SUMMARY MINUTES FROM THE SIXTH MEETING OF 2007 OF ACADEMIC COUNCIL, HELD ON WEDNESDAY 12th DECEMBER AT

2.00 PM IN ROOM 075 QUEEN ANNE COURT, GREENWICH CAMPUS

Present: / Tessa Blackstone
(Chair) / Christine Rose
(Secretary)
Alev Adil / Mohammad Dastbaz
Karen Adomako / Priscilla Dike
Steven Aitken / Mary Farrell
Liz Bacon / Sue Golding
Marilyn Banfield / John Humphreys
Richard Blackburn / David Isaac
Peter Burt / Les Johnson
Maureen Castens / Mary Clare Martin
Jenny Chan / Tricia Meers
Alex Coutroubis / John Newbery
Denis Crapnell / Margaret Noble
Peter Dalton / Lucie Pollard
David Wills
In Attendance: / Wendy Cealey Harrison / Clifton Kandler
Christine Couper / Eleanor Kehoe
Kirsteen Coupar / Sarah Palmer
Annette Devine / Suzanna Stein
Apologies: /
Gordon Ade-Ojo / Ndy Ekere
Patrick Ainley / Richard Hayward
Virender Choudhary / Anneyce Knight
Linda Cording / Tim Paget
Nandini Dasgupta / Guy Poulter

ITEMS FROM THE CHAIR

1.  QUEEN’S ANNIVERSARY PRIZE

The TABEISA project has been awarded a Queen’s Anniversary prize for Higher Education, the 3rd such prize the University has won. Congratulations to the Pro-vice Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) for his time, effort and commitment in making the project such a success.

07.6.1 / MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING OF ACADEMIC COUNCIL HELD ON 17 OCTOBER 2007
(a) The Summary Minutes of COUNCIL held on 17 October 2007 were agreed as an accurate record.
MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
·  Following a School ballot the School of Education and Training will retain its current name
·  The Director of Student Affairs has received names of student representatives from all Schools and passed them on to the Students’ Union and the Head of Planning and Statistics for work relating to the National Student Survey.
·  The Business School has submitted a rationale and a list of courses which require January examinations for approval by COUNCIL.
07.5.2 The Head of Planning and Statistics reported that the Funding Council criteria for selection of students for the National Student Survey will remain unchanged.
07.5.7 The forthcoming Institutional Audit will become a standing item on COUNCIL’s agenda
07.5.11 THES prize for best research project was won this year by Liverpool John Moores. Greenwich will continue to submit research projects to this competition
07.6.2 /

RAE REVIEW: PROGRESS REPORT

The Pro-vice Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) provided COUNCIL with a written report on the University’s submission to the Research Assessment Exercise 2008. The paper outlined the strategy adopted and presented an overview of the final submission. The submission was made in good time and consisted of 19 Units of Assessment (UofAs). The Pro-vice Chancellor highlighted some very strong UofAs and some developments from the RAE 2006. The Pro-vice Chancellor wish to commended colleagues on their willing prioritisation of the corporate interest. It is anticipated that the new Pro-vice Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) will use the submission as a basis for review of the University’s research strategy.
COUNCIL noted the report.
07.6.3 / DIVERSITY AND EQUALITY:
(i) AGE EQUALITY POLICY
(ii) EQUALITY BRIEFING PAPER

(iii) DISABILITY

The University Diversity Manager outlined the current developments in equality and diversity and highlighted the University’s progress towards a single equality scheme in line with the progress of current legislation. Currently there are a number of equality strands including race, disability, gender and age which are ultimately to be brought together in one scheme. The University is also required to carry out equality impact assessments on all of its policies and this work is in hand. A draft of a Religion and Belief policy will be ready by June 2008
COUNCIL was presented with an Age Equality Policy, which is in its 4th draft following extensive consultation with over two hundred and fifty staff. The policy sets out how the University intends to prevent age discrimination in all its functions.
COUNCIL endorsed the Age Equality Policy and noted both the Equality Briefing Paper and the 2006/2007 Annual Report. COUNCIL further noted the Mission Statement of the Corporate Plan needed some rewording to incorporate an equality framework and that references to CRB ‘checks’ should be amended to read ‘disclosures’.
07.6.4 /

