Senate minutes 11 June 2025

Minutes of the Meeting of the Cardiff University Senate held on Wednesday 11 June 2025 at 14:15, in the lecture theatre of the Hadyn Ellis Building.

Attendance

In Attendance

Katy Dale (minutes), Sian Ballard, Laura Davies, Rob Davies, Sally-ann Efstathiou, Rhodri Evans (Secretary), Professor Kate Gilliver, Professor Claire Gorrara, Tom Hay, Professor Kerry Hood, Siân Marshall, Daniel Palmer, TJ Rawlinson, Melanie Rimmer, Professor Eleri Rosier, Dr Paula Sanderson, Dr Mathew Smith, Tracey Stanley, Dr Liz Wren-Owens, Simon Wright, Darren Xiberras, Professor Peng Zhou

1129 Welcome and Introductions

Noted

1129.1 that new members were welcomed to their first meeting (Justin Edwards; Steve Jorgensen-Corfield; Dr Riccardo Maddalena; Gareth Owen; Professor Luke Sloan; and Ruth Thornton).

1130 Apologies for Absence

Noted

1130.1 that apologies received would be recorded in the Minutes.

1131 Declaration of Interests

The Chair reminded members of their requirement to disclose any direct or indirect interests which could influence their judgement.

Noted

1131.1 that a number of members would be impacted by the plans contained within the Academic Futures Business Case; members were not required to recuse themselves.

1132 Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the Special meeting held on 06 March 2025 (paper 24/412CR), the meeting on 12 March 2025 (paper 24/582C) and the Special Meeting on 11 April 2025 (paper 24/583C) were confirmed as a true and accurate record and were approved by the Committee on 11 June 2025.

1133 Matters Arising

Received and considered paper 24/584, ‘Update on University Commitments in Response to Encampment Demands 2024’. The Interim Director of Academic and Student Support Services spoke to this item.

Noted

1133.1 that the paper provided an update on progress of completion of the University commitments to the encampment demands of 2024; the demands of the 2025 encampment were not covered by the paper;

1133.2 that the intranet page detailing the support available to students from Palestine had been published and this action was now complete;

1133.3 that there were concerns from the Students’ Union regarding the level of engagement with students on the changes to the Student Futures Code of Impartiality;

1133.4 that the Students’ Union President had been invited to the next meeting of the Funder’s Advisory Panel which unfortunately fell at the end of their term; it was confirmed that in future the President would be invited to the meeting in the Autumn, and an invite would be sent to the incoming President;

1133.5 that a Senate member expressed disappointment that a number of actions still remained uncompleted and a concern that the University’s progression of legal action to remove the 2025 encampment did not match its commitment to peaceful protest; it was highlighted that the recent encampment had included actions which threatened the health and safety of the wider University community and the dignity at work of some members of staff which is why action had been taken; the University remained committed to the right to peaceful protest.

1134 Items from the Chair

Noted there were no items from the Chair.

1135 Report from Vice Chancellor

Received and considered paper 24/585C, ‘Vice-Chancellor’s Report to Senate’. The Chair spoke to this item.

Noted

1135.1 that research performance continued to improve and this was good news, especially in the current challenging context for higher education;

1135.2 that the Academic Promotions process would recommence in 2025/26 and information had been shared in Blas; it was confirmed the current timeline for the process would involving issuing of draft procedures in early August 2025, with these submitted for formal approval in November 2025 and applications due by the end of January 2026; the tight timescale was noted and it was hoped the procedures issued in August would be near final;

1135.3 that good progress continued to be made on the Transformation programme, including Horizon 2 and 3 activities (e.g. the Cardiff Futures initiative and TNE);

1135.4 that the agreement to increase rent for University student accommodation (with no consultation with the Students’ Union) was disappointing, especially given ongoing cost of living pressures; the Vice-Chancellor highlighted this decision had not been taken lightly and was required to enable re-investment in the residences provision, especially as this was the key reason for students not choosing to study with the University; the University remained below its peer group for residence costs and offered a number of schemes to support students; it was highlighted that the Modernising Governance project would ensure student experience matters were captured appropriately;

1135.5 that as there had been minimal up-front costs for the Kazakhstan campus, the University was able to scale the number of staff required depending on the number of students enrolled; there had been nearly 200 applications from students in the first 10 days of the application form being launched which was positive, and it was predicted there would be more growth for entry in the 2026/27 year as the University had gone to market late for the 2025/26 year;

1135.6 that the cross-University 20 credit module noted within the Cardiff Futures work had not yet been formally agreed and discussions around such items within the wider pedagogy work were ongoing.

1136 Academic Futures

Received and considered paper 24/598C, ‘Academic Futures Business Case’. The Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor spoke to this item.

