UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
BOARD OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Undergraduate Studies held on Tuesday 19th February
2013.
Present:
Professor R Leng (in the Chair), Professor T Bugg, Mr J Entwistle, Dr C Hoerl,
Dr C Jenainati, Professor N Johnson, Dr G Martin, Dr F McKay, Dr C Melville,
Dr R Moseley, Dr T Sinclair, Dr J Vickery, Dr T White, Dr D Wood.
In attendance: Dr S Choi (for item under minute 28 (f)/12-13 only), Professor P Corvi (for item
under minute 28 (j)/12-13 only), Professor S Gilson (for item under minute
28(a)/12-13 only), Professor H Spencer-Oatey (for item under minute 28 (f)/12-13
only), Dr J Taylor (throughout).
____________________________________________________________________________
23/12-13
Minutes
RESOLVED:
The minutes of the meeting held on 22nd November 2012, be approved.
24/12-13
Matters Arising on the Minutes
(a) Progress of Board recommendations
REPORTED:
That the Senate, at its meeting of 6th February 2013, approved the
recommendations of the Board under the following minutes:
(i) BSc in International Clinical Obstetrics and Leadership (minute 8/12-13, refers)
(ii) Revised Undergraduate Admissions Statement/Complaints Procedure (minute
20/12-13, refers)
(b) BSc in Accounting and Finance (Bright Start) (minute 11/12-13, refers)
RECEIVED:
(i)
A response from the WBS to the Chair, following the last meeting of the
Board (paper BUGS 20/12-13, laid on the table);
(ii)
An oral report from the Chair.
25/12-13
Chair’s Action
REPORTED:
That the Chair, acting on behalf of the Board, had approved Reading Time for
examination paper SO 2010 Surveys, Secondary Analysis and Social Statistics.
26/12-13
Chair’s Business
REPORTED (by the Chair):
(a) Undergraduate Master’s Degree Programmes
That the Board of Graduate Studies, arising from its current review of taught
postgraduate examination conventions, had proposed a pass mark of 50%
rather than 40% for modules taken in the final year of 4-year Integrated
Undergraduate Master’s Degree programmes, and that this proposal now
needed to be referred to the Sub-Faculty of Science in order that the Faculty
of Science may give full consideration to its implications;
(b) HEAR
That general policy oversight of the Higher Education Achievement Record
(HEAR) would pass to the Board of Undergraduate Studies following the
completion of the work of the HEAR Project Board (and prior to extension of
the HEAR to categories of students beyond undergraduates).
(c) Assignment Management System – plagiarism detection
That progress had been made on drawing up a uniform plagiarism
declaration form for use by students when submitting assessed work and that
this would be presented to the Board shortly.
(d) (c) Assignment Management System – feedback on feedback
That the facility for students to record instant “feedback on feedback” had
now been discontinued and discussions were continuing on possible
alternative systems of feedback dialogue.
27/12-13
Annual Course Review Reports
CONSIDERED:
(a) A Summary Report of the Undergraduate Annual Course Review Reports
submitted by Departments in the Faculty of Arts for the academic year
2011/12 (paper AUSC 8/12-13).
(b) A Summary Report of the Undergraduate Annual Course Review Reports
submitted by Departments in the Faculty of Science for the academic year
2011/12 (paper SFS 6/12-13).
(c) A Summary Report of the Undergraduate Annual Course Review Reports
submitted by Departments in the Faculty of Social Sciences for the academic
year 2011/12 (paper UFSS 76/12-13).
RESOLVED:
(d) That the Summary Reports be received and noted.
(e) That in subsequent years the Board should also receive the equivalent report
of the Faculty of Medicine when this was available.
RECOMMENDED:
That to improve the value of the Summary Reports for departments and faculties,
the format of the reports be revised to include a final section in which requests for
action within the University could be noted.
28/12-13
New and Discontinued Courses of Study
CONSIDERED:
(a) A proposal from the Sub-Faculty of Modern Languages for a new course BA
Honours in Modern Languages, for introduction in October 2014 (papers
AUSC.11a-c/12-13 and AUSC.11d-zg/12-13);
(b) A proposal from the Department of Hispanic Studies for a new course BA
Honours in English and Hispanic Studies, for introduction in October 2013
(papers AUSC.12a-d/12-13);
(c) A proposal from the Department of German Studies for a new course BA
Honours in German and Sociology, for introduction in October 2013 (paper
AUSC.13a/12-13);
(d) A proposal from the Department of German Studies for a new course BA
Honours in German and Theatre Studies, for introduction in October 2013
(paper AUSC.14a/12-13);
(e) A proposal from the Department of German Studies for a new course BA
Honours in German with Film Studies, for introduction in October 2013 (paper
AUSC.15a/12-13);
(f) A proposal from the Centre for Applied Linguistics for a new course BA
Honours Language, Culture and Communication for introduction in October
2014, as set out in papers UFSS.77a-d/12-13);
(g) A proposal from the Warwick Business School for a new course BSc Honours
in Information Systems Management and Innovation for introduction in
October 2014, as set out in papers UFSS.78a-d/12-13);
(h) A paper from the School of Engineering concerning the closure of course
awards of BEng and MEng Systems Engineering following the last intakes to
these degrees in October 2013 (SFS.8/12-13).
