Bulletin Special

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ARTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

It is easy to make decisions. It is hard to make 'good' decisions that are in the long-term interests of a disparate group of units in a university, a federal system of schools, subject groups, GRCs, and the 'centre'. And it is hard again to secure support for decisions precisely because many individuals and units inevitably look to their particular interests and to the short-term. All too often, good decisions are not followed up and implementation is a frequent problem in all organisations and especially in universities, but a decision not implemented is a decision of no relevance.

It was because I wanted to do my best to make 'good' decisions for the area - decisions that would be supported and implemented - that I saw it as vital to establish an advisory committee that would command respect and make decisions on the basis of solid information, with back-up from administrators. The committee I have established consists of two subject group chairs, Craig Clunas and Pat Thane; two GRC Directors, Martin Van Gelderen and Jim Rollo; two subject deans, Rod Bond and Andrew Crozier; and Richard Fairbank (Planning Section) and Peter Clements (Arts Accountant). The Committee had its first meeting on 29 September and the minutes have been circulated to all subject group chairs, Deans, GRC Directors and school administrative officers, as well as to colleagues in the administration. Decisions about posts will be taken at a November meeting and the minutes will be circulated in the same way.

ARTS AWAYDAY

The demise of the Arts Finance Committee and my appointment to the post of Arts Budget Holder created something of a new situation for the arts area as a whole. I felt it was important to organise an Awayday for subject group chairs, Deans, GRC Directors, SAOs, and colleagues in the administration with a particular interest in arts. I wanted us all to meet and exchange views with a view to our working to a shared agenda so as to make the area as a whole 'better' for staff and students alike. The Awayday, sadly the last event organised by Andrew Hood, was held at Deans Place Hotel, Alfriston, and I produced a number of papers on:

• Income: next year the HECE grant for arts will be down by c£250k because of the 'need' to make efficiency gains.

• Research grant income: as a university and in arts we are way below the average of the top 30 universities in the 1996 RAE in terms of research grant income per academic in spite of our being way above the average in the RAE grades.

• Administration: we need to think hard about the cost and disposition of clerical and administrative support, laboratory support, and computing support in a situation when we may be spending more than our competitor universities.

• The Arts Curriculum: concern has been expressed about the continuing viability and credibility of the 'normal' two course per term arts model at the same time as there is a lot of unease about teaching loads.

• Peter Clements produced a one-page paper on the Arts Budgetary Model. Those of you who want a copy of the Arts Awayday papers should look to your Dean or Subject Group chair.

ACTION

There is little point in having an Awayday and shared ideas unless there is a follow-up in terms of action.

First, I have established three working groups on support (Chair: Mick Johnson); research grant income (Chair: Russell King); and the Arts curriculum (Chair: Brian Short). Each group will look at their issue and come up with recommendations, reporting by the beginning of the Spring term so that the recommendations can be discussed by schools and subject groups. All three working group chairs will be writing in the Bulletin, setting down how they see matters and asking for help.

Second, I have already decided that 10% of research overheads will go to the principal investigator as a personal research budget and this has already happened. I know this is a modest kind of incentive, but it is a start; it can make a real difference to a workaday academic life; and I am not opposed to seeing it used to 'buy out' from teaching although I think this is a matter that needs to be discussed with the relevant subject group chair.

Third, I am committed to the rapid establishment of an Arts Computing Support Unit, and this will be in place as soon as savings can be secured from elsewhere in the support budget; to fund this unit in any other way would simply reduce the spend on faculty and have an impact, albeit modest, on teaching loads that are already seen as a problem.

John Dearlove
ARTS BUDGET HOLDER