Biosciences Education Team Meeting

Issues and Actions

6th June 2011

Present: Steve Aves, Meg Harris, Nicky King, James Wakefield

c/f / Action/concluded/carried forward / By
31.01.3 / JW / Update on MSc Review meeting / Took place on 18.05.11. A positive meeting with MSc programmes being considered. It was agreed that all pgt programmes should fulfil at least one of the following criteria:
  1. Provide a feeder for high quality PhD students
  2. Enhance Exeter’s excellence
  3. Help towards Bioscience’s internationalisation
Aquatic Biology & Resource Management: recommendation that this could become aMRes programme rather than a taught MSc, although Rod Wilson (PD) was not presents so this would be c/f.
Biotechnology and Enterprise: was running well and no change.
Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture: applications were strong however Chris Thornton (PD) was concerned that it might be the funding that was proving its attraction. He would monitor this next year by offering fewer full funded places. Otherwise no change.
Bioinformatics group. Difficult to decide which of the above three points was relevant to these programmes. Jamie Stevens and David Studholme (PD) would discuss c/f.
Applied Biochemistry and Biocatalysis: Jenny Littlechild (PD) would review the programme and report back, however it was difficult to see which point above was relevant. c/f Next meeting for a review was scheduled for 06.06.11.
A pgt programme meeting had been held on 03.06.11 and the minutes would be circulated to the Edu Team. / JW
MH
31.01.4 / NK / Project allocation / Recommended that: 1. An academic member of staff take overall charge of the project allocations. 2. Academics should not be able to accept ‘ad hoc’ project students.
06.06 / Issues/Actions
1 / JW / New staff / Based in Hatherly Hywell Williams has joined the College. JW would find out if he was able to help with teaching. c/f
Also three cell biologist were being recruited and JW would contact TQ to ask if the Education Team could have some input. c/f / JW
2 / MH / Team Development / NK would liaise with Sara Burton regarding Team Development/Xfactor. c/f / NK
3 / JW / Finance / Information was needed regarding what funding Bioscience would be receiving from their Band B u/g students. c/f JW to ask TQ / JW
4 / JW / External Examiners / JW asked that SA lead the Exam board and liaise with the external examiners for Biosciences. Concluded / SA
5 / JW / Admissions / JW confirmed that he had received an email from admissions to say they would consider (no guarantee) the automatic transfer of applicants from C000 to C100 if they failed to get their offer grades for the SA programme but qualified for the normal three year C100 programme. Concluded
6 / JW / POOD feedback / Feedback had been circulated and was positive with encouraging comments on applicant experience. Concluded.
7 / JW / Open Day
Big Bang / The University Open Day is on 14th June and MH agreed to confirm arrangements with the ERIKA team. c/f
NK was liaising over the Big Bang Science Day. / MH
NK
8 / JW / Additional funding / JW would speak to TQ regarding the bid for funding for additional infra-structure i.e. in the teaching lab. c/f / JW