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University Council

University Council Minutes 7 February 2023

Last updated: 26 July 2023

Minutes of the meeting held on 7 February 2023 at 9.15 am in FW015, Fullwood House, Park Campus, Cheltenham.

Academic Board Membership (for C.23.01):

University Council Membership:

In Attendance:

C.23.01        League Tables

C.23.01.1      Received: a presentation from the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC) Academic Enhancement and Research (AER), PVC Governance and Student Affairs (GSA), Director of Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment (CMSR), Reporting Manager, and Director of Sustainability regarding League Tables. The presentation explored the following:

  1. whether league tables mattered and how the University might approach them in future;
  2. how the University performed in league tables;
  3. an introduction to five chosen league tables, which covered: three high-profile UK league tables, a specialist league table, and an global league table.

C.23.01.2     Considered the following points raised during the presentation:

  1. league tables and rankings mattered and the reasons why they were so important;
  2. key variables in UK rankings;
  3. what was important in the overall UK rankings.  The National Student Survey (NSS), UCAS tariffs and graduate success were key and things that the University could change;
  4. there was a high degree of bunching and small, marginal gains / changes were crucial;
  5. that overall ranking was effectively an average of how a provider ranked on each variable, weighted by subject mix;
  6. the five UK league tables that were the most important for the University were: The Times and Sunday Times; The Guardian; Complete University Guide; People & Planet was a specialist league table which the University had historically excelled in, in line with its profile for sustainability; and the QS World Rankings was a global league table the University was targeting to enhance its global reach;
  7. the University’s overall rankings over the past 10 years showed a slight, steady decline.  It was noted that one of the University’s key strengths 10 years ago had been retention and progression.  It was more of a mixed picture for subject rankings and since The Guardian league table was calculated on the average of subject rankings, these mattered;
  8. competitor overall rankings; 
  9. the People & Planet University League profile, performance record, data need, forecast 2023 and significance.  It was noted that some of its sustainability metrics were now moving into mainstream leagues; 
  10. the University was prioritising the QS World University Rankings and it had worked hard to give itself a chance to be listed in the top 1,000 Universities globally in 2023/24.

C.23.01.3       Discussed the following questions:

  1. whether the University was right to place greater emphasis on its league table performance;
  2. what information or insights the University was missing or needed to know more about to improve its performance; 
  3. suggestions for league tables ideas and strategies to improve performance.

C.23.01.4       Noted:

  1. there was broad consensus that league tables mattered and that the University was right to place greater emphasis on its league table performance and should prioritise this work in future;
  2. culture was considered to be important as well as recognition of a mutual responsibility for each other which then translated into positive experiences for staff and students which in turn, should have a positive impact on league table performance;
  3. NSS performance had been a key priority in league table rankings and the really significant movement had arisen in the last four to five years.  The University was trying to learn from that and this year, had put in place a more stringent approach to action plans which were being closely monitored by Heads of School in order to address some of the foundational things that were known to need improvement.  Whilst improvements in the coming year were hoped for, it was recognised that turning the NSS around was a multi-year process which would take time to address and to know where best to focus efforts;
  4. it was questioned whether there was a shared vision or identity, and it was suggested that it would be good to get more student feedback by going into the classroom and asking for their thoughts.  It was noted that this might enable feedback that would not normally be provided by students who may not otherwise participate in surveys and it also gave an opportunity to address any issues or concerns before the NSS;
  5. that it was important to have mechanisms to allow students to voice their concerns before the NSS so that the University could try to deescalate things prior to students completing the survey, when it would be too late.  It was recognised that finding ways to get students to talk, particularly where concerns were raised, was important but it was also noted that it would not be possible to speak to everyone.  The University of Worcester had a ‘speak week’ which allowed students to get things off their chest;
  6. a view that the University was not short of feedback and that it did have a strong set of systems in place which facilitated this e.g. student representatives, Personal Tutor system, it was a small institution with small teaching and learning sessions etc.  It was noted that the University really did talk to its students but that it was not always possible to resolve their concerns;
  7. in regard to what information or insights the University was missing or needed to know more about to improve its performance, accountability and active intervention at middle management levels was a common theme that arose during the group discussions between members of Council and Academic Board;
  8. there was an observation that there appeared to be a huge amount of information and variables and that the University needed to focus on joining the dots and putting them into context of a strategic focus, rather than falling back into the trap of trying to fix everything;
  9. in regard to suggestions for league tables ideas and strategies to improve the University’s performance, it was noted that graduate outcomes, making sure the University retained its students, and having the best possible staff, industry links and work closely with Your Future Plan etc. would help attract the best students which would in turn impact league table performance impact;
  10. at the moment, staff capacity was low and it was questioned how the University ensured that it was able to respond to / address things that were raised through informal student feedback mechanisms, to prevent students feeling frustrated that they had fed back but that nothing had changed as a result;
  11. that it was important that students felt a sense of belonging and that the University needed to do more to help students feel part of a group and a sense of cohesion and continuity on their course.  Although the University tried to foster this, it was noted that it may not be achieving what it needed to and that it may need to be more savvy and nuanced about what it did and perhaps do them in a different way; 
  12. the University had lots of information but it was felt that this was sometimes viewed in isolation and that it needed to be looked at together.  It was also noted that when it talked about performance, it needed to decide whether this was at a course, subject community or University level, and to determine what things what would have the biggest impact.

