Student Experience Committee
SEC09-M2
Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 17
June 2009
Members: Professor Morag Bell (Chair), Professor Chris
Backhouse (ab), Mr Malcolm Brown, Mr David Goss, Mr
In attendance: Marie Kennedy (secretary)
Apologies: Professor Chris Backhouse, Mr Chris Morris and Mr Will
Spinks.
09/17 Minutes
SEC09-M1
The minutes of the meeting held 11 February 2009 were
approved.
09/18 Matters arising from the minutes
18.2 Induction, arrivals and students
living in the community: arrivals dates
for 2009 and 2010
The
Committee noted that 1,200 freshers would arrive between Tuesday 22 and
Thursday 24 September in 2009 and that similar dates would be needed in the
next few years. A list of dates with
relevant halls would be circulated to members.
ACTION: MCB
18.2 Communication with students: responsibility for Learn
This
issue had been discussed in the E-Learning Advisory Group and the LUSI Steering
Group. It had been proposed that VLE
developments would be reported to Learning and Teaching Committee and to the
LUSI Steering Group, and, where appropriate, to this Committee. The development of a student portal would
necessitate a special Steering Group, which would then take oversight of VLE
developments. The proposals were
APPROVED.
18.3 Healthy living campaign
Noted
that:
i.
At a meeting in
March, EMG had supported further investigation of a possible campaign focused
on better co-ordination and promotion of existing initiatives, to include staff
as well as students, although EMG had some concerns about resourcing
issues. The Director of Student Services
had since discussed the possibility with the Director of Human Resources, and it
was now expected that a six-month graduate placement, supported by the NHS,
would conduct further investigation and develop a webpage.
ii. A number of health-related activities were taking
place in the local area; these included
an NHS initiative aimed at young people and alcohol abuse, which also covered anti-social
behaviour. The University had argued
that this focus was too narrow and that the
project should have a more positive ‘healthy living’ approach.
18.4 Report on hall places
The
new University Lodge would be open in late September 2009, and had already generated
considerable interest. 34 Singaporean
students visiting LUSAD were booked until mid-November, and this number might
in future rise to 90, which could be problematic.
09/19 Implementation Plan 2009/10 (SEC09-P9)
Noted in relation to the Progress Report for 2008/09:
i.
That the Student
Barometer surveys had to date been conducted without a budget uplift, and that
a Registry bid for funds to continue the surveys in 2009/10 had been
unsuccessful. This was disappointing
because the survey had produced some useful results, such as international
student perceptions about their multi-cultural experiences, as well as valuable
bench-marking data.
ii. That there had been a low response rate for the Summer
Wave questionnaire, possibly because of survey fatigue.
iii. That, in order to get similar feedback, and provide
KPIs for Council, consideration would be given to the University joining the
two HEA surveys, PTES and PRES, which were likely to run in alternate years,
and/or to liaise with the Students’ Union on its annual survey.
iv. That the Director of Student Services was convening a
working group to consider further developments for induction; the group would concentrate initially on
information provided to students for the beginning of the new academic
year. It was unlikely with the limited
timescale, and the number of stakeholders involved, that a single leaflet which
included both academic and non-academic issues would be produced, but the
University should have a tighter, more co-ordinated approach to induction for
the 2010/11 session.
ACTION: JCN
Noted
in relation to the Priorities for 2009/10:
v. That any issues identified in the recent LSU annual
survey could be followed up together with results from the Summer Barometer
survey.
vi. That the University was in the process of
commissioning a web content management system (CMS) and the implementation of this
would in future be co-ordinated with LUSI and portal developments.
vii. That a formal opening of the new Centre for Faith and
Spirituality would be appropriate, and that the Marketing and Communications
Department should be asked to help plan this.
ACTION:
NRT
viii. That the International Office would include the Centre
in its information about facilities available for student use in 2009/10.
ix. That the
x. The evidence that IT Services continually enhanced its
provision for students.
xi. That equality and diversity issues should be kept on
the agenda. A further meeting would be
sought with the Chief Operating Officer, perhaps in spring, to clarify his expectations
for a single approach for both staff and students.
xii. That the Priorities would be considered and updated by
the Student Experience Team at its next meeting in September, and reported back
to this Committee in November.
09/20 Risk Schedule
(SEC09-P10)
Noted
that:
i.
