UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD
COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON
23 APRIL 2009
Present: Dr A Mawson (Chair)
Mr C Wells (Deputy Chair)
Mr U Ali
Mr T Britten
Prof M Bull
Dr M Burrows
Mr J Corner
Ms L Doyle
Ms F Goodey
Mr J Greenough
Prof M Harloe
Prof R Howard
Cllr W B Pennington (until item COU.09.21)
Mr N Renfrew
Ms C Shaw
Mr J Willis
Apologies: Mr I Austin
Mr N Collins
Ms B Spicer
Dr C Tyler
Mr M Webber
In attendance: Prof M Hall (Vice-Chancellor Designate)
Dr A Graves (Registrar and Secretary)
Mr S Attwell (Executive Director of Finance)
Mr F Benton (Executive Director of Estates and Property Services)
Prof S Donnelly (Executive Dean of Faculty of Science, Engineering and Environment)
Prof K Kobbacy (Executive Dean, Faculty of Business, Law and the Built Environment)
Prof G Nicholls (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Academic)
Prof C Pine (Executive Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Care)
Prof J Powell (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Enterprise and Regional Affairs)
Mr K Watkinson (Executive Director of Human Resources)
Prof L Wood (Executive Director of Enterprise and Development)
Mr P Hopwood (Director of Planning and Performance) for items COU.09.31 and 32
Mr M Rollinson (Head of Governance Services and Deputy Secretary)
Apologies for: Prof G Aouad (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation)
absences from Mr A Lewis (Executive Director of Information and Learning Services and Chief
those usually Information Officer)
in attendance Mr B Longhurst (Executive Director of Faculty of Arts, Media and Social Sciences)
COU.09.20 PROGRESS REPORT: LEARNING, TEACHING AND ENHANCEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE
Before consideration of the substantive agenda items, Council received a presentation on the learning, teaching and enhancement infrastructure and related developments.
Council was informed about;
i) the institutional Learning, Teaching and Enhancement (LTE) Strategy and subsequent approval of Faculty Learning, Teaching and Enhancement Strategies;
ii) the development of related School Operational Plans including targets, action plans and monitoring and reporting mechanisms;
iii) areas for improvement highlighted in the LTE Strategy; these included;
· development of a new Widening Participation Strategy (approved by Strategic Leadership Team and endorsed by Learning, Teaching and Enhancement Committee in February 2009);
· development of a Retention and Progression Policy based on the principles of recruiting for success, creating student success and managing , monitoring and evaluating institutional success (approved by Strategic Leadership Team in February 2009);
· development of an Admissions Policy designed to ensure compliance with national requirements and increase the quality of applicants whilst remaining fair and equitable and making explicit the links between entry qualifications and student retention (in development);
· development of a Recruitment Policy which reflects the current national and local situation, including reference to recruitment objectives, entry requirements and funding strategy (in development);
· review of academic portfolio; a model for disinvestment and reinvestment would be presented to Strategic Leadership Team shortly. The development of the portfolio would link to the Media City development and the Research and Innovation Strategy.
iv) future strategic measures would include;
· further development of the teaching and learning infrastructure to meet institutional audit requirements;
· development of a policy for the peer review of teaching and learning;
· a review of assessment policy;
· development of technology enhanced learning;
· development of the Higher Education Record of Achievement in line with government requirements.
Council welcomed the presentation and reiterated its support for management commitment to improve the student experience; the financial impact of student drop-out was significant and justified investment in this area. In addition to the institutional impact, Council noted that recent research confirmed the detrimental effect of drop out on individual students in economic, social and general well-being terms. Council noted further the importance of managing student expectations and once those expectations were clearly established and understood, meeting and hopefully exceeding them.
COU.09.21 MEMBERSHIP
Council, on the recommendation of the Chair of Nominations and Governance Committee following consultation with all members of the Committee approved;
i) the appointment of Dr Michael Burrows for a three year period with immediate effect (ending on 31 July 2012); Dr Burrows was currently Chief Executive of Salford Primary Care Trust (PCT) and a former Director of Finance for the PCT and Salford and Trafford Health Authority.
ii) the appointment of Peter Crompton with effect from 31 July 2009. Mr Crompton was Principal at Salford City College (established in January 2009 as a “Super College” from the former Colleges of Eccles, Pendleton and Salford).
