UNIVERSITY OF WALES SWANSEA
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
STUDENT/STAFF CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
21st October 2004
Present:
Students: Philip Zanazzi (Level 0), Thomas Newton (Level 1), Rhodri Rees, Michelle Parker (Level 2), Robin Price, Philip Kenny (Level 3), Pamela Roberts, Andrew Mogford (Level 4), Peter Sitch (Post Graduate Theory), Mark Holton (Post Graduate Experiment)
Staff:Prof. M. Charlton (Chair), Prof. T.J. Hollowood.
Apologies: None
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 29th April 2004.
These were approved.
2. Matters arising.
3.1 Done and problem solved.
3.2 Issue investigated and no fault found with smoke alarm systems.
7.1 Done.
8.2 To be discussed at forthcoming meeting of the Learning and Teaching Committee.
9.1 Done.
9.2 & 10.1 Exceptional circumstances that won’t arise in the future.
10.2 Essays have been replaced by practicals.
3. Health and Safety.
3.1 Broken paving slabs in front of the library and on curved section of footpath near back of Grove Building.
Action: MC to inform the relevant authorities.
3.2 Poor lighting in Wallace 227 affecting PH-205 and PH-301.
Action: TJH to seek alternatives rooms.
4. Common Rooms
New arrangements regarding the common room were reported. Due to increasing size of the research groups (and students) in the Department it was felt by the staff that the common room would need to play a vital role as a venue for research interaction. With the present arrangements this was not possible due to the large number of people that the common room serves. It has been decided to provide
an alternative room that will function as an undergraduate common room on Level 6.
Action: MC to email the student body to explain the reasons for the new arrangements.
5. Postgraduate.
5.1 It was reported that graduate students who were paid by EPSRC were not receiving their grants in a timely fashion. This had been brought up by Mark Holton at a Postgraduate Assembly.
6. Level M.
7.1 Students requested that lecturers be reminded that lectures are timetabled for **.00 to **.50
Action: MC to send a reminder to the teaching staff.
7.2 Students requested more examples to help with assessed problem sheets.
Action: MC to send a request to the teaching staff.
7. Level 3.
No problems reported.
8. Level 2.
8.1 Students complained about the lecture room Fulton House LR3.
Action: TJH to attempt to secure another venue.
8.2 Students wondered whether they could have their lab diaries back earlier.
Action: MC to approach lab organizers.
8.3 PH-320/340 It was reported that the library did not possess enough copies of books relevant for writing essays.
Action: MC to contact lecturers in order that they remedy the situation.
8.4 PH-206 Students requested that the lecturer write with a larger script on the black-board.
Action: MC to contact lecturer.
9. Level 1.
9.1 PH-101. Students felt that the mathematical parts of the course were gone through too quickly.
Action: MC to take note.
9.2 Students wondered whether answers could be provided for past exam papers in order to facilitate revision. (Although an example of good practice was noted in TJH’s lectures where past papers were worked through in detail.)
Action: Issue to be discussed at the forthcoming Learning and Teaching Committee.
11. Level 0.
11.1 Students noted that subject matter was being duplicated in the engineering course “Thermal Fluid Dynamics” and PH-001.
Action: MC to discuss issue with lecturer of PH-001.
12. AOB
The chair described the new National Student Survey which will be undertaken by every final year student.
Robin Price volunteered to be the course representative for the Student Union.
Next meeting scheduled for 9th December 2004.