| Description | Minutes of a committee constituted in 1965 in order to create a general policy-making body to deal with 'computer problems' thoughout the University at the recommendation of Senate, agreed by Council. It was decided that in view of the widening present and prospective use of computers in the University, and in view of the impending visit of a panel headed by Professor B. N. Flowers on behalf of the University Grants Committee and the Council for Scientific Policy to assess the probable computer needs during the next five years of users in universities and civil research establishments receiving support from Government funds, a University Committee on Computers should be established, with representation of the Faculties of Science, Arts, Medicine, Commerce and Social Science, and the Department of Education, and reporting to Senate
The terms of reference of the committee were to be the University's policy forming committee in all matters concerning computers and computer services within the University, and to be its central co-ordinating body in this field; to consider all proposals regarding the acquisition of computers or the development of computer services and to prepare recommendations for transmission to the University Grants Committee or other bodies concerned; and to receive and consider the reports of any technical computer committees which may be set up by Faculties and to make recommendations
Membership was initially composes of the Deputy Principal (chair); the Dean of the Faculty of Science; members of academic staff from each of the Faculties and the Department of Education; the Head of Computing Services; and a representative of Council
At the time the committee was appointed, the University had one large computer installation, KDF9, purchased with a grant awarded by the University Grants Committe in 1960. It had been ordered for delivery in 1962 but did not arrive until 1963 and passed its acceptance tests in 1965. A lecturer in computing had been appointed in 1959
The first meeting of the committee was held on 23 March 1965. It met on an almost monthly basis initially, but frequency of meetings had reduced to three times a year by 1967
The committee typically discussed computer usage in University, and minutes of meetings held in the 1960s and 1970s discuss charges for use of the computer by academic departments; the provision of computer equipment within the University, with descriptions and assessments; and requirements for computer equipment by academic departments. Minutes also include estimates and financial statements, and usually include reports of the Users sub-committee and Technical sub-committee, both of which reported to the University Committee on Computers. Minutes of the meeting held on 2 November 1965 mention the establishment of a sub-committee to advise the Committee on technical matters. It was also agreed at this meeting that Computing Services would cease to be administered within the Department of Mathematical Physics and would be established as an extra-Faculty unit under the administrative control of the University Committee on Computers, and that a Users sub-committee would be established. The minutes include a memorandum on the purposes of this proposed committee and an overview of current problems
Minutes of the meeting held on 13 May 1965 discuss outline proposals for the establishment of 'digital computer facilities' for the joint use of the United Birmingham Hospitals and the Medical School, as well as papers setting out the financial position and requirements of the Computer Service with details of expenditure, and costs for maintenance and equipment, and staff. Discussion of these items of business continued at the next meeting, held on 2 November 1965. Minutes of the meeting held on 27 January 1966 include discussion of the development of computer facilities in the Department of Physics, and include a paper on the implementation of the Flowers' Report with details of the equipment that the University Grants Committee proposed to offer Birmingham.
Minutes of the meeting held on 29 April 1966 discuss standardising work by using the same international computer languages, Fortran and Algol, and detailed papers on the use of each of these languages are included
Minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 1966 include a paper on the establishment of a Medical Computer Unit in the Department of Social Medicine and revised proposals for the Quinquennium 1967-1972 for the management of the computer. Minutes of the meeting held on 21 July 1966 include a memorandum on the use of a University Grants Committee earmarked grant, further papers on Quinquennial estimates 1967-1972 and the need for staffing, as well as a report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Computer Languages. This report continued to be discussed for the remainder of 1966
Minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 1966 refer to the installation of computers in departments, and include copies of applications from the Neurocommunications Unit and the Department of Psychology. Applications from other departments are referred to in minutes of meetings held in 1967, and sometimes copies of applications are included with the minutes, as well as details of current research projects requiring use of a computer.