ELT had not made
any changes when it recently considered the
draft Schedule.
ii. The highest risks listed were failing adequately to
manage a major health incident, poor student behaviour, and failure of governance,
financial management or negligence by Hall Committees or the Students’
Union.
iii. Regarding student behaviour, one of the disciplinary
problems this academic year had resulted in the AU being fined and some
offenders being banned from using sports facilities for a year. Members felt this sent an important message
to students about the sanctions the University could and would apply. During the past academic year, the University
and
iv. The University and
v. References to using Student Barometer results to help mitigate
risks would now need to be removed, as the University was unwilling to fund the
survey in 2009/10.
ACTION: JCN
The
changes were APPROVED.
09/21 Amendments to
the Terms of Reference of the Residential Provision and
Management Sub-Committee (SEC09-P11)
Noted
that:
i.
The amendments
had been recommended by the Residential Provision and Management Sub-Committee
(RP&M) following the reports of the recent Wardens, Damage and Hall
Finances Review Group. RP&M had agreed
that its remit only covered residential
provision and that Community Wardens should be overseen by the Student
Experience Team.
ii. The amendments made explicit that RP&M had
oversight of Regulation XIX, which should prove helpful both to the University
and the Students’ Union. The
situation regarding Hall Committees was complicated because they were not
formally a part either of the
iii. RP&M would shortly consider all the hall
constitutions, with a view to implementing more commonality. It would also support the Wardens Service in
ensuring student compliance with the Regulation.
iv. The status of Hall Committees vis a vis the
ACTION: JCN/SWS
v. The term “the University’s residential
accommodation” was believed adequate to cover the partnerships with
private organisations such as Unite.
The
amendments were APPROVED.
09/22 Amendments to
Regulation XIX (SEC09-P12)
Noted
that:
i.
The Wardens,
Damage and Hall Finances Review Group had recommended that members of Hall
Committees should be residents, but para. 1.2 allowed for the reality that some
halls might need a maximum of two members who were not currently resident.
ii. Amendments to Section 3.1, to clarify the role of Hall
Committees in ensuring appropriate student behaviour, whether or not any
unacceptable behaviour was premeditated, were considered sensible. However, both the
iii. The final sentence of para. 8.2 was intended to cover
any unforeseen developments.
iv. If approved by this Committee, the amendments would be
considered by Senate on 1 July, and if agreed there, would be implemented from
1 August 2009. The Students’ Union
had already made the new Hall Chairs aware of the likely changes and would
remind them that they should shortly come into effect; this reminder would also be issued by the
incoming President at the beginning of Week 0.
ACTION: LSU President
Agreed:
(a) A further amendment that the Hall Chair must be a
resident;
ACTION: JCN
(b) That the Residential Provision and Management
Sub-Committee would monitor implementation of the amendments to see if any
additional or change of wording was required.
09/23 Effectiveness
of the Committee (SEC09-P13)
Noted that:
i.
Although it had
been intended that the Committee would have strategic overview and the Student
Experience Team would undertake the operational work, there had been occasions,
such as when members had reported on the same topic to both, when this line was
blurred.
ii. It would be helpful for Team members to have some
indication of likely dates of meetings during the coming academic year, perhaps
by agreeing a fixed day and time of week.
iii. It would be helpful to add dates to the Implementation
Plan at which specific actions would be monitored by the Team, and subsequently
reported to the Committee.
iv. Although the ToR had deliberately excluded
consideration of sport-related issues because these were understood to be dealt
with by the Sports Strategy Group, it would be sometimes be helpful for the
Committee to discuss certain aspects of sport, as it was such a key part of
many students’ Loughborough Experience, and because students’
concerns had been raised about access to facilities for recreational purposes.
Agreed:
(a) Some indication of dates of future Team meetings would
be provided;
(b) Dates would be given for monitoring of specific
actions in the Implementation Planning Priorities;
ACTION: MK
(c) That EMG be asked to consider whether arrangements
were currently appropriate to cover the student experience aspects of sport at
the University.
ACTION: MB
09/24.
i-graduate/CUBO bounce-back survey, March-April 2009
Noted that:
i.
