Summary notes of the Executive Committee held on 3 March 2004
- HEFCE Recurrent Grant 2004/05
The Vice-Chancellor informed Committee
members that the letter had been received from HEFCE outlining the
University's recurrent grant for 2004/05. The overall figure was a
4.35 percent increase in the grant, with a corresponding increase
in cash terms from £36.9M to £38.6M. After taking account
of volume, this placed the University roughly in the middle grouping
of HEIs nationally, alongside a number of other 1994 Group institutions.
Notwithstanding other revenue streams, it was clear that the level
of the HEFCE block grant would be insufficient to cover operating
costs during 2004/05, especially when the salary bill was expected
to increase by 5-6 percent. The implications of this major funding
shortfall were serious and needed to be thought through very carefully.
- Swindon Development
The Vice-Chancellor reported that
she had had a very productive and illuminating meeting with Sir Howard
Newby, chief executive of the HEFCE.
The announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer
of a new 10-year science investment and innovation plan, to be steered
by a top-level ministerial commission, could have significant impact
on the Swindon development. It was now even clearer that the emphasis
of the plans for Swindon should be research of international excellence
and interaction with commerce. It was noted, however, that University
activity to foster commercial innovation ought not be driven exclusively
by science and engineering - the definition of innovation could be
expanded to include other disciplines.
A meeting to discuss the next stages of the
Swindon development had been scheduled for 8 March. Mr Michael Wills
MP would be in the chair, and others present would include the Vice-Chancellor,
Sir Howard Newby, the chair of the SWRDA and Swindon Borough Councillors.
- Director of the School for Health
The Vice-Chancellor announced that
Professor Harland had tendered her resignation from the Directorship
of the School for Health on the grounds of ill health. This resignation
had been accepted. Professor Peter Refern had agreed to be Acting
Director as an interim measure until a new Director could be appointed.
It was likely that this replacement post would be a full-time appointment.
The Dean of the School of Management paid tribute
to the dedication and commitment of Professor Harland to the School
for Health and the University. This sentiment was fully endorsed by
the Vice-Chancellor and by other members of the Committee.
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- Report of the Working Group on the Future Academic Shape of the University
The Executive Assistant commented
that the Report of the Working Group had met with a positive reception
at Senate. The Report had now been put out for University-wide consultation,
with a deadline for comments of 10 March.
The Committee felt that the next stage would
be to determine priorities for change based on a distillation of the
recommendations contained in the report and the resources available
to the University. It was proposed that a short document be drafted
using the following framework.
- What strategic and market position was the University
seeking to attain in the medium-to long-term?
- What were the priority areas for change?
- In what ways would the changes proposed for these
priority areas be mutually reinforcing?
- How would these changes be initiated and managed
in a co-ordinated fashion?
- What would be the timeframe and the milestones
of implementation?
- Which areas would not be subject to change, and
therefore provide stability?
Agreed:
(i) That the Vice-Chancellor would discuss the way forward with the
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching).
(ii) That the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) and the Executive
Assistant would prepare the summary document.
- Planning Cycle and Strategic Planning
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Director of Finance
presented a paper arguing that, whilst the current planning process
had proved its worth in terms of moving the University towards a break-even
financial position, the utility of some of the plans in the final
1-2 years of the 5-year cycle was often doubtful. It was therefore
proposed that a new dual-track planning cycle be instituted. This
would consist of a departmental budget setting process for one year
ahead, with a forward look for a second year, and a new Strategic
Planning Group (as recommended by the Working Group on the Future
Academic Shape of the University), with a remit to develop corporate
objectives based on an assessment of the University's strategic position
both internally and externally. These objectives would be discussed
with Deans and Heads of Departments. The aim would be to be clearer
about those corporate objectives that should be pursued within the
resources available to the University, and to achieve better integration
of these objectives within departmental plans, taking into account
information about the market position and other characteristics of
departments. The core membership of the Strategic Planning would be
the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (who would chair meetings), the Pro-Vice-Chancellors
and the Director of Finance, with Deans playing an integral role.
Agreed:
(i) That the dual planning mechanism should be instituted immediately,
and that the Strategic Planning Group be established.
(ii) That, for the 2004/05 planning cycle, budget setting should be
based on existing data.
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- Admissions Statistics: January 2004
The Registrar presented the latest undergraduate
admission statistics. Figures for the University were not directly comparable
with those provided nationally by UCAS but they gave a snapshot comparative
picture. Generally speaking, the University's position was not out of
line with national trends. Further examination would take place of those
programmes where a noticeable and unexpected decline in applications
had been observed. It was noted that applications in some subjects had
been affected by a deliberate policy in some departments of managing
demand by raising entry standards and thereby reducing the tail of less
well-qualified candidates.
