and it was
important that all of these, including those relating to teaching, were
articulated to the outside world as clearly as possible.
11/97 British University in Egypt
97.1 Senate NOTED the action of the
Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of Senate, on the recommendation of the BUE Validation
Sub-Committee, in lifting the suspension of the validation of the Economics
programme.
97.2 Senate NOTED other developments, including
the withdrawal of the validation of the Petroleum Engineering and Gas
Technology programme.
A decision on the future
of the partnership as a whole would be reached in 2012. This would be based in
part on progress made in relation to the projects being led by Professor Chris
Backhouse. Senate would receive further reports at future meetings.
11/98 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor
(Research)
SEN11-P110
Senate RECEIVED a report from the
PVC(R). The following points were highlighted:
i)
New Grants and Contracts. 413 awards had been
received, with a total value of £53.5M, representing a significant increase on
the previous record. Congratulations were offered to all involved.
ii)
PhD Students. 280 PhD degrees had
been awarded in 2010-11. This figure would be monitored closely as it was an
indicator of success in PhD supervision and a requirement for the REF.
iii)
Publications.
a)
The implementation of the publications
management system (LUPIN) would allow management of publications by individual
academics, and would provide an accurate record of all publications at
institutional level.
b)
There was significant support for
academics to submit their outputs to the Institutional Repository, and the new
IR Policy would require that all work published after 1 September 2011 be submitted. This would greatly increase awareness and
availability of outputs, and help to increase citations. The arrangements might
be significantly enhanced by use of the University’s Web Content
Management System to hold PDFs of the final versions of published papers linked
to the Repository. The COO would explore the potential to develop this approach
with the relevant staff in Marketing and Communications. ACTION: COO
c)
All staff were
expected to present 4 outputs by the end of December 2011. Plans would then be
developed to ensure the University met its requirement of a quality submission
to each Unit of Assessment in the REF.
d)
Schools were preparing around 100
impact case studies for submission to the Research Office by 16 December 2011. Work
would then be undertaken to enhance the case studies for REF submission.
iv)
REF Submissions. A model for each
Unit of Assessment, which would be able to predict likely performance including
quality profile and financial return, was being developed. Research Committee
would make decisions on the data entered into the model, based on expert
advice.
11/99 Matters for Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor
(Teaching)
SEN11-P111
99.1 Student Recruitment 2011
The recruitment process for 2011 entry had
been successful overall. In particular, UK/EU recruitment had exceeded target
and entry grades had risen. Targets for the three other student groups were
raised from 2010, and had proved to be challenging for some Schools.
International UG and PGT recruitment had been good, nonetheless, but UK/EU PGT
recruitment had been disappointing in some areas, with a drop in late deferrals
from 2010-11 and a late decline in conversion rates. Acceptance of job
opportunities by graduates at a late stage in the cycle appeared to explain
this position.
Applications for 2012 entry were down on 2011
at the time of reporting, although as in previous years there were significant
variations by subject. Offers from a
range of entry grades had been published for some subjects to increase
flexibility. Securing a good conversion rate was now key, and it was emphasised
that all within the institution who had contact with prospective students had a
role in this effort.
The following points were noted in
discussion:
i)
The University intended to review the
efficacy of its scholarship packages in relation to the 2012 recruitment
process, and as part of this process would take into account that different
programmes had different funding and recruitment issues.
ii)
The next report on student recruitment
would make reference to postgraduate distance-learning students.
SEN11-P112
99.2 National
Student Survey 2011
The NSS results at institutional level across
the subject groupings again placed Loughborough in a strong position within the
sector. However, there were marked variations in performance across the groups
of questions and between subject areas; some subjects and programmes had
exceptionally good results, but in others the outcomes were disappointing. The PVC(T) had met individually with all of the Deans of Schools
to discuss the results, and this had been a useful exercise which would be
repeated. The established practice of including NSS results as an integral part
of the broader processes of annual teaching and learning evaluation would be
maintained.
SEN11-P113
99.3 Programme Presidents
Senate RESOLVED to approve in principle a
proposal from LSU to create Programme Presidents in order to enhance student
representation and feedback systems within the University. The following points
were noted in discussion:
i)
The proposal had been considered by,
and received broad support from Learning and Teaching Committee. However,
concern had been expressed that the workload for Presidents might vary
significantly between Schools, and that some students, including postgraduates,
might be excluded from the system. It had been noted further that it would be
important to ensure that existing arrangements in Schools, which worked
effectively, should not be compromised.
ii)
Some of the other issues which would
need to be resolved in working through the detail of the proposal were:
a)
Whether it would be more effective to
have 10 School, rather than 20 School/Departmental Presidents.
b)
Ensuring that the existing role of
Programme Representative was not diluted.
c)
Scheduling key activities for
Presidents at appropriate times in order to avoid clashes with peaks in their
academic workload.
d)
Establishing procedures to deal with
problems (for example where a President found themself unable to engage fully
with their role because of the competing demands of their academic work, or
ceased to adequately represent their constituent student body for some other
reason).
e)
Ensuring that sufficient flexibility
existed within the system to allow for local variations in practice.