Minutes of the meeting held on 7 November 1967 include a report on a meeting between Professor Flowers and members of the Computer Board and representatives of the Universities of Aston, Birmingham and Warwick. Further discussion about inter-university collaboration is recorded in minutes of the meeting held on 20 February 1968, as well as a paper setting out proposals for the development of the computer service
Minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 1968 include a copy of a detailed submission to the Computer Board [for Universities and Research Councils] by the Director of the Computer Centre for the approval of a new central computing installation at the University of Birmingham, which sets out the historical background of the development of computing at the University from 1959, and the requirements of individual academic departments. Minutes of the meeting held on 5 November 1968 discuss a bid to the University Grants Committee for additional accommodation, and the proposed siting of a new building to house the computer. The minutes also mention the introduction of an MSc course in Computer Science, and include the report of the Midland Inter-University Committee on Computing to the Computer Board, and a note on the work of the Technical sub-committee on Midland Region inter-university collaboration.
Minutes of the meeting held on 18 February 1969 include a report by the IUCC Standing Committee entitled 'Computers in Undergraduate Teaching'. Minutes of the meeting held on 14 July 1969 include a paper on the Development of Computer Services in the Midlands, and other papers relating to regional and inter-university collaboration. There are further papers on this issue with minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 1969
Minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 1969 include a draft Annual Report for the Computer Board, and a note by the Director of the Computer Centre on KDF9 computer maintenance. Minutes of the meeting held on 17 February 1970 include a note by the Director entitled Proposals for the Development of the Computer Centre in 1970/71 and Quinquennial Proposals and Estimates 1972/77
Minutes of meetings held in the 1970s contain details of continued discussions with the Midland Universities' Computing Committee as well as discussion about the configuration of the computer; regular reports of the Technical sub-committee and Users sub-committee; information about financial requirements; and copies of applications for additional computing facilities by academic departments [largely submitted to the Scientific Research Council]. Minutes also contain information about academic developments and the use of computers in research; the implications of the report on the teaching of computing in Universities, with focus on the possible provision of introductory courses for students; salary reviews and information about staffing (including some personal information about applicants); papers relating to Quinquennium planning, and correspondence with the Computer Board
Minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 1970 include a copy of the annual report of the University of Birmingham Computer Centre to the Computer Board for the 1960-1970 academic session, which focuses on computer use by different departments across this year. Annual Reports are included regularly with the minutes from this point onwards. By the mid 1970s, minutes discuss matters arising from the Services division and Academic division as separate areas of business
Minutes of the meeting held on 5 November 1970 discuss the Report of the joint University Committee on Computers and Computer Board Working Party on teaching computing in Universities, as well as the report of the Working Party set up 'to consider the future of the Computer Departmental Representative System'. These minutes include a copy of an application for financial support to meet the extra cost of providing computing service on the ICL 1906A
Minutes of the meeting held on 23 February 1971 include a note by the Director on proposals for the development of the Computer Centre in 1971-1972. Minutes of the meeting held on 15 May 1973 include a copy of a submission to the Computer Board for financial support to meet the extra cost of providing a computing service, and a copy of the report of the Working party set up to consider the report 'Teaching Computing to non-specialists at the University of Birmingham'. Discussion about both these matters continued at meetings held during 1973 and 1974. Minutes of the meeting held on 1 May 1975 discuss an Open University scheme for teaching computing in Universities
Minutes of the meeting held on 6 May 1976 include a copy of a survey entitled 'User Requirements for Computing Facilities at the University of Birmingham', demonstrating demand for both computing power and interactive facilities. There is also a copy of a paper entitled 'A Communications Network for the University of Birmingham' with the appendix 'An outline plan for the Development of University Central Computing Facilities in the Midland Region', Minutes of the meeting held on 22 February 1977 include a copy of a paper by the IUCC Contingency Sub-Committee entitled 'Contingency Planning in University Computer Centres', and there are references in minutes of meetings held in the late 1970s to industrial disputes and to staffing issues resulting from industrial action taken by technicians and other staff at the Computer Centre which probably prompted a review of contingency arrangements for the computing service
Minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 1978 discuss tenders for interactive machine and include copies of proposals for research within the Academic Initiative Scheme into user learning and behaviour in an interactive computing environment. There is further discussion of the interactive machine in the committee minutes both before and after its arrival. Minutes of the meetings held on 7 November 1978 and 27 February 1979 contain discussion of the paper entitled 'Development of Campus Communications' and the Computer Centre's proposed policy for the establishment of a campus network to permit terminal users to choose at their keyboard to connect to one of two computers. Capital and recurrent costs are discussed, and minutes of the meeting held on 27 February 1979 also includes a report by a Working Party set up to consider the possible impact of microprocessors and other microtechnology on the provision of university computing services over the next ten years. Minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 1979 contain further papers on the proposed microprocessor laboratory and comment on the need to set up a Steering Committee as a sub-committee of the University Committee on Computers, responsible for the new microprocessor laboratory. Minutes of subsequent meetings include minutes of this sub-committee. There is also a paper on the future of the Computer Centre which considers whether it should be maintained as an integrated structure or separated into independent Computer Science and Services Divisions.
