SSH01-M3
The Minutes of Ordinary Meetings of the Faculty Board are posted on the Web for three years after the relevant date.
Minutes of the Twenty-ninth (Ordinary) Meeting of the Faculty Board held on Tuesday, 22 May 2001.
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Professor P H Roberts |
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Mr J Barker |
Dr J Leaman (ab) |
In attendance: |
Mrs S J McKinley |
By invitation: |
Mr D Lilley, Professor I C Morison, |
Apologies for absence: |
Mr Deacon, Mr Denton, Dr Drake, Professor Golding, Mr Hamilton, Professor Kirk, |
The Minutes of the Twenty-seventh (Ordinary) Meeting of the Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty Board, held on 6 February 2001, were CONFIRMED and signed by the Dean.
Item 3 Matters Arising. (item 67 PhD Submissions by Publications) The Dean confirmed that all University staff would be eligible to make PhD submissions by publication. Appointment under Ordinance VI would no longer be a condition for applicants. It was suggested that further guidance be sought with regard to the criteria that would describe the range and diversity of acceptable output.
ACTION: Dean
35.1 The Dean
The Board NOTED that 2001/02 business planning for the Faculty was still being compiled. The Faculty had reported a targeted surplus of £165,000 for 2000/01. The Faculty's projected 2001/02 deficit of £671,000 had been reduced to £538,000 with the increase in COMA charges and pay costs being the main contributors to the deficit. The Budgetary Review Group required further reductions in the deficit, which would put pressure on funds and staffing in 2001/02. The Faculty had been invited to look at non-approved academic staff vacancies and consider whether these should be filled. Unweighted staff to student ratios were not encouraging - particularly in the Business School. Increased overseas student numbers would help retrieve some of the deficit. There had been encouraging numbers of applications from overseas students in the Business School, Economics, European Studies and LUSAD. The competition for resources between support services and academic departments would be difficult to resolve.
Following discussion the Board NOTED concern about staff morale, work overload and stress levels. Creative ways to increase profit would be addressed.
ACTION: Dean
35.2 The Associate Dean (Research)
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The Board RECEIVED congratulations for their contribution to the Research Assessment Exercise. |
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The Board NOTED that 16 full fee faculty studentships would be advertised. |
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The Board RECEIVED congratulations for the 48% increase in postgraduate research by applications. |
35.3 The Associate Dean (Teaching)
(SSH01-P11)
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The Board NOTED the University would be expecting 3,000 entries for the new academic year. |
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The Board CONSIDERED the problem of overunning time in lectures which extended the teaching day. It was suggested that lectures should commence on the hour. The Board RESOLVED to submit views to the AD(T) as soon as possible. ACTION: AD(T) |
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Ruth Stubbings commented that 600 reading lists had been made available to the library with 28,600 items alone from the SSH Faculty. Apologies were given for the delay in finalising the project. The Faculty were informed that it would now be the responsibility of all departments to make sure module specifications were updated and maintained. Letters would be sent to every member of academic staff informing them of this. Training sessions would also be run. |
(SSH01-P12)
Annual Review (APR
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The Board NOTED that the change in annual reviews had not been a cause for concern and that good feedback had been received following discussions with the six SSH departments. |
Periodic Reviews (PPR)
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The Board NOTED that English and Drama, Geography and Social Sciences were preparing their Periodic Programme Reviews. In the absence of a relevant Subject Benchmark Statement, the Social Sciences Department would not be expected to make a report to the Faculty Board until October. Work in English and Drama was progressing but had yet to be completed. Thanks were extended to the Geography Department who had produced a first draft of the Summary Sheet; it had not been signed as it was considered to be a pilot run. The Self-Evaluation critique was perceived as a useful exercise. |
(SSH01-P13)
The Board CONSIDERED, from Professor I C Morison, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching), a proposal for new arrangements for the management and organisation of "Loughborough University at Peterborough" giving it the status of a quasi-department attached to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.
It was NOTED that the future of the Peterborough project was uncertain. Introducing appropriate structures would assist in moving the project forward during this period of change. Loughborough University was the validating body for Peterborough Regional College and Stamford College.
