FS&N School Staff Meeting February 2012

Agenda 1) Apologies for absence 2) Minutes of Last Meeting 3) Matters Arising (i) QDE (ii) Academic Staff Action Plan 3) Head of School’s Statement a) Open Days b) Space c) Leave of absence 4) Items from Senate (MM) 5) Safety (LM) 6) Minutes from the Student Education Committee a) A-V Equipment for Teaching Laboratories/School (MR) 7) Minutes from the Research Committee 8) Minutes from the Postgraduate Committee 9) Finance (CR) 10) Human Resources Issues (CR) 11) Any Other Business 12) Date of next meeting

Agenda 1) Apologies for absence 2) Minutes of Last Meeting 3) Matters Arising (i) QDE (ii) Academic Staff Action Plan

Agenda 3) Head of School’s Statement a) Open Days b) Space c) Leave of absence

Some points about A-level grades Universities advertise grades on websites Universities make offers Universities accept/decline These 3 sets may (and often are) be different We do not go below our offer grades, which are the same as our advertised grades (Note – our grades have gone up since 2009)

Surrey Reading Leeds Met Newcastle Nottingham Northumbria Kings London Met Food Science & Nutrition competitive position

Surrey Reading Leeds Met Newcastle Nottingham Northumbria Kings London Met Food Science & Nutrition competitive position Leeds plan 2016

Birmingham Bristol Liverpool Newcastle Nottingham York Durham UCL Oxford Leeds Plan 2016

School Intake The information is - obviously – very good news for us, and the result of a lot of hard work – well done! However there are some concerns……. The gap between ourselves/Nottingham/Newcastle/KCL is too big Where will Nottingham/Reading go? We mustn’t assume that the massive changes in the School over the last few years are the last – we have to be flexible

Surrey Reading Leeds Met Newcastle Nottingham Northumbria Kings London Met Food Science & Nutrition competitive position

Space We need 2 offices for the 2 new Profs We need Paul to have an office nearer the teaching laboratory We need 1, possibly 2, laboratories for the 2 new Profs. There is a pressing laboratory space issue around Biochemistry/CO/SK which is already causing lots of disquiet amongst staff and students. Computers/space for PGR students. Their complaints are getting louder and are getting heard outside the School – which means that we have to do something. We have agreed to use post-doc offices, after up-grading, but this is a short- term solution. Computers for UGs. We cannot provide a cluster-type facility for UG students but enhanced access for UG students to some pcs through the building is part of our student experience planning. We have firm plans for a new post funded by the Student Experience Enhancement money; over the next few years I am envisaging further new posts. Human Study Laboratory. We have already agreed to convert the cluster into a HS Lab (and an office for Paul). It’s not ideal (far from it) but the only option without getting more space. Visitors are essential to establishing our status – lack of suitable space (particularly for ‘senior’ visitors) means that we are experiencing increasing problems situating new visitors in the School. Those that are here exacerbate existing space problems for staff and students.

Space As mandated from the last Staff meeting, I have been looking at additional space When I have further information (eg cost) I will discuss space issues with the SMG and the Staff Meeting Decisions will need to be made soon (at least 4 appointments in the pipeline before August)

Leave of Absence The SMG has discussed absence from the University The SMG has strongly agreed that University and School procedures on absence must be followed I haven’t had time to sort the paperwork out for this meeting - apologies

Agenda 4) Items from Senate (MM) Chem/Phys reviews Student numbers Government looking at PGT/PGR funding 95% of Leeds students ABB REF – 1x4* impact study = 10x4*papers Strategy Map Reviews Items from FMG: Professorial Salaries Proposed sub-group ‘Student Education Service Project Implementation Group Mentoring scheme for post-doc staff

Agenda 5) Safety (LM)

Agenda 6) Minutes from the Student Education Committee – a) A-V Equipment for Teaching Laboratories/School (MR) 7) Minutes from the Research Committee 8) Minutes from the Postgraduate Committee

Agenda 9) Finance (CR) 10) Human Resources Issues (CR) 11) Any Other Business 12) Date of next meeting