Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

Faculty Board

SSH04-M1

Minutes

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

Minutes of the Thirty-Eighth Meeting of the Faculty Board held on Tuesday 3 February 2004.

Members: Professor T J Kavanagh (Chair), Dr P B H Ackers (Ab), Professor D J Allen, Dr K M Armour (ab), Professor B M Bagilhole, Mr J Base (ex-officio) (ab), Professor S J H Biddle, Dr C Christie (ab), Mr J Costello (ab), Professor I R Davidson, Dr J Demaine, Professor P Golding, Mr A R Hodgson, Profssor B M JHoulihan (ab), Ms D Hurst, Mr D R Johnson (ab), Mr R E Jones (ab), Professor M King, Dr R Kinna, Dr G Masselink, Mr W P J Maunder, Ms S Middleton, Dr S Pink (ab), Mr K Pond (ab), Professor J M Porter (ab), Professor C D Rhodes (ab), Professor I Reid, Dr J Seaton, Ms R Stubbings, Mr S Vermani, Professor D J Wallace (ab), Professor T G Weyman-Jones, Professor N P Wood (ab), Mr P W Wormald (ab), Ms M M Wörsching (ab)

Apologies for absence: Dr P B H Ackers, Dr K M Armour, Mr J Costello,

Professor B M J Houlihan, Dr S Pink, Mr K Pond,

Professor J M Porter, Professor C D Rhodes,

Professor N P Wood, Mr P W Wormald,

Ms M M Worsching

In attendance: Ms S J McKinley

1. Minutes SSH03-M3

The Minutes of the Thirty-Seventh Meeting of the Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty Board, held on Thursday 20 November 2003, were CONFIRMED and signed by The Dean subject to the following correction:

Item 42 to read ….. Model B would be preferable to the existing ‘semester’ system …..

(i) The Board AGREED that it might be sufficient for the Faculty Board to meet twice a year only, once per semester. The Dean would report back to EMG.

(ii) The Board NOTED that three departments required confirmation of new Heads of Departments for the period 2004-2007 for nomination by the end of term. Consultations were currently taking place in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, the Department of Social Sciences and the Department of Economics.

(iii) The Board NOTED that the three year tenure of the PVC(R) had now finished. Colleagues were advised to send their views for nominations for a new PVC(R) to the relevant committee.

(iv) The Board NOTED that the initiation of top-up fees had recently been passed in the Commons. A small working group had been set up, within the University, to consider the implementation of top-up fees when the legislation was established, and the most effective way of communicating these changes to prospective students and their parents.

(v) The Board NOTED that a Faculty survey on departmental web sites had been undertaken. The outcome of the survey would be reported at the next Directorate.

(i) The Board NOTED that the Department of Geography, the Department of Politics, International Relations and European Studies and the Business School had achieved ESRC recognition.

(ii) Following the AHRB Chief Executive's recent visit to the University, the Board NOTED that he had been very impressed with the University and its respect for, and commitment to, arts and humanities

(iii) The Board NOTED that the Dean and Dr Vale from the Research Student Office would be attending an AHRB seminar on research training.

(i) The Board NOTED that three Departments were yet to have their annual review and two were currently awaiting their periodic review.

(ii) The Board NOTED that four out of five audit trails would be carried out in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities in March.

(iii) The Board NOTED that Teaching Coordinators and/or Administrators from each department had been invited on 1 March 2004 to listen to Fiona Duggan's talk about the use of electronic methods to reduce plagiarism.

The Board CONFIRMED the award of Higher Degrees as recommended by the examiners.

The Board RECEIVED a verbal report from the Dean on the financial position of the faculty.

The Board NOTED that the faculty’s financial position was healthy with significant surpluses in the Business School, the Department of Economics and the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

The Board voiced concern with respect to the position of the deficit departments in the Faculty of Science and the knock-on effect it had on the financial position of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities and elsewhere. It was felt that the ability to spend some of the surplus on research related activity and student facilities should be decided at departmental level. The Board AGREED that it would be helpful to see a greater degree of budgetary devolution.

The Board NOTED that following the HEFCE review on the funding methods for teaching and research in 2004/05, the adjustments made would benefit the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. Psychology would move to Band C in the Department of Social Sciences thereby contributing to the elimination of the deficit in that department.

