BAAS Executive Committee Meeting: September 24, 2005
Minutes of the 244th meeting of the Executive Committee, held at University of Manchester on September 24, 2005.
1. Present
S Newman (Chair), C Smith (Vice Chair), H Macpherson (Secretary), G Thompson (Treasurer), K Cooper, R Crockatt, J Davies, C Elliott, W Kaufman, S MacLachlan, C Morley, I Ralston, I Scott, G Thompson
Apologies
M Padget, J Kleinberg, T Woods, J Virden
In attendance
G Conyne
2. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
After minor typographical amendments, these were accepted as a true record and will now go on the website.
3. Matters Arising
JD raised the issue of the ALS invoice of £312 pounds (ref 7g of the actions list). JD did not get a response from the ALS Treasurer to find out why the fee had gone up so substantially. It is based on membership, but the former fee had been less than £100. The Committee agreed that JD should draft a second letter to the Treasurer and await a reply before BAAS paid.
4. Chair’s Business
a) The Chair began by noting the following appointments news: Professor Brian Ward (previously of the University of Florida) has been appointed to a Chair in American Studies at the University of Manchester and will take up the appointment next year; Professor David Seed (University of Liverpool) has been appointed to the AHRC Postgraduate Panel for English Language and Literature; Dr. Heidi Macpherson has been appointed Head of the Department of Humanities at the University of Central Lancashire. Kings College London did not make an appointment (as advertised) for a Chair but is considering the option of advertising two junior appointments instead.
b) The Chair offered congratulations to all those in the American Studies community who had received AHRC Research Leave Awards and circulated a complete list of award holders. Applicants proposing American Studies topics received 10 of 279 awards.
c) The Chair attended the Journal of American Studies editorial board meeting on Friday 2nd September along with the Treasurer, the Secretary, and the Chair of the Publications Subcommittee.
d) SN also attended a meeting of the UK Council for Area Studies Associations (UKCASA) on 16th September. Ed Hughes of RAE 2008 attended, as did Judie Newman as Chair of Main Panel L, along with three of the four sub-panel chairs (including Paul Cammack, Chair of American Studies Sub-Panel 47). At the meeting a notice was circulated about a series of workshops to be held over two days in Oxford on “The Future of Interdisciplinary Area Studies in the United Kingdom,” on 6th and 7th December 2005. This is being funded by the ESRC, and there will be AHRC and HEFCE representatives present. However, attendance is by invitation only; few people at the UKCASA AGM had heard about this meeting, and none had been invited. SN reported that the officers of UKCASA will contact the workshop organizers to express concern about the lack of publicity and knowledge about this funded event.
e) SN attended a reception welcoming Rick Roberts as Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs and Beth Poisson as Press Counselor, hosted by Ambassador Robert Tuttle at the US Ambassador’s residence in London on 19th September.
f) SN reported that he had received a message of solidarity from Marc Chénetier, Chair of the European Association for American Studies, after the London bombings in July.
g) SN circulated information about a series of discussions with Dr. Andrew O’Shaughnessy (Saunders Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, affiliated with the University of Virginia), and the result has been that on a trial basis, the Center will make two fellowships available for British school teachers (which BAAS would judge). The first will be a place on the annual three-week long Monticello-Stratford Hall Summer Seminar for Teachers; the second will be for a similar length residency at Monticello during which the applicant will work with staff, developing materials to enhance their teaching. The awards will include all expenses while in the US. SN proposed that BAAS should offer travel bursaries: 2 x £500 bursaries in line with STAs. BAAS would advertise, judge, and send information to ICJS for final approval; in return, BAAS would ensure that the recipients contribute to our new website for teachers. The Committee approved of this proposal.
h) The Chair presided over a meeting of American Studies heads of programmes, centres, and departments, which was hosted by the Institute for the Study of the Americas (ISA), on Friday 23rd September. Several BAAS Executive Committee members were present, and the twenty-two attendees discussed American Studies recruitment and the RAE. It was agreed to hold similar meetings on an annual basis. Paul Cammack attended as BAAS’s guest. BAAS may also be invoiced for the lunch.