There was discussion of the scope for increasing
overseas student numbers at both UG and PG levels for 2004 entry. Although
the consensus of the Deans was that it was now too late in the admissions
cycle, the Vice-Chancellor urged strongly that measures be found to
increase the number of admissions in this category in subsequent years.
- Institutional Audit: Final Report and University Response
The Registrar said that these documents would be considered
at the May meeting of the Quality Assurance Committee, and invited Committee
members to submit comments to him before 3 May. The intention was to
produce an action plan for the implementation of the five main recommendations
made in the Report, and also for following up on other comments related
to possible improvements in good practice.
- Updated Programme for Departmental and Support Service Reviews
The Registrar informed the Committee
that the programme of departmental reviews would need to be updated
in light of the organisational changes following the Bursar's retirement
and the abolition of this post. The opportunity also arose to assess
the best use of staff time in academic departments in a period when
the RAE dry run and preparations for TRAC would be imposing significant
demands.
Agreed: That the updated
programme could be approved, including a moratorium on reviews of
academic departments during 2004/05. The new Dean of Science would
be consulted about the review of the Science Faculty Office.
- Master Planning of Claverton Campus
The Director of Estates explained that the Masterplanning
Steering Group had: (i) reviewed the existing campus masterplan; (ii)
considered the opportunities for increasing the built footprint, focusing
on the area surrounding the Parade; and: (iii) examined the quality
of the existing built environment, with a view to setting guidelines
for future re-development. In tandem with the work of the Group, Terence
0'Rourke, property consultants employed by the University, had examined
in detail the possibilities for the re-development of the 'greater'
4 West site, concluding that there was potential to increase the built
environment within this footprint.
The Dean of Engineering and Design proposed that a small masterplanning
group be established on a permanent basis. This would enable ongoing
review of the University's estate, which would be preferable to the
current ad hoc scrutiny associated with particular estate projects.
The Dean also proposed that the in-house resources of the Department
of Architecture and Civil Engineering be deployed to prepare much
of the groundwork of the next masterplanning phase. Architects could
then be commissioned after this preliminary work had been completed.
Agreed:
(i) That in principle approval could be given to the establishment
of a standing masterplanning group, the membership and terms of reference
for which would be determined at a later date.
(ii) That in-house resources should be deployed for masterplanning
wherever appropriate, to enable the more intelligent and cost-effective
use of external consultants.
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- Department of Knowledge Transfer Services: Quarterly Report
The Director of Knowledge Transfer Services presented
the quarterly report for his department. Key points of note were as
follows.
- A collaborative bid for £13M of HEIF 2 funding
had been submitted by Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Surrey; the outcome
of the bid would be known in May.
- Critical negotiations had resulted in the agreement
of a £4.2M research collaboration between Sterix Limited and the
Faculty of Science (Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology).
- Support had been provided for two Research Council
'Follow on Fund' applications, generating a total of £162k in
grants.
- The first round of an application for £300k
of funding from the Wellcome Trust University Translation Awards had
been successful.
- Activity at the Bath and Oakfield Innovation Centres
had been buoyant, with a good mix of start-up companies.
- University support had been provided for a business
plan to create a science park at Emerson's Green, submitted by SWRDA
to the DTI.
The Vice-Chancellor welcomed the report. The Committee
commended the Head of Intellectual Property Services for bringing the
negotiations with Sterix Limited to a successful conclusion. The Dean
of Science felt that neither she nor the relevant Head of Department
had been kept adequately informed during the negotiations. It was noted
that there was scope for the Department of Knowledge Transfer Services
to work with the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences to support
consultancy and other areas of KT appropriate to the range of expertise
within the Faculty.
- Spring Lay Retreat
This was confirmed for the afternoon and evening
of Tuesday 6 April 2004.
The following items were noted without comment:
HEIF 2 bid and Knowledge Exchange
HEFCE Consultations
(a) Institutional Audit and Accountability: Code of
Practice
(b) Leadership, Governance and Management Fund
Notes of the Faculty of Engineering and Design Executive:
22 January 2004
Notes of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Heads of Department Committee: 2 February 2004
Notes of the Faculty of Science Executive: 13 January
2004
Notes of the Research Committee
(a) 26 January 2004
(b) 9 February 2004
Notes of the Equal Opportunities Committee: 22 January
2004
MSD
18.03.04
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