| Description | Minutes of a committee established to co-ordinate future developments in Life Sciences at the University of Birmingham, following discussion about the future organisation of Life Sciences at a meeting of the Senate held on 8 November 1989 as the first of its general debates on academic policy. The problems were outlined in a paper by Professor R. H. Mitchell as a comment on a report entitled 'The Future of University Biology', and a Working Party on the Future Organisation of Life Sciences was established by the Strategy, Planning and Resources Committeee, and a report was submitted on 4 December 1990. A copy of Mitchell's paper is included with minutes of the first meeting of the committee, held on 2 July 1991, together with a copy of an extract from the Senate minutes of the meeting held on 8 November 1989, which recorded the debate.
The committee's terms of reference were to monitor teaching and research in the Life Sciences; to co-ordinate efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of teaching while promoting rationalisation and improvements in efficiency where possible by avoiding duplication of effort; to develop mechanisms for the integration of research on Life Sciences between and within the Schools of the Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry, and Science; to foster links between research in the discipline and in related disciplines, including those with clinical medicine; and to effect change which will raise the profile of research in Life Sciences, particularly with funding and review bodies
Membership consisted of the Vice-Principal (chair); the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; the Dean of the Faculty of Science; and representatives from the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and the Faculty of Science nominated by the Senate
Minutes of the first meeting of the committee contain papers on teaching in Life Sciences, including student load distribution figures; a paper on Biochemistry Service teaching for medical and dental students; discussion of future plans for research in Life Sciences; and a report on the future of Biomedical Electron Microscopy at the University of Birmingham
Minutes of next meeting, held on 12 November 1991, record the establishment of Working Parties on Teaching and Research in Life Sciences, and a Working Group on Electron Microscopy. There is also a draft curriculum for a Bachelor of Medical Science degree, and a paper on Information Technology in the Life Sciences. Meetings held after this point include reports of the Working Parties. They also contain discussion of the Medical Research Council Clinical Research Initiative, and mention the creation of a Life Sciences database populated with data from the results of a survey, which was used partly to inform the process of modularisation. Minutes of the meeting held on 1 February 1993 include a print out of the Life Sciences database analysis and teaching data
Minutes of the meeting held on 20 May 1992 refer to the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals Audit Unit visit in April 1992, and minutes of the meeting held on 1 February 1993 refer to a visit by the Wellcome Trust.
Minutes of the meeting held on 17 May 1993 include a report by the Working Party on Teaching in the Life Sciences on teaching provision, and record that the recommendation of Working Party was that its membership be expanded to include a representative of the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences
The meeting held on 23 May 1994 was the last meeting of the committee. It received reports of Working Parties, and also refer to a Life Sciences Research Day run by the Graduate Research School. Minutes record discussion about the future of the committee, acknowledging that there had been some achievements, but noting that issues of duplication of staff and programmes had not been resolved. It was decided that the committee was not the appropriate mechanism for addressing these matters, and that it took up too much time and effort of senior members of staff. It was resolved to recommend to Senate that the committee should be dissolved and that the Deans of the Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry and Science should propose the establishment of a working group of their Faculties to encourage cross-Faculty collaboration and communication. This working group would not be a formal University Committee |