Noted

1136.1 that it was acknowledged that the paper had been issued late and this was not ideal; following review by UEB, there had been a need to finalise and translate the document, and discuss it with the Trade Unions; it had been considered important to release the final academic futures plans to all staff at the same time, hence why members had received it on Monday along with other staff;

1136.2 that Senate was invited to discuss the plans and offer observations to Council, especially in relation to the impact on education and research; Senate would then be asked to recommend the plans to Council;

1136.3 that the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor provided an overview of the plans and the changes made through the consultation process and noted:

.1 that the paper presented a case for change to ensure academic and financial sustainability; the outcome was a slightly smaller University which maintained tariff by consolidating core strengths and bringing cognate disciplines into new alignment; it aimed to amplify current success, not diminish it, and reflected a wider pedagogical shift for the entire University;

.2 that development of the plans had been academically led;

.3 that a 90-day consultation had been held and had resulted in material changes to the original proposals, following the receipt of 54 alternative proposals;

.4 that changes to the initial proposals included maintaining Music provision at new scale, a new shape for Modern Languages, and retention of Nursing; the proposed original four school reconfigurations remained, although there had been some amendments;

.5 that the work had involved difficult decisions, including plans for the cessation of programmes in Ancient History, Religion & Theology and Modern Languages;

.6 that the original target of a 400 FTE reduction had been reduced by Voluntary Severance and Redundancy Schemes (151) and other adjustments (180), resulting in a new requirement of 69 FTE reduction between 2025/26 and 2029/30; this would total a 2.2% reduction in students and 11.8% reduction in academic staff;

.7 that the plans contributed to the University’s need to achieve financial sustainability but did not achieve this alone; there would be £20m gross savings (£14.1m net) per annum from the plans, and this increased with the inclusion of all staff lost through Voluntary Severance and Voluntary Redundancy Schemes;

.8 that compulsory redundancies continued to remain a last resort and were out of scope for the calendar year 2025;

.9 that thanks were extended to all who had contributed to and worked on the plans and for the alternative proposals submitted;

1136.4 that Senate members were then invited to provide comments and feedback on the plans;

1136.5 that in response to a query it was confirmed that there would be discussion with input from the staff in SOCSI, GEOLP and ARCHI to establish the most appropriate location of the Urban Design and Planning subjects, taking into account research synergies, programme viability and financial sustainability; decisions taken on the location of the subjects would be taken in the 2025/26 academic year;

1136.6 it was highlighted that a number of schools, despite having reduced FTE and being very close to target, still remained in scope; this created stress and anxiety for staff which could last for up to five years (noting the 2029/30 end point); it was highlighted that the University did not want to move individuals out of scope until there was certainty on the staffing position to avoid any future risk they may need to be returned to scope;

1136.7 that there was disappointment that feedback on the alternative proposals which were not accepted had not always offered sufficient reasoning or demonstrated (with data) why the original proposals were preferential;

1136.8 that it was requested the alternative proposals information be shared with Council, to enable them to review the possible alternatives; the Vice-Chancellor would discuss this with the Chair of Council;

[Post Meeting Note: this information was shared with Council in advance of their meeting on 17 June].

1136.9 that the argument for school mergers did not seem to demonstrate how academic and financial sustainability would be achieved and were not yet fully considered or planned; there was also a risk that progression of these mergers would divert staff resource from other key priorities (e.g. REF, TNE);

1136.10 that a request was made to consider the inclusion of the planned ceased programmes in Ancient History and Religion and Theology within the new School of Global Humanities; these subjects could form a key part of the educational portfolio and contribute to the research activities of the planned new School of Global Humanities;

1136.11 that a new model of delivery had been proposed for Modern Languages which would allow for the full modern language provision to be maintained and which could result in an improved recruitment to the full language offering, and it was requested this model be trialled before any language provision was cut;

1136.12 that there were concerns that the higher percentage loss of staff compared to students, and the resulting impact on SSRs, would result in increased pressure on staff, a poorer student experience and thus a worse performance in NSS; there was limited detail provided on how the transition to higher SSRs would be managed and how this could be delivered whilst also maintaining staff morale and student experience; there was a need for a clear and deliverable plan to manage the transition to a higher SSR;

1136.13 that information in Blas referencing non-recurring savings referred to non-pay costs, rather than savings achieved via reduced staff costs;

1136.14 that there was a concern the proposals and reduction in staff would impact on students’ ability to study and be assessed in Welsh and further assurances in this area were desired.

Resolved

1136.15 that Senate did not recommend that Council approve the Academic Futures proposals.

1137 Colleges & Schools Programme: Update on Academic Purpose and Leadership workstream

Received and considered paper 24/586, ‘Academic Purpose, Function and Leadership (APFL) Update’. The Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor spoke to this item.