The Board RECEIVED a report from the AD(T) on University applications for the academic year 2004.

The Board NOTED that postgraduate taught applications in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities were very encouraging. There had been a large growth in international postgraduate taught applications in the Business School, the Department of Economics and the Department of Social Sciences with China being the main source of recruitment. There was some concern about the fall in undergraduate application numbers in the Department of Design and Technology although the 20% dip appeared to be mainly involving a four year programme. A change of identity and the introduction of new programmes would account for the decrease in figures in the Department of Politics, International Relations and European Studies.

The Board NOTED that although links were being built between institutions and sources of students in China, the flexibility to spend money within departments would help establish relationships within specific departments and institutions.

The Board NOTED that the 20:1 ratio of students to applications in the Business School was proving problematic. It was suggested that the intake strategy of international students be re-examined taking into consideration the balance of China in relation to other countries. Strategic steer and feedback from Council about diversification would be helpful.

The Board NOTED that following discussion within departments and at Directorate, three departments had voiced a preference for option A, three for option B and two for option C. The faculty administrators preferred option B. There appeared to be no consensus of opinion as to what should be an alternative to the status quo.

The Board AGREED that there should be increased flexibility within the status quo and that the volume of assessment should be reduced.

The Board RECEIVED a verbal report from the AD(R) on the progress of the Faculty Graduate School.

The Board NOTED that a formal working group had been instigated with representatives from all departments including the Faculty IT Officer and a co-opted member, Dr Anne Mumford. The terms of reference of the Graduate School Working Group had been reported at Directorate on 13 January 2004. A preliminary paper on the need for a Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty Graduate School and a paper on ‘Centralised or Decentralised Management of Taught Programmes’ had been received from Professor Golding and Dr Leger respectively. It had been agreed at the first meeting of the Graduate School Working Group that the group would look forward to developing a Faculty Graduate School with the inclusion of both postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students. The driving incentive of the Faculty Graduate School would be academic enhancement for students and staff, and optimum use of resources. Information on taught programmes and postgraduate students would be examined at the next meeting of the Graduate School Working Group.

The Board NOTED a Moderation Working Party had been set up to examine the shortfall in funding to the University from the Funding Council and to see how best this could be rectified. So far the possibility of early retirements were now in the final stages of discussion. Possible collaborations were being discussed between Loughborough University and the University of Leicester in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Politics, International Relations and European Studies. Ideas concerning the academic structure of the University were being put forward for consideration at Directorate. The DVC would be producing a paper relating to the development of academic and research schools within the University and discussions with Heads of Departments at Directorate would follow.

The Board NOTED that Curriculum Sub-Committee would be recommending the following new programme proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee, subject to certain requirements being resolved to the satisfaction of the AD(T), prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee to be held on 12 February 2004.

· Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma/MSc in Sports Nutrition by Distance Learning commencing October 2003

The Board NOTED that Curriculum Sub-Committee would be recommending changes to the title of the following programme to Learning and Teaching committee to be held on 12 February 2004.

· BA in International Business to BSc in International Business commencing October 2004

The Board NOTED the action of the Associate Dean (Teaching) in approving the following:

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

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

The Board NOTED that the Minutes of the 362nd Ordinary Meeting of Senate held on 26 November 2003 were available on the University Web pages.

The Board NOTED that reports of the following Committees were available, or would be, on the University web pages:

The Board NOTED that degrees for programmes and research in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities would be awarded at three Degree Congregation Ceremonies on 9 July, 12 July and 13 July 2004.

Department of Social Sciences (Undergraduate)	26 November 2003
Department of Economics (Postgraduate)	5 November 2003
Department of Economics (Undergraduate)	6 November 2003
Executive MBA	19 November 2003
Executive MBA, Peterborough	20 November 2003
BSc (Hons) Business Studies, Singapore	14 October 2003
Business School (Undergraduate)	11, 13 November 2003
MSc Management/MSc International Management/ MSc Marketing & Management/MSc Finance & Management	10 December 2003
MSc Retail Automotive Management	4 November, 10 December 2003
Professional Certificate in Management (BPIF)	12, 25 September 2003
MBA Engineering Management	31 October 2003