LONDON’S GLOBAL UNIVERSITY
JOINT-FIGS/RESEARCH STUDENTS COMMITTEE
FOR ARTS AND HUMANITIES
AND SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL SCIENCES
26 January 2016
MINUTES
Present:
Dr Paulo Drinot
Mr Richard Edwards
Dr Methchild Fend
Dr Francois Guesnet
Dr Fiona Leigh
Mr Rory Lawless
Dr Helen Matthews
Dr Benet Salway
Prof Alison Shell
Dr Joy Sleeman
Institute of the Americas
Departmental Graduate Administrator
Ms Catherine Thomson
Joint Faculty Communications and Marketing Manager
Prof Jonathan Wolff
Dean, A&H
Hebrew & Jewish Studies
Hebrew & Jewish Studies
Philosophy
Student Representative PGT for SHS
Deputy Faculty Tutor (A&H, SHS)
Faculty Graduate Tutor, SHS
English
Faculty Graduate Tutor, A&H (in the Chair)
In attendance:
Ms Makeba Adero (Secretary to the Joint FIGS/Research Students Committee)
Professor Kevin C. MacDonald, Professor of African Archaeology, Institute of
Archaeology [for item 4]
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE WERE RECEIVED FROM
Dr Allen Abramson (Anthropology), Mr Andy Dawson (Department of Information
Studies), Prof Mairéad Hanrahan (SELCS), Prof Julian Hoppit (History), Dr Alan
Ingram (Geography), Dr James G S Wilson (SHS Vice Dean, Interdisciplinarity)
JFIGS /RSC – 26 January 2016 – Minutes
Preliminary business
15.
MINUTES OF 13 OCTOBER 2015 MEETING
1.1 Approved - Minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 2015
16.
MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES THAT ARE NOT AGENDA ITEMS
Minute 6 13 October 2015 Je-S database update
Some departments had forwarded details of their Je-S contact and asked for
training. It was said that
 UCL students were updated by departmental contacts
 LAHP students and interrupting students were updated by Natalie Berry
 DTC students were updated by the DTC manager
Jo Wolff gave an update on UCL’s embargo status and informed the Committee
that the embargo had been avoided. It was important however for Je-S to be
updated regularly and it needed to be made clear which members of staff were
responsible for updating the system to avoid any issues in the future.
ACTION: Training to be organised and include details of who was
responsible for updating the different category of students on Je-S.
Minute 8 13 October 2015 Review of webpage detailing PGTA rule
Dr Helen Matthews reported that the guidelines remained the same.
Any changes would go on the agenda for the next meeting.
Minute 9 13 October 2015 Practice-led PhD update
Dr Benet Salway informed the Committee that Professor David Bogle approved
the programme by Chair’s action in December 2015.
Minute 13 13 October 2015 Student representatives election update
Dr Helen Matthews reported 2 PGT representatives had been appointed and that
it was hoped that the PGR representatives would be found in current elections.
If this was found not to be the case then those elected in the current round would
be approached directly. Rory Lawless, one the PGT StARs, commented that the
holding of elections early in the term when students first arrived may have an
effect on take-up. It was thought that possible PGR students should stand earlier
in the year, so that they are identified before the role comes in to effect.
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JFIGS /RSC – 26 January 2016 – Minutes
Matters for discussion
17.
PROGRAMME AND MODULE APPROVALS
 African Studies MPhil/PhD PIQ
presented by Professor Kevin C. MacDonald
JFRSC 16/01/01
APPROVED
Professor MacDonald was asked if a African Studies MPhil/PhD programme was
not available at SOAS or Oxford and if the programme would have a language
element. He later confirmed that a programme is run at SOAS meaning that there
were three pre-existing African Studies MPhil/PhD programmes in the UK.
In terms of whether or not the programme had a language element, the Professor
informed the Committee that traditionally students acquired any language skills
out in the field however if such a need arose, tuition would be arranged.
ACTION: Programme to be sent to Research Degrees Committee for
approval.
18.
POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE SURVEY (PRES):
FACULTY-SPECIFIC DATA presented by Dr Benet Salway and Joy Sleeman


Arts and Humanities
Social and Historical Sciences
JFRSC 16/01/02
JFRSC 16/01/03
The Faculty Graduate Tutors had been asked to identify areas for action. Three
have been identified



Space in Departments
Staff would be surveyed to find out if they have designated space for
Research students (lockers, common room, and office space etc.). Deans
would be encouraged to include the question of ‘space’ in their 3 year plan.