REGISTRATION DATA: 2007/2008

The Head of Planning and Statistics reported that the registration numbers included both summer University students and PCET network registrations where these had been cause for concern at the previous meeting of COUNCIL. The University had made contract with the loss of some additional student numbers, although these numbers can be recovered during the year. The conversion rate between FTE and headcount had reduced suggesting student data was much more accurate than in previous years. COUNCIL discussed the impact of tighter auditing by the Funding Council, the numbers of student registrations, student attrition and the impact this has on funding. COUNCIL also discussed the need to ensure that all short courses and CPD courses were credit bearing where possible to accrue student numbers. COUNCIL welcomed an investigation currently underway to review the numbers of programmes and numbers of students registered to them.
COUNCIL noted the report. COUNCIL further noted on page 1 of the report the School of Humanities and Social Sciences is credited with the recruitment of an additional 99 students where it is the School of Health and Social Care that recruited them.
07.6.5 / ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK:
(i) CHANGES TO ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
The Pro-vice Chancellor (Learning and Quality) reported in detail on the work of the Assessment Working Group and their recommendations for changes to the current assessment regulations. These were particularly with regard to honours classifications, reassessment and potential interim reassessment and responses to the National Student survey with regard to clarity of the grading process.
With regard to interim reassessment the working group agreed that because of the resource implications for large courses they would not recommend a change at this point. The group would however seek feedback from Schools on this matter.
The working group identified and provided (Appendix B) a set of generic assessment criteria for staff to adopt to indicate clearly to students the criteria which will be used to determine a grade for each assessment. The group suggest a programme of staff development on assessment and feedback and that such a programme is made mandatory for all academic staff.
The working group presented 3 different models for Progression and Award Boards to use when conferring awards. The three models reflect:
·  recognition of consistent performance,
·  profiling to ascertain in which band of classification the majority of a student’s performance lies
·  the recognition of development through final year performance
COUNCIL approved, with immediate effect, if feasible, the revised academic regulations with one minor clarification – that condonement be applied to up to 30 credits of failure rather than one course. COUNCIL also approved associated staff and student awareness raising and staff development and training in order to implement the regulations.
(ii) REGULATIONS FOR RESEARCH AWARDS
COUNCIL noted the amendments to the regulations for research awards.
07.6.6 / ANNUAL REPORTS: SERVICES TO STUDENTS
(i) GUIDANCE AND EMPLOYABILITY: 2006/2007
The Guidance and Employability Team (GET) were successfully awarded the matrix Standard for excellence in the provision of information, advice and guidance in July 2007. Over 80% satisfaction levels were achieved in all activities measured for Matrix accreditation which contrasts with the less than average satisfaction levels recorded in the National Student Survey. Suggested development recommendations include the need to target non-users and promote the services more effectively. The Head of Guidance and Employability reported that overall unemployment figures fell by 2% compared to the previous year and the response rate to the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey was very good at 82.8%. The figure for students going into further study is below the national average and more could be done to promote our own awards to students.
(ii)  STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES: 2006/2007
The Head of Pastoral Support and Student Success spoke to a report which highlighted the student support services role in progression and retention; 93% of students visiting counsellors contemplating withdrawal continued on course after counselling, 93 students were screened for disabilities on site by the Outreach Assessment Centre. The importance of the development of a cross-University Welfare Forum was emphasised particularly given the poor satisfaction levels recorded in the National Student Survey. The Pastoral Support and Student Success service area is to be renamed Welfare and Student Support to more accurately describe the service area to students. The Chair noted that referral of students by staff to counsellors could be one way of retaining students.
