| Description | Minutes of a committee formed on the establishment of the Graduate Research School. The basic objectives of the School were to review, co-ordinate and improve the management, monitoring and environment for postgraduate study at the University while supporting the individual student/supervisor relationship and to promote postgraduate research in order to increase research student numbers to a point equivalent to the University's national research rating. The University was concerned to improve its performance and present a coherent approach in policy-making towards research students, as well as to double the number of research students at the University by 1998
It was intended that the work of the School would mainly be orientated towards research students, but this distinction would not be absolute, as taught elements were introduced into research programmes, and taught Masters programmes might be restructured to include greater research components
The committee was established to note variations in current practice affecting postgraduate students and to identify issues on which base-line data was needed to plan further development of the School, looking at PhD regulations and variations between Faculties; the structure of Faculty Divisions of the Graduate Research School; academic facilities for postgraduates; the duties of students and supervisors; the availability of skills training courses and interdisciplinary seminars; and English language requirement for overseas students. It reported to the Academic Board (see UB/COM/60 for minutes) to oversee the work of the Graduate Research School.
Membership of the committee consisted of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor who chaired the Academic Board (chair); the Vice-Principal; and the Head of each Division of the Graduate Research School. The chair of the committee would be given the title of the Director of the Graduate Research School
The first meeting was held on 9 September 1993. These minutes include statistical information about student numbers, and a copy of a code of practice for supervising and monitoring and informing postgraduate research students of their academic progress
Minutes typically contain information about the scope of the Graduate Research School; the structure of programmes; efforts to coordinate PhD regulations; copies of codes of practice; discussion of the use of access funds; papers on accommodation and facilities for research students; amendments to regulations; and reports from Divisions of the School. Sometimes items were referred from the Academic Board for discussion, and there are also copies of proposals for new postgraduate research programmes
Minutes of the meeting held on 1 December 1993 refer to vacancies on the committee for student representatives. According to minutes of the meeting held in November 1994 there was still no student representation on the committee then, but representatives had been nominated by the time of the January 1995 meeting
Minutes of the meeting held on 5 January 1994 include a paper on English Language Tuition for Overseas Students, and copy of the Report of the Working Party on the Structure of Masters Programmes; as well as architects drawings for a new Postgraduate Social and Study Centre linked to the new student residential development at Pritchatts Park, Pritchatts Road. Minutes of the meeting held on 2 March 1994 include a copy of a report on the formal consultations on a possible National Admissions System for Postgraduates, drawn up by the Office of Science and Technology
Mintes of the meeting held on 6 July 1994 include a Report of the Working Party on the Structure of Masters Programmes; paper on Guidelines on Thesis Presentation, with examples of guidelines issued by different Faculties and by the Library. Minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 1994 contain papers relating to training programmes for research students which consider current provision, recent developments, and longer term developments in the context of the Research Councils' wishes to include a training element in research programmes.
Minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 1994 refer to a review of the structure of the Graduate Research School, and note that the School was not yet having the anticipated impact on research students, or helping to market the University's reseach activity in its current form. According to the minutes, it was agreed that further debate about role of Graduate Research School should take place in the Faculties. Minutes of the meeting held on 1 June 1995 include a draft discussion paper reviewing the structure of the Graduate Research School
Minutes of the meeting held on 19 January 1995 include a copy of papers on the Postgraduate Teaching Assistantship Scheme; as well as on Research Student Training; and the Supervision of Research Students
Minutes of the meeting held on 4 May 1995 include papers on support for Research Council funding of research students and refer to proposed fora to respond to initiatives from the Research Council in a co-ordinated way. Minutes of the meeting held on 16 November 1995 include reports on meetings of the Research Council fora
The meeting held on 21 September 1995 was dedicated to the committee's response to the HEFCE, CVCP, SCOP Review of Postgraduate Education, and minutes include a copy of the report, and copies of responses from the Faculties, and the Guild of Students, as well as the draft University response. Minutes of the meeting held on 5 October 1995 also contain papers on this review, and record continued discussion by the committee. Minutes of the meeting held on 15 February 1996 include information papers from the UK Council for Graduate Education, as well as recording discussion about postgraduate admissions and references to the 'German Initiative' run by the Institute of German Studies, and funding opportunities and existing or potential links with German companies and Universities.
A special meeting was held on 18 April 1996 to consider draft regulations for MPhil (A) and MPhil (B) degrees. Minutes of the meeting held on 1 October 1996 include papers relating to the Harris Review of Postgraduate Education, as well as copies of UK Council for Graduate Education newsletters and reports. Issues of the newsletter are also included with minutes of later meetings. A copy of the final response of the University to the Harris Review is included with minutes of the meeting held on 12 November 1996
Minutes of the meeting held on 23 October 1997 include copies of results of a questionnaire on research student supervision and responses from the Faculties to a circular on suggestions for improving research student submission rates. There is also a copy of the 1997 Graduate Research School Resource File; UK Council for Graduate Education newsletters and reports; and a copy of the Faculty of Commerce and Social Science Research Student Handbook 1997-1998. Continued papers on improving research student submission rates and on research student supervision can be found with minutes of the meeting held on 16 February 1998
Minutes of the meeting held on 23 October 1997 contain references to a review of the academic organisation of the University which might have implications for the constitution of the Graduate Research Committee. The last set of minutes in this sequence are for the meeting held on 16 February 1998. These state that the next meeting was to be held on 30 April 1998. No later minutes have been transferred to the University Archives but it is possible that a restructure might have resulted in the creation of the Postgraduate Taught committee and the Postgraduate Research committee and that these committees reported to the Academic Board (see UB/COM/60) |