Meeting:
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Board
Date and Time:
Wed 6 October 2010 at 2.15 pm ending 3.40 pm
Venue:
Council Room, Venn Building
Part A: Unreserved Business
Name
Minutes: 1 - 21
Part A: 1 - 16
Membership Category
6 Oct
2010

Mr Charlie Cordeaux
Chair
Deputy Dean Enterprise
Elected Academic
Elected Professor
Head of Department of
Drama and Music
Elected Academic
Head of Department of
English
Head of Department of
Politics and International
Studies
Elected Academic
Ms Sarah Jane
Dickenson
Dr Mahrukh Doctor
Prof Martin Goodman
Deputy Dean Learning
and Teaching
Elected Academic
Elected Professor

Prof Lester Grabbe
Dr Catherine
Greensmith
Dr Karen Harrison
Dr Richard Heseltine
Elected Professor
Elected Academic

Prof Valerie Sanders
Dr Martin Arnold
Mr John Bernasconi
Prof Richard Boon
Dr Alastair Borthwick
Ms Linda Clements
Dr Katharine Cockin
Prof James Connelly
Mr Paul Hewitt
Ms Linda Hockley
Mr Duncan Holt
Dr Helen Johnston
8 November 2010
Elected Academic
Director, Library and
Learning Innovation
Human Resources
Advisor
Head of the School of
Arts and New Media
Elected Academic
Faculty Admissions
Tutor
19 Jan
2011
11 May
2011
Apologies
Apologies
Apologies





Apologies

Apologies
Apologies
Absent
Apologies
Absent

Apologies
1
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Board
6 October 2010
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mr Paul Marshall
Dr Lucy Michael
Prof Lindsay Moir
Dr Marina MozzonMcPherson
Dr Chris Newell
Mr Rowan Oliver
Mrs Jenny Parsons
Prof Calie Pistorius
Dr Maureen Ramsden
Prof Simon D Smith
Prof Keith Tester
Dr Colin Tyler
Dr Gonzalo
Villalta Puig
Dr Jenel Virden
Mr Ian White
Prof Christopher
Wilson
Dr Nigel Young
Prof Peter Young
Faculty Finance Officer
Elected Academic
Head of the Law School
Head of the Department
of Modern Languages
Elected Academic
Elected Academic
Faculty Administrator
Vice-Chancellor
Elected Academic
Head of the Department
of History
Elected Professor
Elected Reader
Elected Academic



Head of Department of
Humanities
Representative from the
Faculty of Education
Elected Professor

