RECC/19/27 University of St Andrews University Court REINFORCED
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RECC/19/27 University of St Andrews University Court REINFORCED EXTRAORDINARY COMMITTEE OF COURT (RECC) Note of the NINTH meeting of RECC held on Monday 24 August 2020 The Committee met remotely via Microsoft Teams. Present: Dame Anne Pringle, (Chair); Ms Catherine Stihler, Senior Lay Member, Professor Sally Mapstone, Principal; Professor Stuart Monro, Deputy Chair of Court and Convenor of G&N; Mr Adrian Greer, Chancellor’s Assessor; Mr Jonathan Hewitt, General Council Assessor; Professor Mark Harris, Senate Assessor; Ms Donna Pierz- Fennell, Non-Academic Staff Assessor; Mr Dan Marshall, President, Students' Association; Mr Nigel Morecroft, Non-Executive Member and Convenor of RemCom; Professor Sir David Wallace, Non-Executive Member and Convenor of ARC. In regular attendance: Professor Lorna Milne, Deputy Principal and Master of the United College; Mr Alastair Merrill, Vice-Principal Governance; Mr Derek Watson, Quaestor & Factor; Ms Margaret Sinclair, Executive Officer to the University Court & Senate. In attendance: Professor Brad MacKay, Senior Vice-Principal and Vice-Principal International Strategy and External Relations. 1. Minutes of RECC Meeting 8 The Committee approved the minutes of the meeting held on 7 August 2020 (on file, RECC/19/25) as a correct record. 2. Update from Principal The Committee received a verbal update from the Principal. • The period since the last meeting of RECC had been dominated by the undergraduate admissions debacles that had affected the publication of SQA Highers and Advanced Highers results in Scotland and A level results in England. • The Principal explained the background to the issue: - Both the Scottish Government and the UK Government had asked their respective accrediting and regulatory bodies, SQA and Ofqual, to moderate the Centre Assessed Grades that were produced this year in place of 1 RECC/19/27 examination results. SQA and Ofqual did this by algorithms designed to bring the CAG results more into line with previous years’ grading profiles, on the basis of the historic performance of those centres. The effect in both jurisdictions was to see disproportionate downgrading of students from disadvantaged backgrounds - even though overall, in the original results tally, students from disadvantaged backgrounds had done better than in previous years. Faced with extensive opposition from schools, students, and the public, Governments reversed and endorsed the teacher assessed grades. • The effect of these decisions, at the last minute, and in both jurisdictions, had been extremely disruptive on the 2020 admissions round, for candidates, and for universities. The International Baccalaureate Organisation had also made a late change to reverse the effect of algorithmic adjustment, issuing new grades to give greater emphasis to course work; • The effects for the English and Scottish sectors were different. • The University had made an early policy decision to honour all the RUK conditional offers for those applicants who did not originally meet the conditions of their offer. The University regarded this as the right thing to do in the circumstances and what it was contractually obliged to do. The University believed that it had the capacity to absorb these numbers. The decision had been 2 RECC/19/27 • Preparations for the full-scale return of students to St Andrews and for to start of semester 1 had intensified: The opening up of buildings continued apace, including College Gate; where possible professional service staff continue to work remotely; communications with incoming and returning students continued extensively; and opportunities were also being provided for regular interactions with staff via virtual open forums. • Extensive liaison with the Scottish Government on the return of students and staff to campus continued and had been heightened. The SFC had published details of a new digital learning fund to support students who were struggling to afford to buy, maintain, and connect the equipment they needed to benefit from digital learning. That fund was worth £5m for universities and colleges; the University’s allocation was £61,500. • had written to all Principals requesting submission of procedures for students from non-exempt countries to ensure respect of quarantine requirements; procedures for students who needed to self- isolate; plans on processes to support contact tracing; plans to minimise numbers of people on campus at any one time; communication and understanding of Covid-19 requirements among students, staff, and visitors; and action plans and procedures to respond to outbreaks. • This request reflected the increasing attention which the Scottish Government was now giving to higher education The Scottish Government’s approach to its route map for coming out of the pandemic had been characterised by caution, • The evolution of the pandemic in Scotland and internationally continued to be kept under intense review, as did the policy on blended learning. The University continued to proceed in lock-step with Scottish Government policy (as it had done throughout the pandemic) and remained in regular dialogue with the campus trade unions. • The Principal briefed the Committee on some of the steps being taken to address the issue of student behaviour. The issue of student behaviour would be covered by her in her remarks to students in the Opening Ceremonies, and would be couched both in terms of the pandemic, since asymptomatic transmission amongst young people was a particular risk in social environments where social distancing was not properly observed, and student behaviour in relation to the wider review of student culture which would take place this semester, in partnership 3 RECC/19/27 with the Students’ Association, The Equally Safe committee1, composed and run by students and staff, would lead a review to consider the nature of an improved student culture and how this could be achieved. • Scenario Planning continued and PARC would be updated at its meeting of 17 September. The Principal answered questions from Members on the level of consultation and information surrounding the mark moderation decisions; the impact of additional numbers on resources, services, facilities and accommodation; student support services; learning support; workload; face coverings and any potential impact on communication; and blended learning and remote delivery (including any lessons to be learned from the experience of institutions in the United States). The Committee noted that PARC would be briefed on current plans and developments relating to accommodation at its meeting of 17 September 2020. 3.1 RECC/19/26 – Student Numbers The Committee noted the paper presented by the Senior Vice-Principal (on file, RECC/19/26, Student Numbers) which provided an update to the position presented to RECC on 7 August 2020 (on file, RECC/19/23). The main focus was to provide further information concerning the changes to the grade results (see Principal’s report above). The University had notified all candidates affected by changes in policy to confirm that the University would honour their offer if candidates now met their grades (by 7 September 2020). The Senior Vice-Principal also provided some additional information as to the ongoing discussions surrounding travel restrictions, which continued to pose a significant risk to students being able to attend in person; and the current backlog in the processing of Visa Applications in some key markets. The Senior Vice-Principal answered questions from Members on deferrals; and ongoing scenario planning. It was confirmed that recruitment was underway to 1The role of Equally Safe was to promote a campus-wide approach to ending gender-based violence, working to ensure that partners and change-agents across the whole community shared accurate information and positive messaging, and to support education and empowerment. 4 RECC/19/27 provide additional support to the Occupational Health Service in anticipation of an increased demand for their services, both from students and staff. 3.2. Financial Planning and Scenario Planning The Quaestor provided a verbal update on the position reported to the Committee on 24 July 2020 (on file, RECC/19/22). 4. AOCB The Committee noted that (i) the RECC meeting on 7 September 2020 would be the last. The normal schedule of PARC and Court meetings would be resumed. The possibility of convening a meeting of RECC if required (outwith the normal schedule) would remain; and (ii) all Court members had been invited to attend a socially distanced visit to Walter Bower House on 4 September 2020 at 2pm. Date of next meeting The Committee will meet on Monday 7 September 2020 at 2pm, via Microsoft TEAMS. Margaret Sinclair Clerk to the RECC 31 August 2020 5 .