Minutes of the meeting held on 1 May 1980 include a copy of a paper prepared by the Computer Consultative Council on the future of the Computer Board, which refer to its possible absorption by the University Grants Committee
Minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 1980 refer to the reorganisation of accommodation in the Aston Webb building and to an increased number of students taking Computer Science subjects. These minutes also contain information about the activities of the Working Party on Campus Network Communication, and the staffing of the Microprocessor Systems Laboratory. Minutes of the meeting held on 24 February 1981 include a paper on the future organisation of the Computer Centre which describes its two-divisional structure, in place since 1972, comprising an Academic Division in the Aston Webb building, with lecturing staff and teaching work, and the Service Division which managed the two large computers at Elms Road and Aston Webb, responsible for the computing service, though staff in both groups were involved in research. It proposes a new structure organised on functional lines with three major functional activities consisting of an undergraduate School of Computer Science; a postgraduate School of Computing, embracing postgraduate teaching and research; and a Computing Service, with each activity run by separate a Committee with a chair, and the three committees to be standing sub-committees of one integrated departmental committee and the Centre Executive to provide a strong planning focus
Minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 1981 discuss the impact of cuts to the University's budget, and ways in which the University Academic Plan would affect the work of the Centre. The minutes state that there would be some measure of protection for the Centre for Computing and Computer Science.
A special meeting was held on 28 July 1982 to consider the recommendation of the New Machine Selection Committee for the replacement of the 1906A computer, and the minutes contain substantial information relating to this. Minutes of the meeting held on 9 November 1982 discuss a survey of computer equipment, and the purchase of equipment and terminals for the new mainframe computer. The committee also discussed the report of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor's Working Party on Future University Policy on Word Processing which addressed attempts to minimise the proliferation of word-processing equipment and the need for an overall policy on the development of word processing. There are further references to this report in minutes of the meeting held on 13 June 1983 and to the decision by the Equipment Committee that standardisation should not be adopted, though a circular was to be sent to all Heads of Departments and Centres informing them of current procedures and the training programme run by the Centre for Computing and Computer Science for departmental secretaries. However, minutes of the meeting held on 18 February 1985 record that this policy was later changed, and refer to the University Grants Committee statement on standardisation of word processing equipment.
At the meeting held on 13 June 1983 the committee also considered a proposal for the redistribution of responsibility for the TV and Film Unit following the proposed disbandment of the University Educational Services Committee. It was proposed that all matters of resources and policy concerning the TV and Film Unit should be dealt with by the University Committee on Computers together with the Annual Review of TV and Film Unit staff. Day to day management of the Unit would be the responsibility of the Director. Matters relating to the TV and Film Unit would mainly be dealt with by a sub-committee of the UCC. The Chair of the Educational Development Advisory Committee would be added to the membership of the University Committee on Computers and the entire policy would be reviewed after three years. From this point, minutes of the University Committee on Computers include minutes of TV and Film Unit sub-committee (though a separate set of minutes of this sub-committee is catalogued at UB/COM/70)
Minutes of meetings held in the 1980s increasingly discuss matters realting to the work of the Microcomputer Laboratory, and annual reports of the laboratory are included from 1980-1981. The committe continued to discuss Midlands Network developments, and the University remained a member of the Midland Universities Computing Committee and the Inter-University Committee on Computers.
