Summary notes of the Executive Committee held on 12 March 2008
- Professional Service Reports
Reports were presented by the Academic Registrar, Head of Student Services and Director of the LTEO.
(a) Academic Registry
Reviews of activity for 2006/07 and that planned or underway for 2007/08 were summarised for each functional area: Recruitment and Admissions Office; Student Records and Examinations Office; Careers Advisory Service and the Records Management Service.
The focus in 2006/07 had been on improving operational efficiency through business process review and the development of systems. This included the rolling out of Request Tracker, introduction of an online PG application form, policy and administrative support for implementation of the common assessment regulations and the Internationalisation Strategy, and provision of improved management reports to DoSs using data from the Survey of Leavers. Work in these areas would continue in 2007/08, and new priorities added in the areas of communications with both students and staff and general support for students. Particular emphasis would be given to enhancing welfare support and careers guidance for international and PGR students.
It was noted that careers guidance would need to be tailored to suit the needs of international and PGR students, whilst recognising the practical limits on what could be offered to international students, in anticipation of their returning home. On other matters, proposals to improve consistency in the application of mitigating circumstances would be put to Senate at its June meeting, and further consideration would be given to streamlining the examination process.
(b) Student Services
Mission statements, reports on main activities, KPIs and key issues were summarised for units directly managed by the Head of Student Services (Student Money Service, Learning Support Service, Counselling Service, Bath Assessment Centre) and those for which he liaised on behalf of the University (the Medical Centre [an independent NHS practice] and Chaplaincy). All of these services had to be co-ordinated to ensure a coherent and appropriate package was provided for both students and staff. A case work management group had been established to ensure co-ordination in respect of students who gave serious cause for concern. The Head of Student Services also shared responsibility for student discipline.
Student surveys indicated that the services were seen as important. Measures had been taken or were plan to improve management capacity, and to enable a balance to be struck between the tracking of cases using IT systems and the need for face-to-face contact. Increased demand on services, with a changing profile, including an increasing number of mental health cases, was increasing the pressure on staff and waiting times for students. This situation was now common throughout the HE sector. A triage system had been put in place to prioritise urgency of need and the allocation of resources. Consideration was also taking place on how best the University could respond to mental health problems, though recognising that serious cases had to be referred to the NHS.
(c) Learning and Teaching Enhancement Office
Since the creation of this Office in 2006, it had aimed to supporting academic departments to improve student satisfaction via enhancement of the quality of programmes, teaching, academic staff development and the learning environment, including e-learning. The University was one of the first research-led institutions to realign activities in these areas into a more of a quality management approach.
Improvements had secured to the University's NSS satisfaction scores, the operation of Staff-Student Liaison Committees had been strengthened and the Initial Teaching Development Programme reformed following consultation with academic HoDs. Tasks for the coming year included balancing the range of demands faced against provision of support for the University's own teaching and learning, improving communications with students, improving e-learning, centralising the co-ordination of external examiners in the LTEO and helping to reform assessment and feedback procedures.
- Media Strategy: Update 2007
Comments on the Strategy were now being sought from the School of Management, the Department of Sports Development and Recreation and the SU. A paper on future strategy, moving beyond profile-raising, would be submitted to the Committee in due course.
- Freedom of Expression
The University Secretary said that the recent decisive vote by the student body against a 'no platform policy' supported the liberal stance of the existing policy, as maintained by the Committee at its last meeting. The revised new proposals therefore provided the clarification requested of the respective roles of Principal Organisers for the event and any associated protest. Sufficient measures were in place to prevent subversion of the policy, with the University having the ultimate sanction of cancelling any event, however short-notice. Disruption by one individual could be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure, or by involving the police if necessary.
- Recurrent HEFCE Grant for Academic year 2008/09
The Director of Policy and Planning reported on the main changes to the University's recurrent grant for 2008/09:
• Premium funding for part-time UG, FD provision and long courses had been replaced by targeted allocations. Compensation had been also received for the withdrawal of funding for Equivalent or Lower Qualifications in strategically important vulnerable subjects. Core funds for teaching and WP had increased by a net 10.4 percent.
• Round 2 funding for Rewarding and Developing Staff would be mainstreamed subject to the successful completion of the People Management Self-Assessment Exercise.
• ASN funding had been received for the Western Vocational Lifelong Learning Network. The bulk of this funding would be passed on to partner colleges.
• The research grant had increased by 3.72 percent, largely because of transfer of funding for research libraries.
• Funding for very high cost and strategically vulnerable subjects had increased by 2.61 percent. This reflected an increase in the allocation to support the phased transfer of Chemistry places from Exeter.
• In overall terms, the University's recurrent grant had increased by 4.67 percent. This was reasonable compared to peer institutions, some of which had suffered net reductions in funding because of variations in the profile of funding.
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Report on People Management Self-Assessment Exercise
The Director of Human Resources reported on the outcome of the Self Assessment Exercise. Completion of this was necessary in order that the Rewarding and Developing Staff funding provided by the HEFCE could be mainstreamed. The working groups formed as part of the Exercise had provided an opportunity to engage with a cross-section of staff within the University, helping to identify the key areas of HR/people management in need of improvement and to secure a broadly based commitment for the changes that would be required.
The main issues identified were as follows:
• Communication and feedback
• Management training
• The appraisal process
• The framework for performance management
• Management of stress and absence
An action plan had been produced outlining what needed to be done to address these issues, by whom and by when. A People Strategy 2008/09 had been also drafted.
Report to Council on Risk Management: January 2008
The Director of Policy and Planning reported on actions taken to address the following two risks:
E12: Inefficient use of existing space - increased academic accommodation would be provided by the conversion of Eastwood 22 and 23, and roll-out would continue of thin client venues to increase the usefulness of the social space.
LT3: Failure of widening participation activity - confirmation had been received from the Office of Fair Access that it had no concerns about 2006/07 implementation of the University's Access Agreement.
- Policy on Student Recruitment Selection and Admission
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) said that the reissue of guidance by the QAA had provided an opportunity to refresh its policy on recruitment and admissions. This outlined general principles, roles and responsibilities, protocols for managing information, and policy and practice regarding selection, feedback, monitoring and review, complaints and staff training.
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