(iii)  EXAMS/APPEALS/COMPLAINTS: 2006/2007
The Director of Student Affairs spoke to the report prepared by the Head of Exams and Standards and reported a high number of appeals were being dealt with quickly and with many dealt with more informally. Small numbers of appeals were still going from students to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator but the University had not lost one case in the last 8 that had been received. The number of appeals received from each School tends to be proportionate to the size of that School.
COUNCIL noted a correction to p94 of the report which includes a student on the BA Youth and Community Studies programme under Health and Social Care when it should be reported under Education and Training programmes.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor commended the Exams and Standards Office on their professional handling of appeals and complaints.
With regard to the exams report, the Director of Student Affairs highlighted the possible move to a computerised exam timetabling system in the not too distant future in response to a number of complaints in the NSS about changing of exam rooming at short notice. The Deputy Vice-chancellor highlighted the number of changes to the exam timetables and requested a drive to eliminate as many as possible and also stressed the need to reduce the number of examinations in August, and to ensure that examination papers are submitted on time.
(iv)  STUDENT FINANCE/HARDSHIP: 2006/2007
The Director of Student Affairs reported an increasing number of sources of
funding for students facing financial difficulties with the largest allocation of
funds from the Access to Learning Fund. The majority of the funds dispersed to students is done through a central system which continues to allow for some one-to-one financial advice work at campus level. It was emphasised that in relation to withdrawal and interruption of studies academic staff should advise students to seek information from a financial adviser as part of their decision making process.
07.6.7 / EVALUATION OF THE STUDENT PORTAL: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Greenwich Gateway, the University’s student portal, was launched at the beginning of the 2006 /2007 academic session. A total of 17,984 individual students representing some 71% of the total potential user population accessed the portal during the first year of operation. 900 students responded to the portal survey in March 2007 and the findings suggest that the portal meets user need and demonstrates an improvement in access to online information and services. A number of technical problems raised by users were picked up and dealt with throughout the year. A number of follow-up actions based on the feedback include training, better signposting of portal content, a number of new channels and a change to portal time-outs. The Web Services Manager reported the final phase of the staff portal would begin in January 2008.
The Chair of COUNCIL noted the successful project.
07.6.8 / CONFIRMATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS OF EXAMINERS: MPhil/PhD
COUNCIL ratified the awards recommended by the examiners.
07.6.9 / ANNUAL REPORTS (COMMITTEES):
ACADEMIC COLLABORATION COMMITTEE: 2006-2007
COUNCIL noted the action plan for 2007/2008 for Academic Collaboration Committee.
07.6.10 / MINUTES OF ACADEMIC COUNCIL COMMITTEES
(a) CENTRAL COMMITTEES
(i) FLOW OF MINUTES INTO ACADEMIC COUNCIL
(ii)  MINUTES RECEIVED AND PLACED ON THE WEB:
Academic Planning Sub-Committee – 11 July 2007
Academic Planning Sub-Committee – 7 September 2007
Academic Planning Sub-Committee – 11 October 2007
Learning & Quality Committee – 26 September 2007
Research & Enterprise Committee – 5 July 2007
Research Ethics Committee – 7 June 2007
No comments were received
(b) SCHOOL BOARDS
(i) FLOW OF MINUTES INTO ACADEMIC COUNCIL
(ii)  MINUTES RECEIVED AND PLACED ON THE WEB:
Education and Training – 13 November 2007
Science – 23 May 2007
Science – 12 September 2007
No comments were received
07.6.11 / ITEMS FOR INFORMATION
DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING OF ACADEMIC COUNCIL:
30 JANUARY 2008
N.B. THE MARCH MEETING OF ACADEMIC COUNCIL WILL NOW TAKE PLACE ON 12 MARCH AT 3PM IN QUEEN ANNE 075
The Chair thanked Professor John Humphreys for his immense contribution to Academic Council over the years he has worked at the University. Professor Humphreys retires from the University in December.

Signature…………………………………………………….Date……………………

(Chair)

1