Sport and Wellness Dual Engagement Meeting
12 noon, Tuesday 21st May 2012
Ted Wragg Meeting Room, Northcote House
Present:
Russell Seal, Chairman of University Council (RS)
Neil Armstrong, Deputy Vice Chancellor (NA)
Geoff Pringle, Director of Campus Services (GP)
Phil Attwell, Director of Sport and Student Activity (PJA)
Beth Hampson, President of the Athletic Union (BH)
Jo Batten, President Elect of the Athletic Union (JB)
Katherine Salvetti (Notes)
1.
Minutes of Dual Engagement Meeting (19.01.12)
Matters Arising
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
NA commented that the Academic Flexibility approach had worked well this year and
that a letter was in the process of being drafted for NA to approve and circulate to
colleges ahead of the 2012/13 academic year.
PJA reported that the Tennis Centre had been unsuccessful in its bid to be granted High
Performance status, and that it had been implied that this had been as a result of local
politics. In addition, PJA reported that the Tennis Centre was still waiting on hearing the
results of its bid for capital funding.
PJA reported that a plan was being implemented in relation to communicating details of
the Sports Park developments to stake-holders. Correspondence and meetings with local
residents had occurred and communications were now being directed at members of the
public and staff members who had previously used the footpaths around the pitches.
PJA reported that RS’s comment regarding Cornwall students using Dartington facilities
had been taken on board and was continuing to be discussed in Cornwall.
The Minutes of the previous meeting were approved.
2.
Director of Sport’s Report
The following points were noted in discussion of PJA’s paper:
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PJA commented that he was thrilled at how quickly the development has got under way, with the
construction company already on site and work started earlier than initially planned. In addition,
PJA confirmed that planning permission for Phase 2 would be confirmed by mid July.
PJA explained the difficulties that would arise with regard to temporarily closing various
footpaths and the Trim Trail, but emphasised that the bulk of the work had been planned to take
place over the summer to cause minimum disruption. PJA confirmed that the contractors were
Kier and that they had been selected following the tender process that had revealed them to be the
best quality and the best price. GP added that it had also been crucial to consider whether the
contractor would have been likely to go into administration.
PJA confirmed that the Boathouse project proceeding as planned and that plans were being made
for the opening event, including the re-naming of the boathouse following approval from VCEG
last week. The new boathouse will be called the ‘Nicholas Bull Boathouse.’
3.
Athletic Union President’s Review of 2011/12
The following points were noted in discussion of BH’s paper:
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4.
BH reported on a very successful year and commented that the AU had been looking more closely
at the demographics of the students participating in sport and noting where the gaps had been in
terms of groups of students not engaged. International Sport Month had been one of the products
of this research and BH emphasised that her successor, Jo Batten, would be continuing this work
next year.
BH reported that the support in the form of a Graduate Business Partner assistant for the AU had
been invaluable and wholly attributable to the success of both the Intramural and SVS
programmes throughout the year.
BH thanked NA for his support of International Sport Month, commenting that without that
financial support the programme of events would not have been so broad, and so successful.
BH reported that a recent meeting with INTO students had revealed that they would prefer events
to happen in the second term: the students were keen to engage in sporting activities but felt that
this would be more feasible in the second term, needing the first term to settle in and get to grips
with the academic demands. BH reported that there were plans in the pipeline to incorporate a
programme of sporting activities into the INTO induction programme.
RS queried any funding difficulties the AU had or anticipated. BH responded that the AU were
concerned that in the new fees environment it would be difficult to continually ask students for
money in relation to paying to enter one-off events. BH commented that the AU would also need
to consider the timing of events in relation to when students would feel the most financial
pressures during the year. PJA observed that Sport as a whole will be looking at these issues and
forming a strategy including expanding engagement with alumni as a means of fundraising.
BH noted that an additional Colours Award had been awarded to Robin Williams, a postgraduate
student who had been selected to compete in the Para-Olympics (Football).
NA extended thanks to BH for her hard work over the year.
University of Exeter in Cornwall Strategy
PJA reported that he had attended a frustrating meeting in Cornwall in January 2012 but was
delighted to report that since January there has been universal buy-in of the Cornwall Strategy by
the various areas and subsequently, the organisations in Cornwall have taken ownership of the
strategy and were now driving it for themselves. PJA added that this development has meant that
Cornwall could start to devise a plan for 2013-15.
RS queried Tremough’s relationship with Cornwall County Council and Carrick District Council
and whether there were sport departments to liaise with. PJA responded that there were no existing
relationships between the Tremough Sports Centre and the two Councils, but that this could be
developed.
NA requested that PJA keep Mark Overton updated as to developments.
5.
Review of Sports Strategy and Forward Planning
The following points were raised in discussion of PJA’s paper:
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PJA summarised that the aims of the Sport Office were two-fold: to provide a high quality
experience for students, and to generate sufficient income to be able to provide that experience.
RS queried whether para-sports should be something that Exeter engaged with, with the notion of
becoming known for its support of para-sports. PJA responded that while this idea had not been
ruled out, it had not yet been given enough consideration by the Sport Senior Management Team
to give the idea the green light.
6.
Times Higher Student Experience Survey
NA expressed surprise that Exeter had only finished 26th in the Sport rankings and queried
whether this had been a fair appraisal. PJA responded that he had been astonished when visiting
sports facilities of a number of northern universities earlier in the year, citing Robert Gordon
University as a particular example where the facilities were extremely impressive and yet
relatively unknown to the wider public. PJA commented that it had been encouraging to observe
from the survey results that those institutions who had recently invested in their facilities had
climbed in rankings, and expected Exeter to do the same after the completion of the Sports Park
development.
7.
Sports Office and Athletic Union Budgets 2012/13
The budget reports had been circulated for information.
GP queried the Facilities budget line. PJA responded that this had been inaccurately forecast at the
start of the year and had now been corrected.
8.
Review of sporting achievements
The High Performance Unit’s review of sporting successes 2011/12 had been circulated for
information.
NA and RS commented that they had been delighted that Exeter had finished 7th in the BUCS
league that year.
PJA reported that an alumnus, Haydn Thomas, had been selected for the England Rugby team.
9.
Sports Scholars (tabled)
NA reported that he had received the list of proposed scholars for 2012/13 from Nick Beasant. RS
commented that it was pleasing to see such a breadth of sports and degree subjects among the list
and PJA added that among the scholars there were an impressive number of achievements.
The list was approved by the meeting.
10.
UniSport Online (tabled)
NA reported that he had met with Tom Carrington-Smith, alumnus and founder of UniSport
Online, a sports media company based in the Innovation Centre. NA reported that he had been
impressed by Tom’s plans and had given them his approval to go ahead in consultation with the
Sport Office, Athletic Union and DARO. PJA commented that he was already in discussions with
UniSport Online and that there were currently a few concerns from BUCS surrounding intellectual
property rights to matches, and these were being addressed.
11.
Any Other Business
In acknowledgement that the meeting was both BH’s and RS’s last Sport and Wellness Dual
Engagement meeting, NA thanked them both profusely for their support and hard work. RS
commented that his involvement with Sport had been one of the things he had most enjoyed in his
role as Chairman, and that he was delighted to be leaving it in such good hands.
Meeting closed at 1.35pm