C.23.01.4       Resolved: the speakers thanked attendees for their contributions.  It was noted that the PVC (AER) and the PVC (GSA) would work on a proposal to establish a league table metrics optimisation group which would consider the issues raised in the presentation, including feedback provided during the discussion.  It was noted that if people had any specific strategies they wanted to see, they could contact the PVC (AER) or PVC (GSA) with these who would pull them together.

ACTION: PVC (Academic Enhancement and Research) / PVC (Governance and Student Affairs)

C.23.02          Prayer
The Rt Revd Robert Springett opened the meeting with a prayer.

C.23.03          Welcome and Apologies

                     Received: apologies for absence from Ingrid Barker and Chris Fung.

C.23.04          Business of the Agenda

                     Noted: that there had been no request to unstar any item on the agenda, and that therefore papers C/10/23 and C/11/23 would be taken as approved or noted as stated.

C.23.05          Declarations of Interest

                     Received: declarations of interest for items related to the City Campus development from Steve Mawson (due to his role on the County Council) and Dr Peter Warry (for any issues related to archaeology).

C.23.06          Minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2022      

                     Resolved: that the minutes were an accurate record of the meeting held on 29 November 2022.

C.23.07          Matters Arising

                     Noted: that there were no formal actions from the previous meeting and no issues were raised.

C.23.08          Chair’s Business

C.23.08.1       Received: updates from each of the Committee Chairs on key discussions held at recent meetings:

  1. Finance and General Purposes Committee, 17 January 2023;
  2. Remuneration and Human Resources Committee, 18 January 2023;
  3. Governance and Nominations Committee, 27 January 2023.

C.23.08.3       Noted: that since the last meeting, there had been no use of the Company Seal nor any exercise of delegation. There had been one decision made via circulation, which was the approval of the appointment process for the new Vice-Chancellor. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Governance and Student Affairs) reported that the tender process for the appointment of a recruitment firm was underway.

C.23.09          SU Update Report to Council (C/01/23)

C.23.09.1       Received: the Students’ Union (SU) update, noting in particular:

  1. the success of the January 2023 Welcome Week;
  2. the SU support for the recent industrial action, with work being undertaken to help affected students;
  3. the importance of SU involvement in the Reset Project and the importance of understanding the needs of students.

C.23.09.2       Resolved: Council:

  1. reviewed and responded to current work undertaken by the Students’ Union;
  2. noted the opportunity to offer suggestion and support for ongoing work throughout the year, with particular attention to Officer priority campaigns.

