Review Report
School of Political Science and Sociology
24th March 2015
The Reviewer Group:
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Dr. John Devaney, Queen’s University Belfast
Professor Kristen Ringdal, NTNU – Trondheim
Dr. Lynn Dobson, University of Edinburgh (Chair)
Professor Andrew Shearer, NUI Galway
Ms. Patricia Conroy, Results Through People Ltd. (Co-ordinator)
Key Strengths
1. We commend the commitment of academic, research, and administrative staff working
under difficult economic circumstances.
2. The staff are much liked by the students.
3. The School is succeeding in drawing in significant revenue through both teaching and
research.
4. The School has been responsive to opportunities to develop new teaching programmes and
research projects, resulting in the scope of the School’s work increasing significantly since
the last Quality Review.
5. Individual staff and areas of activity have developed an international reputation.
6. The integration of the former School into the College has gone well.
7. The School is well regarded at both College and University level.
Key Recommendations
1. We strongly recommend that the University, College, and School conclude a 10 year
discussion as to what the identity and direction of the School is and should be, to include
consideration of the relationship between centres, institutes, and the School.
2. Following the first point, the School and College should:
• agree on a portfolio of programmes, including new programmes, to support the
core identity of the School.
• review the content of existing UG programmes and modules, to include reducing
the number of options and increasing ECTS per module, and to strengthen research
methods teaching.
• develop a more systematic process to evaluate teaching, to include a student-staff
liaison meeting once a semester.
• develop policy, procedures, practice, and a structure for responding to student
requests for consideration of ‘mitigating circumstances’.
• create a role of Director of Undergraduate Teaching to manage the coordination of
the BA Omnibus, and oversee all undergraduate programmes.
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3. The HoS and Research Committee should develop a strategy for research agendas and
profiles to define and reinforce the identity of the School. This should include benchmarking
future research expectations by discipline, based on internationally-recognised norms, as
part of the Institutional Review of Research Performance.
4.
The HoS and Executive Committee, working as needed with College and the University,
should develop a career planning and progression strategy for staff, linking: PMDS,
workload, mentoring, and other support mechanisms. This should support:
• all staff (academic, research, and administrative) having a clear understanding of the
benchmarks against which career progression and promotion will be assessed.
• all staff (academic, research, and administrative) being able to participate in career
development and promotion opportunities.
5. The School should develop a strategy for ‘employability’, to ensure that all students are wellprepared for national and international employment opportunities through, for example:
relevant skills development; local, national, and international placements relevant to their
degrees; Erasmus and other international exchanges; linkages to the International Office.
6. We recognise and endorse the introduction of the new leadership structures to support the
Head of School in her leadership and affirm the School’s efforts to continue this process
through the Executive Committee.
For College and/or the University
7. The University and College should engage with the School about the inadequacy of the
allocation of resources to support both teaching and research, with a particular focus on
transparency around funding models.
8. The University and College should engage with the School to develop incentives for research
funding applications through a transparent model of overhead allocation, including
investment back into the School.
9. Human Resources processes to support the workings of the University, College and School,
on matters such as:
• Flexibility between administrative and academic roles
• Contracts of indefinite duration
• Re-grading of the Administrative Grade 1 post to align with comparable
administrative roles across the University
• The classification of postdoctoral researchers and their ability to apply for internal
roles.
Comments on Review Process
- We thank the Head of School and Self-Assessment team for their engagement in the process.
- We thank the Director of Quality and the Administration Team for their support of the process.
- We thank all those we met for their openness and honesty.
The Review Group
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Action Plan
School of Political Science and Sociology
Action Plan Meeting held on 15th May in QA113 Anderson Boardroom
Present
From the Unit: A Byrne, C Powell, M Haugaard, G Taylor, A Varley, C McGregor, M Hynes, N
O Dochartaigh, C Forkan, E Ward, N Reilly, D Coogan, P Dolan
From the Review Team: A Shearer
From University Management: P Ó Dochartaigh, C Loughnane, D O’Sullivan, E Herring, I
MacLabhrainn, O Baxter In attendance: M Linnane
This Action Plan has been agreed by Reviewers, the School and University Management in
response to the Review Report for the above named review. Further details on some actions
are available in the Review Report. This Action Plan together with the Review Report is
available on the University’s public website.
Actions for the School and University Management
10. The School will identify the direction the School will take and consider the School’s
relationships with Research Centres and Institutes.
[Responsible: Head of School; Due: Interim 01/05/2016]
11. The School will
a) agree on a portfolio of programmes, including new programmes, to support the
core identity of the School
b) review the content of existing UG programmes and modules, consider the
possibility of reducing the number of options and increasing ECTS per module, to
strengthen research methods teaching
c) develop a more systematic process to evaluate teaching, to include a student-
staff liaison meeting once a semester coordinated by the Teaching and Learning
Committee in association with CELT
d) continue to actively work with the Dean to develop policy, procedures, practice,
and a structure for responding to student requests for consideration of
‘mitigating circumstances’ to build a strong staff-student community in a student
and subject centred School
e) create a role of Director of Undergraduate Teaching to manage the coordination
of the BA Omnibus, and oversee all undergraduate programmes.
[Responsible: Head of School; Due: 01/09/2016]
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12. The School through the Research Committee will develop a strategy for research
agendas and profiles to define and reinforce the identity of the School which will
include benchmarking future research expectations by area, based on
internationally-recognised norms, as part of the Institutional Review of Research
Performance.
[Responsible: Head of School; Due: 01/05/2016]
13. The School through the Executive Committee, together with the College and the
University will develop a career planning and progression strategy for staff, linking
PMDS, workload, mentoring and other support mechanisms, supported by all staff.
[Responsible: Head of School; Due: 01/09/2016]
14. The School will develop a strategy for ‘employability’, to ensure that all students are
well-prepared for employment opportunities and will work with the College Office to
encourage international exchanges among other than language oriented students.
[Responsible: Head of School; Due: 01/09/2016]
15. The School, through the Executive Committee will continue with leadership
structures that support the Head of School and will work with the University on
succession initiatives, leadership incentives and promotional opportunities for those
interested in leadership opportunities at School and College level.
[Responsible: Head of School; Due: 01/05/2016]
16. The School will invite the University and College to meet with staff to
a. resolve the inadequacy of the allocation of resources for teaching and
research, focusing on transparency around funding models, and to
b. develop incentives for research funding applications through a transparent
model of overhead allocation, including investment back into the School.
[Responsible: Head of School; Due: 01/05/2016]
Approved by:
Head of School, Dr Anne Byrne
Dean, Dr Edward Herring
Registrar and Deputy-President, Prof Pól Ó Dochartaigh
Director of Quality, Professor David O’Sullivan
Date: 6 July 2015
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