3rd Business School Board 2006/07 academic session held Monday
19 March 2007
Apologies (see hard copy)
Minutes received from Teaching and Learning and Research and Outreach Committees
Items from the chair
The Chair welcomed all staff
All Heads of Department introduced their new staff:
Administration:
Z Lau, Postgraduate Office
A Kubit-Hope, Postgraduate Office
D Runham, Collaborations Officer
International Business & Economics:
Dr Kim, Senior Lecturer
Dr Su, Lecturer
Dr Ping, Lecturer
Dr Sunderland, Lecturer
School Review
The date has now been rescheduled from January to 19 and 20 April, this was
necessary due to the Head of School being incapacitated. All staff should ensure they
are available on these dates as they may be required to attend if requested.
Achievements in 2006-07
These were outlined including the successful review of programmes, PPD1, improved
personal tutoring, improved induction, webCT course management, and a change in
admin structure.
Challenges in 2006-07
The School has faced many challenges and is addressing each of them i.e. NSS,
supporting international students, retention, levels of academic achievement, and elearning development.
The Business School Strategy
The School has developed successfully in many ways:
4.1 Admin
The Administrative restructure has underpinned the one-stop-shop for the student
experience, complaints are being dealt with early to stop escalation. There is more work
to be done but we are making great progress to improve the quality of service to our
students.
4.2 Departments
The Departmental restructure has seen an addition in the number of departments from 4
to 5. There is a shift in the direction of the Marketing programmes. There has been a
move away from Heritage and Museum Management with more emphasis on Events,
Tourism and Public Relations.
The Department of International Business & Economics has shifted the emphasis from
Economics to International Business.
The BITE Department will enable the Business School to operate efficiently out of
Medway and Folkestone
On a different issue the Departmental Operations Meetings have been seen as a
success in assisting in the disseminations of information.
4.3 Curriculum Change/Development
MA Events will be validated ready for September 2008
Transport and Logistics will offer a Masters from September 2007
The Accounting & Finance and Management Departments have the majority of
international collaboration links.
Employability have seen their lowest number of placement. We intend to develop more
activities i.e.internships; short, unpaid placements as part of credited curriculum
All course design will include WebCT.
4.4 SSR
We have 4,500 students. 470 students studying overseas, 500 in Partner Colleges.
130 FTE. Our SSR target of 25.1 is gradually coming in sight. We have moved from
32.1 and at present we are at 29.1.
4.5 National Student Survey
Each Department has performed well. Our current position of responses is:
Accounting & Finance
60%
International Business & Economics
50%
Management
41%
Marketing
66%
Students in the Management Department will be contacted to have their survey
completed via telephone. Overall the School is above the 50% minimum.
4.6 E-learning
Continuation of developments with WebCT including audio. By 2008 all programmes to
have part-time flexible mode.
4.7 Parternships
We have 5 main partner colleges. We have growing international links. At present it is
7 collaborations. The School are investigating establishing direct collaborations in India.
4.8 3rd Stream
The School Advisory Board members are currently being contacted - Departmental
Advisory Panels have been used to good effect in the review of programmes.
Development of more short courses are ongoing.
We are relaunching LKN as Knowledge and Innovation Network. Developments are
being made to appoint an Outreach and Enterprise person in each department. We are
planning to acquire a School Development Manager.
Reports
Resources
Learning and Quality
Research and Outreach
Head of Department Presentations
Accounting & Finance
Successfully appointed a new Management Accounting lecturer who has strong IT skills
that are particularly sought by the department.
At post-graduate level the most important development has been the launch of MBA
Financial Services commencing in September 2007. The Department has already been
asked to franchise this programme to an institution in Hong Kong and so we are
confident that this programme will make a significant contribution to the School.
The Department is working on the development of a new stream of MSc Financial
Management and Investment which will prepare students for a Chartered Financial
Analyst (CFA) examinations. CFA qualification is highly sought after in Hong Kong and
so this MSc will be offered both in UK and in Hong Kong.
At undergraduate level the Departmental strategy is to provide streamlined programmes
closely aligned to the professional qualifications. Accountancy qualifications are highly
sought internationally and the Department makes a significant contribution to the
University and Business School's objectives of internationalisation especially in China
and South East Asia.
International Business & Economics
Recent staff recruitment reflects the reorientation of the department from Economics to
IB&E. The strategic review of the department has shown capabilities in research in a
number of areas, and applying the scholarships model, they are endeavouring to build
research groups and associated programme offerings around critical masses in
international comparisons of public services, business networks, organisational
dynamics and China business studies.
The University has also asked us to establish a programme of research and teaching in
Indian Business and has provided a new blood post to start this. We have still to clarify
the appropriate research cluster underpinning current offerings in economics and
international business in general. We are beginning to develop international franchises
and partnerships for each of our programme offerings and are currently supporting the
BAAF and BABA top ups in SIngapore and Hong Kong.
Marketing
There is a lot of activity in the curriculum front. Arts Management is relocating to
Medway. There is a new Tourism programme for 2008. We are experiencing problems
recruiting a replacement in Events Management, a third round of interviews taking place
Thursday. Public Relations is a growth area but again we are experiencing problems
recruiting to it.
We have a BA/MA subject to validation. Other programmes are being streamlined. A
successful review of Tourism, joint honours with Events and Tourism has just been
completed.
Management
An undergraduate review gives the School a BA Business Management from 2008
replacing the Business Admin degree. It will be more focussed on HRM and leadership.
There will also be a Foundation Degree in Business Management.
A Postgraduate review is due in May it will look at the MA International HRM and which
will introduce new courses in consultancy and management skills.
International links with Singapore, Syria, Trinidad, Tanzania, Malaysia are recent
additions to our collaborations.
We are recruiting to our Foundation Degree in Dispute Resolution.
Systems Management and Strategy
Successful review on: BA Business Studies; Business Transport and Logistics Business
Purchasing and Supply; Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
BABA at Medway through BITE
60 credit postgraduate certificate Strategic Information Management to feed into the
CPD.
MA Transport Management will be validated and rolling out for September 2007.
International MBA from September 2008
All programmes will have accreditation supported by professional bodies from CMI,
CILT, CIPS to draw the students in.
RAE
Reminder to staff to submit Research Remission forms, these are available on the web
. The deadline for research requests is 31 March 2007.
DSE Assessments
The Chair targetted those members of staff who have not responded to their DSE
Assessor's
many requests to complete their DSE004 Self Assessment Checklist.
Health & Safety Video
Shown for the benefit of new staff.