Noted

1137.1 that detailed documents had been drafted, including possible structures, and were being discussed with key stakeholders as part of the consultation process;

1137.2 that the proposals would be submitted to the governance cycle in Autumn 2025 (including Senate), and if approved, implemented from the 2026/27 academic year;

1137.3 that there had been a range of feedback provided, both positive and negative, and the paper did not intend to suggest all feedback had been only positive;

1137.4 that there were a number of projects ongoing at the current time and a number of interdependencies between projects, and the executive were aware of these issues and the current workloads, and seeking to mitigate risks to ensure that the changes taking place do not adversely impact the student experience.

1138 Report from Students’ Union President

Received and considered paper 24/587, ‘Students’ Union President’s Report’. The Students’ Union President spoke to this item.

Noted

1138.1 that it had been a successful year for the Students’ Union and they had been awarded “Second Best Students’ Union in the UK” for the fourth year running, becoming the most consistent performing Students’ Union; the University had also improved its ranking in the Complete University Guide;

1138.2 that Spring Elections had concluded, with 57 candidates and over 25% of students voting;

1138.3 that a number of celebration events had been held, including an event for student leaders, the Enriching Student Life Awards, and 50 years of the Students’ Union on Park Place; thanks were extended to the University community for their support for students;

1138.4 that key campaigns included Revision Aid (with over 2,000 hot drinks supplied to students) and “Feed a Flat”;

1138.5 that thanks were extended from the sabbatical officers to Senate members for their willingness to work together and engage; thanks were also extended from Senate to the sabbatical officers for their hard work.

1139 Student View

Received and considered an oral report from the Students’ Union President.

Noted

1139.1 that final Student View documents were now ready and would be formally submitted to the University;

1139.2 that the Student View summarised feedback from Speak Week, Student-Staff panels and other data and detailed improvements students wished to see to improve student experience;

1139.3 that the process for the Student View had been amended, to allow for identification of action owners and progress of recommendations to be made during the summer, and an update presented to Senate in the Autumn; work also continued on completing recommendations from the 2024 Student View;

1139.4 that in response to a question, the Students’ Union Present felt the relationship with the University had positively evolved during their time as a sabbatical officer and that it was felt students were having a greater voice; the Vice-Chancellor supported this view and emphasised the importance for collaboration and partnership working;

1139.5 that four views were presented for the 2025 Student View;

Student View on International Student Experience

1139.6 that there were three key areas of concern, relating to: visa advice; financial struggles and career support; and community, belonging and success;

1139.7 to address these, it was recommended the capacity of the Visa Advice Team was increased and communications improved to ensure clarity;

1139.8 it was also recommended that more targeted financial support and advice was provided to International Students, along with enhancements to career services and networking opportunities; further academic support should also be considered;

1139.9 it was also recommended the University adopt the UKCISA’s #WeAreInternational Student Charter and aim to fix tuition fee levels for international students for the duration of their studies on a degree programme;

Student View on Student Wellbeing and Support Services

1139.10 that the key themes for this Student View focused on: counselling and wellbeing services: academic support; PGR support; and career support;

1139.11 it was recommended the Health and Wellbeing support for students was expanded and existing Academic & Pastoral Support Structures strengthened;

1139.12 that it was also recommended support for PGRs be enhanced, and inclusive career-focused support be embedded;

Student View on Academic Futures

1139.13 that this Student View did not offer a formal response on the proposals from students and instead reflected feedback on how the process had been managed;

1139.14 that key themes were: communication; the perceived impact on the academic community; and Widening Participation concerns;

1139.15 that it was recommended for future schemes there should be a detailed plan to communicate with students agreed in advance of launch and students continue to be consulted and informed throughout the process;

1139.16 that in relation to concerns over Widening Participation, it was recommended initiatives in this space were ring-fenced and an IIA undertaken, to ensure those most at risk are not most impacted;

Student (Deja) Vu: Revisiting Past Commitments

1139.17 that this captured previously agreed recommendations from historical Student Views that had continued to be raised as concerns by students; these centred on facilities, and teaching and learning;

1139.18 that recommendations on facilities centred on extended opening hours and ensuring access to diverse and affordable food and drink options;

1139.19 that a review of the provision of faith-based and reflection spaces was recommended;

1139.20 that a number of improvements to study spaces were also recommended.

1140 Academic Standards and Quality Committee Report to Senate

Received and considered paper 24/588, ‘Academic Standards and Quality Committee Report’. The Head of Education Governance spoke to this item.

