MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SCRUTINY
MINUTES
Thursday, 25 May 2006 at 12.00pm
New SCR, Selwyn College
Present: Dr Nick Holmes (Chair); Dr Elisabeth Leedham-Green (Secretary); Miss Emma Easterbrook (Support Officer); Mr Nick Downer; Dr Catherine Pitt; Dr Nick Pyper; Mr Richard Stibbs; Mr David Yates; Mr Michael Kuczynski; Professor David Phillipson; and Mr Frank King.
1. Apologies for Absence
Dr John Little; and Dr Margaret Glendenning
2. Minutes of Meeting on 11 May 2006
Two minor amendments.
3. Matters Arising
None.
5. Guest: Pro-Vice-Chancellor Ian Leslie
The Board welcomed Ian Leslie and invited his comments on the role of Pro-Vice-Chancellors and current issues within the University.
- fEC: Focus required on graduate research students; long term good prognosis
- Research Assessment Exercise: Need to provide incentives; coherent strategies need to be submitted; cost needs to be addressed
(iii) Research Council: Initial numbers of grants are small; applications not recovering yet; current estimate should be £120 million
(iv) Teaching: Concern raised that undergraduates are being taught more by post-graduate teaching due to Government funding bias
(v) Role of Pro-Vice-Chancellors: Senior PVC is essential; some portfolios will need to change or develop; PVCs receive authority from Vice-Chancellor
(vi) Cambridge Enterprise: Expected ten year resource underpinning will gradually reduce to zero; need to utilise someone to deal with necessary business plan; not a profit organisation
(vii) Research Services Division: Number of staff is likely to reduce in the long term; Acting Director should be supported to create further improvements
6. Composition of Sub-Groups for drafting Report sections
(i) Finance: Nick Downer and Nick Holmes, David Yates
(ii) Other Projects (CAMSIS, CHRIS, North West Cambridge, Cambridge Enterprise): Richard Stibbs, Frank King, David Phillipson
(iii) Architecture: Richard Stibbs
7. Any Other Business
(i) Pay and Grading: Due to be completed by August
(ii) Bus: To be discussed with Pro-Vice-Chancellor Tony Minson
(iii) Congratulations and best wishes: To Dr Margaret Glenning and her new daughter
8. Next Meeting
Thursday, 8 June 2006 at 12.00pm
Guest: Pro-Vice-Chancellor Tony Minson
Emma Easterbrook
Support Officer
31 May 2006