Minutes of Postgraduate Staff-Student Liaison Committee Meeting
Friday 5th March at 12:30pm in room P523
Present:
Students: Mark Ancliff, Evelyn Bain, Ian Hughes, Macleans Ndawana, Dominic
Pearman.
Staff: Diane Holland, David Leadley, Valery Nakariakov.
EFS Representative: Andy Hudgell.
Apologies:
Received from Matthew Turner and Sonya Crowe.
Enterprise Fellowship Scheme
A representative from the Enterprise Fellowship Scheme gave a short talk. The
scheme provides help to staff and students who wish to start an innovative or
technology based business. This includes an interest free loan of up to 10,000,
and a 1-year training programme (which can be taken concurrently with other
work). Leaflets were provided to those at the meeting, and Andy will email
information about the scheme to Mark to distribute to postgraduate students.
Approval of Minutes and Matters Arising
The minutes were approved as an accurate record of the last meeting.
Mark has sent out an email concerning the proposed careers sessions, and 11
second and third years responded saying they were interested. One session will
be held on the 16th March, from 10am til 4pm. The department will provide
lunch.
The postgraduate part of the departmental review has been postponed until the
third term. The undergradate part will remain on 11th-12th March.
Academic Matters
The issue of pay rates for lab demonstrators and examples class tutors was
raised. Demonstrators get significantly less per hour than the tutors. It was
pointed out that examples class tutors do more hours than they are paid for.
Diane will look into how much control the department has over the rate of pay,
and the history of the pay rates. David suggested setting out more clearly what
the respective rates of pay and hours are.
Concern was raised over the standard of marking by examples class tutors,
after the discovery that some students had been given full marks for a method
that was incorrect. Diane has sent round an email to all the tutors regarding
this. It was suggested that there should be some sort of moderation between
students, and noted that checks are already in place which should uncover any
huge differences between tutors’ marks. The format of examples classes is under
review for next year anyway, and these comments will be given to the teaching
committee.
The penalties that should be imposed for late submission of work by maths for
scientists tutors are not made clear by the department. The university policy
regarding assessed work is a 5% reduction per day, but this is failing to put off
students from late submission. Diane suggested that work not handed in on
time should not be marked, this is in line with physics examples classes where
work is submitted into a locked filing cabinet.
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Students from the astrophysics and theory groups have complained about information sent in emails as a word document attachment. It was agreed that such
files should, wherever possible, be sent as plain text or PDF. Mark will talk to
Mark Hadley concerning this.
The first year reports are due in four weeks time. It was confirmed that changes
to the core reading list can be made with the supervisors’ approval.
Safety Issues
None arising.
Social Events
The posters which have been used to advertise the postgrad seminars seem to
have been sucessful in increasing the number of students attending. There are
still very few experimentalists however. It was suggested that supervisors should
strongly recommend attending the seminars to their students. Mark will check
with Sonya regarding whether MSc students are on the mailing list.
It was suggested that a social event be organised, probably some time next term.
Mark will email all students to ask what nights are best and what people would
like to do.
Date of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Friday 7th May, at 12:30pm.
Any Other Business
There was a staff meeting on the same day (5th March). An invitation was
extended for a representative of the postgraduate students to attend, but it was
not felt necessary.
Mark Ancliff
Chair
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