Education Committee 30/11/2016
Education Committee Minutes
Date and Location: S008 30th November 2016
Chair: Rebecca Chapman
Secretary: Stephanie Nixon
In attendance
· Jo Atkins
· Zoe Pape
· Stephanie Nixon
· Hannah Botwright
· Rebecca Chapman
· Jemma Cruz
· Anastasia Lamparadou
· Anastasia; the Postgraduate Students Officer is to be part of Education Committee!
· Danjie’s Report: Course Rep Corner, will encourage Faculty Reps to attend future meetings. Meetings with Ann Shelter-Mayes about TEF and Contact time. Wednesday 11th January Course Rep Conference. Is trying to make questions and feedback to being more transparent to students. Using a website called Trello. Demo on 19th November! Michael Ellis could not answer questions about the tuition fee increase… 5 questions were asked, and responses will be put on a blog. 6th December – another course rep corner at Avenue SU, 4-5pm. Questions from Faculty Reps to feed into Course Rep corners where issues can be raised.
Anastasia – has started on the TED Talk, in collaboration with Arte. A full day event which will incorporate all of the Change Maker values into what the Faculty Reps do. People who are making will be invited. Have been advised to speak with
Faculty Rep Reports
Issues raised/Activities done: timetabling issues, exam/essay bunching, issues with WiFi, crammed classrooms, more placement opportunities for business students, and lack of transport available for health placements, John Lewthwaite has been attending SSLC’s without inviting other faculty reps (needs to be raised). More plug points are needed. Issues with online activities and poor WiFi. Personal Academic Tutors – some students feel that more information about was required about their PATs. Also, some 3rd year students’ PAT is also their Dissertation supervisor, and they would much rather have separate people, as it feels quite blended. If there are issues with dissertation supervisors, then students feel that they cannot get help. Some students’ PAT/Dissertation supervisor has never taught them, so they do not have a report with them, which can make things awkward. Some students want more Erasmus opportunities, even joint honours students. Issues with TEF and lack of knowledge about it among students, and students want to know about TEF and why tuition fees are being increased. Computer rooms at Avenue; lots of technical issues and IT have been notified. Avenue library needs to become a 24/7 space as there is a demand from students. Avenue restaurant has not been refurbished – lots of focus on Park. Park is bigger, and Avenue is left by the Wayside. Avenue restaurant is very overcrowded at certain times of the day.
Action: Rebecca to speak to John about this – lack of communication between Faculty Reps
Action: Danjie – speak to Librarians to make Avenue Library 24/7
Action: Rebecca to start petition on making
Action: Stephanie to look into the laws of protesting in private spaces
Action: Rebecca to speak to Sammi to send ToR to Education Committee ASAP!
Issues: Faculty Forums; every course has 2 course reps, yet the forums are poorly attended. Need more feedback from students so that change can be made!
If someone wants to be a course rep, then their contact details should be available on the SU website (with their consent).
Action: Danjie to promote Faculty Forums at Course Rep corners. Acton: Danjie- speak to Sammi about why course reps cannot have their emails on the SU website so students can contact them?
SWS has been colour coded, submitted. – Agreed, though with amendments and comments.
- Issues – specific dates about Waterside need to be put in. Need more information on how they are going to raise awareness of Waterside campus to more students.
- Students also feel that teaching methods which are done online in conjunction with being ‘Waterside ready’ is not being relayed, and online activities are being redone in class. More practical experience is needed from current and prospective students to inform staff who are higher up as to what needs to be done.
- Representation of student voice is not implemented and Recommendation 8 was rejected. The Postgraduate Student’s Committee needs to be better advertised to students - REJECTED
- Module evaluations should be done online, as lecturers may be able to identify students’ handwriting, diminishing anonymity.
- Module evaluation policy has not been updated and was rejected. All policies have not been saved in an appropriate format and are not accessible.
- Recommendation 10 –Changed from completed to orange, although improvements were recognised, people still have to log into everything separately. -REJECTED
PAT
Information about PAT is put on NILE, but students still need more info. PAT allegation needs to be re-looked at, as some students do not know who their PATs are until their 2nd year.
HB spoke with Colin Blaten-Copaz about the issue, whom became very defensive and thought it was a personal attack on him. He is leaving on 19th December, so will be sorted next term.
Information is not being relayed to students in time- all students should be told who their PAT is at Fresher’s, and should receive an email from them so that they know who they are. Some students have never met their PAT.
Standardised policy or practice should be followed. If it is not followed, then staff can be held accountable for not following best practice. Emails and information about meeting with PATs were not sent out, and students were blamed for not attending meetings.
Next PAT meeting, Danjie will attend.
PAT’s contribute to the student experience and is something
Action: Faculty Reps to attend the next PAT meeting, and get feedback
Any Other Business
Rebecca: Sexual Harassment Campaign on Campus – go around the university and ask students to get a photo of themselves pledging to stop sexual harassment on campus.
Jemma: Timetabling staff should be invited to the next Education Committee meeting to go over the process as to how the timetables are produced, and to see how we can go around resolving any issues.
#UNSaysNO