JOINT FUTURE THINKING TASKFORCE ON UNIVERSITIES: MEETING 5
12.30 to 14.30 (lunch from 12.15), Carlton Hotel, Edinburgh
AGENDA
12.30 to 13.00 1. Welcome, STUC Scotland presentation and discussion
13.00 to 13.40 2. US paper and possible challenges
13.40 to 14.20 3. Draft taskforce report and John McClelland's paper
14.20 to 14.30 4. Summing up, agreeing next steps and communication
NOTE OF MEETING
Present: taskforce
Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
Sir Muir Russell, Convener of Universities Scotland and Principal of University of Glasgow
Bernard King, Deputy Convener of Universities Scotland and Principal of University of Abertay Dundee
Sir Tim O'Shea, Principal of University of Edinburgh
Pamela Gillies, Principal of Glasgow Caledonian University
David Caldwell, Director of Universities Scotland
Seona Reid, Director of Glasgow School of Art
John McClelland, Chair of Scottish Funding Council
Stephen Noon, Special Adviser
Mark Batho, Director of Lifelong Learning
Stephen Kerr, Head of HE and Learner Support
Ann McVie, HE Strategy Team (Secretariat)
Present: STUC (agenda items 1 and 2 only)
Mary Senior, STUC
David Bleiman, UCU
Kath Ryall, UNISON
1. Welcome
1. Sir Muir Russell, Convener of Universities Scotland, welcomed members of the taskforce to their fifth meeting. He also welcomed Mary Senior, David Bleiman and Kath Ryall from the STUC.
2. STUC presentation and discussion
2. Mary Senior briefly introduced the STUC's contribution to the work of the Taskforce which covered:
- proposal for an 8th model, based on a people centred vision for Scottish higher education
- widening access to higher education
- promoting equality
- using union learner representatives to help demystify higher education for new learners
- valuing and developing staff through more modern HR practice and greater CPD
- developing a social partnership governance model
- developing a new funding methodology which supports more broadly higher education's "contribution to Scotland and the wider world"
3. Taskforce members welcomed the paper as having considerable resonance with emerging thinking within the Taskforce. Comments included:
- There was a strong consensus in Scotland about the importance and benefits of student-centred learning. This should be reflected in the Taskforce report
- UCU considered there was still too much potential redundancy in the system. While a researcher might no longer be able to make a contribution at one particular institution, they could continue to make a contribution to the wider Scottish higher education system. There would be benefits to considering a form of "continuous employment" for such staff
- It was important to bear in mind how successful Scottish higher education was. There was no evidence to suggest that Scottish universities were losing staff or falling to attract new staff
- Increasing emphasis was being placed on CPD for all staff within universities. This was an essential component of the continuous improvement agenda and consistent with a more people centred approach to higher education
4. Sir Muir Russell thanked Mary, David and Kathy for taking the time to present their paper to the Taskforce. A number of the issues raised would be addressed in the Taskforce's final report in due course.
3. Discussion
5. Sir Muir Russell gave a short introduction to the US paper on possible challenges, which was intended to help take the work of the Taskforce forward.
6. As the initial work of the Taskforce was drawing to an end, there was a need to identify and agree tangible outcomes. This would include developing a new set of roles and relationships between the Government, universities and the Funding Council and clarifying the new tripartite advisory structure envisaged.
7. In so doing, there was a need to reach an appropriate balance amongst: incentivising provision; increasing and making more transparent the alignment between the higher education sector and Scottish Government priorities; recognising universities' wider contribution to Scotland and the wider world; and respecting the autonomy of institutions. To elaborate this, it might be helpful to articulate a number of possible "somethings for somethings" for discussion at the next meeting. This could help clarify expectations on the part of the Scottish Government as well as from the universities. John McClelland agreed to put forward some possible scenarios.
8. The Taskforce acknowledged the need for work to commence on drafting their report. It was agreed that Stephen Kerr and David Caldwell would work as the drafting team, drawing on all Taskforce papers to produce a first draft for discussion at the next meeting.
Action: Stephen Kerr and David Caldwell to prepare a first draft report for discussion at the next meeting.
4. Summing up, agreeing next steps and communication
9. It was agreed that the agenda, note of meeting and STUC paper should be released on the SG website.
10. It was also agreed that communications and engagement with other stakeholders should be on the agenda for the next meeting. In the meantime, there would not be any press briefings.
Papers