Earth Science Heads of Learning & Teaching / Programme Managers meeting
12-13th September 2006
Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel, Warwickshire
Background
The GEES Subject Centre has supported L&T activities in Earth Science, through various mechanisms, for 6 years. In that time the Higher Education sector, and provision in the Earth Sciences in particular, has undergone significant change. In response to these changes, the GEES team seeks to bring together key players in L&T at departmental level with responsibility for managing and running Earth Sciences programmes, in order to target GEES Subject Centre activities for the 2007-2011 period which specifically focus on issues directly relevant and important to Earth Sciences.
In short, the aim is to allow Earth Scientists to set the agenda for the GEES Subject Centre to support Earth Sciences in the coming 5 years.
Objectives of the meeting
- To identify the key L&T and staff development issues affecting Earth Sciences Higher Education in the UK now and in the coming 5 years
- To develop a 5-year Action Plan for addressing these issues
- To identify specific activities and resources that the GEES Subject Centre (and the relevant professional organisations) can provide to enhance/modify its current provision to help individual departments/programmes address these issues
- To establish a network of key individuals in Earth Sciences UK HE with a specific responsibility for L&T in their departments, to enable the GEES Senior Advisor for Earth Science to produce effective, targeted dissemination of L&T resources and information.
Who should attend?
Any colleagues who have a responsibility for the organisation and/or management of learning & teaching on Earth Sciences programmes (e.g. Geology, Applied or Environmental Geology, Geosciences, Geological Hazards, Geophysics, Joint Honours Geology courses etc..) in their department. This may include: Directors of Teaching, Heads of L&T committees, senior tutors, Directors of study, L&T co-ordinators or Programme leaders.
If you have this kind of responsibility and you are unable to attend in person, we would be very grateful if you could identify someone to attend in your place since our aim is for at least 20 departments to be represented.
Cost of meeting
The event is FREE OF CHARGE to one member of staff from each department running Earth Science programmes in the UK. This includes: a meeting pack, a barbeque dinner and 4 star single room accommodation (B&B) on 12th September, lunch on the 13th September and coffee/tea on arrival and during meeting sessions. Additional members of staff are very welcome to attend at a cost of £100 / person.
Structure & Programme for the meeting
Short presentations will be given by GEES staff and there will be input from CHUGD. Subsequent themed discussions in small groups will be informed by information provided by the Earth Sciences community during the past year. The draft programme is as follows:
Tuesday 12th September 2006
14:00 ARRIVAL at hotel and coffee
14:30 Welcome and overview of current GEES support activities (Dr Neil Thomas, HEA GEES, Senior Advisor for Earth Sciences)
15:00 – 15:45 Keynote: The future of Earth Sciences in the UK HE sector (GEES, CHUGD)
16:00 – 17:00 Group discussions to identify L&T priorities for The Earth Sciences and specific requirements of individual departments/programmes
17:00 – 17:30 Report back from groups & agenda setting
17:30 – 19:00 Relaxation time
19:00 Barbeque dinner & bar
Wednesday 13th September 2006
09:30 – 11:00 Group discussions: Action plan for 2007-2011
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee
11:30 – 13:00 Formulation of Action Plan for specific objectives and GEES activities for 2007-2011
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
CLOSE OF MEETING
Please note that participation in this event could count towards the CPD requirements of your professional body.