QA48Form2 PGR/PGT SSLC Annual Report
STAFF / STUDENT LIAISON COMMITTEE
ANNUAL REPORT FOR POSTGRADUATE
RESEARCH AND / OR TAUGHT SSLCs in 2011/12
It is the responsibility of the Chair to ensure that a SSLC Annual Report is completed, in consultation with
student and staff members of the Committee (QA48 Section 7.1), by Friday 27 July 2012.
Please type this Annual Report and return electronically via email:
To: Academic Representation Centre, Students’ Union, academicreps@bath.ac.uk
CC: Learning and Teaching Enhancement Office, learningandteaching@bath.ac.uk
1. Which degree programmes are covered by this Staff / Student Liaison Committee?
MSc Healthcare Informatics
MSc Healthcare Information Governance
MSc Rheumatology
Is this SSLC for:
Postgraduate Research programmes only?
(Yes/No)
Postgraduate Taught programmes only?
Yes
2. MEMBERSHIP
Name
Student?
Staff?
(Yes/No)
(Yes/No)
Chair
Tim Bilham, Director of Studies
Yes
Secretary
Sharon Firkins, Research phase
Yes
coordinator, Faculty of HSS
Online Election Process Contact
Yes
(i.e. the member of staff within the
academic department responsible
for liaising with the SU over the
annual online election process)
Number of staff members:
4
Number of PGT student members:
2
Number of PGR student members:
0
Invited to attend?
Receives Minutes?
(Yes/No)
(Yes/No)
Subject Librarian
Yes
No
Student Reps on the Board of Study / Standing Committee
No
No
Secretary to the Board of Study / Standing Committee
No
No
Vice President (Education), Students’ Union
No
No
Representation and Research Manager, Students’ Union
No
No
(academicreps@bath.ac.uk)
3. MEETINGS
How many times has the SSLC met during this academic year?
Once
If there were fewer than 4 meetings this year, please indicate why
These are distance learning programmes
with students based worldwide. SSLC
meetings were previously held twice a year
during teaching residential periods at Bath.
These programmes suspended new
admissions some years ago and all
remaining students have now completed the
taught phase of their respective programmes
and are completing their dissertation
projects. Consequently they no longer attend
at Bath and arrangements for SSLC have
moved to an online forum.
An SSLC Forum is available via Moodle to
facilitate communication between staff and
students and to enable students to post and
discuss individual and collective issues
relating to their studies.
A Moodle Unit covering the research phase
is also available and is shared by these
three programmes. Both fora are monitored
for SSLC purposes.
The programmes have previously had year
representatives selected by the year cohorts.
Some of these have now graduated, and as
numbers remaining on these programmes
are small, the practice has been to facilitate
the direct involvement of all students.
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4. ISSUES AND GOOD PRACTICE 2011/12
Main topics discussed at SSLC meetings under the following headings, example(s) of Good Practice and what action
has been taken:
What was discussed?
Programme content
and delivery (but not
individual lecturers),
changes to existing units
/ programmes and
proposals for new units /
programmes
Information to support
(PGT) students in
making informed Unit
choices
Assessment and
Feedback, including
examinations (if
applicable)
n/a
Timetabling
n/a
Group work
n/a
Skills development and
training, including
research skills training
Student support
(including progress
monitoring, supervisory
arrangements [but not
individual supervisors]
and the Personal Tutor
system)
Library provision
Was the Subject
Librarian invited to attend
to discuss relevant
issues?
IT and e-Learning
provision
Was a member of the
relevant team invited to
attend to discuss
relevant issues?
Other academic
resources (teaching
accommodation,
research facilities and
electronic resources)
Careers provision
Was a representative of
the Careers Service
Example(s) of Good
Practice
What action was
taken?
Not applicable.
All students have
selected units.
University changes
relating to the new
Framework for
Assessment.
Reassurance that
these programmes
are not affected
remaining with their
current
arrangements for
programmes
outside of the NFA.
Student access to
library advice.
Skype facility for
remote students to
communicate with
subject librarian
Skype facility
established
The Subject Librarian
notified students to
changes to Embase
and to access
arrangements for
Medline.
The Library’s online
tutorial on how to
conduct a MESH
search
Students provided
with access to the
online tutorial and
other resources.
Not relevant. These
are professional
Masters programme in
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invited to attend to
discuss relevant issues?
Other issues or SSLC
initiatives
which students are
already working in a
professional
healthcare role.
Requirements for
students to complete
the Academic Integrity
test.
Arrangements
posted on Moodle.
Completion
monitored and
students sent
reminders.
5. UNRESOLVED ISSUES
Which of the issues discussed during this year remain unresolved and what steps are being taken to resolve
them?
No issues unresolved.
6. ONLINE ELECTION PROCESS CONTACT FOR 2012/13
Who will be the Online Election Process Contact for the academic department? (i.e. the member
of staff within the academic department responsible for liaising with the Students’ Union over the
annual online election process to promote and to market the online election process for student
representatives.
NAME:
E-MAIL:
EXTENSION:
7. AUTHORISATION
It is the responsibility of the Chair to ensure that a SSLC Annual Report is completed, in
consultation with student and staff members of the Committee (QA48: Section 7.1).
Chair of the SSLC
Signature:
Print Name:
Date:
In the absence of the Chair, the Annual Report may be signed-off by the Director of Studies or
Secretary of the SSLC
Signature:
Print Name:
Tim Bilham
Date: 16 11 12
When you have completed this form, please return via email by Friday 27 July 2012:
To: Advice and Representation Centre, Students’ Union, academicreps@bath.ac.uk
CC: Learning and Teaching Enhancement Office, learningandteaching@bath.ac.uk
The form should be returned by this deadline even if you have further meetings scheduled in the current
academic year; the draft form should, where possible, be circulated to members of the SSLC for comment by
email. The Secretary should keep a copy for departmental records and the first meeting of the SSLC in the new
academic year.
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