(i) Proposals from the Warwick Medical School emanating from the MB ChB
Curriculum Review as set out in paper BUGS 19/12-13 ‘Summary of
submissions’, MUSC 5-7 /11-12, MUSC 10/11-12, MUSC 20a/11-12, MUSC
21/11-12, MUSC 52-54/12-13.
(j) A revised proposal from the Warwick Business School for a new course BSc
Honours in Accounting and Finance (BrightStart) for introduction in October
2015, as set out in paper UFSS.43/12-13 (revised 2) and UFSS.79a-d/12-13 .
RESOLVED:
(k) That the proposal from the Sub-Faculty of Modern Languages for a new
course BA Honours in Modern Languages, for introduction in October 2014,
be approved as set out in papers AUSC.11a-c/12-13 and AUSC.11d-zg/1213, it being noted that further discussions would take place between the SubFaculty and the Students’ Union about the appropriate constitution of
Student-Staff Liaison Committees;
(l) That the proposal from the Department of Hispanic Studies for a new course
BA Honours in English and Hispanic Studies, for introduction in October
2013, be approved as set out in papers AUSC.12a-d/12-13;
(m) That the proposal from the Department of German Studies for a new course
BA Honours in German and Sociology, for introduction in October 2013, be
approved as set out in paper AUSC.13a/12-13;
(n) That the proposal from the Department of German Studies for a new course
BA Honours in German and Theatre Studies, for introduction in October
2013, be approved as set out in paper AUSC.14a/12-13;
(o) That the proposal from the Department of German Studies for a new course
BA Honours in German with Film Studies, for introduction in October 2013,
be approved as set out in paper AUSC.15a/12-13;
(p) That the proposal from the Centre for Applied Linguistics for a new course BA
Honours Language, Culture and Communication for introduction in October
2014, be approved as set out in papers UFSS.77a-d/12-13);
(q) That it be noted (as reported by the Chair of the Undergraduate Studies
Committee for the Faculty of Social Studies) that the proposal from the
Warwick Business School for a new course BSc Honours in Information
Systems Management and Innovation for introduction in October 2014, as set
out in papers UFSS.78a-d/12-13), was still under consideration within the
Faculty of Social Studies, pending further consultations with the Department
of Computer Science, and that the proposal would be re-presented to the
Board in due course;
(r) That the proposals from the School of Engineering concerning the closure of
course awards of BEng and MEng Systems Engineering following the last
intakes to these degrees in October 2013 (paper SFS.8/12-13), be approved.
(s) That the proposals from the Warwick Medical School arising from the MB
ChB Curriculum Review as set out in paper BUGS 19/12-13 ‘Summary of
submissions’, MUSC 5-7 /11-12, MUSC 10/11-12, MUSC 20a/11-12, MUSC
21/11-12, MUSC 52-54/12-13, be approved.
(t) That the revised proposal from the Warwick Business School for a new
course BSc Honours in Accounting and Finance (BrightStart) for introduction
in October 2015, as set out in paper UFSS.43/12-13 (revised 2) and
UFSS.79a-d/12-13 , be approved, subject to the following amendments:
(i)
That the degree proposal should not give rise to unequal treatment of
students taking the conventional full-time BSc Honours in Accounting
and Finance and other full-time Warwick Bachelor degrees, and that
the proposal therefore be revised to not permit resits at Honours level
(other than without residence, on the same basis as other Bachelor
degree students);
(ii)
The revision of the degree classification conventions as indicated by
Professor Corvi, including the reconsideration of threshold
requirements, it being noted that the degree classification conventions
would be subject to final approval by the Academic Quality and
Standards Committee.
(u) That the relevant departments be asked to provide course proposals and
course specifications for the Pass degree variants of the new degrees
approved under (k) – (t) above, for approval by the Chair on behalf of the
Board.
(v) That, in the light of the issues raised by the proposal under (t) above, the
Board should give further consideration to dealing with proposals for varying
the structure and regulations of existing degree programmes for particular
constituencies of student, possibly by the development of a variant type of
undergraduate degree.