i) SN reported that he had written to American Studies department and programme heads to find out about current recruitment for American Studies programmes, and semester or year abroad programmes. He circulated a copy. Although it was hard to compare across programmes, there was a general sense of declining undergraduate numbers and a fear that the introduction of higher tuition fees would lead to further decline. This was discussed at the ISA meeting, which was attended by Hannah Lowe, an American Studies graduate who teaches at City and Islington Sixth Form College; HL has DFES funding to research American Studies recruitment. She has agreed to feed back the results of her research.
j) SN noted that, at the BAAS-ISA meeting, Philip Davies had raised the issue of advertising American Studies programmes more widely and disseminating information about them. An earlier survey done by Kasia Boddy was now out of date and perhaps did not delve as deeply as we need to now. It was agreed that a brochure should be produced (in conjunction with the Eccles Centre) advertising the merits of American Studies, and using real examples to demonstrate that the skills taught on such programmes are of interest to employers, and that there are a number of paths open to graduates. Departments will be contacted to provide such examples, and BAAS must then secure funding and create the leaflet in conjunction with the Eccles Centre, which can then be distributed to university programmes, schools, etc. The information might also be used for a THES or Guardian piece countering negative reports about the career paths and possibilities for American Studies graduates. There might be Embassy funding for such a proposal. SN reported that Martin Padget had been our original contact in relation to this. GC noted that he would be willing to help after the conference was underway. SN is to get in touch with MP about moving this forward.
k) SN circulated a number of publications received, including those from the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies. He also circulated a report of the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s working group on doctoral research in the arts and humanities. The AHRC have requested responses by 31st October. SN asked for any comments to reach him by 24th October.
l) SN reported that BAAS has been invited to send representatives to the QAA seminars on benchmarking: meetings for Subject Specialists are in York on 25 October, Manchester on 7 November, Birmingham on 14 November, and London on 13 December. HM will attend the Manchester event, and CS can attend the London event.
m) SN circulated a call from the ESRC regarding the need for quantitative assessments of the quality of research output (the Secretary had also circulated this information via email). The AHRC is obliged to produce a similar guide, but recognizes that science-style citation indexes are inappropriate. SN asked the Committee to come forward with constructive suggestions. The Chair has responded to the ESRC, as has at least one other member of the Executive Committee.
n) SN reported that the AHRC has written to subject associations requesting nominees for the Peer Review College. They are particularly looking for experts to peer-review applications for AHRC funding in Media and Communication Studies; Television History, Theory and Criticism; Film History, Theory and Criticism; American Studies/American Literature, early modern to 20th century; American History, Civil War to contemporary; Political History, modern and contemporary. The AHRC require nomination forms and details by 30 September. SN asked for nominations within the next few days. HM suggested that we revisit the RAE nominations for likely candidates.
o) SN noted that the British Academy has launched a new “Visiting Fellowships” scheme, designed to bring early-career scholars from abroad to host UK universities for 2-4 months. American Studies is certainly a logical area for applications, but in addition there is reserved funding for certain areas including Latin America (also includes Latino studies), which will accept applications from scholars dealing with Latin American communities within the United States. Details are on the British Academy website, and the closing date for applications is 15 December 2005.
p) SN reported that the AHRC and ESRC have launched a new Scholarship Scheme for research at the Library of Congress: “The key aim of this scheme is to enable these collections to be used to enhance research already being funded through an AHRC or ESRC award (including postgraduates). Scholarships will be available to doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and research assistants funded by the AHRC and ESRC.” The deadline is October 31st, but it is a relatively simple application process, and could be particularly useful for AHRC or ESRC funded postgraduate students.
q) SN reported on initial consultations with universities affected by Hurricane Katrina. It was noted that the US higher education community had been very proactive in offering support and assistance for Tulane, Dillard and the others colleges and universities affected. Both MLA and ASA are very involved in offering support. RC reported that UEA is planning to take extra JYA students from affected campuses, and similar arrangements might be encouraged from other institutions.