Senior Tutor
Head of Department of
Social Sciences


Apologies
Apologies


Absent
Apologies
Apologies
Apologies

Absent


In attendance:
Mr Matthew Barrow
Mrs Chris Coulson
Mrs Pat Escreet
Mrs Amanda Foulkes
Miss Marie Holmes
Mr Rob McGeechan
Ms Chris Milner
Mr Graeme Murphy
Vice- President Education, Student Union
Departmental Secretary, Humanities
Dean’s PA (Secretary to the Board)
Senior Secretary for Social Work, Social Sciences
Quality Secretary, Faculty Office
Interim Director, ICTD
Quality Secretary Collaborative Provision, Faculty Office
Head of Customer Services ICTD
Action
1
Welcome
The Committee welcomed Mr Matthew Barrow, Mr Rob McGeechan,
Mr Graeme Murphy, new Heads of Department, newly elected
members and new support staff attendees to their first meeting.
2
Declarations
(a)
Reserved Business
Items contained in Part B of the agenda were reserved items of
business within the definition in Ordinance 31.
8 November 2010
2
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Board
6 October 2010
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(b)
Members’ Interests
Members were invited to declare if they had any personal or
pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any item on the agenda under
Standing Orders. No declarations were made.
(c)
Starred Items
No items on the agenda were starred.
3
Minutes
The minutes, Part A, of the meeting of the Committee held on 12 May
2010 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
4
Matters Arising
There were no matters arising
5
Chair’s Unreserved Business
(a)
New appointments
A verbal report on new academic staff appointments and promotions
was given.
(b)
Faculty Constitution
The draft constitution received at the last meeting had been approved.
An amendment to include iHull had been requested.
(c)
Reviews
i)
Scarborough Campus
There would be a review of academic provision, involving staff and
students.
ii)
Humanities Review
This would take place in Semester 2, with the Acting Dean
undertaking some preparatory meetings in Semester 1. Meanwhile, a
decision had been made to suspend recruitment to the single honours
BA Religion, whilst continuing recruitment to Joint and Combined
programmes involving Religion.
8 November 2010
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Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Board
6 October 2010
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iii)
Social and Behavioural Studies Review
The review started the previous session would continue this session.
iv)
Discussion of reviews
The view was expressed that whilst the central concern of reviews
was the extent to which subject areas could recruit undergraduate
students, there was an argument for looking at subjects in the round,
including the extent to which they played an important part in the
intellectual life of the University.
The need for consultation with students was raised and this was
confirmed as a necessary part of the process of review.
(d)
Larkin 25
The programme of events continued and had been widely advertised,
and well supported so far.
(e)
iHull: Institute for Creativity and Innovation
The post of Director had been withdrawn; a part secondment might be
considered. The current funding ended in July, and a significant sum
remained to be spent.
(f)
Estate
The Wilberforce refurbishment and the conversion at Scarborough
campus were commended.
(g)
Health and Safety
A meeting with the University Energy Manager had taken place.
Guidance around the use of portable heaters was related to the
Carbon Reduction targets. The recommended room temperature was
19°C. Heaters should only be used if the temperature fell below this.
(h)
Website Officer
The Faculty Website Officer had left the University and approval had
been obtained for a replacement for 12 months. The post would be
advertised.
6
Student Matters
The need for student representation in reviews had been raised in the
previous item.
8 November 2010
4
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Board
6 October 2010
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7
Academic Services
Academic Services had become two separate areas, Library and
Learning Innovation (LLI), and the Information and Communications
Technology Department (ICTD). The Interim Director of ICTD would
attend Faculty Board, or send a delegate, to participate as an
observer and take questions.
8
Financial Report
Last year the Faculty income was £34.5 million. Expenditure was £20
million, and the surplus of £14.5 million was £1.3 million higher than
expected. International fees had contributed to this success,
especially in the Modern Languages EFL area.
There would be challenges ahead as a result of the imminent
Government Spending Review. The University’s new Finance Officer
was monitoring non-pay spend. Mobile phone usage, taxi fares, and
temporary and agency staff costs would be scrutinised.
9
Admissions
The committee considered the tabled Faculty figures for Fulltime
Undergraduate admissions as at 5 October 2010.
Congratulations and thanks were extended to all admission tutors and
staff working in the admissions area for achieving targets without
overshooting.
For the next cycle, Departments were asked to ensure that a member
of staff was on standby during Wednesday afternoons, and during half
term, to meet with those visitors who could not attend open days.
Offer levels would need to be reviewed and revised upwards. It was
noted that Hull’s position in the league table seemed anomalous in
this regard.
10
Learning and Teaching
(a)
Teaching Fellows
Dr Helen Fenwick and Mrs Alison Price-Moir, both of the Department
of History, were congratulated on the award of University Teaching
Fellowships. Ms Sarah Jane Dickenson was congratulated on the
award of a National Teaching Fellowship.
8 November 2010
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Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Board
6 October 2010
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(b)
Learning and Teaching Support Unit (LTSU)
The appointment of new Advisors was noted:
E-learning:
Ms Shirley Bennett
Employability and enterprise:
Mr Paul Chin
Learning and Teaching Innovation: Dr Darren Mundy
PGCHE Programme Director:
Dr Barbara Allan
(c)
University Learning, Teaching & Assessment Committee
Under the new committee structure, ULTAC would continue its work,
but the work of Quality and Standards Committee would be
undertaken in a different way. ULTAC would have sub-committees for
Regulations, codes and processes, for Programme approvals and for
Student Progress. It would set up short-life working groups to address
particular areas, for example Assessment, with membership drawn
from the Deputy Deans.
(d)
National Student Survey (NSS)
Departments were required to respond to an analysis of the 2010
results. These responses would be considered at Faculty Learning,
Teaching and Assessment Committee next week and a Faculty
response would be provided to the PVC Learning and Teaching.
(e)
International Buddy Scheme
The scheme run by the Faculty and the Business School had been
launched again this year, with extra funding. Departments were asked
to encourage students to take part.
11
Research
(a)
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Six student scholarship applications had been submitted, the
maximum permitted, and one award had been made, to an MA
student in History.
The student competition would be replaced by the Block Grant
Partnerships: Capacity Building Route. Institutions had been
encouraged to form consortia to take part. Discussions at Hull were
ongoing.
(b)
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
No student awards had been made, and decisions by ESRC on
Training Centres and Units had been postponed until the new year.
8 November 2010
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Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Board
6 October 2010
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(c)
Research Excellence Framework (REF)
Departments and combinations of subject areas had been reviewed
during the summer. The announcement that the Funding Council had
delayed the exercise until 2014 gave more preparation time.
12
Enterprise
Partnership agreements with overseas institutions were being
renewed. International Office were keen for FASS to work with TKK in
China. It should be possible to attract arts students with good IELTS
scores to the Faculty’s masters programmes.
13
Reach Out
Dr Marina Mozzon-McPherson had stepped down from her Reach
Out role to become Head of Department, She was thanked for all the
work she had done, especially in relation to schools engagement. The
Faculty was seeking someone to undertake Reach Out responsibility.
14
Collaborative Provision
The Board noted that there would be a QAA Collaborative Provision
Audit in Spring 2011.
15
Minutes of Faculty Committees
The minutes of Faculty Committees were received for information.
16
Any Other Unreserved Business
(a)
Timetable issues
The use of different week numbers for the same week was difficult for
staff and students to understand. No guidance had been provided in
the handbook template.
Information about the allocation of students to seminar groups had
been made available to departments in a different way, without
adequate notice or training. This had increased the workload of
departments at the peak time around registration.
The Faculty Administrator would raise these issues with Student
Administrative Services.
8 November 2010
FAC
ADMIN
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Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Board
6 October 2010
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(b)
Wilberforce Building
Technical difficulties were encountered by Film Studies staff on the
first day of teaching.
There were problems with lights going off while people were still in
rooms, and with the heating.
The Acting Dean would raise these issues with the Facilities
Directorate.
DEAN
FASS
Attachments to Part A : Unreserved Business
Minute
Paper
Circulation
9
Faculty figures for Fulltime Undergraduate
admissions as at 5 October 2010
OR
15
Minutes of Faculty Executive Committee 4 May 2010
Minutes of Faculty Research Executive 5 May 2010
Minutes of Faculty Learning, Teaching and Assessment
Committee 5 May 2010
Minutes of Faculty Staff Development Committee 9 June 2010
Minutes of Faculty Collaborative Provision Executive 26 May 2010
Minutes of Faculty Reach Out Committee 20 May 2010
OR
OR
OR
OR
OR
OR
Signature of Chair
__________________
Date of signature
__________________
These minutes are available in alternative formats on request from
Committee Section.
8 November 2010
8