Summary notes of the Executive Committee held on 12 April 2006
- Provisional Code of Practice for preparing submissions to the RAE 2008
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) introduced a draft of the Code of Practice on the preparation of submissions and the selection of staff required for the RAE 2008. This had been informed by the experience of the 2004 dry-run and could be revised in light of the second dry-run scheduled for May.
- Draft Executive Policy Statements
The Director of Marketing and Communications presented draft Executive Policy Statements 21 and 22, on Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning and Naming Policy respectively. These sought to formalise the new policies in these areas agreed in principle by the Committee at a previous meeting.
Review of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Strategic framework for the management of Arts facilities
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Developments) introduced a proposal to replace the University Arts Committee with two new bodies, the Arts Complex Fundraising Support Group and the University of Bath Arts Users ' Forum . These were intended to provide a new strategic framework for the development of arts provision, focussed on the Arts Complex project, and taking account of the changes to the line management arrangements for the Institute of Contemporary Interdisciplinary Arts (ICIA) put in place following the retirement of the Registrar. T he Arts Complex Fundraising Support Group would be a small body of people drawn from within the University and outside, with the experience and skills required to advance the project and advise on fundraising strategies put forward by the ICIA.
- Capital Investment Framework: Draft University response to HEFCE consultation 2006/04
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor said that the HEFCE had consulted on a new approach to capital investment that focussed on the long-term sustainability of physical infrastructure. This was welcomed in the draft response. The University had already adopted such an approach in its Estates Strategy, which highlighted the need to determine capital priorities over a longer timeframe, and to balance investment in major works with that for routine maintenance. The response pointed out, however, that the two-year project and expenditure cycle currently used by the HEFCE was not conducive to the new approach, and, indeed, was increasingly unrealistic, given the complexity of many projects and the super-heated nature of construction markets.
The consultation had also acted as a prompt for the University to extend the definition of capital investment to include major facilities and large items of equipment. Henceforth, the need to plan for the replacement of these items would be incorporated into the Annual Planning Cycle.
- Inaugural Lectures
The Vice-Chancellor sought the views of the Committee on dealing with the significant backlog of those eligible professors who were due to give an inaugural lecture.
- University Risk Register: Progress report on improvement actions - April 2006
The Executive Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor gave a progress report on actions taken to address RP5 (Failure to develop business continuity plans in the event of disaster) and one component of SP2 (Failure to identify and capitalise on strategic alliances - lack of success in consortium bidding). RP5 had been discharged following approval of Executive Policy Statement 21 (see minute 7 above). The position on consortium bidding had improved following the recent successes of the SETsquared partnership in passing the first stage of the HEIF3 competition and in obtaining DTI funding of £1.5M to expand collaborative activity with HEIs in southern California . In addition, Sheffield Hallam University had invited the University to become a partner in its HEIF3 bid related to the London Olympics 2012. This would substitute for the unsuccessful joint bid in the same area with Loughborough University . It was noted that the Great Western Research Alliance could also be cited as an example of a successful collaborative bid.
The following items were received without comment:
Notes of the Faculty of Engineering and Design Executive Committee: 17 January 2006
Notes of the Faculty of Science Executive: 21 February 2006
Notes of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Heads of Department Committee: 27 March 2006
Notes of the Division for Lifelong Learning Executive: 21 February 2006
Notes of the Oakfield Executive Group: 30 March 2006
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