r) SN reported that CS had finished compiling the official BAAS response on the draft criteria for the American Studies sub-panel 47, after the chair sent an email message to all members of the Executive Committee, and all American Studies programme, centre and departmental heads. In general feedback about the criteria has been very positive. SN also reported on detailed responses offered by Ed Hughes, Judie Newman, Paul Cammack and others discussed at the UKCASA AGM about how RAE 2008 will work. BAAS recognizes that most of its members will not be returned under Unit 47 but under other panels. CS agreed to write guidance notes to be published in the next issue of ASIB, particularly in relation to cross-referral. In many cases, cross-referring to American Studies might be a preferred option, since it would help funding councils, vice-chancellors and the like recognize the size of the American Studies community. This would be a strategic decision, since there’s no immediate financial return for American Studies. Finally, it was noted that Professor Shelley Fisher Fishkin is the international advisor for Panel L.
s) The Chair has written to Ed Hughes (RAE 2008) regarding the failure of RAE to count financial income from research awards and fellowships awarded in the United States. His response indicates that this can only be “counted” in RA5. There was also some discussion about the the proposed funding council directive that research will have to be published online within three years of it being funded, which has a number of implications.
5. Secretary’s Business
a) The Secretary circulated correspondence received, including the UKCASA call for a conference. Other correspondence has been circulated via email.
b) HM reported on actions taken as secretary. HM has helped direct people with research queries to the appropriate sources, circulated the 2006 CFP, and updated the BAAS externals list. She has distributed calls for papers, conferences, research queries, etc. through the listserv; updated our records with national surveys/records esp. in relation to the STAs and other awards (e.g., to the Encyclopedia of Associations: International Organizations); forwarded information to the treasurer regarding membership queries, especially from lapsed members; and liaised with CM as ASIB editor and GT as Treasurer to ensure that new members’ profiles will be published in the spring ASIB.
c) On BAAS’s behalf, HM sent a letter of condolence to the Ambassador regarding the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.
d) HM liaised with individuals about arrangements for the London ISA meeting and attended the JAS editorial board meeting.
e) HM has directed correspondence about advertising in JAS and/or ASIB to the appropriate sources.
f) HM has facilitated discussions about the next Teaching Assistantship round and reported that BAAS needed to find two volunteers from the Committee (ideally one historian and one literature expert) to shortlist and conduct interviews with Peter Boyle in Nottingham on Wed. 14 December. SM and IS both volunteered for the role and were thanked for their willingness and commitment. HM is to write to PB to let him know the news. The Teaching Assistantships have been advertised on the web.
6. Treasurer’s Business
a) The Treasurer distributed a full document on current membership figures and bank balances. Balances on 25.9.05 are as follows: Current account: £1,714.44; Conference: £9,204.30; Lib. Res.: £2.76; Ed. Development: £5,221.98; STA: £23,994.16; Deposit: £22,178.04, making a total of £62,315.68. In addition, the US dollar account shows a balance of $3367.46 and the RBS account currently has £14,778.40.
b) Membership figures were lower than were forecast in April. The figures were offered in three ways: fully paid up members, 407 (including 120 postgraduates); fully paid up members plus those who haven’t changed their standing orders, 498 (including 143 postgraduates); all of the above plus those who have yet to renew for 2005, 565 (including 174 postgraduates).
c) GT report that the 2004 accounts had been signed off and sent to the Charity Commission.
d) GT reported that BAAS is still having to deal with cases of unauthorized direct debits. Although we are quickly recredited this money by the bank, there is still concern that this is occurring on a semi-regular basis. Our bank manager is looking to ensure that nothing goes out on direct debit. GT also reported that the process for changing over the contact and signatory details from Nick Selby to GT had been long and drawn out.
e) GT submitted the Cambridge conference accounts, which revealed that the final shortfall was £12,043.37. The Mellon fund covered £10k. Tony Badger asked for £1500 from BAAS for the shortfall. After discussions with the officers, it was agreed that BAAS would pay this. BAAS also covered Shelley Fisher Fishkin’s conference fees.
f) GT reported that he had recredited the bank account of a BAAS member who had accidentally credited us with a large amount.
g) GT reported that progress on GiftAid was somewhat hampered by our membership records, which didn’t easily allow us to check when people became members and whether they stayed members. This will increasingly be a problem, given that the database currently includes partial information on 900 individuals (including lapsed members). GT has been in contact with an organisation called Data Development, who have developed a GiftAid software package. GT proposed that we buy their package. The cost of a membership package was £79, with an additional £99 for a GiftAid package. The Committee agreed that this was a sensible way forward.
h) GT proposed to institute a new expenses procedure. Whilst he was still able to write cheques to individuals for expenses, he felt that a more efficient way would be through internet banking. The Committee approved of this plan, and individual members should let GT have their banking details in order to facilitate this.
i) SN reminded Committee members of the need to keep travel expenses to a reasonable level. HM added that this was why the Committee met frequently in Manchester, because the Officers had done an analysis of the expenses required, and Manchester remained the most cost-effective location for meetings.