Council noted that Mr Crompton would be invited to attend the next meeting of Council (on 9 July 2009) as an observer.
COU.09.22 MINUTES (COU/09/14)
The minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2009 were confirmed as a correct record.
COU.09.23 HEFCE ASSESSMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL RISK (Tabled document)
The Registrar reported that within the past week the University had received the annual assessment of institutional risk from HEFCE. The assessment was based on current financial information across many areas, including student recruitment and retention, financial performance and audit findings and on the basis of the assessment, institutions were either assessed as “at higher risk” or “not at higher risk”. Council was advised that on the basis of documentation submitted for 2007-08, HEFCE’s annual assessment of institutional risk was that the University was “not at higher risk”. HEFCE had requested that the letter (dated 16 April 2009) be placed before the next meeting of the governing body; the date of receipt meant that the letter had not been circulated with the rest of the agenda papers.
Council noted that the HEFCE annual assessment of institutional risk was that the University of Salford was assessed as “not at higher risk”.
COU.09.24 MANAGEMENT REPORT FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR
The Vice-Chancellor reported the following matters to Council;
i) Media City;
HEFCE had awarded grant of £8 million to the University from its Strategic Development Fund, to support the cost of fitting out the Media City development. The development grant, which was by for the largest ever received by the University, would contribute to about a third of fit out costs. The University’s commitment to Media City project was bringing in other major benefits including high level partnerships with the BBC and other key media businesses.
Council noted that the University’s major collaborative research bid with other Universities and industry partners to the three Research Councils would be considered on 30 April 2009.
ii) Mission, Vision and Values;
A draft Mission, Vision and Values for the University had been considered by the University’s Management Group at a meeting at the end of March. The Group had looked in detail at how the University could meet its challenges and aspirations over the next 10 years, including an honest appraisal of current performance and potential for transformation. The group had acknowledged that the University needed to be in the top eight of Universities in the north of England and in the top quartile of UK Universities.
Council was advised that the working vision was that “the University of Salford will be, by 2020, an outstanding University renowned for the quality of its engagement, humanity, global reach and leadership in research, innovation and education” and this was supported by a set of draft values.
The work on the Mission, Vision and Values would be taken forward by the Vice-Chancellor (Designate) and a final version of the Mission and Vision would be considered by a special meeting of Senate on 7 October 2009 and then at the subsequent Council meeting.
iii) Research and Innovation Strategy
Plans for a proposed new research structure and for a significant increase in funding support had now been presented at staff briefing sessions by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Professor G Aouad. The strategy aimed “to develop an international reputation (for the University) as a research led institution that creates and applies new ideas and creates opportunities for individuals and the knowledge economy”.
Council was advised that a key element of the strategy was the replacement of existing Research Institutes with a new, faculty integrated research structure that could be operational from 1 December 2009. The strategy set the ambitious target of achieving research income of £30 million a year by 2015, with additional staff and bidding expertise proposed to ensure that research was supported and resourced sufficiently.
iv) Quality of Teaching Rooms
Comprehensive plans to introduce clear standards for modern, well-equipped teaching rooms across the University had been agreed by the Strategic Leadership Team. Minimum standards would be introduced (and exceeded in some areas) and all teaching rooms would include appropriate technology enablement. Academic staff would be involved in early design stages and eight teaching rooms were scheduled to be ready by the summer to enable a pilot and testing phase. A five year rolling plan and consolidated business case to upgrade all teaching rooms would subsequently be produced, a project jointly led by Information and Learning Services and Estates and Property Services in consultation with the academic community.
v) National Student Survey
Overall participation rate in the National Student Survey was close to 60 per cent, above the level at the same stage last year; the University’s aim was to replicate the 3 per cent increase in overall student satisfaction achieved last year, an improvement which would take the University above the national median.
vi) World Universities Ranking
The University had submitted data to the Times Higher Education list of World University rankings, an increasingly publicised league table list of the Universities adjudged to be in the top 500 in the world. The submission had been accepted (which meant that the compilers agreed that there was a strong case for inclusion) and the outcome would be known by the autumn.
vii) Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
The Vice-Chancellor and Registrar and Secretary has visited RMIT in April to sign a memorandum of understanding setting out the intention to develop a wide-ranging collaboration between the two institutions covering teaching, research, enterprise and administration; this visit built on earlier exploratory visits and discussions.
