UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
BOARD OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Undergraduate Studies held on Wednesday
12th November 2008.
Present:
Professor K O’Brien (in the Chair), Mr J Arroyo, Dr S Gilson, Dr E
John, Dr J Kidd, Dr N Johnson, Dr D Lamburn, Dr G Martin, Dr J
Robinson, Dr M Skinner, Mr M Surve.
Apologies:
Ms S Khaku, Prof J Labbe, Dr F McKay.
In Attendance: Dr T Bell, Dr J Taylor (throughout);
Ms Ailsa Chambers, Mr Oliver Walmsley (for items 5 and 6 only).
1/08-09
Terms of reference
REPORTED:
That Senate, at its meeting on 1st October 2008, had approved Terms
of Reference of the Board as follows:
(i)
To consider and make recommendations to the Academic and
Quality Standards Committee on issues relating to the assurance
and enhancement of the quality of learning and teaching across all
undergraduate provision.
(ii)
To make recommendations to the Senate, after consultation with
academic departments and the Faculty Boards, on all matters
affecting undergraduate study in the University including strategic
considerations.
(iii)
To scrutinise all new undergraduate course proposals and report to
the Academic and Quality Standards Committee on consideration of
such proposals.
(iv)
To consider reports from the Faculty Boards on the periodic reviews
of undergraduate courses.
(v)
To advise the Academic Quality and Standards Committee on
matters relating to examinations in undergraduate courses.
(vi)
To advise the Academic Quality and Standards Committee on the
role of internal and external examiners for undergraduate degrees.
(vii)
To report to the Academic Quality and Standards Committee annually
on the issues raised in reports by external examiners.
(viii)
To consider submissions from the Faculty Boards for non-standard
examination methods, including seen papers, open-book
examinations and reading times, and to make recommendations to
the Academic Quality and Standards Committee.
2/08-09
(ix)
To exercise delegated powers on behalf of the Academic Quality and
Standards Committee in approving, on personal grounds, minor
variations in the arrangements for the sitting of undergraduate
examinations by individual students.
(x)
To consider all matters affecting admissions practices and policy and
make recommendations to the Academic Quality and Standards
Committee where appropriate.
Membership 2008/09
REPORTED:
That Senate, at its meeting on 1st October 2008, had resolved that the
membership of the Board of Undergraduate Studies for the academic
year 2007/08 be as follows:
First Appointed
2007
Chair
Two full-time members of the academic staff
from each of the Faculties or Arts, Medicine,
Science and Social Studies appointed by the
Senate:
Arts
Medicine
Science
Social Studies
One member of the Board of Graduate
Studies appointed by the Senate
The Chairs of the Undergraduate Studies
Committees of the Boards of the Faculties of
Arts and Social Studies and the Chair of the
Sub-Faculty of Science
Arts
Science
Social Studies
One member of staff appointed by and from
the Centre for Lifelong Learning
Two members nominated by the Union of
Students
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Professor K O’Brien
(Term 1)
Prof M Whitby (Terms 2
and 3)
2006
2005
2006
2006
2003
2002
2006
2005
2008
Dr S Gilson
TBC
Dr N Johnson
Dr J Kidd
Dr J Robinson
Dr G Martin
Dr E John
TBC
Prof J Labbe
2007
2006
2007
2005
Mr J Arroyo
Dr M Skinner
Dr F McKay
Dr D Lamburn
2007
Mr M Surve
2008
Miss S Khaku
3/08-09
Minutes
RESOLVED:
That the minutes of the meeting held on 4th June 2008 be approved.
4/08-09
Matters Arising on the Minutes
Progress of Board recommendations
(a) Proposal from the Centre for Lifelong Learning for a revised parttime course ‘BA in European Studies’ (minute 32 (m) /07-08 refers)
REPORTED:
That the Chair, acting on behalf of the Board, had approved the
revised part-time course ‘BA in European Studies’ (papers AUSC.9294/07-08 revised), the Director of the Language Centre having
provided a fuller statement regarding the pastoral/personal tutor
support for students.