7. Development Subcommittee (IS reporting)
a) IS advised the Committee that a number of requests for funding were being sent to the Development Subcommittee every quarter, and he wished to standardize the procedures for such requests. Thus he proposed to create a standardized form for funding requests which would be distributed via the mailbase and on the web. This was agreed.
b) IS noted that BAAS now awards many prizes and that organising this has become a major part of his role. Not including the new Monticello scholarships, and the Book Prize (which is organised by the Publication Subcommittee), BAAS now needs prize committees for 6 different awards, including the Ambassador’s postgraduate award, the Ambassador’s undergraduate award, the Ambassador’s school essay prize (which is organized by IR and KC), the BAAS Postgraduate Essay Prize, the new Founders STAs, and the Postgraduate/Young Scholar STAs. Standing Orders require that either the Secretary or the Treasurer sits on the panel that judges the Postgraduate Essay prize and that the Chair sits on the panel that judges the STAs. It was agreed that the Secretary or Treasurer (in alternate years) should also sit on the committee that judges the new Founders’ STAs, so that all of the elected officers have a role each year. IS circulated a sign up sheet and asked for volunteers to coordinate the other panels and recruit 1-2 suitable members from outside the Committee to help with the judging. The judging of all of these prizes remains anonymous. IS would act as an overall coordinator, ensuring that the proposed prize committees offered a balance of specialisms. Most of the coordination for these prizes is done by email.
c) IS reminded the Committee of the new deadlines for prizes. The Book Prize deadline is 1 December. The STA deadlines are 15 December, with a January/February turn around. The Ambassador’s prize deadlines are 28 January 2006, and the Postgraduate Essay Prize deadline is 1 March 2006. All of the prize winners will be announced at the Kent Conference.
d) IS reported that BAAS had been successful in its applications for grants from the US Embassy. The total funding was as follows: £7600 for conference support, directed primarily at postgraduates; £2350 for the Ambassador’s Awards, to help fund the advertising and the awards themselves; and £5000 for postgraduate students’ travel, which allows BAAS to offer up to 10x£500 Postgraduate/Young Scholar STAs. This totals £14950 pounds. It is unclear how many applicants there will be for the Founders’ Awards, but the Committee agreed to fund up to 5x£500 awards. IS will organize a mailshot and other publicity for these prizes.
e) IS reported that the BAAS postgraduate essay prize had gone very well in 2005. He reminded the Committee of the earlier debate about whether to continue with the award. The excellent response for 2004-05 and the quality of the papers suggested that the award should continue. In addition, BAAS had no guarantee of continued Embassy funding for the Ambassador’s Awards, and it was felt that BAAS should offer clear support whatever external funding was available. IS reminded the Committee that the award had been set at £250 for several years, and he proposed raising the amount to £500. The Committee endorsed this proposal.
f) IS reported that he was continuing discussions with individuals involved in the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies. In particular, he is keen to continue discussions with John Canning, Philip Davies and Dick Ellis in order to promote Area Studies’ interests. There is a perceived problem with disseminating information about Area Studies. IS will continue discussions with UKCASA on this, but Committee members are enjoined to think of ways to promote Area Studies more effectively. JD noted that it might be appropriate for CE to approach John Canning for a statement on the mailbase for web links/information dissemination. SN noted the importance of working with UKCASA in organising these initiatives.
g) IS reported that at the morning meeting, CE had reported on postgraduate business. The Sheffield conference is being well organized. There are ongoing discussions about workshops targeted at postgraduates and research opportunities at the Kent Conference. A lunchtime postgraduate meeting will be held, and there may be a special session for US Studies Online. CS confirmed that it was a requirement of the post that the editor attend the BAAS conference.