Responsibilities (Research training)
Students said that they were not able to identify a training plan based on
advice provided by their graduate tutor. The responses also highlighted a lack
of awareness of how students are able to feedback to UCL through
Committees.
Research culture
The IAS had been refurbished to allow for academic collaborations. A
catalogue was to be set up detailing PhD topics and research logs.
The following points were made, that there was a need to explain to students the
questions and terminology used in the PRES, that student satisfaction was high
across both faculties and that there was a need to emphasise what the Joint
faculty was doing by way of action.
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JFIGS /RSC – 26 January 2016 – Minutes
PRES responses (updated in light of JFIGS/RSC discussion) by Dr Benet
Salway
J. Wolff commented that, looking at table 4 (p. 4), despite poor performances in
specific categories, both A&H and SHS have an overall score of 2 (upper
quartile). So overall satisfaction does not map on to the other categories: it is
clearly not a simply product of aggregating the responses to the constituent
questions.
Indeed, for overall satisfaction, as a School, SLASH is the best school. So we are
more efficiently producing satisfaction with the least resources. This context is to
be borne in mind when considering our responses to areas identified as less than
satisfactory in the survey.
The following proposed responses to be presented to the Head of the Doctoral
School were discussed
Resources (Space): A concern raised by students in both faculties relates to lack
of designated space and facilities for research students in departments. In the
absence of departmental attributions to the student comments, our feeling is that
provision (and the demand for it) varies widely from department to department.
The first response is to gather information from departments on use of
departmental space for research students and then assess the possibilities for
enhancement. The need for such designated space is highlighted by the
comments of research students on the difficulty in using the Main library because
of the lack of a quiet scholarly atmosphere. The Deans are to be encouraged to
put bids for space in the 3-year faculty plans.
Responsibilities: The faculties were scored poorly for the provision of an
identifiable training plan. A key problem appears to be that students are not able
to identify a ‘training plan’ from the advice given by DGTs and supervisors on
skills acquisition at the start of their studies. Secondly, there is clearly a lack of
awareness of the opportunities available to offer feedback (through departmental
S-SCCs and StARs on faculty-level committees) and raise complaints (through
DGTs and FGTs). The FGTs plan to use their annual briefing to DGTs/PGR
Administrators to make sure that information is cascaded down to the graduate
students and explain how to communicate better to students what a research
training plan is.
Research culture: The extent to which UCL departments form the primary focus
of research culture within their disciplines (rather than University of London
School of Advanced Study institutions) varies greater across the two faculties.
Nevertheless at the faculty-level, since the survey the UCL Institute of Advanced
Studies space has been refurbished and made available, which has provided
opportunities for students to organize events and participate in events in order to
build a research culture. To raise the visibility of activity the IAS website will
incorporate a record of JFIGS events, with reports from the successfully funded
award holders. However, an information deficit certainly exists when it comes to
identifying research students with complementary interests in different
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JFIGS /RSC – 26 January 2016 – Minutes
departments. The FGTs propose that the possibility be explored of extracting
research topic data from the Research Student log. This could then be used to
populate a directory accessible to students, supervisors, and DGTs/PGR
Administrators through the Joint Faculty website.
19.
ORAL EXAMINATION PROCEDURE FOR RESEARCH DEGREES
presented by Dr Benet Salway
JFRSC 16/01/04
Taking David Bogle’s THE article on the public viva as a starting point, the
Committee discussed a number of aspects of the current UCL procedure that might
be reconsidered. Nevertheless the Committee felt that it was not clear what the
imperative was for reconsideration of current procedures. The following comments
were made:
•
Principal Supervisor attending viva
It was felt that the currently permitted optional presence of the Supervisor was
sometimes useful, if only as amanuensis to take notes on improvements/revisions
suggested by the examiners. As Students were aware that they could choose
whether their Supervisor attended their viva or not, the general feeling was that
change was unnecessary.
•
Independent Chair
It was felt that for the volume of PhDs awarded in comparison to the number of
complaints received being minimal, an independent Chair was unnecessary.
