University of Dundee: Contact Magazine December 2001

Induction of University Court

An induction for Court members new and old was held was held on Monday 22 October.
All but one of the new Court members were able to attend the induction, which began with a whirlwind campus tour. The main event, which took place in the seminar room at DCA, involved introductory talks by the Principal, Sir Alan Langlands, the Chair of Court, Mr Larry Rolland and Convenor of the Finance Committee, Dr Donald Grant, followed by a series of Powerpoint presentations on:

Corporate governance
The duties and liabilities of Court members
The University's finances
Strategic planning
AMCET: a case study in commercialisation
The work of Research & Innovation Services.
The speakers emphasised the role of the Court as the University's governing body. Its part in holding executive officers to account, approving the strategic plan and in providing advice and guidance on non-academic aspects of University management were examined. Court members took the opportunity to explore a number of aspects of the University's recent past, present and future direction.
The close relationship between the University and the City of Dundee was underlined by the presence of the Lord Provost, Mr John Letford, who is a member of Court. Other members present included Ms Shona Main, representing the Rector, Fred MacAulay, Messrs Harry Terrell and Ian Wright, the Graduates' Council Assessors, Matthew Marr, President of DUSA and Ms Norma Stewart, the non-academic staff representative.
Members of Court gathered for the first formal Court meeting of the session on Monday 12 November at West Park Conference Centre. The intention is to have the next two meetings at the Gardyne Road campus and subsequently at Ninewells Hospital.

Brian Burchell is professor of medical biochemistry and head of the department of molecular and cellular pathology. His research interests are glucuronidation in detoxication and chemical defence. He has been elected to Court by Senate.

Esther Roberton is chair of NHS Fife, interim chair of the Scottish further education funding council and convenor of the council's strategic development committee. She is also chair of the Scottish international children's festival and is a non-executive member of the Scottish council development and industry. Esther will now be contributing her experience to University Court as a lay member.

Professor Sheila Hunt was appointed head of the school of nursing and midwifery over a year ago from the University of Central England. Her tasks since then have been concerned with integrating nursing into higher education , collaborating with other faculties and the growth of the school to make it a centre of excellence in teaching and research. Professor Hunt has been elected by Senate to Court.

John Letford has been a Labour Dundee City Councillor for the Camperdown ward since 1994. He was elected Lord Provost earlier this year and convenes the direct services organisation, Tayside contracts, personnel and the personnel appeals sub committee on Dundee City Council.

Matthew Marr takes his position on Court as President of the Dundee University Students' Association. Matthew graduated this summer in politics and history.

Norma Stewart from the finance department is now representing clerical manual and technical staff to the University Court. A member of Unison and treasurer for the University branch executive for the past four years, Norma has a wide knowledge of issues affecting non-academic staff. She is also a member of the Northern Pensions Resources Group and has a special interest in the pension rights of women. Clerical, manual and technical staff are welcome to call on Norma with any issues that arise in Court relating to their work. Norma can be contacted on ext 5106 or n.stewart@dundee.ac.uk.

David Robb's research interest is Scottish literature from the eighteenth-century to the present. He has published widely on Scottish literary figures, was joint general editor of the Scottish writers series and general editor of the Scottish classics series. He is a past president of the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. David was elected by Senate to represent non-professorial staff on Court.

Angela Roger's research interests include language in education, policy-making in education, gender and equal opportunities in education and employment. She was editor of Scottish Educational Review and is currently a member of its editorial board. She is also Vice-President of the Association of University Teachers (Scotland), chair of the AUT Education Committee, and a member of the General Teaching Council for Scotland. She is a member of the Institute for Learning and Teaching and was a member of the ILT's Transitional Council. Angela has been elected to Court by academic council.

Shona Main is a University of Dundee law graduate, a former City Councillor, DCA director and chair of Dundee drugs forum. She takes her position on Court as Rector's Assessor.

Provided below is a comprehensive list of the Court membership for 2001-02. New members to Court are profiled.

