Senate Minutes 12 June 2024

Minutes of the meeting of the Cardiff University Senate held on Wednesday 12 June 2024 at 14.00, in the lecture theatre of the Hadyn Ellis Building.

Attendance

In Attendance

Hayley Beckett, Katy Dale (minutes), Ruth Davies, Laura Davies, Rhodri Evans, Luke Jehu, David Langley, Sian Marshall, Dr Olaya Moldes Andres, Greg Mothersdale, Daniel Palmer, TJ Rawlinson, Dr Sian Rees, Cadi Rhys Thomas, Dr Henrietta Standley, Professor Jason Tucker, Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, Simon Wright (Secretary), Darren Xiberras,  Xuesheng You

1069 Welcome and introductions

Noted

1069.1 that new members attending their first meeting were welcomed (Professor Gavin Shaddick, Pro Vice-Chancellor Physical Sciences & Engineering; Professor Stuart Allan, Interim Head of School Law & Politics; Dr Kathryn Jones, Head of School Computer Sciences; Professor Deborah Kays, Head of School Chemistry; Professor Phil Stephens, Interim Head of School Dental; Dr Vassiliki Papatsiba, Academic Staff member);

1069.2 that those observing the meeting were welcomed (the incoming members of Senate for 2024-25: Olaya Moldes Andres, Greg Mothersdale, Cadi Rhys Thomas, Xuesheng You, Luke Jehu; Dr Sian Rees, Council member; and Dave Langley, Chief Transformation Officer).

1070 Apologies for absence

Noted

1070.1 that apologies received would be recorded in the Minutes.

1071 Declaration of Interests

The Chair reminded members of their requirement to disclose any direct or indirect interests which could influence their judgement. Disclosure of interests should be made before an item was discussed and the individual concerned should either withdraw from the meeting or not take part in the discussion, as appropriate for that part of the agenda.

Noted

1071.1 that no member disclosed any interests.

1072 Minutes of previous meeting

Received and considered paper 23/672 ‘Minutes of Previous Meeting 6 March 2024’. The Chair spoke to this item.

Noted

1072.1 that an amendment to minute 1061.9 had been received and proposed an amendment from “… the findings also indicated white UK students were twice as likely to progress than black students”, to “… the findings also indicated that the odds ratio for progression for white UK students was slightly more than two-times that of black students”;

1072.2 that following a query it was identified that sum of £250m quoted in minute 1065.5 should be revised to £2.5m.

Resolved

1072.3 to approve the minutes of the previous meeting subject to the amendment to 1061.9 and clarification of the figure in 1065.5.

1073 Matters arising

Noted there were no matters arising.

1074 Items from the Chair

Noted

1074.1 that two Chair’s Actions had been undertaken since the last meeting, relating to the establishment of endowment funds from the John & Tydfil Thomas Educational Trust Fund and the Dr Brian Rees Bursary.

1075 Report from Vice-Chancellor

Received and considered paper 23/673C ‘Vice-Chancellor’s Report to Senate’. The Chair spoke to this item.

Noted

1075.1 that the report detailed extensions to terms of office for members of the University Executive Board; this would help to build leadership capacity in the coming years and ensure continuity;

1075.2 that student recruitment for 2024/25 looked challenging; despite the Migration Advisory Committee review recommending no change to the Graduate Route the review had impacted on the recruitment of international students and a significant downturn was expected; in light of this, targets for Home UG recruitment were being reviewed, with a view to balance growth against financial sustainability, and it was expected there would be further pressure on clearing;

1075.3 that the University had dropped to 186^th in the recent QS rankings and this was of concern; this also placed further pressure on recruitment of international students, as HEIs within the top 100 were less impacted by a fall in numbers; the Pro Vice-Chancellor International would be developing a ranking strategy with an aim to improving the University’s position within league tables;

1075.4 that the University had been in discussions with students in the encampment outside the front of Main Building, brokered by the Students’ Union; discussions were ongoing and the Students’ Union were committed to continuing to facilitate talks; it was not clear when talks would conclude; all were agreed on the tragedy of situation in Israel and Palestine and the need to be a part of rebuilding Gaza through work with CARA and Universities UK; it was highlighted the language used on this topic was key.

1076 New Strategy

Received and considered an oral report from the Vice-Chancellor.

