Department of Psychological Sciences

Department of Psychological Sciences

Staff Meeting

29th June 2016

Minutes

1. Introduction

MO welcomed Emma Illingworth, Subject Librarian, to the meeting.

1. Birkbeck Talent – TubahSarwar

TubahSarwah from Birkbeck Talent, the College’s recruitment team, attended the meeting to explain what they do and how they can help students find jobs. They can support them through the application and interview process, and all students are entitled to register with them,. They are based in G20 Malet St. Tubah asked staff to get in touch if they knew of any potential employers.

1. Panopto Demonstration - Tim Smith

TS gave a demonstration of Panopto, the College’s lecture capture and broadcast software. He said that while at present it is not compulsory to record lectures, it may become so in future, and that there requirements under DDA to record for some students. He said that it syncs the audio with your PowerPoint slides, and there is an option just to record the audio rather than the visual. Studies at UCL and Leeds have shown no drop in student attendance, which was raised as a concern. Information on Panopto is available on the Panopto group on Moodle, and it can be installed on your personal laptops for use at external teaching venues. TS reminded the meeting that you should inform students that you are recording.

1. Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

1. Matters arising
2. H&S: Emma appointed Academic Health and Safety Officer (co-ordinate on getting details in to SEVRON)

MO reported that EM has been appointed Academic Health and Safety Officer as most of the COSHH issues would involve the genetics lab. He reminded staff that they would all need to do SEVRON training as Emma’s role is not to put all their protocols on the system but to oversee this.

1. Items from the Chair
2. Staffing

MO reported that Marty Sereno will be leaving in the summer, and that we are in the process of appointing a new Director of BUCNI. Mark Johnson will also be leaving in 2017 to take up the HoD role at Cambridge.

MO reported that Gillian Forrester has been appointed as the new DoUG Studies and will start on 15th September.

6.2.TEF

MO congratulated JB on gaining her HEA fellowship and reminded all staff that they must do this before TEF kicks in. HE said that the full version of TEF may well happen at the same time as the next REF, as it is being phased in in a 3 stage process, there may well be a light touch run next year at institutional level based on existing metrics.

6.3.Annual Reviews

MO reminded the meeting that Annual Reviews are now compulsory, and that only 6 had taken place, with a deadline of September for completion. He clarified to the meeting, as there was some unease that they were being used as a management tool, that they do not go to promotion panels or HR, but remain with the HoD/Executive Dean. A workload review will also take place over the summer.

6.4.Budget £50K cuts (mainly from predicted holding account spends)

MO reported that we have been asked to cut £50k from the non pay budgets for next year. We have trimmed wherever possible but the bulk will come from predicted holding account spends (not the amount of money going in, just what people have said that they will spend). He reminded the meeting that the College is still not keen on special funds.

1. Recruitment and Budgets
2. Applications down (259 (357)); offers up (203 (191)); College predicting 1.2M deficit in Psych Sci next year

MO reported that will applications are down, offers are up. The College is predicting a £1.2m deficit for Psychological Sciences next year – this includes the costs of funding central services. MT asked if they too would be asked to cut their budgets. MO said that in fact at present they are not pressurising us too much as we are seen to be trying to do something about the recruitment numbers, e.g. the new curriculum and updated website. It was noted that progression numbers are down this year – nearly 50% failed year 1, which even taking resits into account will mean a small year 2. RD suggested a task group to look at retention and to see what is working elsewhere, and looking at the demographic background of drop outs to see if there are any trends. Private providers, such as Pearson were also a concern for ongoing recruitment. TSAG is going to discuss the proposal to monitor 1st term attendance and have personal tutors contact students if thought necessary.

7.2.Rationale for Streaming (no cost, new launch)

MO said that while the possibility of streaming had been discussed in a previous meeting, it is now going ahead as a hook for advertising the new curriculum with no extra cost. All students will be signed up to the BSc Psychology to start with but would be asked at level 6 if they wanted to take one of the pathways, which would involve a specific set of options to have a named degree. It was agreed that in order to do this, we would have to ensure that options in a specific stream do not clash on the new timetable.

7.3.Rationale for Foundation Year (no cost, new launch)

The College is very keen on foundation years and as we already have the certs in place, this can be rebadged at no extra cost.

7.4.Web site: Almost there (RD update)

The new website is still under development but we hope to have it up and running shortly – handed back in 2 weeks and live in 3.

7.5.Marketing/ER items.

MO reminded the meeting that there is an Open day for the departmenttaking place on 7th July in tandem with other science departments. Academic volunteers are needed to attend this event to speak to students and to give departmental tours etc.

1. Accommodation and Planning

8.1.Space issues

Staff and students are now in the process of moving into the new space in the BMA building.

1. Congratulations and Grants

MO congratulated Ted Melhuish on being award an OBE in the recent honours list. Michael Thomas, Naz Derakhshan and Anne Richards have all been awarded the APS fellowship.

1. Report from the Chair of the Dept’al Research Committee/REF (ND)

The committee discussed the criteria for awarding research funding, and agreed that the pot should be used specifically for research students rather than staff, rebranded as the Postgraduate Research Support Fund and should therefore be administered by the PGR committee. It should be mainly used for training, as travel costs come from the PGR budget. When the new intranet is up and running we will put up a list of previously funded applications to guide applicants.

The College Impact Fund is up and running (10k per unit of assessment over the life of the REF period) – applications will need to justify how the funds are going to generate impact. The REF working group will co-ordinate applications, which will be judged at the College level.

MO reported on the paper from the MRC commenting on the upcoming White Paper and the likely reform of research funding – QR funding is likely to be moved from HEFCE to sit under a new body, UKRI, incorporating the Research Councils, leading to the end of dual funding.

1. Psychology Athena Swan Working Group

MO reported that the department had been awarded the Bronze Award, and in particular thanked ML for his work on the submission. The Committee had gone through the action plan at the last meeting and updated with new developments – this is available on Moodle. Several members of staff had been on the Unconscious Bias training and MO said that all staff should attend this course in the coming year. The planned Induction Booklet is still outstanding but in progress. ML and BBG will be attending the award ceremony on 30th June.

1. Report from the Chair of the Learning and Teaching Committee (RD)

RD reported that Ana Lewin had put in paperwork for a BA top up for the Foundation Degree in Psychology for Education professionals – currently students have been going to the IoE for this. This will commence in 2017/18. The Committee had discussed the possibility of a BA in Psychology (i.e. with no project and not BPS accredited), and this is still under discussion.

1. Report from the Chair of the Resources Committee (AS)

AS reported that the committee had agreed to a request from FD and AT for a PC to replace one that had disappeared from the Language Lab. EM was awarded £1500 towards access to genetics software. AS said that FT had agreed to remain on the committee after ED’s return from sabbatical as Co-ordinator of the test library.

1. AOB

AKS reminded the meeting that the deadline for submissions for this term’s newsletter is 7th July.

EM asked about an update on sabbatical applications and MO said that he would send round the official application form – the SPG will consider applications and make a decision.

1. MO wished everyone a good summer.

1. Date of next meeting: TBC