Minutes of a meeting held on 21 February 2002

Present: Nick Bevan, Gail Downe, Chrinstine Fyfe, Peter Guildford, Julia Munro (Secretary), Anne Murray, Pat Noon (Chair), Margaret Oldroyd, Julie Parry
Apologies: Toby Bainton, Mike Day

02/01 Welcome

Christine Fyfe was welcomed as a new member of the Committee.

02/02 Minutes of the previous meeting (15 November 2001)

These were accepted.

02/03 Matters arising from the minutes.

01/43
(01/20)
Structure charts.
PN is waiting to hear from Sue Clegg on progress with receipt of these and selection for a possible publication.
Action
: JM for next agenda in May.
   
01/43
( 01/23)

Organising events has now appeared as a briefing paper.

   
01/43
(01/37)
PG reported that UCISA is still in the consultative phase on the possibility of a project management course.
   
01/43
(01/32)

Staff development policies paper.
AM and MO have delivered the paper on staff development policies to SCONUL. This should be published soon.
Action: JM to check with Jackie Skinner how this paper could be put on the ACoS web site.

   
01/45 Annual report and business plan.
PN reported that these are completed and with SCONUL.
   
01/48

SCONUL award.
PN tabled a paper discussing revision of the criteria and conditions. It was agreed that:

  • Potential for a project to be an exemplar for good practice would be a useful additional criterion
    Action: PN to devise wording
  • Support from an appropriate manager in the applicant's institution should be evident
  • Applicants' CVs should be limited to one side of A4
  • Making an award with caveats requiring change was not appropriate. Comments offered to improve a project could be accepted or rejected by an applicant.
  • Previous winning topics (say last two or three) should be listed on the ACoS web site.
    Action: JM to check with Jackie Skinner and PN

Action: JM for next agenda in May - confirmation of criteria, decision on topic for next award and three selectors

   
01/52 Training together 7.
JP reported on ideas and progress so far. Training opportunities for part-time/fractional staff, to be held at De Montfort University in June. One day 11am-4pm, with input from a part-time worker, an introduction covering background and context (eg recent legislation, resourcing) and sessions on current practice or case studies. Suggestions on speakers (including a part-time worker) would be welcomed and should be sent to JP.

02/04 'Deputies' mailing list

GD reported that this list now had over 100 names.

Suggestions made for its use included: publicity for Training Together 7 and other events; problem sharing; circulating reports.

A coordinator (list owner) would be needed to replace Sue Clegg. This represented quite a lot of work. In the meantime SCONUL are keeping a watching brief on it.

Action: PN to contact Sue Clegg re emailing the list to find a volunteer list-owner

 

02/05 Evaluating success of working papers

It was agreed that once the staff development policies paper has been published and distributed it would be useful to seek feedback on its content, approach and usefulness via lis-SCONUL (and lis-Deputies).

Action: AM to formulate some questions re usefulness of staff development policies paper for circulation by next meeting in May
Action: JM for next agenda in May

02/06 Publicity for management courses

PN tabled draft information and reported that work on this leaflet has been delayed by the problems with the 'Managing for strategic change' course. It was agreed that the content for this course could be described as 'under construction' in the leaflet. Otherwise, with the addition of course frequency into the title column, the leaflet should be produced.

Action: PG to organise publication, in liaison with PN as necessary, and to report at next meeting

 

02/07 Committee membership (01/38)

The committee has two vacancies. Both of these should probably be filled by full members (SCONUL representatives) as the Committee needs a new Chair for the next meeting and this role can only be filled by a full member. SCONUL Executive Board has to make the appointments. It was agreed that a new trawl for interested members including a Chair is needed.

Action: GD to discuss with Toby Bainton

02/08 Managing for strategic change

PN tabled a paper giving background and information on his meeting with colleagues at Aston.

This was discussed and it was agreed that a sub group of ACoS would reconsider the content of this course, which could then be taken back to Aston to establish that they could deliver this. Costing information would also be sought then.

Action: AM and CF (with PG and PN) to consider course content based on information in PN's paper. Other members to email any comments/suggestions to AM/CF

02/09 ACoS Reports 'What's new'

PN tabled ideas for a first digest of ACoS current activity/interests as requested by the Executive Board. It was agreed that such reports would ideally be produced three times per annum following meetings.

Action: PN (heroically) to produce first digest. Thereafter JM to produce in consultation with new Chair?

02/10 Performance indicators for staffing (01/51)

PN will be talking to Stephen Town later in February. He will report back to the committee after this.

Action: PN to report back after meeting Stephen

02/11 Tfpl/isNTO report

Scenarios for the knowledge economy. PN tabled information on this.

02/12 HIMSS project

PN tabled information on the final meeting of the HIMSS project steering group and on the progress of the project.

02/13 Masters (MBA) in Higher Education Management

PN distributed copies of a letter he had received from Michael Shattock about the above course.

Action: Committee members are asked to disseminate this information to potential participants.

02/14 ARL Online Lyceum (01/49)

After the first approach made to PN and his response, nothing further has been heard from the Online Lyceum. It was agreed to wait until they contacted ACoS again.

02/15 Management courses

PG reported that feedback on the recent management courses had all been very good. (He had previously circulated this information to the Committee electronically.)

02/16 Thanks to Pat Noon

The Committee expressed their unanimous thanks to PN for all his hard work, enthusiasm and ideas both as a member of the Committee and latterly as its Chair.

02/17 Date of next meeting

30 May 2002