(b) Guidelines for Consideration of Undergraduate Examination
Candidates Notifying Mitigating Circumstances
REPORTED:
That the following minute from the meeting of the Academic Quality
and Standards Committee at its meeting of the 26th October 2008:
“REPORTED:
That at the meeting of the Committee held on 12 June 2008:
(i) It was reported that the Board of Undergraduate Studies at its
meeting on 4 June 2008 considered a composite report of the
responses from departments
and faculties to the draft Guidelines for Consideration of
Examination Candidates Notifying Mitigating Circumstances,
paper BUGS 14/07-08, and recommended to the [Academic
Quality and Standards] Committee that the revised Guidelines
for Consideration of Examination Candidates Notifying Mitigating
Circumstances be approved. (BUGS minute 28/07-08)
(ii) It was reported that the Board of Graduate Studies at its
meeting on 5 June 2008 considered a memo dated 6 May 2008
from the Chair of the Board of Undergraduate Studies inviting
Departmental Examination Secretaries to comment on draft
Guidelines for Consideration of Examination Candidates
Notifying Mitigating Circumstances, paper BGS 67/07-08,
together with Faculty and Departmental Responses to the draft
Guidelines, paper BUGS 14/07-08, and resolved:
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(A) That the draft Guidelines for Consideration of Examination
Candidates Notifying Mitigating Circumstances be not approved
for postgraduate taught students but that the Board reconsider
the Guidelines at its next meeting.
(B) That it be noted that concern was expressed that mitigating
circumstances should be disclosed to, or further discussed at, a
meeting of the full Board of Examiners, as this might deter
students from bringing forward their full mitigating circumstances
in certain cases.
(BGS minute 103/07-08)
(iii) The [Academic Quality and Standards] Committee
considered the Proposed Guidelines for Consideration of
Examination Candidates Notifying Mitigating Circumstances,
paper AQSC 87/07-08, together with the resolutions of the Board
of Undergraduate Studies and the Board of Graduate Studies,
and resolved that the proposed Guidelines be further considered
in the Autumn Term 2008 following reconsideration by the Board
of Graduate Studies.
CONSIDERED:
Proposed Guidelines for Consideration by Undergraduate
Boards of Examiners of Examination Candidates Notifying
Mitigating Circumstances, paper AQSC 87/07-08, together with
an oral report from the Chair of the Board of Undergraduate
Studies.
RESOLVED:
(iv) That the proposed Guidelines for Consideration by
Undergraduate Boards of Examiners of Examination Candidates
Notifying Mitigating Circumstances be approved as set out in
paper AQSC 87/07-08.
(v) That the Chair of the Board of Undergraduate Studies
consider bringing forward a further proposal to that Board for any
amendments to Regulations or other guidance which would be
required to exclude the possibility of full meetings of Boards of
Examiners considering the detail of evidence relating to
mitigating circumstances, noting the analogy with other types of
unusual cases where Boards of Examiners may not challenge or
overturn a previous finding, such as the outcomes of
Investigating Committees.”
AQSC minute 4(h)/08-09
RECEIVED:
The final amended version of the Guidelines for Consideration of
Examination Candidates Notifying Mitigating Circumstances as
approved by the Chair of the Academic Quality and Standards
Committee (paper BUGS 13/08-09, laid on the table).
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RESOLVED:
That the guidelines be circulated to departments, it being noted
that it may, at a later date, be appropriate to review them jointly
with the Board of Graduate Studies.
5/08-09
Proposed Changes to University Regulation 6: Admission to the
University
CONSIDERED:
A proposal from the Assistant Registrar (Undergraduate Admissions)
and the Assistant Registrar (Postgraduate Admissions) to make
changes to Regulation 6.3 so that applicants will be not be admitted to
the University if their total load of study will exceed one full-time
equivalent load (BUGS 6/08-09).
RECOMMENDED:
That the proposed changes to Regulation 6.3 detailed in BUGS 6/0809 be adopted.
6/08-09
Undergraduate Admissions: The Delivery Partnership
RECEIVED:
A paper from the Admissions Office together with an oral report from
the Administrative Officer (Student Admissions and Recruitment
Office) regarding the recommendations derived from the (former)
DfES-led ‘Consultation on Improving the Higher Education
Applications’ (BUGS 7/08-09).