C.23.10          CONFIDENTIAL: Vice-Chancellor’s Report (C/02/23)

C.23.10.1       Received and noted: a paper updating Council on major developments affecting the University since the previous meeting, highlighting in particular the update on student recruitment.

C.23.10.2       This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.23.11          CONFIDENTIAL: Forecast 1 and December YTD Results (C/03/23)

                      This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.23.12          CONFIDENTIAL: Project Reset (C/04/23)

                      This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.23.13          CONFIDENTIAL: 2023/24 Budget Process (C/05/23)

                      This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.23.14          CONFIDENTIAL: City Campus Property Progress Report (C/06/23)

                      This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.23.15          Computing & Engineering Facilities (Reynolds Building) – Business Case (C/07/23)

C.23.15.1       Received: the business case and approach for developing new facilities for the School of Computing and Engineering in the location of the current Reynolds Building. It was noted that the project was the subject of a successful bid to the Office for Students (OfS) and that £5.8M had been awarded for the demolition of the existing building and development of a new three storey building equipped with the latest hardware. The Chief Financial Officer highlighted the preferred option to build a three-storey building but to only refurbish two floors.

C.23.15.2       Considered:

  1. the University’s confidence in achieving the development within the budget. It was noted that a new build was less complex than refitting an existing building and was therefore a lower risk development. It was also noted that building cost inflation had been factored into the budget;
  2. the anticipated growth in student numbers for the School;
  3. the incorporation of costs for repurposing Fullwood House to replace teaching space to allow the demolition of the Reynolds Building. It was confirmed that there would be no planning requirements as any changes would be internal;
  4. that student input would be expected in the design workstream for the new building;
  5. confirmation that the new building would need to be used for students from the School of Computing and Engineering to meet the criteria of the OfS funding;
  6. whether, in light of financial constraints, the fourth option presented in the paper for a reduced space would be preferable. It was noted that this had been discounted as it was fundamentally different to that described in the funding bid, and that it was important to future proof the development by maximising space. The opportunity to identify other sources of fundraising was noted.

C.23.15.3       Resolved: Council considered the business case and endorsed the £6m capital investment in the new facilities for the School of Computing and Engineering.

Nicola de Iongh left the meeting.

C.23.16          RESERVED: Appointment Process for Chair of Council from 1 October 2023 (C/08/23)

                      This item was considered under Confidential Business.

Nicola de Iongh returned to the meeting.

C.23.17          CONFIDENTIAL: Council and Committee Membership (C/09/23)

                      This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.23.18          Council and its Committees: meeting dates* (C/10/23)

                      Resolved: Council approved the proposed revisions to dates for 2023/24 and the new dates for 2024/25 as recommended by Governance and Nominations Committee. 

C.23.19          Council Schedule of Business* (C/11/23)

                     Noted: the Schedule of Business.

C.23.20          Minutes from Council Committees*

                     Noted: that the minutes from the following meetings would be available from https://connectglosac.sharepoint.com/sites/UniversityCommittees:

  1. Finance and General Purposes Committee, 17 January 2023;
  2. Remuneration and HR Committee, 18 January 2023;
  3. Governance and Nominations Committee, 27 January 2023.

C.23.21          Any Other Business

                     No other business was raised.

C.23.22          Date of Next Meeting

                     Tuesday, 28 March 2023 at 9.15 am via Microsoft Teams.

C.23.23         RESERVED: Report from Remuneration and Human Resources Committee (C/12/23)

                      This item was considered under Reserved Business.

Action list for the meeting held 7 February 2023

Minute numberActionResponsibility
C.23.01
 
C.23.01.4		League Tables
 
Resolved: the speakers thanked attendees for their contributions.  It was noted that the PVC (AER) and the PVC (GSA) would work on a proposal to establish a league table metrics optimisation group which would consider the issues raised in the presentation, including feedback provided during the discussion.  It was noted that if people had any specific strategies they wanted to see, they could contact the PVC (AER) or PVC (GSA) with these who would pull them together.		 
 
PVC (Academic Enhancement and Research) / PVC (Governance and Student Affairs)

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