33 Jan 18, 2010 02:56 PM The information provided in Section 6 of the merger documents suggest 222,867 WSums for academic
session 2007/08 whereas the SFC Main Grant letter for academic session 2009/10 provide an activity
level for the three colleges of approximately 180,000 WSums. This section also notes the aspiration
of the merged college to develop Science and Health. As Stow College is one of the main college
providers of Science and Health programmes in Scotland, we see no reason for duplication in this area
and would ask for clarii cation on this issue.
34 Jan 18, 2010 03:00 PM People may i nd the prospect of studying in such a large scale New College development quite
daunting.
35 Jan 18, 2010 03:35 PM In section 6 the Quality function has been included as part of the curriculum. Quality whilst it is part of
the curriculum also permeates the all functions and areas of the proposed new college.
There would be a concern regarding ef ective communication with learners so that they would
comprehend how the new college and the plans for curriculum would impact them. It would be
important to harmonise student representation with course teams/course boards quickly to ensure that
learners are not disadvantaged.
The curriculum should be i t for the future and ef ective research should be undertaken to ensure that
it is best placed to serve tomorrow's learners. It would benei t all in the new college that all know which
parts will be located on Cathedral St and which parts at Riverside.
36 Jan 19, 2010 08:32 PM It is essential that Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) for curriculum mapping activities are shared with all
West of Scotland Colleges to avoid duplication and enhance opportunities for local partnership models
with colleges such as our own i.e. James Watt College.
37 Jan 19, 2010 010:58 PM A College which is based on a value system that sees 'Equality, diversity and inclusiveness' as 'not just
slogans' but being 'at the cornerstone of what we believe in and how we will continue to behave' (page
7) recognises that each of the Colleges place high value on Inclusion and we are pleased to note that
this has been recognised as fundamental to the planning stage of our new College.
We hope that the next stage of merger planning will include detailed focus groups with staf and
students (particularly those with Additional Support Needs) to allow their valued feedback on
curriculum issues relating to merger.
Our experienced staf will be delighted to share their wisdom and work collaboratively with senior
managers to provide a world class College that is built upon the solid cornerstones of Equality, Diversity
and Inclusion.
It is noted on p.11 that 'the volume of current activity for students in need of additional support is
signii cant' and that 'the support infrastructure available to learners within the merged College is
likely to be an increasingly important aspect of College provision'. Staf who are well aware of current
government policy relating to MCMC, Curriculum for Excellence, 16+ Learning Choices etc. are
delighted that this has been recognised and look forward to being consulted on how best to move
ahead in the planning of this important support infrastructure.
38 Jan 20, 2010 10:11 AM Further work and the outcome of the SFC consultation on the Glasgow Curriculum requires to be
undertaken. The implications for many colleges of the curriculum ambition as stated in the document
cannot be underestimated. Full risk analysis needs to be undertaken, to ensure that learner choice
across colleges is not undermined. There will be some concern in relation to this issue across a number
of colleges.
39 Jan 20, 2010 There are some important points to discuss in this section.
The i rst is that Quality and Learner Engagement should not be treated as subsets of the curriculum.
Curriculum is our marketed product portfolio of branded subject specialist areas that is derived from
delivering the core activity of learning and teaching to a diverse student and client base.
Quality and Learner Engagement are both, in their own right, stand alone and equal in stature to the
curriculum. The HMIE Quality Framework outlines this in the 3 key principles:
High quality learning
How well are learners progressing and achieving relevant, high quality outcomes?
How ef ective are the college's learning and teaching processes?
•
•
CONTINUED OVERLEAF
135
Appendix 10: Consultation Results