Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences Open Meeting 15 October 2008

Faculty of Engineering & Physical SciencesOpen Meeting15 October 2008

Strategic Priorities 2008 • Manchester 2015 • Financial Performance • Communications • International Recruitment • Recruitment of PG students • Completions for PGR students

The University of Manchester Office of the President and Vice-Chancellor Review of Undergraduate Education Pursuing Step Change Improvement for Students

http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/reviewteachinglearning/http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/reviewteachinglearning/

UG review Faculty Structure FLT Teaching Committee (expanded version) LEO Network- Curriculum Innovation E-Learning Steering Group

Status to date • Actively being pursued • Elements approved by Senate include: • e-learning • Manchester Matrix • Personalised Learning Agenda

E-learning • e-learning agenda • Embed e-Learning into the University • Faculty e-Learning team of learning technologists being populated • Every first year student will have a Blackboard presence for every module they take- “blended learning” approach • e.g. must include handouts, unit spec etc • Presence completed on schedule- units need populating! • This will form part of a planned rollout over all years- note this is a minimum level of commitment

Manchester Matrix • Embodies what a graduate should expect from a Manchester education • Far reaching implications for some courses • Schools are currently assessing status/plans

Personalised Learning “The University of Manchester is well-placed to deliver personalised learning across the student experience but will need to strike a balance between curriculum choice and excellent small group teaching. Excellent advising from academic staff, expert support staff and peers should be a normal and expected part of the student experience but significant work is required to ensure that this goal is achieved, including provision of new resources and facilities for student learning, staff training, and monitoring of advising at discipline area level. A commitment to an educational philosophy and ethos that emphasises personalised learning is key to enhancing the University of Manchester’s reputation and status amongst leading international HEIs…….

Personalised Learning continued • Approved by Senate (July 08) • Has significant implications including: • Curriculum development – adequate provision of choice • Tutoring/Academic Advice • Schools have been asked to report on status/plans by beginning of November

Current priority: CPD 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 £669k £876k £900k £1.8m £2.7m Currently discussing opportunities and developmental needs with each School

CPD continued • Promote the availability of programmes available as CPD and increase the number of PGT programmes with CPD and/or industrially focussed components • Ensure PG training remains a core element of discussions with industry and is included in marketing materials aimed at industry • CPD to be considered a core activity for Schools with all CPD activity in the Faculty managed through Schools • The development of CPD provision based on Master level development will be major activity, with new programmes rolling out from 2008-9 onwards. The contiguous assessment and planning of our CPD estate capabilities will be undertaken.

Purpose • To improve internal communications within EPS • … by identifying what needs to be done • … and producing an action plan for roll out

Approach • To engage with the EPS community • face-to-face • participative sessions • etc. • … and consult senior university management • … to identify: • what is working well • what is working not so well • how things can be improved

You can engage immediately Give your feedback via the wiki at: http://wiki.manchester.ac.uk/epscommunications

PGR: Environment • Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs) • 2 existing + 8 applications, potentially 100 students/year • Interdisciplinary and Inter-Faculty, not School based • Manchester Doctoral College (MDC) • Provides a QA framework for the DTCs • Consequent harmonisation/convergence of approach • University Research Support homepage for research students • E-Progression – all aspects of training, progress monitoring, examination • E-Theses – submission of theses to the institutional repository for online access

PGR: Challenges • 2015 target is 1700 PGR students • Numbers growing on-track since 2004 • 2008 expected numbers: 1390 (on target) • 2008 actual registrations to date: 1240. • International recruitment issues for 2009/10: • Visas • ORS • Submission rate: of the September 2004 cohort, only 59% submitted by 30th September 2008.

Terms of Reference • Represent the interests of Schools and the Faculty on all issues related to the operation and fostering of research. • Oversee the development of Faculty research strategies and polices in line with the overall objectives of the University and monitor performance against agreed objectives. • Provide a forum to facilitate communication and debate within the Faculty on research matters, to share best practice across the schools in the Faculty, and to encourage inter- and multi-disciplinary activities.

Priorities for Rest of the Year • Communication: - research discussion board - visits to Schools and Institutes • Address decline in available EPSRC responsive mode funding: - can we diversify funding? What holds us back with EU/Industry etc.. - respond to EPSRC priority areas - school “champions” in EPSRC priority themes Energy – bringing together all aspects of energy-related research and training, including working with the new Energy Technologies Institute. Digital economy – increasing the impact of ICT in transforming how business, government and society operate. Nanoscience through engineering to application – exploiting previous investments to pull basic research through to application through a grand challenge approach. Towards next-generation healthcare – working with relevant partners to improve the pull-through of research results to clinical products and practice.