Noted

1076.1 that the Vice-Chancellor extended thanks to all had been involved with Y Sgwrs Fawr/The Big Conversation and discussions around the new strategy;

1076.2 that a mission had been defined, with three key means identified to achieve it (offering an excellent education experience; generating new knowledge; and acting as an anchor institution in the city-region);

1076.3 that the draft strategy had then been circulated via Blas and Town Hall events held with the Vice-Chancellor; feedback had been gathered and some minor changes identified that included, amongst others:

.1  increased visibility of teaching, scholarship and academic freedom;

.2  more visibility of the University’s global ambitions and increased visibility of alumni;

.3  highlight further the University’s commitment to bilingualism;

1076.4 that the strategy remained in a draft form until it had received Council approval in July;

1076.5 that the Chief Transformation Officer was developing a roadmap for delivery of the strategy and had identified three key horizons;

.1  the first to ensure the fundamentals were in place to enable change;

.2  the second to build momentum for change, to build on aspirations and embed them;

.3  the third to take forward longer-term aspirations;

1076.6 that further thought was being given to governance and future KPIs;

1076.7 the final strategy, roadmap and budget would be taken to Finance & Resources Committee and then Council; it was important all three documents aligned;

1076.8 that the participatory ethos would continue into the implementation stage; drop-in sessions with the Vice-Chancellor would be held during the next academic year to provide opportunities for discussion and feedback; the importance of including students in this process was highlighted; it was noted that not all decisions would be able to be made by a consensus and some decisions would be difficult, but the Vice-Chancellor emphasised the desire to continue to involve staff and students in decision-making where possible.

1077 Student View

Received and considered paper 23/615 ‘Student View’. The Students’ Union President, Vice-President Welsh Language, Culture and Community, Vice-President Postgraduate Students (Education & Welfare), Vice-President Undergraduate Students (Education & Welfare), Vice-President Societies & Volunteering, and Vice-President Sports and Athletic Union President spoke to this item.

Noted

1077.1 that the Student View was an annual submission made by the Students’ Union to the University which made recommendations for changes to improve the student experience;

1077.2 that the Students’ Union continued to work with the University on actions from previously submitted Student Views and was keen to see progress continue to be made in these areas;

1077.3 that the data for the Student Views had been gathered from campaigns (such as Speak Week) and other feedback processes (e.g. Student-Staff panels); this year, the Students Union had amended the Speak Week process and asked students for their views on five areas identified for improvement;

1077.4 that this year, the Student View had been shared with the Pro Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience in advance, to ensure recommendations were shared promptly with the right people and to limit the delay in actions being agreed and implemented;

1077.5 that a formal response on the recommendations would be issued by the University in the Autumn;

The Student View on a Welsh University

1077.6 that as the biggest University in Wales, it was important students were allowed to study in the language they wished and therefore some suggested improvements to the academic experience were identified;

1077.7 that there was also a need to support students outside education (“The Big Little Things”), such as bilingual estates provision and ability to receive communications in Welsh;

1077.8 that Welsh Culture was also key and involved more than token efforts; suggestions included further engagement with the community and events;

1077.9 that it was recommended additional provision of Welsh Language residences should be considered;

1077.10 the importance of maintaining quality in Welsh Language provision; to date, feedback from students had not identified concerns in this area;

The Student View on Accessibility

1077.11 that there were five key themes: financial accessibility, campus safety, transportation, physical campus accessibility and wellbeing accessibility;

1077.12 that transportation was often raised as an area for improvement by students;

1077.13 that there was a need to consider accessibility when timetabling, to ensure students were provided with enough time to travel between locations;

1077.14 that recommendation 4 (training staff to intervene during incidents) centred on the training of front-line staff such as security and residences staff;

The Student View on the PGR Experience

1077.15 that this was the first Student View centred specifically on Postgraduate (PG) students;

1077.16 that five key themes were identified: PG Teaching and demonstrating, community and belonging, academic and student support, funding and financial struggle, and supervision;

1077.17 that a large amount of work had been undertaken to secure formal contracts for PGR students who teach and work now needed to be undertaken to monitor how the commitment was being implemented;

1077.18 that often PGR students did not feel part of the University community; there were examples of good practice in schools which could be shared; there was also a need to review communications around support offerings, as these were often tailored towards UG students;

1077.19 that recommendation 17 noted a reduction in the number of students per supervisor; it was highlighted that this was currently restricted to 6 but in reality was often considerably higher;

1077.20 that it had been confirmed PGR tutors would be included within the current recruitment freeze; it was noted teaching opportunities for PGR students were identified on the University’s webpage as part of the PGR offering; that it was confirmed that decisions taken with regard to the financial situation would take into consideration the concerns of PGR students; it was highlighted the current financial situation prevented the University continuing as business as usual;

The Student View on Clinical Placement Experience

1077.21 that students undertaking clinical placements were from the Schools of Dentistry, Healthcare, Medicine, Optometry and Vision Sciences, and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

1077.22 that transport accessibility was noted to differ between schools and it was unclear where to access information on this;

1077.23 that there was a need to ensure accommodation provided to students on a clinical placement was safe and of good quality;

1077.24 that opportunities for socialising and creating a sense of community whilst on placement would help improve students’ experience;

1077.25 that a number of recommendations were included around improving student support; it was also noted that students should be informed of how their feedback had been used to improve placement activities;

1077.26 that recommendation 9 (review of the Disclosure Response Team) had been included under the Clinical Placements Student View, as students were often also involved with the NHS and unsure where to report items; a “Time to Act” motion had been raised at the Students’ Union AGM and a T&F Group established to review the disclosure process.