Council was advised that building these kinds of international links with a select number of high quality institutions which shared a similar mission and ethos to Salford was an important part of the strategy to raise the profile and impact of the University. Discussions had taken place with RMIT about the possible joint development of such an international group of Universities (between six and eight in number); other forms of cooperation, including staff and student exchange would also be developed with RMIT.
viii) Enterprise and Regional Affairs
The University had been awarded funding from the Department of Communities and Local Government under their Empowerment Fund; the University was partnered by Carnegie UK Trust in this work which was a combination of research and enterprise activity. The amount of funding was still to be confirmed but the bid had been submitted for £500,000 over three years; the work would follow on for the Community Land Trust Demonstration Programme which Carnegie had also supported.
Council members were reminded about the Smart City Futures initiative; a series of workshops, focus groups, events and seminars would take place, culminating in an international conference at the Lowry Centre on 21-23 July 2009, concentrating on three key themes;
· strategic policy engagement
· improved professional support for sustainable futures
· citizen empowerment and inclusive visioning
ix) Information and Learning Services (ILS)
Strategic Leadership Team had identified the requirement for capital investment of £7 million over two years to stabilise ICT infrastructure, improve business continuity and save operating costs (this matter is covered in more detail in minute COU.09.26.6).
The ILS/Faculty of Health and Social Care Liaison Team had been short-listed for a Times Higher Education Award in management and leadership.
Following discussions with the Students’ Union a pilot of 24 hour opening would begin at Clifford Whitworth Building over the summer revision and exam period.
Council was advised of a major ICT systems failure on the weekend of 4-5 April which would be the subject of a separate report following detailed independent investigations.
x) Students’ Union
Council was advised that the newly elected Students’ Union team was as follows;
Trustees
Lorna Cole
Ram Bende
Vickie Scullard
Adeel Khan
It was noted that this was probably the most diverse board in the University’s history, comprising an international master’s student, two mature students and a British born Asian undergraduate.
Vice-Presidents
Emily Godfrey
Ricky Chotai
Jim Dale
Joe Kirwan
President
Matthew Webber
The Students’ Union had received national recognition at an awards ceremony on 7 April 2009, receiving a bronze award for Sound Environmental Impact, meaning that the Union had satisfied 22 essential criteria in the category.
The current President, Usman Ali, has been elected to the NUS National Executive Committee, becoming the first Salford representative on the NEC for 17 years; in addition Ram Bende had been elected to the NUS International Student Committee. The Salford Islamic Society had also received the NUS award for the best International Student Society of the year. Congratulations were extended to Mr Ali, Mr Bende and the Islamic Society.
xi) Staff Experience Survey
Council noted that a full report on the Staff Experience Survey would be submitted to the next meeting of Council. Full results had now been published on the web, including detailed results for each School/Professional and Administrative Services. Local briefings would be held with staff to facilitate understanding of the results.
xii) Strategic Leadership Team – briefing
Strategic Leadership Team briefings were now being cascaded to senior managers for dissemination as appropriate to their team.
xiii) University and College Union (UCU) – potential industrial action
The University and College Union had recently announced that it would be balloting members regarding industrial action; UCU were advocating this because of their view that employers had not yet provided the union with a credible pay offer or adopted a “no redundancy” policy.
Council was advised that UCU action had been initiated in the middle of an agreed timetable for this year’s pay negotiations and was premature, inappropriate and outside the agreed negotiating machinery; the pay claim for 8% was wholly unrealistic and if agreed would inevitably result in more redundancies.