It was RECOMMENDED that the following be considered:
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For academic-administrative purposes, "Loughborough University at Peterborough" be given the status of an academic department with the Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty. The Faculty would have responsibility for all aspects of academic administration of the designated Loughborough University at Peterborough programmes. |
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Alan Pittwood be given the status of Head of Department but continue to report to the PVC(T). Alan Pittwood would become an honorary member of the Faculty Board; he would not be expected to attend Directorate meetings. The operational budget of Loughborough University at Peterborough would remain separate from that of the Faculty. |
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The Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty Board would oversee the Loughborough University at Peterborough activity with the AD(T) playing a commensurate role. Liaison would be developed between Loughborough University at Peterborough and academic departments. |
The Board AGREED to support the proposal but requested clarification, in due course, of the management strategy, and amount of input and reporting that would be required of academic staff in Loughborough plus an explanation of the project's long-term objectives and how these would be met.
ACTION: PVC(T)
(SSH01-P14)
The Board considered, from Dr J C Nutkins (Director of Registry Services) and Dr B P Vale (Assistant Registrar, Postgraduate Office), a proposal of revisions to procedures for research student administration and monitoring.
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Initial Registration |
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Period of registration |
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Role of Faculty Boards |
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Monitoring of Progress during Fee-Paying Registration |
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"Writing Up"Periods and Completion |
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Other issues |
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Regulations |
(SSH01-P15)
The Board CONSIDERED a proposal from Research Committee that the time allowed for Research students to re-register be reduced from three months to one month. A few points were raised in discussion, including:
- The re-registration form would now be used as a transaction between departments and the Academic Registry.
- There would need to be some flexibility at the end of the first year for overseas students.
The Board AGREED to support the proposal.
The Board received a verbal report from the AD(R) on the progress of the PhD Plus. The Board NOTED that the strategic proposals and programme regulations had been received and approved, subject to a few amendments, at Curriculum Sub-Committee.
(SSH01-P16)
The Board RECEIVED an analysis from Mr D Lilley, Careers Adviser, of the first destination statistics for 2000 graduates from the Faculty. The Board NOTED the following:
- The statistics were based on fewer students. Information was not sought from departments but from students directly. The survey could be carried out only twice and was strictly controlled.
- Target population excludes anyone outside the EU and part-time students.
- Loughborough University had done well on performance beating the benchmark figure. It had been placed in the top eight.
- Department by department the results were overall very good and there had been an increase in employment and further studies against a figure of fewer people.
- Departments should address the issue of work experience programmes for its students and, in particular, for ethnic minority students.
(SSH01-P17)
The Board RECEIVED and NOTED with interest the full set of progression statistics for entry cohorts from 1994-1999.
(SSH01-P18)
The Board NOTED the services the Library was offering to distance learning students and AGREED to provide comments to Ruth Stubbings, Academic Services Manager, by the end of June.
ACTION: Board members
(SSH01-P19)
The Board RECEIVED a tabled report concerning a possible change in the pattern of semesters. The Board broadly ACCEPTED the changes.
45. Curriculum Sub-Committee
45.1
The Board NOTED that the following proposals as listed were recommended to Learning and Teaching Committee:
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Extension of the current LPC in Back Care Management to a Diploma |
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New programme: Professional Certificate in Management (Thomas Cook) (October 2001 entry) |
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New programme: Enhanced PhD (PhD Plus) (October 2001 entry) |
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MSc Global Transformations : Strategic changes to programme regulations |
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MSc International Economics and Finance: Change of title to 'MSc International Finance and Economics' |
45.2
The Board NOTED that the following programmes were recommended for discontinuation to Learning and Teaching Committee:
- MA Theatre of Representation and Gender
- MA Women's Studies
- MA Policy, Organisation and Change in Professional Care
46.1 Reports of Student Committees
The Board NOTED that the reports of Staff/Student Committee meetings had been deposited with the Secretary as follows:
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22 February, 29 March 2001 |
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10 April 2001 |
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20 April 2001 |
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14 November 2000, 17 January, 7 March 2001 |
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11 November 2000, 17 January 2001 |
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7 December 2000 |
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20 December 2000 |
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19 December 2000 |
46.2
Student Feedback: Response by the Quality Assessment Unit to Issues Raised by the LUSAD Students' Forum(SSH01-P20)
The Board NOTED the response from the Director of the Quality Assessment Unit.
The Board NOTED that the Minutes of the Committee for the Coordination of Teacher Education were available on request from the Faculty Secretary.
The Board NOTED that the Minutes of the 340th Meeting of Senate held on 7 March 2001 are available on the University Web pages.
The Board NOTED that the reports of the following Committees are, or will shortly be, available on the University Web pages:
- Learning and Teaching Committee of 15 February 2001
- Curriculum Sub-Committee of 10 May 2001
— Tuesday 30 October 2001 pm
— Tuesday 5 February 2002 pm
— Tuesday 21 May 2002 pm
Author: Sally McKinley
June 2001
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