H13/M5
MEETING OF HEADS
Thursday, 20th June 2013
PRESENT: Mr Jim Dowling (Chair), Ms Marian Burns, Prof John Carroll, Ms Caroline Derham, Dr Ciarán Fagan, Prof Barbara Flood, Mr Seamus Fox, Prof Eithne Guilfoyle,
Dr Sarah Ingle, Ms Barbara McConalogue, Prof Colette McDonagh,
Prof Ronnie Munck, Prof Gary Murphy, Dr Peadar Ó’Flaharta, Dr Joe O’Hara,
Prof Heather Ruskin, Mr Paul Smith, Mr Colm O’Reilly.
APOLOGIES: Dr Claire Bohan, Prof John Costello, Dr John Doyle, Prof Alan Harvey,
Dr Dorothy Kenny, Prof Conor Long, Dr Lisa Looney, Mr Ciaran McGivern,
Ms Phyl McMorrow, Prof Barry McMullin, Prof Patrick McNally, Dr Gerard Moore,
Dr Kieran Moran, Ms Teresa Murray, Ms Una Redmond, Ms Sylvia Schroeder,
Mr Paul Sheehan, Dr Anne Sinnott, Prof Maria Slowey, Mr Richard Stokes,
Ms Eileen Tully. .
Welcome and apologies.
The Chair welcomed Heads to the meeting.
1. Minutes of Heads' meeting of 30th May 2012 (H13/M04).
The minutes were approved.
2. Minutes of Heads’ meeting of 30th May – approval for posting on web.
The minutes were approved for posting on the web.
3. Executive minutes of 21st May.
Accessible at: https://www.dcu.ie/internal/staff/executive.shtml
Noted.
4. Matters Arising
4.1 It was queried as to whether there was any update on the Professor in Digital Learning post. The Director of HR said that a decision has not been made yet.
5. President’s Report
5.1 Future of Higher Education
The President mentioned three key documents which are the (i) HEA report on the Landscape Process to the Minister (ii) Letter from the Minister and (iii) letter from Tom Boland all of which are public documents available on the web or can be made available to Heads should they so wish.
He said there are two high level messages that can be derived from these documents are:
1. The reconfiguration of the HE system (consolidations, mergers and regional clusters etc.) and
2. Performance based funding which will be based on a strategic dialogue with each institution and framed around national objectives. It is envisaged that up to 10% of funding to HEIs in the first instance, will depend on reaching set objectives.
It was noted that clusters will be asked to have three year plans and that accountability will remain with each individual institution. One of the goals is to remove duplication of provision and to rationalise the offering of degree programmes and the approach to PhD programmes. There will also be a strong notion of ‘pathways’ i.e. the routes and links between institutions and between different levels (e.g.
FETAC Colleges).
A selection of clusters has been proposed; the Dublin Leinster Pillar II is more complex and larger than DCU’s suggested configuration. DCU’s Governing Authority see this as a governance matter and are currently examining the issue.
A short discussion followed where the point was made that it will be difficult to rationalize programmes especially given the proliferation of programmes with a low number of students at IoT level. It was noted that it is difficult to see the fine line between prescription and empowerment that is being granted to each Institution particularly since DCU has no existing relationships with some of the institutions with which they have been partnered in the approved cluster.
5.2 St Patrick’s College - Mater Dei – Church of Ireland College of Education.
The incorporation proposals with Church of Ireland Institute of Education/Mater Dei and St Patrick’s College have received strong approval. It was noted that CICE has no Governing Authority but rather is governed by a Synod that meets every two years. However, this fact notwithstanding, a timetable will need to be agreed in order to advance the objectives of the incorporation on a timely basis.
The President said that a very productive, recent SMG away day was held and that he would keep Heads updated as developments unfold.
5.3 3U Partnership
The President informed Heads, not already aware, that Dr Ruth Davis has been appointed Director of the 3U partnership and will have a part-time presence on campus. An office has been allocated for her in the Henry Grattan building. Part of Dr Davis’ role will be to increase awareness of the 3U partnership, to advance existing initiatives and harvest new ideas. It is envisaged that she will present to various committees in due course. Staff should feel free to contact Dr Davis with any proposals they may have.
5.4 DKIT
Collaboration is still ongoing with DKIT, the main focus of which, will be postgraduate programmes of mutual interest.
5.5 Strategic Plan
The President advised Heads that the five draft constituent strategic plans are now with SMG for consideration and should become operational documents in the near future.
5.6 DCU Website
The President drew Heads’ attention to the new-look DCU website and said that feedback to date had been extremely positive. However it is still a work in progress and he would welcome any constructive feedback that staff may have. It was noted that the main target audience are students, prospective students and their parents.
5.7 QS Rankings
Noted that DCU have moved up six places from number 46 to 40 in the QS rankings. The President said that while rankings are a ‘’blunt’ instrument it is still a positive statement for a young, Irish University.
5.8 ASU/DCU relationship
The President informed Heads that he has just returned from a visit to ASU with which DCU has had a longstanding relationship. It has been agreed to take this relationship to a new level and DCU and ASU will be exploring potential ways to do this.
6. Implications of HEA report dated 17 April for DCU
Dr Ciaran Fagan, School of Biotechnology
Discussed under item 5.
7.Quality Promotion Office update - Dr Sarah Ingle, Director of Quality Promotion
Dr Sarah Ingle presented Heads with an update on the Quality Promotion Office's activities and the work of the Quality Promotion Committee (QPC). QPC has representation from all Faculties as well as Support / Service areas on a rolling basis. Dr Ingle also advised that in 2012 a five year Periodic Programme Review (PRR) policy was introduced in DCU. From 2012/2013 all academic programmes have begun to locally manage an Annual Programme Review (APR) process, the outcomes of which will feed into the PPR every five years.PPR will have an external reviewer input.
During 2011/2012 QPC introduced Quality Improvement and Development (QuID) funding across DCU
In 2012 - 16 Projects were funded to a total of €50,000
In 2013 – 28 Projects were funded to a total of €56,000
For 2014 – a new call for QuID projects will go out at the end of 2013
Information on the QPO, QPC, QuID and the internal review process can be found at:
https://www4.dcu.ie/qpo/index.shtml
Dr Ingle informed Heads that a review of the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) is currently being undertaken. ESG states that it is important to address four main questions in any quality review process:
· What are you trying to do? (Mission)
· How are you going to do it? (Strategy)
· How do you know it works? (Evaluation)
· How do you ensure that you are improving? (Enhancement)
Dr Ingle noted that challenges in regard to Quality Assurance lie ahead, for example, the incorporation of St Patrick’s College and Mater Dei Institute into a new Faculty of Education within DCU. This has implications in regard to the integration of the associated quality offices remit and potential for increased reviews. However it should be noted that that Dr Padraig Walsh (CEO Quality and Qualifications Ireland) was extremely complimentary about DCU’s quality processes at the recent annual dialogue meeting with DCU and stated that the structures that DCU have in place go beyond the legislative requirements.
Dr Ingle outlined again for information the diagrammatic representation of the quality review / assurance structure in DCU. She reminded Heads that she is open to feedback from Faculties, Schools and Units about any aspect of the Quality Review process and related activities, and welcomes constructive discussion. The Chair thanked Dr Ingle for her presentation as did the President who also commended Dr Ingle on her hard work and efforts to date on behalf of DCU nationally and internationally. The Chair thanked Dr Ingle for her presentation.
8. Any other business
8.1 July Meeting
It was agreed to cancel the July meeting. Unless an urgent item arises in the meantime, the next meeting of Heads will take place in September.
Next meeting
Thursday, 19th September 2013
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