Download Social Anthropology SSL Minutes Mar 09

Social Anthropology Hons Staff-Student Liaison Meeting
Wed 25 March 2009
Draft Minutes
Staff present: Prof. Francesca Bray (chair), Dr Richard Baxstrom, Dr. Joost Fontein,
Dr Ian Harper (standing in for Dr Stefan Ecks), Dr Laura Jeffery, Prof. Jonathan
Spencer, Dr Neil Thin, Dr Dimitri Tsintjilonis.
Student representatives present: Heather Lynes (PhD), Kimberley Sigmund
(MScR), Chandra Sing Gurung, Ashley Robertson (taught MSc), Caroline Moffatt
(senior honours), Charlotte Bailey (junior honours), Chloe Belcher, Heather Murphy
(2nd year), Amy Macgowan Greene, Mathew Barnhardt (1st year).
1. Minutes of last meeting. These were accepted as correct.
2. Matters arising. None.
3. PhD / MSc R. More staff attendance at Friday writing-up seminars would be
appreciated (failing which, written feedback would be welcome), and a larger
room to accommodate the group is needed. Occasionally other anthropology or
anthropology-related seminars are scheduled that clash with the w-u seminar:
could staff please try to avoid such clashes. Students would like a selection of
good MSc dissertations/research proposals to be made available in the Graduate
Office and SA staff to compile a list of excellent theses. Delays in delivery of emails to pg mailing list: pg students to work with JS on a solution. Greater clarity
needed for 1st-year students on who has to take stats courses.
4. MSc T: Theory course should be in S1; although there is a case for having
Ethnography also in S1, it was agreed that this would be too great a burden of
work in one semester. Students would like a selection of good dissertations to be
made available in the Graduate Office. Can they be given a receipt or equivalent
by G Office for submitted essays for course-work? Can photocopy/printing
allowance be increased or better terms for purchasing printing credit be given?
(The last is an issue that has to be addressed at School level.)
5. Assessment and Feedback. Sr Hons students are unhappy that there is often
what seems to be a failure of communication between dissertation advisers and
markers; the level and scope of advice also varies, and more standardised advice
and application of criteria would be desirable. JF will be consulting in Apr-May as
he works on the Imag. Res. course. NT proposed possibility of introducing selfassessment exercise, by students, with supervisor, 2 weeks before submission.
Moira Young has a collection of 65+ dissertations that can be viewed. (A more
detailed list of proposals from the Sr Hons students was submitted to FB/NT after
the SSLC, and will be passed on to JF and other staff.)
6. Senior Honours: lectures in core courses often abstract and broad, rather little
engagement with ethnographic materials, and themes overlapped between the 2
courses. Could we set up Autonomous Learning Groups for option courses? NT:
yes, good idea.
Junior Honours: It is better to have the bulk of Imagining Research in S2 to keep
up momentum, but it was agreed we should plan for an introductory lecture or
brief workshop (ideally Wed p.m.) in S1 to allow more advance planning. Course
booklets and syllabi: can we discuss a common template, be sure tutorial topics
follow sequence of lectures? Readings for some new courses (in this case
Himalayan Ethnography) were not always available in Library. Closeness of essay
and exam dates: it was agreed that next year’s Exam Convenor should check for a
reasonable spread as soon as Registry proposes the exam diet.
7. Second Years. Request for more anthropology in this year reiterated. SA staff are
developing a second yr-2 course which it is planned to introduce in 2010-11.
8. First Year. In both semesters students have had feedback sheets but not
comments written on essays. This will be raised again with J. Hearn. Division of
SA1B into 3 parts didn’t work for the students; next year it will be in only 2 parts.
9. Open Days, UofE Summer School, London Anthropology Day. JF organises
these events this year. We have no problem recruiting, but Summer School is
important because it is designed to bring more Scottish students to UofE. Paid
opportunities for 1 Honours student, 1 post-grad to participate in Summer School,
Mon 20 – Fr 24 July, working with Karen Hinton at Schools Outreach. Anyone
interested please contact JF. (C Moffatt will pass on info to Honours students.)
London Anthropology Day: at the Staff Meeting following SSLC JF asked for
views on sending a delegation to the London Anthropology Day held at the British
Museum on 9th July. It was agreed given the expense and relatively short notice
to defer until 2010.