1. FS&N School Staff Meeting
April, 2012

2. Agenda Apologies Matters Arising Items from Senate
Items from Faculty Management Committee
HoS’s Statement
Space
Items from Student Education Committee
Items from Research Committee
Items from Postgraduate Committee
Finance
HR Issues
AOB
Date of next Meeting

3. (2) Matters Arising
QDE
Absence from School

4. Leave of Absence The SMG has discussed absence from the University
The SMG has strongly agreed that University and School procedures on absence must be followed

5. (3) Senate QAA Institutional Review – initial feedback very positive
H&S VC Award – Engineering Safety Team
Russell Group expanding by 4
According to the VC, the biggest threat to international student numbers was ……?
Physics & Astronomy Review

6. (4) Faculty Management Committee: Windows 7 for Research Equipment
Remove Windows XP by the end of 2013
Remove 32-bit operating systems by the end of 2015
(All operating systems to be 64-bit)

7. Charging of Schools for Faculty Services
Function
Current Cost Allocation
Future Cost Allocation HR
Equal % Split
Total Staff FTE
Marketing
Total Student FTE
Finance
50% Equal Share + 50% Total Staff FTE
Research
Research Applications and Research Income
No. of Research Applications IT
Workload
50% (Total Staff + PGR) + 50% (No. of Devices)
Health & Safety
Purchasing
No. of Purchase Orders
Other
Dean/Pro-Deans

8. Chemistry Stores We pay a contribution to Chemistry Stores
This is mostly determined by how many orders that are put through
We put through more orders than the whole of Chemistry!
Can Supervisors encourage students and others to ‘group’ orders to individual suppliers (eg Sigma)

9. (5) HoS’s Statement

10. School In-Year Deficit/Surplus
Sept 11

11. School Cumulative Deficit/Surplus – Sept 11

12. Financial Plan Going to IPE 2012
On target for 3rd year in a row of in-year surplus
Deficit will soon disappear
Forecast surplus of £215k by end
Our future financial plans don’t give us everything we would like but they do give a small forecast surplus for end
Note in-year budgets cannot be in the red
Surpluses then grow to 2017

13. Space We need 2 offices for the 2 new Profs
We need Paul to have an office nearer the teaching laboratory
We need 1, possibly 2, laboratories for the 2 new Profs.
There is a pressing laboratory space issue around Biochemistry/CO/SK which is already causing lots of disquiet amongst staff and students.
Computers/space for PGR students. Their complaints are getting louder and are getting heard outside the School – which means that we have to do something. We have agreed to use post-doc offices, after up-grading, but this is a short-term solution.
Computers for UGs. We cannot provide a cluster-type facility for UG students but enhanced access for UG students to some pcs through the building is part of our student experience planning.
We have firm plans for a new post funded by the Student Experience Enhancement money; over the next few years I am envisaging further new posts.
Human Study Laboratory. We have already agreed to convert the cluster into a HS Lab (and an office for Paul). It’s not ideal (far from it) but the only option without getting more space.
Visitors are essential to establishing our status – lack of suitable space (particularly for ‘senior’ visitors) means that we are experiencing increasing problems situating new visitors in the School. Those that are here exacerbate existing space problems for staff and students.

14. Space The best (by far) space I have looked at is in ‘Chemistry’
It is continuous, has offices and labs (wet and dry), and some flexibility
The cost of the space (which I found out 2 weeks ago) would be £108k pa
(The current space cost for our building is ~£430k, which seems roughly proportional)
We can afford the space; the Dean and Kirsty agree
The reaction to the space from people who have been over has been generally positive
The decision will be made by the IPE meeting in June

16. IPE Submission 2012 Lecturer in nutrition ‘Year-out Tutor’; grade 6
Admin support (non-student facing); grade 5
‘Research technician’ to be shared between teaching and research labs; grade 6; from
Costing for the proposed new space (£108k pa)

17. IPE Submission 2012
2 Fat Professors; including a post-doc each; including £110k equipment budget for each of next 2 years (might be eligible for matched funding from the University)
£50k equipment/infrastructure budget for each of next 5 years (might be eligible for matched funding from the University)
£100k ‘new space’ equipment infrastructure budget for each of next 2 years (might be eligible for matched funding from the University)

18. IPE Submitted Plan, April 2012

19. IPE Submitted Plan, April 2012

20. HoS’s Statement ‘Core ‘ Money Leadership Chairs Athena Swan
Despite (or because of?) our improved financial position, we will stick to budgets
If you need access to additional School resources (‘core’ money) you must get in touch with Catherine or me at an early stage
For the sake of clarity, any requests for money where commitments have already been made will be turned down
Leadership Chairs
Athena Swan
New Website

21. (6) Safety
Inspections
Awareness
Accidents
Noticeboards
Easter Closing

22. (7) Student Education Committee

23. (8) Research/REF

24. (9) PG Committee

25. (10) Finance

26. (11) HR Issues

27. (12) AOB (13) Date of Next Meeting: 23rd May, 2012