An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2003-2004
Report to Údarás na hOllscoile
Review of
Department of Chemistry
May 2005
Self-Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
Sept 2001 to Jan 2002
6th – 8th March, 2002
5th February 2003
This Report was compiled for members of Údarás na hOllscoile, NUI Galway and its
committees as a readily accessible but comprehensive source of information on the above
review, its context and its outcomes.
Professor Jim Gosling, Director of Quality, May 2005
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Chemistry 2003–2004
1. Overview of Department
1.1 Aims and Objectives of the Department.
The Chemistry Department is unashamedly committed to the traditional concept that the
business of a university department is to both teach and carry out research to a level which is in
keeping with best international practice. All its staff believe there is a fundamental synergy
between these two activities which is essential in creating the environment that is conducive to
the learning process at all levels, and to the academic and personal development of both students
and staff. The staff of the Department – academic, administrative and technical - work hard to
foster this duality. Thus all of the Department’s academic staff are actively involved in research
and are currently supervising postgraduate research students, while at the same time sharing in
the teaching activities that underpin the Department’s Undergraduate Programmes and Taught
Postgraduate Programme. Technical staff are involved in the delivery of undergraduate
practical courses and in supporting the Department’s research work, and administrative staff
contribute to all of the Department’s activities. The Department is also conscious of the fact
that its students aspire to become professional Chemists and so attaches great importance to the
professional recognition accorded to its programmes by the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland and
the Royal Society of Chemistry.
The Department is also committed to supporting those involved with Chemistry in the wider
community. It provides technical support in a variety of areas for local and national industry,
hosts in-service training courses for Chemistry teachers at second level in both Irish and
English, and each year advertises and hosts a major public lecture in some aspect of Chemistry
of current interest.
In terms of teaching, the Department has the following objectives:
•
•
•
•
To educate and train students, both scientifically and professionally, to the highest
international standards
To produce scientifically literate students with a broad and deep knowledge of scientific
and chemical concepts who have the confidence and skills required to function as
independent scientists
To equip students with the oral and written communication skills, and the problem
solving capabilities, that are expected of a professional Chemist
To continually revise existing courses with a view to maintaining their relevance and to
introduce new courses as required by developments in Chemistry and chemical
technology
•
To be a source of accurate and unbiased information about chemical issues for all those
who seek it
•
To provide, in accordance with the University’s Strategic Plan, a comprehensive
Chemistry course through the medium of Irish and where appropriate to develop new
initiatives in relation to Chemistry courses through Irish
In its research activities the Department has the following aims:
•
To engage in relevant research which may be basic or applied
•
To publish and communicate the results of this research work
•
To ensure that the postgraduate students involved in research are given the support and
training they require
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Chemistry 2003–2004
•
To provide the structures by which the Academic Staff and students involved in research
will have the opportunity to develop fully their potential and creativity
•
To ensure through its Safety Committee that the concept of safety is central to all its
research activities
•
To participate as far as it is allowed in research initiatives at University, national and
international level
These aims and objectives are reflected in the Department’s Academic Plan (Appendix 1) and
in the brief Mission Statement which appears on the Departmental Website:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/faculties_departments/chemistry
1.2 Background
This very stable Department has grown in line with the overall Science Faculty. New staff have
been recruited in the last 15 years but the Head of Department and most of the older
experienced and highly contributing staff have been in place for much longer than that. As a
consequence, a significant number of the present academic and technical staff will retire in the
next few years.
1.3 Programmes currently contributed to:
Undergraduate
First year Engineering (8 programmes and undenominated)
First year Science (6 programmes and undenominated)
First year Medicine
Second year Science (6 programmes and undenominated)
Third year Engineering (1 programme)
Third year Science (2 programmes and undenominated)
Fourth year Science (2 programmes and undenominated)
A range of Specialized Courses for science and engineering students
Postgraduate
H. Dip. Appl. Sc. (Analytical Chemistry and Biochemistry)
M. Sc. Appl. Sc. (Analytical Chemistry and Biochemistry)
M.Sc.
Ph. D.
1.4 Student numbers
In the year 2002/03 the number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) students in the Department was
329, of whom 69 (21%) were postgraduate. This represents an increase of 15% over the number
(294) in 1998/99.
