QA48Form2 PGR/PGT SSLC Annual Report
STAFF / STUDENT LIAISON COMMITTEE
ANNUAL REPORT FOR POSTGRADUATE
RESEARCH AND / OR TAUGHT SSLCs in 2013/14
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 28 July 2014.
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?
Faculty of Science postgraduate taught Masters and Research degree programmes
Is this SSLC for:
Postgraduate Research programmes only?
Postgraduate Taught programmes only?
(Delete as applicable)
No
No
2. Membership
Name
Chair
Zack Lyons
Secretary
Natalie Bartram
Online Election Process Contact
Simon Gane
(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:
3
Number of PGT student members:
4
Number of PGR student members:
7
Student?
Staff?
(Delete as applicable)
Yes
(Delete as applicable)
No
(N/A; should be a
member of staff)
(No; must be a
member of staff)
Yes
Yes
Invited to attend?
Receives Minutes?
(Delete as applicable)
No
(Delete as applicable)
No
Faculty Reps, Students’ Union, on the Board of Studies
No
No
Education Officer, Students’ Union
No
No
(Not routinely invited to
attend)
(Not routinely invited to
attend)
(Not routinely invited to
attend)
(Not routinely invited to
attend)
Yes
Subject Librarian
(SUeducation@bath.ac.uk)
Secretary to the Board of Studies
Secretary to the Faculty / School Learning, Teaching and
Quality Committee (for PGT programmes)
Secretary to the Faculty / School Research Students
Committee (for PGR programmes)
Representation and Research Manager, Students’ Union
(academicreps@bath.ac.uk)
Yes
Yes
No
* Should routinely receive minutes of SSLC meetings
3. Meetings
How many times has the SSLC met
during this academic year?
If there were fewer than 4 meetings
this year, please indicate why
2
There were difficulties in securing student attendance so fewer, more focused
meetings were scheduled. A third meeting for June was scheduled, but all
students sent apologies/did not respond so it was cancelled. Natalie Bartram
and Sue Wonnacott met instead to discuss outstanding matters and discuss
future attendance at these meetings and notes were circulated to the
members.
4. Items, Issues and Good Practice
This table is to record key issues and topics. These will be used to inform an institutional-wide report from the
Students’ Union detailing items that both the University and Students’ Union should consider in 2014/15.
Example areas (this
is not a
comprehensive list of
topics covered; feel
free to add details of
others issues
covered by your
SSLC)
Last year’s SSLC
Annual Report
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
Record key items discussed
Any example(s) of
Good Practice
Any action taken
Discussed at first meeting of
the year
Not discussed
Students choose units in week
1 of Sem 1.
Assessment and
Feedback,
including
examinations (if
applicable)
Feedback Policy
Not discussed
Survey results (e.g.
PTES, PRES, Unit &
Programme
Evaluations)
External Examiners
Reports and
University response
Timetabling
PTES/PRES & feedback first
meeting of the year
Group work
Not discussed
Skills development
and training,
including research
skills training
Student support
(including progress
monitoring,
supervisory
arrangements [but
not individual
supervisors] and the
Personal Tutor
system)
Provision / access of training
for PGT students was
discussed, and on line
courses praised.
Supervisor issues discussed.
Plans for a survey for
students, suggestion to make
survey compulsory at certain
milestones
In August information
about unit choices is sent
out to all applicants who
have accepted their offer.
Discussions about unit
choice with DOS or
admin will take place
before Week 1. DoSs
meet students
individually in week 1.
Not discussed
Not discussed
Not discussed
New 6 month progress
reviews for PGR students
introduced this year, not
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Graduate School to create a
survey for feedback on
supervisory issues, good &
bad practice
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
invited to attend to
discuss relevant
issues?)
Other issues or
SSLC initiatives
discussed
Issues relating to quiet study
space for PGR and lack of
study space for PGT students
(not just library specific).
Students requested more
accurate/fair timetabling
Graduate school web pages –
a Moodle site would be more
useful than wiki pages for
sharing information with
students
Librarian to attend SSLC in
next academic year to address
concerns
Graduate School will follow up
within individual departments
Graduate School to produce
Moodle page and update wiki
site (for academic & staff)
Faculty specific tutoring
guidelines requested by PGR
students, as it is unclear what
the requirements are
Graduate School will follow up,
as this may be a University
level issue
Not discussed
Travel Grants were discussed
for students in receipt of URS
awards
Online application process
was discussed. Further
feedback opportunities were
given to the students, but the
Graduate School had already
taken steps to address issued
faced by students for 2013/14
entry.
Sue Wonnacott renewed the
application to Alumni Fund as
a cross-faculty initiative. This
was approved, subject to
extending the access to all
students who are without any
other source of travel funds
Improved and enhanced
communication with
applicants and offer
holders, regular
newsletters and targeted
emails. Improvements to
the induction for
postgraduates
Lack of student attendance.
Two meetings were scheduled
originally, but after the second,
students requested a third in
June, with lunch to be
provided to encourage
attendance. All students either
gave apologies or did not
attend so the meeting was
cancelled.
Graduate School will look info
inviting guest speakers to
SSLC in next academic year
to encourage attendance. Also
to start focus group lunches
again.
Introduction of department
PGR specific SSLCs might
cause further attendance
difficulties, but suggested that
minutes of these meetings are
circulated to Graduate School
so any issues can be
discussed at Faculty level
5. Unresolved issues
Which of the issues discussed during this year remain unresolved and what steps are being taken to resolve them?
Lack of attendance – Graduate School will look info inviting guest speakers to SSLC in next
academic year to encourage attendance (eg. Subject librarian, career services, skills training
etc). Start focus group lunches again to obtain feedback from students and promote faculty
wide discussion.
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Advertise student contact/representatives on the Graduate School web & Moodle pages to
encourage student engagement with the committee
Survey on supervisory issues – still being developed by the Graduate School & will be
discussed at the first SSLC in the new academic year
Graduate School Moodle Pages – still in development and being worked on over the Summer
by the Graduate School
Department PGR specific SSLCs – Natalie Bartram will contact individual departments to see
their plans for PGR SSLCs, and will request to be included in the circulation of minutes to report
to Faculty SSLC
6. Online election process contract for 2014/15
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 representative)
Name:
Simon Gane
Email:
s.k.b.gane@bath.ac.uk
Ext.:
3875
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:
NBartram
Print Name: Natalie Bartram
Date:
23/07/14
When you have completed this form, please return via email by Friday 28 July 2014:
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 place on the agenda for the first meeting of
the SSLC in the new academic year.
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