11/100 Matters for
Report by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise)
SEN11-P114
Senate RECEIVED a report from the PVC(E). The following points were highlighted:
i)
There were significant opportunities
for the University in relation to the development of the Science and Enterprise
Park. Discussions were ongoing, with a purpose-built Innovation Centre building
anticipated as the first requirement. It was recognised, however, that more
needed to be done to encourage interaction between tenants on the Park, and
Schools on campus.
ii)
The University had an excellent
track-record in relation to Knowledge Transfer Partnerships; since 1985 it had
been awarded more KTPs than any other East Midlands University. However, there
was scope for more Schools to become involved.
iii)
The Glendonbrook
Centre for Enterprise Education had been established in Summer
2011. The Centre was based within the School of Business and Economics, but its
remit was to enhance the University’s enterprise education offering to
undergraduates, postgraduates, and staff across campus.
iv)
The Studio, which provided commercial
space and support for recent graduates had recruited
its first cohort of entrepreneurs from a very competitive field. Senate was provided
with a web-link for further details.
v)
Senate was provided with a link to the
Working for Business website, which featured case studies demonstrating how
business could benefit from partnering the University.
11/101 Matters for Report by the Vice-Chancellor
The
Vice-Chancellor reported on the following matters:
i)
There had
been a successful opening of the new Design School building.
ii)
A number of
sections had relocated into new offices in the Rutland building.
iii)
The University’s
“Its Better Off” campaign had won an award for encouraging
sustainable behaviour. It was important that the University continued in its
efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, for environmental reasons, and because
any future government capital funding was likely to be linked to environmental/sustainability
performance.
11/102 Establishment of Centre for Engineering and
Design Education
SEN11-P115
Senate RESOLVED to
approve the establishment of a Centre for Engineering and Design Education.
11/103 Structure for Teacher Education within the
University
SEN11-P116
Senate
RESOLVED to approve a new structure for Teacher
Education within the University
11/104 Institutional Repository Policy
SEN11-P117
Senate RESOLVED to
approve an Institutional Repository Policy in relation to the
implementation of the University’s research strategy. (Additional
materials relating to the policy are available at: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/committees/senate/index.htm).
11/105 Programme Proposals
SEN11-P118
On the recommendation of Learning and
Teaching Committee, on the advice of Curriculum Sub-Committee, Senate RESOLVED to
recommend to Council as appropriate:
105.1 New programmes:
BSc, DPS, DIntS
Mathematics with Statistics (from October 2012)
BA, DPS, DIntS
Graphic Communication and Illustration (from October 2013)
MBA
(full-time) (from October 2012)
MBA
International Sports Management (from October 2012)
PG Cert Automotive Retail Management
(Singapore) (from Nov 2011)
MSc Manufacturing Engineering
(Curriculum-based component of the EngD) (from Oct
2011)
105.2 Award, title or major programme changes (with effect from October 2011 unless stated):
BSc Ergonomics (Human
Factors Design)
MSc Networked Communications to MSc Communication Networks, Security and Forensics (Oct
2012 entry)
BSc Communication and Media Studies, BSc Sociology (addition of the award of DIntS)
MEng Electronic and Computer Systems Engineering, MEng
Electronic and Electrical
Engineering, MEng Electrical
and Renewable Energy Systems Engineering, MEng
Systems Engineering (addition of the award of DIntS)
BA European Studies, BA
International Relations, BA Politics with a Minor Subject (addition
of the
award of DPS) (from Oct 2009)
BSc Sport and Exercise Science, BSc
Sport and Exercise Science (Gymnastics), BSc Sports Science with Management
(addition of the award of DPS)
BA History and English, BA History
and International Relations, BA History and Politics (addition of the awards of
DIntS and DPS from Oct 2010)
105.3 Suspension of programmes:
MRes Business and
Management (Last intake=Oct 2010; Proposed next intake Oct 2012)
MRes Criminal Justice
Research (f/t) (Last intake=Sept 2009; Proposed next intake Oct 2012)
MSc Criminology and
Criminal Justice (f/t) (Last intake=Sept 2009; Proposed next intake Oct 2012)
MSc Criminology and
Criminal Justice (p/t) (Last intake=Sept 2009; Proposed next intake Oct 2012)
MA Cultural Analysis
(f/t) (Not yet recruited; Proposed next intake Oct
2012)
MSc Cultural
Sociology (Last intake: Oct 2010; Proposed next intake
Oct 2012)
MRes Social Science (f/t)
(Last intake: Oct 2010; Proposed next intake Oct 2012)
MRes Social Science (p/t)
(Last intake: Oct 2010; Proposed next intake Oct 2012)
105.4 Discontinuation of programmes:
Foundation Degree Sports Performance (Last
intake: 2007/08 (Motorsports) – other pathways not recruited)
Foundation Degree Exercise Science, Physical
Activity & Health (Last intake: 2008/09)
11/106 Learning and Teaching Committee
SEN11-P119
Senate RECEIVED reports of the meetings held
on 29 September, and 27 October 2011, and on the recommendation of Learning and
Teaching Committee:
SEN11-P120
106.1 Policy on Validation and External
Collaboration.
