Minutes of Teaching & Learning Committee meeting held on Monday 18 April 2011
Present: Catherine Steel (Chair); Bronagh Ni Chonaill (Celtic); Adam Reiger (Philosophy);
Graeme Small (History), Florian Weber (SRC); Alison Peden (School)
1.
Minutes of the last meeting were read and accepted as a true record.
2.
Board of Studies: a total of eight 20-credit courses and one 60-credit courses were
proposed and copies of the course specifications were made available:
3.
History:
The Rise of Chivalry: War and Chivalric Culture in Britain and France
Society, Culture and Politics in England
Devolving the Nation: Scotland, 1945-2004
Debates on Plague: The Black Death and the Formation of Europe
Warfare in Scotland 1: From Mons Graupius to Sauchieburn
Warfare in Scotland 2: From Flodden to Culloden
Modern Britain at War: From Rorke’s Drift to Port Stanley
Popular Protest in late medieval Europe c.1200-1450 (Special Subject)
Celtic:
Celtic Art in Context
Re the History courses, the matter of how tutors arrive at the mark for 4% seminar
contribution was raised. History and Celtic agreed to look at how this could be made
more transparent both for the benefit of External Examiners and for students.
ACTION: POB/BNC
The low weighting of essays in the History Special Subject was queried by FW. It was
agreed that within a 60 credit course, the weighting of each individual component was
appropriate.
Re the Celtic course, it was recommended that the justification for the non-standard
duration be checked and the wording in section 11 of the course proposal to be revised.
ACTION: BNC
All the above courses were approved in principle, subject to revision as identified
above.
The Committee commended Celtic for its active exploration of a cross-teaching link
with History of Art for its new course Celtic Art in Context.
It was agreed that subject areas should be encouraged to identify cross-teaching
possibilities for individual honours courses and to implement these by requesting that
other subject areas make suitable courses available to their honours students. (It was
noted that this mechanism was in addition to the existing 25% rule)
4.
SLP
The School of Humanities L & T Committee is worried about SLP, along with the
introduction of the new Advising arrangements. It was felt that, with a view to
retention, first year students should be able to meet with an Adviser at the start of their
studies and CS will speak with the Chief Adviser of Studies, and possibly with Rob
Maslen to this end.
ACTION: CS
There is a real worry that the system will not be fully ready for the start of the semester,
and FW agreed that the SRC were equally sceptical.
5.
Dissertation regulations.
AR raised the point that if a student does not achieve a D3 or better in their independent
piece of work they will not receive an honours degree, and expressed dismay at this
regulation. It was suggested that the University be asked for statistics as to the number
of failed honours students on these grounds, and the matter referred back to ARSC. It
was also agreed that External Examiners be asked to comment on the regulation in their
reports.
ACTION: L & T conveners
6.
AOCB. Stephen Woodruff (HATII) had asked for feedback on Turnitin. Some
information was provided and CS will forward this to SW.
ACTION: CS
History Level 2 class hour has been agreed at 11am. GPS had conferred with the Chief
Adviser of Studies, Deputy Chief Adviser of Studies and CRB and this time will create
the least amount of clashes with other level 2 courses. History was commended on the
amount of consideration that had been put into reaching this decision.
No further meetings of the L & T this session, but if any matters arise, a meeting can be
convened.