22 January 2009

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF
SCRUTINY

MINUTES

Thursday, 22 January 2009 at 12.00pm

Garden Room, Robinson College

Present: Professor David Yates
(Chair); Dr Catherine Pitt (Secretary); Miss Emma Easterbrook (Support
Officer); Dr Paul Beattie; the
Revd Jeremy Caddick; Mr Paul ffolkes Davis; Dr Margaret Glendenning; Dr
Margaret Guite; Dr Elisabeth Leedham-Green; Mrs Jamie Horsley; Mr Richard
Stibbs; and the Revd Lindsay Yates. 

1.

Apologies

The Revd
Ian Thompson.

2.

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

Guest: Professor John Rallison,
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education

Recommendarions
from Quality Assurance Agency to be considered include:

-      
Requirement of Part II as part of BA degree;

-      
The need to keep a paper trail;

-      
Training for graduate students to carry out
supervisions; and

-      
Conversion of certificates and diplomas from
the Board of Continuing Education into University Awards.

Further
items to be considered include:

-      
Increasing resources to BOGS;

-      
Payment across the board for applications with
a discretion to waive;

-      
Increasing electronic applications;

-      
Reducing delay in applications process by
involving Departments at an early stage;

-      
and negotiating with Cambridge trusts regarding overseas
students;

-      
Reviewing level of fees;

-      
Reviewing academic standard of MPhils;

-      
Adoption of Code of Practice;

-      
Undergraduate: constraints of capacity, and
co-ordination of admissions between Colleges;

-      
Access: Admissions target expected to be
achieved; relative performance at Part II differs by less than 1.2% in each
class (further data collection to be considered); and

-      
Teaching and Learning Review: Future role,
access and use of electronic resources to be considered.

Standard
of English language amongst students:

Concerns
raised by thr Board regarding some students’ level of English.  Professor John Rallison agreed to raise the
issue.

3.

Minutes for Meeting of 27 November 2008

Approved.

4.

Matters Arising

None.

5.

Sub-group visit to Mr Andrew Reid,
Director of Finance

David
Yates, Jamie Horsley, and Paul Beattie attended on 21 January 2009.  Discussions included rising cost of
salaries, pensions, and general Accounts.

6.

Sub-group visit to Mr Inderjit Seehra,
Director of Human Resources

Catherine
Pitt and Jamie Horsley attended. 
Discussion included Statute U, and Pay and Grading.

7.

Statute U

White
Paper to be considered at the next meeting of the Board.

8.

(i)

Any Other Business

Future members of the Board.

9.

Date of next meeting

12.00pm on Thursday, 5 February 2009

Garden
Room, Robinson College

Guest: Mr
Nigel Brown, Chairman of the Audit Committee

Emma Easterbrook

Support Officer

5 February 2009