APPROVED
amendments to University policy on validation and external collaboration.
11/107 Prizes Committee
SEN11-P121
Senate RECEIVED the Annual Report
from Prizes Committee.
11/108 Health, Safety and Environmental Committee
SEN11-P122
Senate RECEIVED a report of the meeting held on 19
October 2011, and RESOLVED to approve:
SEN11-P123
108.1 Amendments
to the Constitution of Health, Safety and Environmental Committee
SEN11-P124
108.2 The Annual Plan for the Health, Safety and Environmental
Office.
11/109 Student Discipline Committee
SEN11-P125
109.1 Senate
RECEIVED a report of the meeting held on 1 November 2011.
SEN11-P126
109.2 In accordance with section
1(v) of Ordinance XVII, Senate RESOLVED to appoint the Student Discipline
Committee for 2011-12.
11/110 Academic Misconduct
In accordance with
paragraphs 18 and 30 of Regulation XVIII, Senate RESOLVED to appoint the
Academic Misconduct Committee and the Academic Misconduct Appeals Committee for
2011-12, as below:
110.1 Academic Misconduct Committee
Two Associate Deans
(Teaching), one of whom shall act as Chair: Dr Brian Jarvis (Chair), Dr Ray
Dawson.
One University member
of the Loughborough Students’ Union Executive nominated by the Executive:
Jayde Savage.
Two further Associate
Deans (Teaching), appointed on an annual basis as reserves, to act as full
members in cases where the Chair and/or other appointed member have a previous
connection: To be confirmed.
110.2 Academic
Misconduct Appeals Committee
Two Associate Deans
(Teaching) of whom shall act as Chair: Dr Keith Pond, Professor Fred Yeadon.
One University member
of the Loughborough Students’ Union Executive nominated by the Executive:
to be confirmed.
Two further Associate
Deans (Teaching) shall be appointed on an annual basis as reserves, to act as
full members in cases where the Chair and/or other appointed member have a
previous connection: To be confirmed.
11/111 Membership of Senate 2011-12
SEN11-P127
Senate NOTED the membership of
Senate for 2011-12.
11/112 Librarian’s Annual Report 2010-11
Senate NOTED that the annual report for
2010-11 from the Librarian was available at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/library/about/PDFs/annrep1011.pdf.
11/113 Reports from
Committees
Senate RECEIVED reports from the
following Committees:
113.1 SEN11-P128 Arts
Committee of 25 October 2011.
113.2 SEN11-P129 Enterprise
Committee of 9 September 2011.
113.3 SEN11-P130 Estates
Management Committee of 25 July and 29 September 2011.
113.4 SEN11-P131 Finance
Committee of 14 October 2011.
113.5 SEN11-P132 Research
Committee of 5 September and 10 October 2011.
113.6 SEN11-P133 Research
Performance Monitoring Committee of 12 July and 20 September 2011.
113.7 SEN11-P134 Student
Experience Committee of 25 October 2011.
11/114 Dates of
Future Meetings in 2011-12
Wednesday 25 January 2012 (if
necessary)
Friday 9 March
2012
Wednesday 4 July 2012
11/115 Any Other Business
SEN11-P146
Senate RESOLVED to recommend to
Council a minor amendment to the Loughborough Students’ Union
Constitution.
Author – Chris Dunbobbin
Date – November
2011
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