Noted

1140.1 that a typographical and grammatical error had been corrected within the Student Complaints Procedure and the Examination and Assessment Policy and Procedures;

1140.2 that a change had been proposed to the Student Attendance and Engagement Monitoring Policy, with additional wording added to section 8 to read: “If you expect to be or are absent for more than 14 days (taught students) or 28 days (research students) you must apply for an interruption of study to prevent escalation as detailed in section 7”;

1140.3 that to review whether the inclusion of a glossary or definition of the terms for the Student Conduct Regulations and Policy would be of benefit;

1140.4 that a concern had been raised in relation to the proposed change to the Academic Feedback Policy, which noted that feedback on work submitted within the standard one-week Extenuating Circumstances extension should be returned at the same time as work submitted within to the original deadline; there was a concern this would negatively impact on the workload of staff; ASQC felt that staff members would be able to request an extension to the deadline for providing feedback, should this present an issue; there was support from students for the proposed change and some Senate members also felt the change should be included, to avoid negatively impacting students who reported extenuating circumstances; the proposed change was put to a vote and approved by Senate.

Resolved

1140.5 to approve a number of amendments and changes to Academic Regulations and Policies (as contained in paper 24/590), subject to the amendments noted in minutes 1140.1 and 1140.2.

1141 Education and Student Experience Committee Report to Senate

Received and considered paper 24/589, ‘Education and Student Experience Committee Report’. The Head of Education Governance spoke to this item.

Noted

1141.1 that the Timetabling Publication Policy had been updated to include protection of Wednesday afternoons from 1pm for sporting events; it was noted that some students may need to leave before that time to attend away games;

1141.2 that the Flexible Lifelong Learning Policy did propose a different model of working and was based on the Flexible Lifelong Learning Business Case which had been approved; information had been shared via Blas and further detail would be shared with Senate.

Resolved

1141.3 to approve amendments to the Timetabling Publication Policy and Student Futures Codes of Impartiality (as contained in paper 24/590).

1142 Any Other Business

Noted

1142.1 that thanks were extended to members whose term was ending:

• The Students’ Union President and Sabbatical officers 2024/25
• Prof Jianzhong Wu
• Prof Kate Brain
• Graham Getheridge (Post Meeting Note: Graham’s term ended in December 2024 when he left the University)
• Dr Catherine Teehan
• Dr Andreas Burkei
• Dr Derek Dunne
• Dr Dominic Roche
• Dr Jonathan Hewitt
• Jo Pagett
• Micheal Reade
• Becky Newsome

1142.2 that thanks were extended to Professor Nicola Innes for providing leadership and direction as Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience;

1142.3 that the Vice-Chancellor acknowledged the challenging matters covered in the meeting and extended thanks to all for their contributions, both in the meeting and via other consultative means; it was emphasised that the University was formed of its community and this was at its heart.

1143 Academic Regulations and Policies

Received paper 24/590, ‘Academic Regulations and Policies’.

Resolved

1143.1 to approve a number of amendments to Academic Regulations and Policies, namely:

.1 amendments to the Student Study and Engagement Regulations and a new Student Attendance and Engagement Monitoring Policy (subject to the following alteration to section 8: if you expect to be or are absent for more than 14 days (taught students) or 28 days (research students) you must apply for an interruption of study to prevent escalation as detailed in section 7);

.2 a new Student Support Intervention Procedure;

.3 amendments to the Student Conduct Regulations and a new Student Conduct Procedure;

.4 a new Student Complaints Procedure (subject to correction of formatting issues in the flow diagram);

.5 a new Unsatisfactory Progress Policy (Research Students);

.6 amendments to the Bar on Access Policy (Research Degree Theses);

.7 minor changes to regulations, policies and procedures for research students and Higher Doctorate candidates;

.8 minor amendments and corrections to the Marking and Moderation Policy and Academic Feedback Policy;

.9 minor amendments to the Examination and Assessment Policy and Procedures (subject to the typographical correction from practical’s to practicals);

.10 a new Extenuating Circumstances Policy and Procedure for taught students;

.11 minor amendments to the Regulations for Modular Taught Programmes;

.12 minor amendments to the Teaching Timetable Publication Policy;

.13 re-titling of the Student Futures Code of Impartiality and clarifying that ‘ethics’ was confined to personal rather than institutional choice.

1144 Export Controls Policy

Received paper 24/591, ‘Export Controls Policy’.

Resolved

1144.1 to approve the Export Controls Policy.

1145 Membership of Education and Student Experience Committee and Academic Standards and Quality Committee

Received paper 24/592, ‘Membership of Education and Student Experience Committee and Academic Standards and Quality Committee’.

Resolved

1145.1 to approve the changes to the membership of the Education and Student Experience Committee and the Academic Standards and Quality Committee as detailed in the paper, with immediate effect.

1146 Items Received for Information

The following papers were received for information:

• 24/593 ASQC Minutes – 08 May 2025
• 24/594 ASQC Minutes – 29 May 2025
• 24/548 E&SEC Minutes – 02 April 2025
• 24/595 E&SEC Minutes – 22 May 2025
• 24/596R Emeritus/Emerita Professors and Readers
• 24/597C Report from Honorary Fellows Committee

The minutes were confirmed as a true and accurate record at the meeting of Senate held on 12 November 2025.