85% of the10,000+
students who had responded to the Student Barometer Autumn Wave survey had
indicated their willingness to answer further questions.
ii. The CUBO-commissioned survey involved 26 universities,
and covered questions on accommodation, catering and social facilities.
iii. 38% of respondents were
iv. i-grad had recently presented CUBO representatives
with summary results. These ranked Loughborough
and
v. Although it would have been helpful for the University
to continue to benchmark these and other aspects of its provision against other
HEIs, this would not be possible if Loughborough did not take part in the
Student Barometer surveys. It was
possible that, in the current economic climate, other HEIs would also have to
withdraw from participation.
vi. The Director of imago would circulate the report to
members when it became available.
ACTION: MCB
Further noted that:
vii. There was good reason for central funding of major surveys
that covered the majority of the University’s students, as well as a need
for better co-ordination and perhaps even central control of large-scale
surveys. It was inappropriate that
decisions about which surveys Loughborough should join were currently made on
financial grounds rather than based on strategic planning.
viii. The Student Experience Team had earlier compiled some
useful information regarding the range of both external and internal surveys in
which Loughborough students were currently asked to participate, which could be
updated relatively easily.
Agreed:
(a) That it was timely for the University to review
current survey procedures and evolve a strategy. The University needed to agree:
-
what information the
University most needed (including data for KPIs);
-
to which groups/
committees the results of each survey should be reported, and how they should subsequently
be disseminated;
-
how surveys
should be resourced.
(b) That in the meantime, and at its next meeting, the
Student Experience Team should re-examine the possibility of better
co-ordination of at least some internal surveys.
ACTION: MK
09/25 Student
Experience Team (SEC09-P14 (a) and (b))
Noted the minutes of meetings held March and May 2009.
09/26 Residential Provision and Management
Sub-Committee (SEC09-P15 (a)
and (b))
Noted the minutes of meetings held in March and May 2009.
09/27 Financial
Hardship Sub-Committee (SEC09-P16)
Noted the report.
09/28 Reports from Student Support sections: Careers Centre (SEC09-P17)
and Medical Centre (SEC09-P18)
Noted
the annual reports.
09/29 Wardens, Damage
and Hall Finances Review (SEC09-P19)
Noted
that the final report was submitted to the Residential Provision and Management
Sub-Committee in May and a similar report would shortly be submitted to the
Audit Committee.
09/30 Student
Barometer – Summer Wave 2009
Noted
the final response rate of 6% and that summary results would be presented in
autumn.
09/31 NSS 2009
Noted
the final response rate of 73.75%, and that results would be available in late
August/early September.
09/32 Students’
Union elections
Noted
that the new LSU members of the Committee for the 2009/10 academic year would
be Rob Hulme, President elect, Chris Peel, Vice President (Education) elect,
and (probably) Hannah Beasley, Community Action Chair elect.
09/33 Thanks to retiring members
The
Students’ Union representatives were thanked for their work on the
Committee in the past year, and offered best wishes for their future.
09/34 Dates of the next meetings
Friday
6 November 2009 at 10 am
Wednesday
3 February 2010 at 2 pm
Wednesday
16 June 2010 at 3.30 pm
09/35 Any other business: 2012 graduation ceremonies
Noted
that:
i.
The
Students’ Union had some concerns regarding the proposed alternative
locations for graduation ceremonies in 2012, when the Japanese Olympic team and
related support staff would be using some campus facilities. The alternatives to the Sir David Wallace
building, which was currently used for graduation and which might be used by
the Japanese at that time, were the rugby pitch near the building, Holywell
Park, and the Hazlerigg-Rutland area. The
ii. Two groups were currently overseeing arrangements for
2012: the first, chaired by the Chief
Operating Officer (COO), aimed to minimise any negative impact of the Games on
normal University activities. The
second, chaired by the Deputy Director of Facilities Management, was dealing
with the details of graduation arrangements.
iii. It was at present difficult to make predictions about
which facilities might be used by the Japanese at any time, but the University
hoped for minimal disruption to normal University activities.
iv. It was possible that other, smaller, national teams
might also use campus facilities.
v. Consideration of the impact of 2012 arrangements
should include postgraduate students, who would still be on campus during the
summer period, as well as the local community
vi. It would be helpful if the group chaired by the COO
would allay any concerns by regularly communications on arrangements, perhaps using the VC’s electronic newsletter.
Agreed that the Group chaired by the COO be asked to consider
the communication issues for 2012.
ACTION: JCN
Author – Marie Kennedy
Date – June 2008
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