Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

Faculty Board

SSH08-M2

Minutes

The Minutes of Meetings of the Faculty Board are posted on the Web for three years after the relevant date.

Minutes of the Meeting of the Faculty Board held on Tuesday 11 November 2008.

Members: Professor Terry Kavanagh (Chair), Professor Kathy Armour, Dr Malcolm Barnard (ab),

Dr Anja Baumhoff, Grahame Boocock (ab), Dr Paul Byrne, Dr Ian Campbell, Dr Sudipto Chatterjee (ab), Professor Laurie Cohen, Dr Daniel Conway (ab), Professor Duncan Cramer, John Costello (ab), Professor Ian Davidson, Dr Jack Demaine, Professor Alan France (ab), Dr Adrian Gourlay (ab),

Dr Mick Green, Dr John Harrison (ab), Professor Roger Haslam (ab), Professor Elaine Hobby,

Tony Hodgson, Dr David Howe, Dr Dennis Howitt, Dr Jeremy Leaman (ab), F J Levey,

Professor Marsha Meskimmon, Dr Jonathan Millett, Professor Myra Nimmo,

Professor Shirley Pearce (ab), Professor Eric Pentecost, Professor Ian Reid, Phil Sawdon, N P Shah, Professor Dennis Smith, Professor Anne Souchon, Ruth Stubbings, Professor Mark Webber,

Mark Wright (ab)

Apologies for absence: Dr Malcolm Barnard, Grahame Boocock, Dr Sudipto Chatterjee,

Dr Daniel Conway, John Costello, Professor Alan France, Dr Adrian Gourlay, Dr John Harrison, Professor Roger Haslam, Dr Jeremy Leaman, Professor Shirley Pearce, Mark Wright

In attendance: Sally McKinley (Secretary), Julie Taylor (for Item 27), Kay England (for item 28)

19. Business of the Agenda

NOTED: Item 19: ’Prizes’ was unstarred.

20. Minutes (SSH07-M1)

NOTED: The minutes of the Meeting of the Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty Board, held on Tuesday 20 May 2008 were CONFIRMED.

21. Matters Arising from the Minutes Not Appearing Elsewhere on the Agenda

21.1 Establishment of History at Loughborough

NOTED: A new Professor of Modern History, Chris Szejnmann had been appointed. A new lecturer in modern history, Marcus Collins, would take up his appointment at the end of January 2009. With a student cohort of 65, there had been a lot of enquiries about the new History programme. There would be a big recruitment drive for History during the departmental open day due to take place on 10 December 2008. The joint degree was working well between Geography and History and additional funds had been given to the department for the library by the University. Congratulations were extended to Professor Webber for a successful launch of the programme to date.

21.2 School of Sport and Exercise Sciences

NOTED: The new School would be established in August 2009 and it had been confirmed that the name of the HEBS 1 building would be the ‘Clyde Williams Building’. A new Director of Resources had been appointed on 1 September 2008 and a new management team had been put in place. The combined development plan between Human Sciences and the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences had confirmed the moving of some Ergonomics to the Design Centre as part of the proposed Design School. The working group was continuing to examine the issues involved in the building of the Design Centre, its vision, and its future occupancy and it was hoped most of these would be resolved in Semester 2.

22. Constitution and Terms of Reference of the Faculty Board (SSH08-P5)

RECEIVED: The constitution and powers of the Faculty Board and to consider whether they were fit for purpose.

AGREED: To continue with two Faculty Board meetings per year.

23. Faculty Business for 2008/09

NOTED: The following key issues would be highlighted over the year:

(i) Outcome of the RAE and impact in terms of funding.

(ii) Implementation of the University’s strategic plan and where the Faculty will be positioned.

(iii) Staff survey: Heads of Department will be meeting to discuss and identify issues. A meeting will take place in January with all staff to seek clarification and identify the main themes for areas of improvement.

24. Dean’s and Associate Deans’ Reports

24.1 Dean’s Report

RECEIVED: A report from the Dean.

(i) Financial position

NOTED: The financial position for the Faculty was a £1m deficit before real time funding. However, it was expected the figure would break even as recruitment was excellent.

(ii) Graduate School

NOTED: There would be a review of the Graduate School before Christmas. Heads of Department were requested to send comments to the Dean.

ACTION: Heads of Department

(iii) National Awards

NOTED: All staff had been awarded an extra day’s holiday in recognition of the University’s recent success in becoming the Sunday Times’ University of the Year. The National Student Survey results for 2008 were again excellent, particularly in the response rate itself, with Loughborough University in the top ten universities for all subjects. The Faculty was congratulated on its positive partnership between staff and students and thanks were extended to staff that had played a crucial role in the survey. Assessment and feedback remained the weakest area across most of the sector for all subjects. The University had also been awarded the THES Best Student Experience for the third consecutive year which again demonstrated the excellent efforts made by colleagues across the board to enhance the student experience at Loughborough University.