29/12-13
Pass Degrees
REPORTED:
The following minute of the Academic Quality and Standards Committee, from its
meeting of the 5th December 2012:
“CONSIDERED:
A paper by the QAA Academic Lead Co-ordinator and the Senior Assistant
Registrar (Teaching Quality) on pass degrees (Paper AQSC.31/12-13).
REPORTED: (by the Senior Assistant Registrar (Teaching Quality))
That communications with departments could clarify how the work required
might be minimised.
RESOLVED:
(a) That the proposed course of action and timescales as set out in Paper
AQSC.31/12-13 be approved.
(b) That the amended course approval form for ordinary degrees be approved as
set out in Annex A of Paper AQSC.31/12-13.
RECOMMENDED (to the Senate):
That the amendments to Regulation 8, as set out in Annex B of Paper
AQSC.31/12-13 be approved”.
(AQSC minute 37/12-13)
CONSIDERED:
An oral report from the Chair on the outcome of the meeting of the subcommittee of the Board held on 14th February, 2013 to consider the course
proposals and course specifications for Pass degree variants of Honours degrees
required by the Academic Quality and Standards Committee at its meeting on 5th
December 2012.
RESOLVED:
That the Board ratified the approval of the course proposals and course
specifications for Pass degree variants by the sub-committee, noting that
dialogue was continuing with some departments to make good a small number of
omissions in the documentation submitted.
30/12-13
Harmonisation of the First Year Boards of Examiners’ Conventions
REPORTED:
(a) That the Undergraduate Studies Committees of the respective Faculty
Boards, at their meetings of 30th January 2013, considered the harmonised
conventions drafted by the Chair of the First Year Boards of Examiners’
Working Group.
(b) That in light of comments received from the Undergraduate Studies
Committees of the Faculty Boards and a written report from the Sub-Faculty
of Science, the First Year Boards of Examiners’ Working Group met again on
15th February 2013 and considered a further draft of the harmonised
conventions.
CONSIDERED:
The revised draft of the First Year Boards of Examiners’ Conventions (paper
BUGS 18/12-13)
RECOMMENDED:
(c) That the proposed First Year Boards of Examiners’ Conventions as set out in
paper BUGS 18/12-13 be approved, it being noted that:
31/12-13
(i)
The new conventions would apply to first-year students first enrolling
with the University in the academic year 2013/14, and that the existing
conventions would apply to students first enrolling on the first-year of
their course before then, it being noted that therefore the existing
First-Year Board conventions for the Faculties of Arts, Science and
Social Sciences would continue to apply for boards held during the
academic year 2012/13.
(ii)
That departments be asked to identify “required core modules” in
good time for both their first-year entrants in the Autumn Term 2013
and for the First-Year Boards.
Undergraduate External Examiners’ Reports for 2011/12
RECEIVED:
(a) The procedure for the consideration of External Examiner reports by the
Boards of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies (paper BUGS 5/12-13);
(b) The report of the Board Sub-group established to consider the reports of the
External Examiners summarising key points in the reports for 2011-12 and
making recommendations to the Board for further action (paper BUGS 8/1213, previously circulated in the Autumn Term).
CONSIDERED:
(c) The reports of External Examiners for Undergraduate courses for 2011/12
received since the last meeting of the Board (paper BUGS 15/12-13)
(d) Pro-forma responses to the External Examiners’ reports received from
departments since the last meeting of the Board (paper BUGS 16/12-13)
(e) Pro-forma responses to the External Examiners’ reports from 2010/11
received from departments since the last meeting of the Board (paper BUGS
17/12-13)
RESOLVED:
That the Chair be asked to reconvene the Board sub-group to consider the
further reports and responses listed under (c) – (e) above.
32/12-13
Directors of Undergraduate Studies Lunch
REPORTED:
That the next lunch meeting for Directors of Undergraduate Studies would take
place on 8th March 2013 in room CMR 1.0 (formerly the Council Chamber).
33/12-13
Replacement for the Seymour Formula in the Faculty of Science
CONSIDERED:
A note from the Sub-Faculty of Science (paper BUGS 21 /12-13, laid on the
table) concerning the proposed replacement for the Seymour Formula in the
Faculty of Science.
RECOMMENDED:
That the proposal be approved, noting that the second method of calculation of a
candidate’s mean mark should be amended to read “The arithmetic mean of the
subset of whole modules, weighted according to their credit weighting, which
minimally satisfies the course regulations and results in the highest mark”
[amendment underlined]..
JAT 20.02.13