Minutes of the meeting held on 20 February 1984 include a copy of the Report of the Computer Board Working Party on Computer Facilities for Teaching in Universities, and minutes of the meeting held on 29 May 1984 include the response of the Committee to the Committee of Principals and Deans; a statement to Senate; and comments of Dr R. J. D. Rutherford. The minutes also contain a paper from the Director on the future of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham, commenting on the need for an appraisal of requirements for computing facilities to support teaching in light of recent technological developments. The paper considers local area networks serving workstations; a staff development programme to create higher levels of awareness of the uses of information technology in teaching, with reference to text processing, data storage and retrieval, the use of electronic mail, and the use of 'sophisticated packages like SPSS, CAD and CAM programmes' that academics were using in research and consultancy which would become available to students. There is also mention of the increase in the number of students studying Computer Science in the context of the increased availability and use of home computers
There is continued discussion of these matters in minutes of meetings held later in 1984, and minutes of the meeting held on 29 May 1984 mention that funding was available from the Computer Board and that the Committee had agreed to establish a Working Party jointly with the Educational Development Advisory Committee to assess the implications of the Computer Board report, to develop a strategy for the future, and to offer guidance to the Educational Development Advisory Committee and the University Committee on Computers. Other business discussed in 1984 included the 'new blood' academic posts scheme, the development of telecommunications, and the development of policy on computer teaching. By the time of the 1984-1985 annual report of the Centre for Computing and Computer Science there was a 'University Word Processing Support Group', including courses on Wordstar for clerical and secretarial staff.
Minutes of the meeting held on 17 February 1986 refer to the integration of computerised systems, the need to co-ordinate development of the campus communications network, and a proposal for a University-wide steering group to oversee the development of integrated campus electronic communications. It was also proposed during 1986 that administration of the Centre's resources, both finance and staffing, should be divided between the University Committee on Computers and the Faculty of Science, which Computer Science to be responsible to the Board of the Faculty of Science, and the University Computing Service to be responsible to the University Committee on Computers.
Minutes of the meeting held on 16 February 1987 includes a proposal for Network Communications in the University Library's Automation Programme, presented to the University Grants Committee, and the papers include an outline programme for further automation in the University Library. Minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 1987 include a paper on computer proficiency and the Faculties which states the aim for all students, staff and administrators to become proficient in the use of computing and information technology as appropriate to their professional development, research work, and administrative responsibilities to enhance productivity in these areas. The minutes also contain other papers on the development of campus computing, and discussion of this and connected business continued at meetings held in 1988.
Minutes of the meeting held on 23 May 1988 include a copy of the interim report of the Working Party on Campus Communications which discusses the development of the campus network. Minutes of the meeting held on 15 November 1988 includes a paper concerning the computers in teaching initative and a copy of a progress report on the implementation of the University's Computing Strategy and Development Plan covering central servers and study contract; workstations; the central purchasing of microcomputers, software, and the provision of maintenance; and staffing resources
Minutes of the meeting held on 13 February 1989 mention meetings of the Working Party to review Committees responsible for information services and the recommendation that one of the Pro-Vice-Chancellors be made formally responsible for Information Technology throughout the university. Minutes of the meeting held on 15 June 1989 discuss the future organisational structure of the Centre for Computing and Computer Science, and again refer to the review of committee structure as part of the development of a co-ordinated policy for Information Services. The minutes mention that the Information Technology Committee would establish a number of working groups. It appears that the University Committee on Computers was dissolved later in 1989, and its work taken over by the Information Technology Committee (see UB/COM/88) |