•
Audio recording
It was felt that, while this could be useful for the student where corrections had been
identified, other than that a compelling need for this as a protection against
complaints could not be identified.
A general discussion took place as to the merits of a public viva. The Committee
concluded that, while it might serve as a fitting culmination of the student’s efforts,
for this to happen in the London system there would need to be a culture shift.
20.
FACULTY GRADUATE TUTORS’ REPORT presented by Benet Salway & Joy Sleeman
No matters were raised.
21.
JOINT FIGS REPORT
presented by Catherine Thomson Marketing and Communications Manager, Joint Faculty
 Update on JFIGS small grants awards
£30,000 of JFIGS funding is allocated via three rounds each year (October, January and
April). Applications are invited from postgraduate students and academic staff in support of
events which reflect interdisciplinarity, staff/student collaboration and external engagement
in ways which positively represent the research environment across UCL’s Faculties of Arts
& Humanities and Social & Historical Sciences, and the School of Slavonic and East
European Studies. The maximum funding allocation per applicant is £1500.
In October 2015, funding was allocated to 16 successful applications across the following
areas of the Joint Faculty: CMII (4) SELCS (4), History of Art (3), SSEES (1), Anthropology
(1), Institute of the Americas (1), Geography (1), Philosophy (1).
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JFIGS /RSC – 26 January 2016 – Minutes
 Update on JFIGS Friday Forum
The first Friday Forum (using the initiative’s new title of Octagon Friday Forum) has been
confirmed to take place in the IAS Common Ground on Friday 5 February 2016. Under the
theme of recognition, the conference had attracted papers from postgraduate students and
academic staff across the Joint Faculty, and from a visiting Senior Research Fellow in the
IAS, visiting from the department of Political Science at Paris 8 University.
 Update on JFIGS brand
A project to review and redevelop the JFIGS brand identity had been initiated in September
2015. The decision had been taken to incorporate JFIGS identity into the Institute Advanced
Studies, with its funding scheme and administration being retained as an administrative
function of the Joint Faculty Office (specifically the Marketing and Communications team).
In keeping with the IAS visual identity, the decision was taken to rename and re-visualise
the two strands of JFIGS funding scheme as follows:
» JFIGS funding scheme to be renamed Octagon Small Grants Fund
» JFIGS Friday Forum to be renamed Octagon Friday Forum
At the time of the meeting, work to redevelop and relocate the JFIGS identity and guidance
was nearing completion, with a view to launching the Octagon Funding Scheme in the
spring.
As part of the relaunch, the current guidelines will be enhanced, enabling applicants to
make appropriately realistic bids. Successful applicants will be required to submit an event
report (with images) to be used on the IAS website for promotional purposes, and to assist
with future applicants’ understanding of the funding source.
The new identity, website and guidelines will be presented at the next meeting of the
committee in May 2016.
In line with the rebranding exercise the JFIGs Committee was renamed the ‘Joint Faculty
Graduate Students Committee.’
22.
MATTERS RAISED BY DEPARTMENTAL GRADUATE TUTORS/ADMINISTRATORS
A part-time student informed their tutor that they felt that UCL only catered for full-time
students and that part-time students were overlooked. They gave the example of training
events organised by the Doctoral Training School. Other members of the Committee
echoed this sentiment. It was noted that while some Departments do not accept part-time
students and others directed prospective students to Birkbeck, all attempts should be made
to cater for part-time students where they had been recruited. It was reported that Royal
Holloway condensed their course modules and provided a week-end offering for Part-time
students so that they could attend outside of work hours.
ACTION: Departments should be reminded to consider how they will cater for any
part-time students that they recruit on to their programmes.
23.
MATTERS RAISED BY STUDENT ACADEMIC REPRESENTATIVES (STARS)
PRESENTED BY FACULTY PGT AND PGR STARS
No matters were raised.
Meeting ended 17:40
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JFIGS /RSC – 26 January 2016 – Minutes
24.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
 To be agreed and publicised
SECRETARY NAME: Makeba Adero
Secretary to the JOINT FACULTY BOARDS OF EXAMINERS (UNDERGRADUATE and GRADUATE)
IN ARTS AND HUMANITIES and SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL SCIENCES COMMITTEE
Contact details m.adero@ucl.ac.uk
Date 05 May 2016
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