1.5 Staff to Student ratio
In 2002/03 the number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) academic staff in the Department was 16.5,
giving a student: staff ratio of 20.0, as compared to the Science Faculty average of 21.0. As the
number of academic staff changed little while student numbers increased, the equivalent ratio
was 18.0 in 1998/99. There were also 10 technical staff and two secretarial/clerical assistants in
2002/03.
1.6 Costs
In the year 2001 (latest year for which data was available), for 315 FTE students, and a
student:staff ratio of 19.5, the costs of the Department per FTE student were €5225 for direct
costs and €7016 for total costs. This compares with the overall Science Faculty averages of
€4189 and €5955.
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Chemistry 2003–2004
1.6 Accommodation and Facilities
The Department is located on two floors off the Concourse in the Arts/Science Building
complex and moved there in 1973. It has acquired very little extra space since then.
2. Review Group Visit and Report
2.1 Summary and Recommendations related to the Future
The Department of Chemistry is an effective Department producing graduates that are very well
received by industry and who are also well prepared to undertake research leading to higher
degrees. It also has a good research profile both inside the University and internationally, and
publishes regularly in reputable journals. It is well organised and managed, and accomplishes all
of this under very severe pressure and within budgets that are quite inadequate to service the
very high laboratory costs associated with the subject.
The Department, because of the number of its impending retirements, will be a vastly
different place in 2009. Planning for this transition clearly represents its greatest and most
immediate challenge. Although the Chemistry Department has a very good track-record, and
has been very successful in the past, it needs to undergo a paradigm shift in relation its strategic
plan. It should get involved more in strategic target areas identified in the University plan.
Chemistry and chemists can contribute handsomely in Biotechnology, Material Science,
Biomedical Science, and Environmental Science, without diluting the core principles of
Chemistry.
a) The revised planning document should lay out a strategy for the period 2004 – 2009 and
not just for 2009. The plan should be visionary and have a wider remit than appears in
the present document. The plan should state what research areas the Department will
concentrate on, what new directions it will take up, and name the personnel who will be
committed to these areas of research.
b) The Review Group recommends that the Department, in the preparation of its revised
plan, take into account or incorporate into its plan the following:
i. In view of the number of retirements taking place over such a short period, we
strongly recommend to the University that a schedule for the replacement
appointments be agreed in advance and that at least some of these appointments be
made before the corresponding retirements take place to enable continuity in the
teaching programmes.
ii. We strongly recommend that planning for the redistribution of the heavy lecture
load carried by senior staff due to retire begin now and that the agreed
redistribution be effected as soon as is practicable. Senior retiring members of
staff need to mentor junior members of staff.
iii. The loss of so many senior staff makes it imperative to renew leadership within the
Department, and the Review Group strongly recommends that at least one of the
new appointments be made at the Professorial level.
iv. An effort should be made by the Department to bring about a more equitable
distribution of administrative duties between academic staff.
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Chemistry 2003–2004
v. Both the Department and the University should explore possibilities for
rationalisation and the sharing of resources to deal with increasing administrative
and operational burdens.
vi. The Review Group strongly recommends to the University that the new
appointments be made in areas that can immediately contribute to strategic efforts.
These should be chosen with a view to maintaining balance within the subdisciplines taught in the Chemistry degree programme.
3. Follow up Meeting
Friday, 15th October, 2004
at 4.00 p.m. in Boardroom A132
Present: Professor Jim Browne - Registrar, Professor Jim Gosling - Director of Quality (Chair), Dr Philip Dine –
Review Group Rapporteur, Dr Ann Gillan – Review Group member, Professor John Corish – Review Group Chair,
Professor Stephen G Jennings – Review Group member, Dr Gerry Morgan – Dean of Science, Professor Richard N
Butler, Dr. William Carroll, Mr James Cotter, Professor Patrick Cunningham, Dr Niall W.A. Geraghty, Dr.
Timothy Martin Higgins, Professor Michael J Hynes, Dr Donal Leech, Professor Patrick J. McArdle, Mr Dermot
McGrath, Mr John Muldoon, Dr Angela Savage, Professor John Simmie, Professor William J Spillane, Mr Brian
Monahan, Ms Maureen Linnane (in attendance). Apologies: Dr. Fawaz Aldabbagh, Dr Iain McLaren
Action Plan for the Department:
1. The Department’s management structures are being revised to allow for the inclusion of
student representation at meetings, and all changes will be in place by September 2005.