1078 Academic Standards and Quality Committee Report to Senate

Received paper 23/674 ‘Academic Standards and Quality Committee Report to Senate’. The Pro Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience spoke to this item.

Noted

1078.1 that a number of policy and regulation changes were included for Senate’s approval and detailed in full in paper 23/680;

1078.2 that there had been an extensive review of the Reasonable Adjustment Policy, which was a vital part of the education provision, with a view to ensuring inclusivity;

1078.3 that there had been a similarly extensive review of the PGR Extenuating Circumstances Policy and revised PGR Interruption of Study Policy;

1078.4 that the Monitoring and Review Policy had been updated to reflect changes in the QAA;

1078.5 that a number of detailed points had been raised in relation to the Education Partnerships Policy at the previous meeting of Senate and feedback had been provided to those members;

1078.6 that the paper also included two items for Senate to recommend to Council, the academic year dates for 2025/26 and the Degree Outcomes statement; the statement published in 2020 was required to be updated and Senate had been provided with updates at its previous meetings on the awarding gap and work to address this;

1078.7 that guidance on extenuating circumstances for teamwork and group work had been updated and issued to schools;

1078.8 that the updated Marking and Moderation Policy would be live from August and work had been undertaken to support schools in advance of this; the meeting of Academic Standards and Quality Committee in July would review each school’s preparedness for the launch of the revised policy;

1078.9 that Academic Standards and Quality Committee were reviewing how policies and regulations were reviewed, including clarity on what consultation had been undertaken and how changes were presented.

Resolved

1078.10 to approve the policies and regulations detailed in the paper and detailed in full in paper 23/680:

.1  the amended Reasonable Adjustment Policy;

.2  the revised PGR Extenuating Circumstances Policy and revised PGR Interruption of Study Policy;

.3  the revised Section 7 of the Monitoring and Review Policy to specify the policy elements relating to external examiners;

.4  the new Education Partnerships Policy;

.5  minor changes to Regulations and Policies;

1078.11 to recommend to Council approval of the academic year dates for 2025/26 and the Degree Outcome Statement for publication.

1079 Education and Student Experience Committee Report to Senate

Received paper 23/675, ‘Education and Student Experience Committee Report to Senate’. The Pro Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience spoke to this item.

Noted

1079.1 that work had been undertaken around the digital learning environment, including the roll out of Blackboard Ultra; the AI design assessment tool would help support staff to create content via BlackBoard Ultra and which was optional for staff to use;

1079.2 the Committee had endorsed guidance around planning for large cohorts;

1079.3 that the paper presented minor amendments to the Recording of Educational Activities Policy for approval; no change to academic practice was proposed and the policy had been updated to remove out of date information; a broader review of the policy would be undertaken in 2024/25.

Resolved

1079.4 to approve the amendments to the Recording of Educational Activities Policy.

1080 Any Other Business

Noted

1080.1 a query was raised in regards to the use of external security on campus (whether an EIA had been undertaken, if they had EDI training and if complaints on this were being monitored); this would be responded to outside of the meeting, as it was not Senate business and those able to respond were not present;

1080.2 that thanks were extended to those members attending their last meeting:

• Professor Roger Behrend (Professoriate)
• Suzi Cousins (Professional Services)
• Dr Luzia Dominguez (Academic Staff)
• Angie Flores Acuña (Student)
• Dr Monika Hennemann (Academic Staff)
• Dr James Osborne (Academic Staff)
• Deio Owen (Student)
• Dr Abyd Quinn-Aziz (Academic Staff)
• Dr Caroline Rae (Academic Staff)
• Noah Russell (Student)
• Dr Catherine Walsh (Academic Staff)

1081 Revised Human Research Ethics Policy

Received paper 23/666 ‘Revised Human Research Ethics Policy’.

Resolved

1081.1 to recommend to Council approval of the revised policy;

1081.2 to recommend to Council approval of the new draft “Framework for the ethical review of research involving Secondary Data or Publicly Available information only”, subject to a consultation exercise with School Research Ethics Committees in May-June 2024.

1082 Proposals to vary Regulations and Policies

Received paper 23/680 ‘Proposals to Vary Regulations and Policies’.

Resolved

1082.1 to approve the changes to regulations and policies as detailed in the paper.

1083 Items received for information

The following papers were received for information:

• 23/681 Minutes of ASQC – 23 May 2024
• 23/597 Minutes of ESEC – 21 March 2024
• 23/682 Minutes of ESEC – 16 May 2024
• 23/547R Changes to Ordinances: Deputy Vice-Chancellor Title
• 23/512HC Fee and Access Plan Variation Request
• 23/611 Fee and Access Plan 2025-2027
• 23/676 Emeritus/Emerita Professors and Readers
• 23/677C Report from Honorary Fellows Committee
• 23/678 Schedule of Business for the Forthcoming Year