TC Agenda 10th April 2019

19.49 Minutes of Previous Meetings

19.50 Matters Arising

18.29-01 – Software Options for Coursework Submission. DoLT has contacted the RAT unit and Learning Technologist to consider options.

ACTION: Learning Technologist & RAT Unit to report on progress to April TC.

RESPONSE, Alex Burford: "Stuart (Anderson), Tim (Colles), Gill (Bell), Paul Patras and myself met to discuss coursework submission options and it was agreed we shall report back to the May teaching committee regarding this." ONGOING.

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18.59-02: Course Moderation Guidelines.

The BoE Convenors are officially responsible for ensuring that moderation guidelines are available. DoLT has contacted the convenors about this and hopes they will be able to report back for the December(!) meeting of TC.

ACTION: The DoLT is to contact the Convenors on this. OUTSTANDING.

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19.06 Proposal to limit MSc project Report Lengths, S.Goldwater.

Action 1: Convenor to speak to the Design Informatics Dissertation coordinator – OUTSTANDING.

Action 2: Masters Dissertation coordinator to report on progress. COMPLETE.

The proposer of this item asked for the following action:

ACTION 3: MSc coordinator to send another email to teaching staff with this information before the dissertation begins.

ACTION 4: Bjoern Franke as IPP coordinator should remind the students of the consequences of not adhering to the limit. COMPLETE.

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19.26 Mandatory Unconscious Bias Training for Tutors/Demonstrators - N.Heatley / B.Fisher.

ACTION: ITO to inquire into accessing training certificates with Vicky MacTaggart and Alex Welsh. 

RESPONSE (Alex Welsh / Bob Fisher): The Contract Tracker spreadsheet has been amended to support the proposal. University HR to be asked for a list of those who have already taken the course. Tutors/Demonstrators/Markers/Exam Markers and TAs to be included. The start date of Teaching Support roles was considered (no sooner then week 3) to allow for training to take place in weeks 1 and 2. T&Ds to be asked to take online UB course before the face-to-face course. ONGOING.

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19.27 Exam Marking Policy - Director of Learning and Teaching

ACTION: DoLT to provide a full policy document. OUTSTANDING

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19.36 Recruitment Report - Recruitment Officer.

Actions:

1. Cyber-Security numbers ONGOING.
2. Send information to applicants via DotMailer (COMPLETE)
3. Convenor to locate a staff member to provide Cognitive Science information.

Action 1 provoked the outraged comment that staff are being crushed by the work involved in teaching ever-increasing numbers. Action 3: Problem students are significant, to be discussed with Helen Pain. RESPONSE from Helen Pain: currently on sabaatical, so not available to help.

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19.42 Preliminary Exam Marks - I.Murray

ACTION: ITO manager to meet with Examinations manager to discuss scheduling of MLPR and ANLP exams.

19.51 Date of next Teaching Committee - Wed 8th May 2019

19.52 AOCB

The paperless submission of Honours / MInf project reports (item 19.35) was tried for the first time in April 2019. Computing Support reported no major problems and there were only a handful of submission issues, which we tend to get anyway. As one would expect the standard student issues with print credit, printers and binders were thankfully absent, as was the mess produced each year in the labs. This trial also removed a considerable amount of preparation work in ITO, not to mention the time consuming process of hand delivering reports. Overall ITO consider this method to be a clear success.