RECOMMENDED:
That, subject to minor amendments notified at the meeting, the above
recommendations detailed in BUGS 7/08-09 be approved
7/08-09
Chair’s Action
REPORTED:
That the Chair, acting on behalf of the Board, had approved a change
of method of assessment for a named student on the grounds of
reasonable adjustment for a disability.
8/08-09
Update on the enforcement of Regulation 10.2
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RECEIVED:
An oral report from the Chair of the Board concerning Regulation 10.2
and BUGS 17/07-08, BUGS minute 34/07-08 refers.
RESOLVED:
(a)
That the enforcement of Regulation 10.2 be maintained for
examinations in the academic year 2008/09, arrangements being
subject to review by the Board as may be required.
(b)
That any requests from individual students to be permitted, on
grounds of exceptional mitigating circumstances, to bring mobile
phones into exam rooms be considered under the existing process for
considering special examination arrangements (i.e. requests to be
made on students’ behalf by their departments and to be subject to
approval by the Chair of the Board of Undergraduate Studies).
(c)
That instructions to make an announcement before the start of
examinations that any students granted permission under (b) must
leave their phones with the invigilators and switched off, be included in
the invigilators’ instructions.
9/08-09
Guidelines for joint and multi-disciplinary degrees
REPORTED:
The following minute from the meeting of the Academic Quality and
Standards Committee at its meeting of the 26th October 2008:
“REPORTED
That at its meeting on 15 October 2008 the Quality
Enhancement Working Group considered an oral report from the
Chair on ongoing work to examine management arrangements
on undergraduate courses delivered by more than one
department, noting that a Working Group set up under the aegis
of the Board of Undergraduate Studies and the Academic
Quality and Standards Committee was due to meet on 17
October 2008, and recommended (to the BUGS/AQSC Working
Group on Joint and Multi-disciplinary degrees):
(i)
That the term “cross-departmental degrees” be considered as a
description of the courses concerned;
(ii)
That the Working Group consider what implications their
recommendations may hold for other sources of guidance and
advice, including Student-Staff Liaison Committee guidance,
Personal Tutor guidance;
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(iii)
That the Working Group consider whether further work would be
necessary on cross-departmental taught postgraduate courses.
CONSIDERED:
A report from the BUGS/AQSC Working Group on Joint and
Multi-disciplinary degrees, paper AQSC 9/08-09.
RESOLVED:
(iv)
That the Committee strongly supported the work of the Working
Group on Undergraduate Joint and Cross-Departmental
Courses;
(v)
That the Committee endorse the Group’s recommendation that a
Good Practice Guide for the management of undergraduate joint
and crossdepartmental courses be drafted by the Chair of the
Group and the Teaching Quality section of the Academic Office,
to be sent to departments for consultation later in the academic
year, as set out in Recommendation 16 of paper AQSC 9/08-09,
it having been noted that the ‘home’ department for a particular
course should liaise with the other relevant department(s) in
managing the course;
(vi)
That the Committee endorse the Group’s recommendation that
an annual meeting for course leaders/coordinators of
undergraduate joint and crossdepartmental courses be
convened by the Teaching Quality section of the Academic
Office, to be chaired by the Chair of the Board of Undergraduate
Studies, as set out in Recommendations 17 and 18 of paper
AQSC 9/08-09;
(vii)
That the Committee endorse the Group’s recommendations on
the development of student representation and liaison
arrangements on undergraduate joint and cross-departmental
courses, and that the SSLC Coordinators consider the proposals
set out in Recommendations 14 and 15 of paper AQSC 9/08-09;
(viii)
That at a future meeting the Committee consider proposed
amendments to the course approval form, as set out in
Recommendations 1 and 2 of paper AQSC 9/08-09;
(ix)
That the Chair of the Group take forward work concerning the
other Recommendations from the Group in drafting the Good
Practice Guide and through other mechanisms, as set out in
paper AQSC 9/08-09, consulting with the University community
as appropriate;
(x)
That in due course the Board of Graduate Studies consider the
reports and recommendations from the Group, and the draft
Good Practice Guide, with a view to considering whether similar
guidance is needed for postgraduate courses which cross
departmental boundaries.”
AQSC minute 4(g)/08-09
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RESOLVED:
That the Chair should present the draft Good Practice Guide to the
Board in the Spring Term 2009, and that members be asked to notify
her of any matters on which the Good Practice Guide should
incorporate.