(iv) Promotion Criteria for Senior Lecturers

NOTED: A report from Professor Dennis Smith on the SSH Faculty Proposed Matrix for Promotion to Senior Lecturer had been well received by the Human Resources Working Group. Professor Smith’s report contained a remit that intended to generate a unified scheme to incorporate collegiality and enterprise alongside teaching and research. Heads of Department had been requested to send their comments on the paper to Professor Smith.

24.2 Associate Dean (Teaching) (SSH08-P6)

RECEIVED: A report from the Associate Dean (Teaching)

(i) Recruitment

NOTED: Recruitment was over target this year for both UK/EU and international undergraduates (11% across the Faculty) due in part to the high acceptance rate on insurance and change course offers than in previous years. Postgraduate taught recruitment was on target for UK/EU and international students. The Department of Geography, in particular, had seen a large rise in postgraduate taught recruitment following an intensive recruitment drive among their final year undergraduate students. While this was encouraging, the repetition of overshoots would not be desirable and a number of changes would be put in place next August to prevent this happening. Admissions would ensure that departments were kept informed and fully briefed.

(ii) Teaching Centre

NOTED: The new Teaching Centre had now commenced operations. The aim of the centre was to enhance the support already offered for academic colleagues in their teaching role. An Advisory Board had been established, with representation from across the University.

24.3 Associate Dean (Research) (SSH07-P7)

RECEIVED: A report from the Associate Dean (Research).

(i) Extended Research Meeting

NOTED: An extended research meeting had taken place on 7 October 2008 and the following points had been noted:

It was ‘quality’ rather than the ‘quantity’ of research grant applications that was important.

Early contact with the Research Office was necessary with on-going communication throughout the process.
Katherine North and Ray Kent had offered to run workshops with the first on ‘Applying for Research Fellowships’ being held on 16 December 2008 and the second on ‘Conducting Research Programmes’ to be held on 2 February 2009.

(ii) Proposed amendments to Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research and the Code of Practice on Research Degree Programmes

NOTED: Members considered proposed amendments to the Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research. It was agreed that it would be preferable to retain the current system as Directors of Research had diverse and effective roles in departments. It was also agreed that annual face-to-face progression meetings should be retained and that (item 8.1.2) should be the ‘Heads of Departments’ responsibility (not the supervisor’s responsibility) to consult with the students as to their wish either to remain at Loughborough University or to transfer’. It was noted that under item 18 in some departments there was no joint supervision and ‘where appropriate’ should replace ‘wherever possible’. Board members were requested to email any comments to the AD(R) for report to the next Research Team Meeting.

ACTION: Board members

25. Periodic Programme Reviews (SSH08-P8)

RECEIVED: The periodic programme review reports from the Department of Social Sciences and the Department of Economics and to consider the departments’ response.

NOTED: During 2006-07 two periodic programme reviews were undertaken in the Departments of Social Sciences and Economics. The two departments had positive outcomes. The Department of Economics had excellent NSS results and a successful postgraduate taught portfolio. The Department of Social Sciences had been awarded a BPS accreditation and had produced excellent quality assurance and enhancement procedures and processes.

26. Award of Degrees (tabled)

APPROVED: The award of Higher Degrees to candidates whose examinations had been conducted since the last meeting of Senate.

27. Consultancy

CONSIDERED: Consultancy services available to the University. Julie Taylor, Consultancy Manager, Enterprise Office, attended for this item.

NOTED: Part of the University’s vision to 2016 was to encourage a strong enterprise agenda through research, teaching, consultancy and training and to increase income through non-academic activities. Enterprise was used to introduce external companies into the University. Consultancy was growing and income was being invested back into the University’s discretionary funds. Internally, academic colleagues who were interested and active, but not yet acting, should create relationships, communicate benefits and negotiate contracts under the University banner. The Enterprise Office was able to offer advice on indemnity insurance, risk assessment and contractual services. Externally there were strong client bases eg Nissan had contacts with three areas of the University. It was stressed that every Faculty had a role to play in enterprise.

28. Imago

RECEIVED: An update on improvements in service provision by Imago to Loughborough University. Kay England, Chief Executive of Burleigh Court and Holywell Park, attended for this item.