2. The Department will revise its Strategic Plan to give it a wider scope by July 2005.
3. The Department and the Registrar have agreed a schedule of replacement appointments
that anticipates upcoming retirements. The Department welcomes the recommendation
in the Review Report that new appointments be made in ‘strategic areas’, while “also
bearing in mind the need to continue to teach its core subject”.
4. The Department is developing internal guidelines and procedures for research
postgraduate training. For students registered on a PhD programme there will be a
formal performance assessment of each student at the end of his/her first year. These
changes will be introduced for the 2005/2006 academic year.
5. The Departmental Brochure has now been updated and its webpage will be revised by
July 2005.
6. The workload on postgraduate students in respect of supervising Fourth Year Students
has been lessened by the decision of the Department to reduce the number of projects
undertaken by each Fourth Year student from two to one.
7. The Department has been an active participant in the HEA-funded student retention
service operated in the Faculty of Science since its beginning and has expanded its
operation to include not only transfer students from the institutes (its original target
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group) but also mature students. The Department is fully committed to maintaining its
participation in this scheme.
8. The Department has introduced a new set of tutorials concerned with basic Chemistry
for all final year students. For the other years of the BSc Programme, the Department is
providing as many tutorials as it can within the resources available and will gladly
provide more as resources become available.
9. The Department is committed to developing and sustaining the Staff-Student Committee
as a formal means of communication with its students. A report from the Staff-Student
Committee will now be a standing item on the agenda for Departmental Committee
meetings. The Department has also acted to ensure that student questionnaires on
teaching and organisation are used for all its teaching programmes in a uniform way.
10. The Department will continue to participate in CELT’s existing programmes and looks
forward to any new initiatives it may introduce to assist in its development of teaching
and learning.
11. The Department has increased its complement of postdoctoral researchers in recent years
and is currently hosting a Science Foundation Ireland, ETS Walton Fellow for 12
months. It will continue to seek research funding to allow this to continue.
12. The Departmental Committee with the aid of sub-committees will:
• Continue to review the distribution of teaching workloads, particularly in the
light of upcoming retirements. Accordingly, the principle “that on promotion
each member of staff will be assigned a defined administrative role” will be
extended to a wider range of areas.
• Review the range of programmes being offered and seek ideas for new
programmes
13. The Department is committed to continuing its programme of informal industrial
placement of third year students, but any enhancement would be dependent on the
availability of additional resources.
Action Plan for University Management:
1. The Registrar and the Department have agreed a schedule of replacement appointments
that anticipates upcoming retirements. The Registrar will consider carefully a proposal
that two of the new academic appointments should be at the most senior level.
2. The Registrar will consider a proposal from the Department for the planned
rationalisation and improvement of its internal administration system. This proposal will
take into account current staff and a recent vacancy, and will outline how the desired
arrangements will work to support dynamic and effective teaching and research.
3. The Registrar will continue to work with the Department to ensure that the University
contributes adequately and appropriately to maintaining the Department’s long
established high level contributions to research and services that are dependent on high
field NMR analyses.
4. The Registrar will ensure that the University’s regulations, guidelines and procedures for
postgraduate research students are revised by September 2005. This will include
revision of the data retained on each research student in formats that are equivalent to
those from other Irish Universities.
5. A representative of Acadamh na hOllscollacht trí Gaeilge will make a presentation to the
Departmental Committee before May 2005 in which future of teaching via the medium
of Irish at NUI Galway will be outlined.
6. The Vice President for Physical Resources will meet with Department representatives to:
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a. explore options for the improvement of its facilities for advanced teaching, and
b. discuss the Department’s needs with respect to on-going maintenance/cleaning
activities, in the context of the recent major investment in its infrastructure.
7. The Director of Quality has obtained financial support from the HEA/NDP Quality
Improvement Scheme for a project entitled ‘Numeracy skills for Chemistry students’.
Approved by: Department of Chemistry and its Head, Professor R N Butler, 14/2/05
Approved by: Registrar, Professor J Browne, 25th February 2005
Approved by: Dean of Science, Dr G Morgan, 18th February 2005
Approved by: Director of CELT, Dr I MacLaren, 25th February 2005
Approved by: Representative of the Research Office, Dr M Hiney, 11th March 2005
Finalised: 11th March 2005
Jim Gosling, Director of Quality
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