SENATE
SEN12-M7
Minutes of the Extraordinary
Meeting of Senate on Thursday 11 October
2012.
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In attendance: Mike Caine (for item 12/96),
Chris Dunbobbin, David Haines, Jennifer Nutkins, Andy Stephens, Caroline
Walker.
Apologies
for absence were received from: Simon Austin, Jonathon Chambers, Jacqui Glass,
Russ Harris, Mark King, Angus Laing, Paul Leaney, Peter Render, Tony Thorpe, Iris Wigger.
12/95 Opening
Remarks
The Vice-Chancellor
began by thanking the many people who had welcomed him to the University since
his appointment had been announced. New members of Senate,
and those attending for the first time in a new capacity were welcomed to the
meeting.
12/96 Developing an Academic Activity on the
Olympic Park
SEN12-P97
Senate received and discussed a draft project
proposal. Responses to the
issues raised at Senate would be incorporated into the final report for
consideration at the next meeting. Members were encouraged to discuss the proposal
further within their Schools and Departments, and feedback comments to
Professors Caine and Linton.
12/97 British University in Egypt
Senate received a
verbal update from the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching).
In July 2012,
Senate had agreed to delay a decision on the future of the validated programmes
until the autumn, pending the publication of the QAA’s report of
Loughborough’s academic provision. The report had subsequently been
published, and had included concerns about standards-related issues with
collaborative provision. The University had lodged an appeal, the outcome of
which would be known in December 2012. Senate noted that a paper containing
recommendations on the future of the validated programmes would be brought to
Senate in November 2012.
12/98 Matters for Report by the Vice-Chancellor
Senate
received a verbal report from the Vice-Chancellor on the following matters:
i) League Tables
Loughborough was
placed 12th in the Sunday Times University Guide 2013, and received
a ‘high’ rating for each of the three main areas included in the
new Which? University Guide.
The University had also moved up 22 places in the QS World Rankings, and up 7
places in the 2012 THES World Rankings.
ii) BIS Funding
for Open Access
Loughborough was
one of 30 research-intensive Universities to receive a share of BIS funding for
research publication Open Access. This was good news in an environment in which
funding was being increasingly focussed, and the PVC(R) was working with the
AD(R)s and others to look at the implications of the
GOLD methodology.
iii) Honours and Awards
Congratulations were offered to Owen McAree,
a PhD student in AACME, had won the first Royal Aeronautical Society Unmanned
Aerial System Innovation Award on 20 September 2012, against international
competition. Members were invited to alert the Vice-Chancellor to other
outstanding achievements, as they arose, for mention in future reports to
Senate.
iv) Staff
Survey
The results of the 2012 Staff Survey had been
received, and a programme of meetings was underway to disseminate the results
and consider next steps. Thanks were offered to all who had taken part, and the
following specific points were noted:
·
The response rate was 64%.
·
92% of staff agreed that the
University was a good place to work.
·
85% of staff said they believed the
University was committed to equality of opportunity.
v) Meetings and Visitors
The Vice-Chancellor had held meetings with a
number of people external to the University, including David Willetts, who had visited
the Loughborough campus as part of and EPSRC conference. Mr Willets had spoken
of the University in complimentary terms, and the VC was preparing a follow-up
note to him; Deans were invited to advise the Vice-Chancellor of any content
which they felt might usefully be included. The Vice-Chancellor noted further
that he had arranged to meet with relevant new government ministers, following
the recent Cabinet reshuffle, and Deans were again invited to pass on any
information which they felt would be useful at these meetings.
12/99 Dates of
Meetings in 2012-13
Wednesday 7 November 2012
Wednesday 23 January 2013 (if
required)
Wednesday 6 March 2013
Wednesday 26 June 2013
Author – Chris
Dunbobbin
Date – October
2012
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