Minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on 20 September 2017

Summary:

Routine circulation of minutes and action points

Recommended action:

For noting, comment and action

Publication: Closes

Event/Date following which the paper may be released: January 2019

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Exemption: 43

Reason for closed classification: commercial interest.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Minutes

20 September 2017

Present: / Russell Gerrard (RG)
Marianne Lewis (ML)
Paul Long (PL)
Nick Motson (NM)
Bunmi Odulaja (BO)
Gianvito Lanzolla (GL)
Dirk Nitzsche (DN)
Sarah Juillet (SJ) / Ben Rickayzen (BR)
Jo Silvester (JS)
Simon Parker (SP)
Paolo Volpin (PV)
Viola Polakowska (VP)
Sionade Robinson (SR)
Paula Jarzabkowski (PJ)
Damian Williams (DW)
Apologies: / Andrew Clare (AC)
Justin Scott (JS)
Hafiza Patel (HP)
Sam Brenton (SB)
In attendance: / Jenny Williams (JW)

1.To NOTE apologies

  • Apologies were noted. ML welcomed Bunmi to her first Cass ExCo. Bunmi’s role will be shared with Law and our HR resource will be expanded with another shared post as well as replacement of Paul B.

2.To RECEIVE Minutes. Minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on 4 July (Paper 2) were approved

3. Rolling Items – None

4. Dean’s items - Update from ExCo/UET/Senate/Council(Paper 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4)

This was a busy summer, spent focusing heaving on UG. Although we were well aware of the ‘slippery slope’ of UG which had initiated our curricular revisions that are well underway, the significant NSS drop has elevated the priority of our UG Transformation initiative. The importance of Cass UG was stressed at the School Meeting, and we are now in process of expanding our leadership team (Associate Dean Designate) and enhancing student support, as well as implementing innovations for personal tutoring and student attendance monitoring.

We will focus on developing high performing office as well as leveraging synergies from PG, particularly global rankings. Learning from US leaders such as Stern and Haas, for example, whose UG marketing materials lead with global PG rankings.

Regarding progression, considerable efforts are in process. We have system problems/issues and the USET committee are assessing steps, including potential proposal for changes in compensation, such as applied by LSE, to offer retakes.

Admissions Updates – verbal updates, Programme Associate Deans for noting

JS: It was an intense summer to finalise incoming classes; tremendous thanks to all programme teams.

RG: Nikki Page and her team are to be congratulated, they have done a great job and we are impressed by and grateful for their results.

NM: the final figure of 1420 students, is very good and 5% up on last year. However, we do have a timetabling issue which will be a problem.

170 students – Management

110 – Marketing (target 150)

140 – Finance (120)

Will need to focus on targets and related approaches for more specialised courses, such as Shipping and Energy, and Marketing course

SR: reported on MBAs and is pleased with the quality of the cohort. She congratulated the team who have been relentess and made a huge effort.We are up against huge competition – Warwick, who have an Evening Programme (in the Shard), they are more flexible and offer online tutoring. Imperial’s global online is expanding quickly.

Dubai – late surge did not happen. This isunstable, and people are deferring their decisions. With the new fees, it has proved inconvenient to take this in Dirhams and work continues with finance to simplify, as mistakes proved embarrassing.

EMBA – we have started recruitment events. We had 43 events last year. We have more stability in the Recruitment team but it has been a battle.

ML congratulated everyone on their hard work, noting all the difficulties and thanked everyone.

5.Cass Strategic Priorities:

Knowledge

Thought Leadership: ML gave herfeedback on the Dean’s teas

Cass ExCo Team Away Day: to discuss priorities and Dean’s Teas feedback

New hires to be welcomed at School Meeting.

Action: HoFs to lead on elaborating FEF– faculty seek greater clarity on differences across Faculties / Groups and levels. Elaboration will serve to support promotions as well as guide appraisals and workload review. The FEF will be integral to ensuring greater transparency and strategic alignment. Thank you to HoFs. ML/PL to work with HoFs on strategic hiring plan given gaps and needs identified in critical areas.

Action: PJ leading on research accelerator, including FT elite prizes and support.

Education

Innovation:EMML – the Executive Masters for Medical Leadership launch was excellent and it is necessary now to build on that momentum very quickly. Congratulations to Amanda and Amit. Action: move aggressively into Digital Management as platform likely to be embedded in MBA suite. Action: GL leading faculty engagement as key next step toward identifying academic lead.

Open Day for UG:Open Day for UGs was a great success and a special thanks to the UG Team and HoFs and CDs engaged, and to Communications team for vast improvement in our messaging via more integrated imagery and compelling framing. Valued experimentation and improvements. Strong turnout of students.

Support: discussed key issues of timetabling (complaints by staff and students) and clarify rationale for an input into Attendance Monitoring. Actions: ML to initiate Strategic Scheduling Initiative; NM to discuss Attendance Monitoring at 4th.

MSc Management Rankings: Please refer to Paper 7.Cass up 20 places to 18th globally in the best ever ranking of 95 schools, and now above Warwick again. Significant changes to methodology: added salary increase criterion – different to MBA in that it uses first job post graduation; career seniority changed to career progress is very positive for Cass going forward; change of international course experience definition from number of days to percentage of class. Rise primarily due to salary increases, career progress; declines in international experience and gender balance.

Community

Cass Campaign:We have set up meetings with some of the team to meet with the new consultants. The fundraiser will be hired later. We will have a dedicated and expanding team for fundraising.

Engagements/School events Calendar: 50th Anniversary invitations have been sent. This is a working event for networking and relationship building. Action: agreed to ‘snowball’ approach to engaging more staff who will to work the event.

Enablers

Monthly Financial Update: £34.7m contribution. 7.5% growth in contribution

6.AOB

School Meetings for 2017-2018 (Paper 11)

School Prizes – this should be a positive experience but that has proven challenging. Decided to use prize funding for staff celebration and link prizes to City spring prizes. Action: seek team align spring prizes with City and coordinate celebration.

7. Date of next meeting: ExCo team AwayDay 26 October 2017–discuss timing, attendees and facilitation, proposed focus on 2017–18 priorities and specific projects.