National University of Ireland, Galway
Review Programme 2010/2011
Action Plan
School of Humanities
Follow-up meeting held on Thursday 31st March, 2011 at 9.30 a.m., A113.
Present
Representing the School: Dr L Pilkington (Head of School), Ms K Walsh, Dr N Cronin, Dr M N Harris, Mrs B
O’Sullivan, Dr R O’Dwyer, Mr T Tracy, Dr P Lenihan, Prof S G Ellis, Dr D Carey, Ms D Quinn, Dr M O’Cinneide,
Dr K LoPrete, Dr S Crosson, Dr C Clear, Dr A Forrestal
From Review Group: Dr A Cooney (Coordinator).
From NUI Galway: Dr D O’Sullivan (Chair), Prof N Mac Congáil, (Registrar), Dr E Herring (Dean), Ms C Kennedy
(College Administration & Planning Officer), Mr M Kavanagh (Secretary for Academic Affairs), Dr I McLaren
(Director, CELT), Prof C Curtin (VP, Innovation and Performance), Ms M Linnane (Quality Office).
The following Actions have been agreed following extraction of recommendations from the Review Report
and discussion between all major stakeholders associated with the School.
Actions for School
1. Develop, articulate and communicate the School’s intellectual identity to stakeholders by placing more
emphasis on the distinctive features of the School in a national and international context.
2. Highlight civic engagement as a critical part of the identity of the School and acknowledge it as one of its
strengths.
3. Expand the cohort of graduate students (at PhD and Masters levels), in line with the University’s
strategic plan.
4. Agree with the Dean ways of increasing more flexible requirements on structured PhD programmes
5. Increase Ph.D. completion rates through effective use of the structured Ph.D. programme and a robust
system for monitoring progress.
6. Share M.A. modules in a bold imaginative way
7. Aim to achieve a quota of 15-20 students on M.A. programmes
8. Consider introduction of a School-level postgraduate taught committee
9. Assess the level of risk inherent in concentrating administration and responsibility for individual M.A.
programmes on a single M.A. convenor.
10. Apply the rolling system of M.A. applications more effectively, to ensure qualified applicants are
admitted as soon as they apply.
11. Encourage staff to explore the full range of possibilities offered by ‘technologically enhanced learning’.
12. Respond to the implications of the School becoming the primary administrative unit.
13. Define more precisely the functions of the head of disciplines.
14. Optimize the committee structure of the School, with more frequent Executive committee meetings and
reduce the number of other meetings and committees to avoid duplication of discussion at School and
disciplinary levels, and ensure that all committees report to the School Executive Committee.
15. Investigate the relationship between the Research Committee and the Executive School Committee, and
consider how the Moore Institute is best represented when research strategy is on the agenda.
16. Analyse annual workload profiles with a view to developing a more nuanced research strategy.
17. Create a more ‘centralized’ budgeting system where funds are allocated by the Head of School in
consultation with the Executive
18. Clarify and reinforce the reporting lines of all administrative staff across the School.
Actions for College
1. Seek to forecast U/G numbers within the context of the Academic Simplification project so as to
allow better planning of resources within the School
2. Review U/G student registration procedures, e.g. facilitate online registration for Second and Final
Year modules, and consider reducing the period of time allowed for students to decide their
subjects, to inform staff of student numbers well in advance of the next academic year, for improved
forward planning.
3. Initiate a comprehensive review to consider matters such as: overcrowding; subject groupings; staffstudent ratios (SSRs); and timetabling due to increasing student numbers.
4. Review progression policies between the years of the B.A., what learning outcomes students should
have achieved in each year, how student workloads differ, and aim to achieve consistency of
assessment processes.
5. Review by the Vice Dean for Graduate Studies of on the Structured PhD programme in terms of
student workload, ECTS requirements and availability to part-time students.
6. Examine through the Council of Deans, ways of incentivising and sustaining of cross-College
teaching.
7. Work with the University to support the B.A. Connect in a more sustainable way.
8. Review how Post-graduate Scholarships are allocated across the College to promote a more strategic
use of these resources.
Actions for University
1. Welcome creative ideas to actively address problems in Colleges who have disciplines with large
teaching workloads.
2. Improve channels of communication with the School with annual planned or requested meetings
with the President and Deputy President.
3. Review funding for structured Ph.D. programmes across the University.
4. Welcome proposals from Colleges for incentives that promote (a) the growth of Ph.D. numbers (b)
the expansion of international recruitment (c) the development of cross-School/College
collaboration in teaching and research and (d) an increase in the number of applications for external
research grants, with benefits flowing directly to the School.
Approved by:
Registrar, Prof Nollaig Mac Congáil
Head of School, Dr Lionel Pilkington
Dean of College, Dr Edward Herring
Director of Quality, Dr. David O’Sullivan
Finalised: 16th May 2011