Priorities for Rest of the Year • Encourage inter- and multi-disciplinary research - need to get people from different schools and institutes talking - first idea: organise an afternoon for new appointments/research fellows to meet and present/discuss their research - learn from what is working - Improve links between faculties

Questions

Question 1 Please could we have an update on estates developments, considering co-location requirements of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science? Dr Megan Jobson (CEAS)

Question 2 What are the medium to long term plans for this end of the campus (i.e. Sackville Street end)? Mr Paul Nedwell (MACE)

Question 3 In the summer of 2007 the President stated the following: "But as we planned it from the beginning, there would be a difficult period of 18 months or so in 2007 and 2008." How long does the Centre plan the difficult period to continue, and in particular when should we expect Schools' contribution to the Faculty and Centre to be reduced so that more money can be spent on student education? Prof Daniel Kirschen (EEE, Chair of School Board)

Question 4 It is widely believed among the staff that some schools within the Faculty have a much larger ratio of “income” to “expenses” than others and that they pay much larger "contributions" to the Faculty and the University. Could the Dean confirm that this is indeed the case and tell us what measure are being taken to ensure that each School has a plan in place to balance its own budget? Can the basis upon which contributions are calculated be made public? Prof Daniel Kirschen (EEE, Chair of School Board)

Question 5 • How does FEC and QR funding make its way to Schools within the Faculty? It may be too early to comment, but are changes expected after the RAE 2008 results are announced? • Should FEC funding be used to influence individual teaching loads? • Should the University operate an incentive scheme for staff based on successful grant funding? Schemes exist at many other universities. Prof Steven Watts (Physics & Astronomy) Can the Dean answer the following linked questions on FEC and QR funding:

Question 6 Please could the Associate Dean of Research explain how cross-School research collaborations are being facilitated within the Faculty and beyond? Dr Megan Jobson (CEAS)

Question 7 What is the future of the Dalton Institute, now that the Dean is heading it? Prof Neils Walet (Physics & Astronomy)

Question 8 On the University’s website, one click on ‘research’ takes you to a page where you are invited to ‘find a researcher’. However, although my colleagues in MBS are all listed, it would appear that all my colleagues in MACE are not. Is this the case for all EPS contract researchers? If so, given there are many who have served many years with the University, could this be rectified as it contributes to low research staff moral? Dr Alice Bows (Tyndall Centre, MACE)

Question 9 Please could we have a specific update on the development of computing facilities for teaching large classes? Currently it is not possible to support computer-based learning in a single venue when teaching large classes (around 200 in CEAS). Dr Ted Roberts (CEAS)

Question 10 Can I ask what the Faculty’s stance regarding learning enhancement is? Prof Niels Walet (Physics & Astronomy)

Question 11 At the time of the creation of the new university, it was explicitly stated on many occasions that the new university would be organised in such a way as to reduce the burden of administrative activity that fell on academic staff. This was one of the mechanisms proposed to enable academic staff to achieve greater research impact and teaching quality. In fact, with the reduction that has taken place in day-to-day administrative support for academic staff within Schools, exactly the opposite of the above aim has occurred. This creates huge inefficiencies and leads to lost opportunities and lots of desirable things just don't get done. For example, research groups are no longer adequately supported to "hunt in packs". Will the Faculty take an initiative to ensure Schools put resource into correcting this situation? Prof Daniel Kirschen (EEE, Chair of School Board)

Question 12 Is there to be a new promotional route developed for Research Associates to be promoted to Research Fellows within EPS any time soon? Dr Alice Bows (Tyndall Centre, MACE)

Question 13 It appears from the Shanghai Jiao Tong world ranking for specific subject groupings that Engineering significantly leads the rest of this University (Engineering is 35th, Biology does not appear in the top 100 and the University is 40th). Given excellence in engineering, is there any concrete senior management plans to give preferential assistance to this discipline to make it truly world-class, given its already higher ranking than the rest of the University? Prof Daniel Kirschen (EEE, Chair of School Board)

Open Questions

Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences Open Meeting 15 October 2008