by Dr Ian Francis
At the June meeting of Senate the Principal congratulated Professor Roger Fletcher on his election to a fellowship of the Royal Society in recognition of his work on optimisation.
He noted that this was the last meeting of the Senatus to be attended by Professor David Levison, who was demitting office as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing. During his stewardship the Medical School had enhanced its reputation immensely for both teaching and research. He also noted that this was Maurice Golden's final meeting of the Senatus as President of DUSA and expressed his thanks for his contribution to the work of the University. He expressed his thanks also to the retiring Senate representatives on the Court: Professors B Burchell and CP Downes and Mr RA Lyon. Their successors, from 1 August 2003 would be Professors AF Newell, DI Rowley and DR MWH Coughtrie.
The Principal reported on an article in The Guardian which indicated that Dundee had entered the top 20 universities for research funding at eighteenth place. While this was a matter for congratulation, Oxford, in first place, received four times as much funding as Dundee and the top four universities secured 40% of the total available funding between them. That gap was growing and was likely to increase in the context of developments nationally in relation to research such as the Roberts' Report on the future of the RAE, the HEFCE proposals on standards in postgraduate research programmes and the Office of Science and Technology's investigation into reform of the dual support system. There were additional developments in Scotland which were also likely to impact upon Dundee's position: phase three of the Higher Education Review which was likely to address funding issues and the group chaired by Professor Wilson Sibbett on the organization of science in Scotland.
The Roberts' Report on the future of the RAE, which was out for consultation, suggested a three-tier system of assessment: approximately 40 universities for whom research was less than 2% of turnover, would be excluded from the process; a second tier of universities (or disciplines within universities) would be subject to a generic review of research capacity linked to an assured income for research which was likely to be fairly small; and a third tier of centres of internationally competitive research which would be subject to full-blown peer review. In the third tier, 80% of all staff with research as part of their contracts would be returned and each individual would be graded, resulting in an over-all grade for the centre which would then link to funding.
The big issue for universities like Dundee would be to determine how best to present its various disciplines under the proposed new system.
Beyond the specific area of research, the University also had to face significant increases in national insurance, pensions and salaries in the coming year. In consequence, the 5% uplift in funding from SHEFC was less generous than it seemed.
The resource allocation process for 2003/04 aimed for a target surplus of £2.4 million to generate sufficient funding for necessary increases in capital expenditure for buildings and equipment. This was easier to do in a teaching-only economy than it was in Dundee with a significant research economy as well. The end-result for the coming year was likely to be five faculties with some room for manoeuvre and two faculties with issues to be addressed; Duncan of Jordanstone, which needed to complete the changes consequent upon the results of the last RAE and Engineering & Physical Sciences which would have to consider a significant restructuring in 2003/04.
Discussions on detail were ongoing with Deans and there would be a special meeting of PRC on 10 June to prepare agreed budgets for the meeting of the Court on 30 June