| Description | Minutes of the committee established, with the University Educational Services Committee (see UB/COM/75), to replace the functions and activities of the Educational Development Committee (see UB/COM/74). Representatives from the Educational Development Advisory Committee also sat on the University Educational Servives Committee
Membership consisted of a chair appointed by the Academic Executive who was not a University Officer; two representatives from each Faculty, nominated by Faculty Boards; two representatives of the Guild of Students; ex officio, the chair of the University Educational Services Committee, the Director of the Television and Film Unit, the Educational Counsellor, and the Organising Tutor of the Advisory Service on Teaching Methods; and additional members co-opted by the Committee
Its terms of reference were to have general oversight, on behalf of the Senate, of the study of methods of learning, teaching and assessment and to encourage and co-ordinate efforts to develop and evaluate these; and to be responsible for the Introductory Course for new academic staff. It was responsible for all matters, other than staffing, concerning the Educational Counselling Unit and the Advisory Service on Teaching Methods, and received the annual reports of these two Units. It also received the annual report of the Television and Film Unit, and minutes also include accounts for the Advisory Service on Teaching Methods; reports on the Educational Innnovation Fund; and details and programmes for the Introductory Course for New Academic Staff. It was responsible for the allocation of budgets for the Educational Counselling Unit and the Advisory Service on Teaching Methods, and for the administration of the Educational Innovation Fund, and for the funds set aside to set up learning resources centres in the Faculties of Science and Engineering, and Medicine and Dentistry
In addition, it was responsible for the oversight of the research programme of the Research Fellow in Educational Counselling and received the interim report of Research Fellow in Educational Counselling entitled 'Towards a New Model of Order and Change in Counselling Provision at Birmingham University' included with minutes of the meeting held on 19 February 1982 and the final report, included with minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 1983 which also include further discussion papers on educational counselling, and on the training of University Teachers
Other responsibilities of the committee included the management of workshop-based activities. A number of Working Groups reported to the Committee, including groups on the Introductory Day and Seminar Programme for New Staff; Teaching News; the Learning Resources Centres; Course Evaluation; and Occasional Publications. The Committee received reports from the Working Groups, and was responsible for publishing 'Teaching News'
Minutes of the first meeting, held on 31 October 1980, include minutes of the last meeting of the Advisory Service Committee, which was disbanded in the summer of 1980, and which had managed Working Groups dealing with specific learning, teaching and assessment activities. Minutes of meetings held in February 1981 and May 1981 include papers relating to the work of the Midland Universities Working Party on University Teaching
Minutes of the meeting held on 13 May 1983 discuss the proposed disbandment of the University Educational Services Committee and the redistribution of its responsibilities. The University Television and Film Unit was now to be located within the Centre for Computing and Computer Science, and the University Committee on Computers would be responsible for policy, resources and staffing matters concerning the Television and Film Unit. The Director of the Centre for Computing and Computer Science and of the Television and Film Unit would be responsible for the management of the Television and Film Unit. The Educational Development Advisory Committee would have the right to advise the University Committee on Computers on matters of policy concerning the Television and Film Unit
The responsibility of the Educational Development Advisory Committee for policy matters concerning the Educational Counselling Unit and the Advisory Service on Teaching Methods continued,. and the Vice-Chancellor's Office would be responsible for the management of the Educational Counselling Unit and the Advisory Service on Teaching Methods through the chair of the Educational Development Advisory Committee. The Committee's revised terms of reference were to have general oversight, on behalf of the Senate, of the study of methods of learning, teaching and assessment and to encourage and co-ordinate their evaluation and development; to be responsible for policy concerning the Educational Counselling Unit and the Advisory Service on Teaching Methods; and to advise the University Committee on Computers on policy concerning the Television and Film Unit
Minutes of the meeting held on 11 May 1984 include a copy of the report of a Working Party on Computer facilities for teaching in universities, set up by The Computer Board for Universities and Research Councils. Minutes of the meeting held on 9 May 1986 contain papers relating to the appraisal of the performance of academic staff in the University, and there are papers on the performance appraisal of academic staff and departments in the University with minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 1986. Minutes of the meeting held on 9 May 1987 include a copy of a code of practice on academic staff training prepared by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals. The Committee continued to discuss methods of performance appraisal at meetings held in 1988
The last meeting of the Committee was held on 11 May 1990. It was disbanded as a result of a rationalisation of the University Committee structure, which considered that the work of the committee had been useful in raising awareness of teaching-related activities in the University, and it was decided that many of the functions which had been associated with the Committeee should continue, but other developments like staff appraisal, the monitoring of academic standards, and work of the Staff Development Unit, made the continuation of a separate committee unnecessary. Particular functions of the committee would be carried out by other means, for example the publication of 'Teaching News' through an editorial board. The establishment of an Advisory Committe on Academic Staff Development was proposed, but no discrete minutes of a committee by this name have been transferred to the University Archives |