Sir James Black Chancellor Mr LAL Rolland Chairman Sir Alan Langlands Principal

Professor DB Swinfen Vice-Principal Mr Fred MacAulay Rector Dr DB Grant Chancellor's Assessor Ms Shona Main Rector's Assessor

Mr John Letford Lord Provost Councillor George de Gernier Dundee City Council convenor of education Councillor W Wilson Perth and Kinross Council Mr Harry Terrell Graduates' council Assessor

Mr IDM Wright Graduates' Council Assessor Professor B Burchell Professor CP Downes Mr RA Lyon

Professor A Bissett-Johnson Professor Sheila Hunt Mr PK Burgess Dr David Robb

Professor Norma Baldwin Dr Angela Roger Mrs N Stewart Mr Matthew Marr President Students' Association

Mr W Sutherland Dr RC Graham Mr Bruce Johnston Ms E Roberton

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	Brian Burchell is professor of medical biochemistry and head of the department of molecular and cellular pathology. His research interests are glucuronidation in detoxication and chemical defence. He has been elected to Court by Senate.
Esther Roberton is chair of NHS Fife, interim chair of the Scottish further education funding council and convenor of the council's strategic development committee. She is also chair of the Scottish international children's festival and is a non-executive member of the Scottish council development and industry. Esther will now be contributing her experience to University Court as a lay member.
	Professor Sheila Hunt was appointed head of the school of nursing and midwifery over a year ago from the University of Central England. Her tasks since then have been concerned with integrating nursing into higher education , collaborating with other faculties and the growth of the school to make it a centre of excellence in teaching and research. Professor Hunt has been elected by Senate to Court.
John Letford has been a Labour Dundee City Councillor for the Camperdown ward since 1994. He was elected Lord Provost earlier this year and convenes the direct services organisation, Tayside contracts, personnel and the personnel appeals sub committee on Dundee City Council.
	Matthew Marr takes his position on Court as President of the Dundee University Students' Association. Matthew graduated this summer in politics and history.
	Norma Stewart from the finance department is now representing clerical manual and technical staff to the University Court. A member of Unison and treasurer for the University branch executive for the past four years, Norma has a wide knowledge of issues affecting non-academic staff. She is also a member of the Northern Pensions Resources Group and has a special interest in the pension rights of women. Clerical, manual and technical staff are welcome to call on Norma with any issues that arise in Court relating to their work. Norma can be contacted on ext 5106 or n.stewart@dundee.ac.uk.
David Robb's research interest is Scottish literature from the eighteenth-century to the present. He has published widely on Scottish literary figures, was joint general editor of the Scottish writers series and general editor of the Scottish classics series. He is a past president of the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. David was elected by Senate to represent non-professorial staff on Court.
	Angela Roger's research interests include language in education, policy-making in education, gender and equal opportunities in education and employment. She was editor of Scottish Educational Review and is currently a member of its editorial board. She is also Vice-President of the Association of University Teachers (Scotland), chair of the AUT Education Committee, and a member of the General Teaching Council for Scotland. She is a member of the Institute for Learning and Teaching and was a member of the ILT's Transitional Council. Angela has been elected to Court by academic council.
	Shona Main is a University of Dundee law graduate, a former City Councillor, DCA director and chair of Dundee drugs forum. She takes her position on Court as Rector's Assessor.

Sir James Black Chancellor	Mr LAL Rolland Chairman	Sir Alan Langlands Principal
Professor DB Swinfen Vice-Principal	Mr Fred MacAulay Rector	Dr DB Grant Chancellor's Assessor	Ms Shona Main Rector's Assessor
Mr John Letford Lord Provost	Councillor George de Gernier Dundee City Council convenor of education	Councillor W Wilson Perth and Kinross Council	Mr Harry Terrell Graduates' council Assessor
Mr IDM Wright Graduates' Council Assessor	Professor B Burchell	Professor CP Downes	Mr RA Lyon
Professor A Bissett-Johnson	Professor Sheila Hunt	Mr PK Burgess	Dr David Robb
Professor Norma Baldwin	Dr Angela Roger	Mrs N Stewart	Mr Matthew Marr President Students' Association
Mr W Sutherland	Dr RC Graham	Mr Bruce Johnston	Ms E Roberton