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Executive Committee

Summary notes of the Executive Committee held on 28 September 2005

1. HEIF3
   
   A meeting with staff of the Office for Science and Technology (OST) had discussed the potential loss of funding to medium size research-intensive universities under that part of the new methodology based on a volume count of full-time-equivalent academic staff. The Vice-Chancellor had argued that there was a case for the methodology to incorporate a non-linear mode of allocation beyond a certain point. The OST had agreed to consider modelling of this revised methodology.
   

2. James Dyson Foundation
   
   It was reported that the James Dyson Foundation had offered a bursary of £5K per annum to an undergraduate in the Faculty of Engineering and Design. This was very welcome, and was evidence of increasing links between the Foundation and the University.

3. Review of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering

   It was reported that Professor Gary Hawley had been appointed as Associate Dean for a fixed term of one-year, to lead on the process of change management discussed at the last meeting of the Committee. Professor Hawley would work with the Professor Taylor, the Head of Department, and report to the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Design. Professor Hawley was establishing a review group to examine how the department could organize its teaching more efficiently. Some progress in this area had already been made, following an arrangement with Mechanical Engineering to offer joint teaching of undergraduate Mathematics; further improvements were expected over the next 12 months.

4. Principles of confidentiality relating to students
   

   The Registrar said that the Student Experience and Strategy Committee had recommended that the University adopt a set of general principles covering the treatment of any item of confidential information relating to a student. These principles were intended to complement and comply with existing University guidance on the Data Protection Act 1998, and covered four main areas: respect for confidentiality; the legal and professional context of confidential information; consent for the disclosure of this information; and the definition of the 'need to know' on the part of University departments and external parties. The principles would provide a framework within which more detailed policies and procedures could be formulated by specific departments. The need for such a framework, to support the judgement and discretion that would still be required when dealing with individual cases, had been highlighted by Directors of Studies, the Department of Student Services and the Students' Union. A number of case studies would be produced to illustrate how the principles might be applied in different situations.
   
   Agreed: That, subject to further refinement as necessary and the inclusion of the case studies, the principles could be approved for promulgation throughout the University.

5. Mechanism for academic appeals
   

   The Registrar said that proposals put forward in this paper sought to enact one of the recommendations of the Effectiveness Review Group of Council, by establishing an appropriate internal procedure for academic appeals made by students, taking due account of the role of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator as an external layer of appeal. The changes proposed were to further qualify the power of Council to hear all grievance cases by empowering Senate to deal with student academic appeals; to define grievances or appeals by the outcome sought, thereby helping to clarify the distinction between a complaint and an academic appeal; and to replace the existing Review Appraisal Committee with a Student Academic Appeals Committee, membership of which would comprise a Pro-Vice-Chancellor (acting as chair), together with four members of academic staff. The first layer of appeal would remain the Deans, Heads of Schools and the Academic Registrar .
   
   Agreed: That, subject to modification of the flowchart appended to the paper, the proposals put forward could be approved for consideration by Senate and Council.
   
   
   The following items were received without comment:  

Notes of the School for Health Executive: 27 July 2005

Notes of the 5WL1 Management Committee: 27 July 2005

Notes of the 4 West Deconstruction Project: 30 June 2005

Notes of the 3 West North Project Control Group: 2 August 2005

Notes ofthe University Hall Refurbishment Project Control Group: 5 September 2005

Date of next meeting: Wednesday, 26 October 2005

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