11/08-09
Chair’s Business
(a)
New Personal Tutor Guidelines
REPORTED:
That the new personal Tutor Guidelines can now be downloaded from
the Senior Tutor’s website.
(b)
Course Specifications
REPORTED:
That the Chair, acting on behalf of the Board, had approved a number
of course specifications, it being noted that the Board believed that the
presentation of information in course specifications renders their
usefulness questionable.
(c)
Update on the Implementation of the 17-point Marking Scale
RECEIVED:
Oral reports from the Chairs (or their deputies) of the Undergraduate
Studies Committees on the implementation of the 17-point Marking
Scale;
RESOLVED:
That the situation be kept under review and that following the next
meeting of the Board, any further feedback would be forwarded both
to the Senior Assistant Registrar (Teaching Quality) and the Academic
Quality and Standards Committee.
12/08-09
New Courses of Study
CONSIDERED:
(a) A proposal from the Centre for Applied Linguistics to introduce a
new course entitled ‘B.Ed TESL’, which is part of the Malaysian 3rd
cycle Teacher education project, for introduction in October 2009,
(papers UFSS 2 to 7/08-09(revised).
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(b) A proposal from the Department of Sociology to introduce a course
entitled ‘Sociology (with intercalated year)’ for introduction in
October 2009, as set out in paper BUGS 10/08-09.
RECOMMNEDED:
(c) That the proposal from the Centre for Applied Linguistics to
introduce a new course entitled ‘B.Ed TESL’, in October 2009, as
set out in papers UFSS 2 to 7/08-09(revised), be approved
subject to consideration of the Collaborative, Flexible and
Distributed Learning Sub-Committee of the Academic Quality and
Standards Committee, and to the following:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
that the Senior Assistant Registrar (Teaching Quality) be
consulted as to the desirability of the Centre for Applied
Linguistics obtaining external reports on its proposal;
that the Centre for Applied Linguistics be asked to clarify
whether there had been consultation with the Institute of
Education regarding the proposal and, if not, whether this
would be helpful;
that the Centre for Applied Linguistics be asked to clarify
what is meant by “obligatory core” module and to clarify the
reference to examinations being held in “week 7-10” of the
Summer Term, it being noted week 10 was not a University
examination week.
(d) That the proposal from the Department of Sociology to introduce a
course entitled ‘Sociology (with intercalated year)’ in October 2008
as set out in paper BUGS 10 08-09, be approved subject to the
Department of Sociology supplying the completed course
placement element of the course proposal form and clarifying the
appropriate assessments for the intercalated year.
13/08-09
Undergraduate External Examiners’ Reports for 2007/08
RECEIVED:
The procedure for the consideration of External Examiners’ reports by the
Boards of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies (paper BUGS 1/08-09).
CONSIDERED:
(a)
The reports of External Examiners for Undergraduate courses for
2007/08 (paper BUGS 2/08-09).
(b)
Pro-forma responses received from departments to the External
Examiners’ reports by the time of the meeting of the Board Sub-group
held on 29th October, 2008 (paper BUGS 3/08-09).
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(c)
A report from the Board Sub-group established to consider the reports
of the External Examiners summarising key points in the reports for
2007-08 and making recommendations to the Board for further action
(paper BUGS 4/08-09).
(d)
Reports of External Examiners for Undergraduate courses for 2007/08
received since the meeting the Board Sub-group held on 29th
October, 2008 (paper BUGS 5/08-09).
(e)
Pro-forma responses received from departments to the External
Examiners’ reports since the meeting of the Board Sub-group held on
29th October, 2008 (paper BUGS 8/08-09, attached).
RESOLVED:
(f)
That the report of the Board Sub-group be approved and action be
taken to follow up issues raised in the External Examiners’ reports as
proposed by the Sub-group;
(g)
That the pro-forma responses received from Film and TV Studies
(Report 75) and the Centre for Lifelong Learning (Report 78) met the
Sub-Group’s concerns arising from these reports;
(h)
That the School of Law be invited to comment on the views of their
externals in reports 51-57 about the proportion of firsts asking for a
response in the light of whatever internal and external comparative
data may be available.
tb/jat 14.11.08
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