| Description | Minutes of a committee established following the dissolution of the Committee on Disabled Members of the University, and the University Health Service Committee, with the intention that there should be one committee to deal with all matters concerning welfare, rather than the previous fragmentary committee structure which had made it difficult to assess relative priorities across the University in the field of student welfare, and to allocated limited financial resources appropriately. The new Committee would deal with matters of general policy which would include the interaction of various student welfare societies.
Its terms of reference were to be responsible to Senate and Council for all matters concerning student welfare and associated matters of educational progress except for those falling within the terms of reference of the Careers Board and the Student Accommodation Committee; for matters of policy concerning the University Health Centre, Day Nursery, and Educational Counselling Unit; and for matters concerning staff welfare which were referred to it
Membership consisted of a Pro-Vice-Chancellor (chair); two members appointed by the Council; eight members appointed by the Academic Executive; the chair of the Educational Development Advisory Committee; three members nominated by the Guild of Students; with a Recognised Chaplain; a representative from Sport and Exercise Science, the University Medical Officer, the University Dental Officer, an Educational Counsellor, the Student Accommodation and Welfare Officer, a Student Counsellor, the Tutor for Disabled Students, and the Tutor for Mature Students all in attendance
Minutes include annual reports of the University Medical Officer, University Dental Officer, University Day Nursery, Educational Counselling Unit, Student Counselling, Tutor for Students with Disabilities, Tutor for Mature Students, Lecturers in English for Overseas Students, Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Student Accommodation and Welfare Officer, and Recognised Chaplains. There is also information about programmes for the Induction Course for Overseas Students, Presessional English Course for Overseas Students, and a copy of the report of Working Party for Overseas Students Welfare, as well as copies of information leaflets for students with disabilities. Minutes of the meeting held on 2 March 1988 include a copy of a information leaflet for disabled students
Minutes of the first meeting, held on 15 November 1985, refer to Campus Welfare facilities and include a copy of a booklet entitled 'Where to Go to Advice' summarising welfare provision. Updated copies of this booklet are include with minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 1986. 5 December 1988, and 7 March 1990
Minutes of the meeting held on 6 June 1986 include a copy of a Handbook for Overseas Students produced by Student Advice Centre, Guild of Students and the English for Overseas Students Unit. Minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 1986 include discussion about the work of the Recognised Chaplains and include a copy of a report to the Welfare Committee entitled 'Towards a New Vision of Welfare in the University' written by the team. Minutes of the meeting held on 20 February 1987 mention financial assistance for students, and include a copy of a leaflet produced by the Student Accommodation and Welfare Office on living on a budget. These minutes also include a copy of a paper from the Working Party on Mature Students of the Educational Development Advisory Committee about the lack of a University policy on mature students
There are occasional references to the University's involvement in AIDS awareness activities in the mid to late 1980s. The distribution of Government information leaflets on AIDS to halls of residence and other buildings at University is mentioned in minutes of the meeting held on 20 February 1987, and distribution was complete by the time of the meeting held on 5 June 1987. Minutes of the meeting held on 5 December 1988 mention an open lecture by Professor Alasdair Geddes entitled 'AIDS - Everyone's Problem' which had been held in early 1987 and was to be repeated in February 1989. Minutes of the meeting held on 1 March 1989 refer to activity to establish communication between the University and the AIDS Liaison Officer of Birmingham City Council
The last meeting of the Student Welfare Committee was held on 13 June 1990. A Welfare Forum was to be established to provide a forum for student representatives and staff concerned with the provision of welfare services to discuss welfare issues; and to consider the Annual Report on Student Welfare prior to tranmission to Senate and Council . The Counselling and Welfare Group was to continue but was to be renamed Counselling and Welfare Seminar |