NOTED: Kay England conveyed details of Imago Services, which provided campus services for staff and students and Imago@Loughborough Ltd, which catered for commercial conferences and events. The objectives of Imago and its services and products were outlined. The benefits of Imago in a financial capacity and as a major employer to the local community were also identified. Examples of Imago had expanded in response to customers’ demand and had made its services more accessible to academic staff. An Events Manager had been appointed to support academics wanting to arrange conferences at the University. Imago was keen to find out from departments what their needs were and to find ways for the University and Imago to work together to benefit the University. Ms England indicated that she would be able to visit departments to discuss their individual requirements.

29. Estates Strategy for the Faculty

NOTED: A paper on the Estate Strategy for the Faculty would be circulated to all SSH Faculty Board members.

ACTION: Dean

30. Associate Dean (Teaching) Action

RATIFIED: Actions taken by the Associate Dean (Teaching) in approving the following:

i. Waivers of Programme Regulations

ii. Appointment of Programme Boards

iii. Credit Transfers

(Further details of the actions were available from the Faculty Board Secretary upon request)

31. The role of the Faculty Board (SSH08-P9)

RECEIVED: Information on the role of the Faculty and Faculty membership for new Board members.

32. External Examiner Reports

NOTED: Reports of External Examiner’s had been deposited with the Faculty Board Secretary and were available for consultation on request.

33. Personal Titles

NOTED: The award of personal titles. The Faculty’s congratulations were offered to:

Professor Marsha Meskimmon, LUSAD (Professor of Modern & Contemporary Art History and Theory) Professor Sarah Pink, Social Sciences (Professor of Visual Anthropology)

34. Curriculum Sub-Committee

New Programme Proposals

34.1 NOTED: That Curriculum Sub-Committee will be recommending to Learning and Teaching Committee (subject to any matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the ADT) prior to their meeting on 6 November 2008 the following new programme proposals:

· MA Studio Ceramics: Methodologies and Practice with effect from October

2009.

· MA Cultural Analysis/MSc Cultural Sociology with effect from October 2009.

· MSc Management and Leadership (Association for Consultancy & Engineering) with effect from January 2009.

34.2 NOTED: Chair’s action of Curriculum Sub-Committee recommending to Learning and Teaching Committee a new programme proposal MA/MSc Product Design in Business with effect from October 2008.

34.3 NOTED: Following strategic approval, the operational proposals of the BA History and Politics/History and International Relations/History and Geography/ History and English would be submitted to the January 2009 meeting of Curriculum Sub-Committee.

35. Staff/Student Committees

NOTED: That reports of the Staff/Student Committee meetings had been deposited with the Faculty Board Secretary as follows:

PIRES Undergraduate Staff Student Committee	7 Nov 2007, 20 Feb, 23 April 2008
Department of Geography	12 March 2008
Department of English & Drama	16 April 2008
MBA Staff Student Liaison Committee	29 April 2008
PG Diploma in Management (NGB)	5 June 2008
PG Programmes in Management & Leadership	18 Sept 2008

36. Prizes

NOTED: The item was unstarred. The following students from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities had been awarded prizes and the Faculty’s congratulations were offered to the following:

Dennis Holt Travel Scholarship	· Laura Kate Winstone (LUSAD) · Kerry Rose Drumm (LUSAD)
Hannah Community Prize	· Stefan Carney (PIRES)
John Guest Phillips Memorial Travelling Scholarship	· Sally Little (Geography)
Loughborough College of Education Commemorative	· Suzanne Bowen (School of Sport & Exercise Sciences) · Rory Smith (Geography)
T S Shipman Awards	· Ryan Peter Storr (Geography)
Sir Robert Martin Faculty Prize (overall)	· Andrew Howard Ellis (Geography)
Sir Robert Martin Faculty Prize(s) (2)	· Polyanna Amy Jane Powis (Geography) · Adriana Ionascu (LUSAD)
Graduate School Research Student Prizes (SSH)	· Joanna Elizabeth Fowler (English & Drama)
Loughborough Experience Awards	· Lucy Patricia Hopkins (LUSAD) · Giles Alfred Humphries (Geography) · Elyn Lyell (Geography) · Thomas William Parsons (Geography) · Mustafa Sarkar (School of Sport & Exercise Sciences) · Nirav Pankaj Shah (Economics) · Kevin Stanley Smith (Economics) · Christopher Watt (School of Sport & Exercise Sciences)

37. Membership (SSH08-P10)

NOTED: The membership of the Faculty Board for the session 2008-2009.

38. Representation on Other Bodies (SSH08-P11)

NOTED: Representation of the Faculty on other bodies.

39. Date of Next Meeting

The next Faculty Board meeting will take place prior to a Directorate meeting on Tuesday 19 May 2009.

Author – Sally McKinley
November 2008