8. Publications Subcommittee (CS reporting)
a) CS reported that there had been no official BRRAM report this quarter. She had, however, talked with Dr. Vassie after the last meeting and he was planning to meet with KM this month. They were to bring forward a discussion document on revising the contract. If it is produced, the subcommittee will explore the options at the next meeting.
b) CS noted that JK was unable to attend the meeting but that JK had recently chaired the JAS editorial board meeting at which SN, GT, CS and HM were all present. A special “50th anniversary” issue will come out in December which has papers by Michael Heale and Mick Gidley amongst others, prefaced by comments about the anniversary. CS reminded the Committee of the nominations procedure for the editorial board and noted that there were still 5-6 positions to be filled. CS also reported that she had already received one application in relation to the positions of JAS editor or associate editor; the closing date is 1 December. A final call will go out on the mailbase and the web, and the latest issue of ASIB has a one-page insert calling for a new editor.
c) CS reported that JK would like nominations for the CUP lecture at Kent.
d) In relation to the EUP BAAS paperback series, CS reported that she is still awaiting the arrival of the proposals mentioned in the last minutes. A new proposal has come from the last call, provisionally entitled The Music of Slavery. The author is revising the proposal and sending in a writing sample at present. Niall Palmer has sent draft material to SN.
e) CS reported on the progress of the CUP proposal. HM emailed Emma Baxter at CUP after the meeting, and CS then followed that up with a formal letter. EB contacted CM as editor of ASIB and together they are putting together an advertisement which will go in the next ASIB.
f) CS reported that there is a vacancy on the US Studies Online editorial board due to Douglas Tallack’s decision to stand down at present. The current board includes Celeste-Marie Bernier, Judie Newman, Graham Thompson, Catherine Morley, Theresa Saxon, Dick Ellis, Lisa Merrill, and Liz Rosen. The area that is particularly needed is cultural studies/film and/or visual culture. CS asked for nominations within the next three weeks, which the subcommittee will consider in an email exchange; it is expected that BAAS will be able to confirm the name at the next meeting.
g) CS reported that the editor of US Studies Online had raised the issue of extending the reach of the journal to an international audience. The subcommittee therefore proposed a review of the current remit. They felt that the journal will and should remain a forum for students at British universities, but it should also welcome submissions from the rest of the world. This was agreed. CS is to help Liz Rosen draft the official call for submissions that will announce this change of focus. CM reported that as outgoing editor, she had sent LR a list of names of individuals to approach directly to ask them about submitting work, including people who had won various BAAS prizes. CS will follow this up and also ensure that a call goes out on the mailbase and the postgraduate mailbase.
h) CS reported that the next issue of ASIB will be distributed on 30 September after a short delay. CM took the decision to ask for proofs before publication, and this appears to have been a wise decision. There was some discussion of moving the list of former BAAS chairs from the inside front cover, which costs a substantial sum of money, to another part of the newsletter. This was agreed. The next deadline is 15 December.
i) CS reported that there is a new section of the website devoted to the prizes. GT was thanked for adding this, and he noted that it had been SN’s idea originally.
j) CS reported that the book prize judging team will shortly be confirmed. CS will draft a document noting the timescales for the judges to make decisions. The guidelines remain the same this year: submissions must be published in 2005 (as in the copy right page) and only BAAS members are eligible to win this prize.
9. Conference Subcommittee (SM reporting)
a) SM reported that the majority of the subcommittee meeting was spent discussing Kent. There are no problems with the conference organisation at present, and 35 proposals have come in so far, which is promising. SM reminded the Committee that the deadline for proposals was October 7. GC aims to have a provisional programme by the end of November, and will send the information to ASIB, but in order to avoid the problems of last year, he will send out the registration details and programme out separately as well.
b) SM reported that there were ongoing discussions about the registration form, but that it had been agreed to keep it as simple as possible. In order to make this work, it had been agreed that there should be one price for the hotel accommodation option. SM reported that the conference office at Kent had been extremely helpful; GC will check out details of an account being set up and how much control we have over that account. GC will also check that the cost of conference support is included in charges quoted. SM reported that the subcommittee would be in regular email contact over the next month to ensure that the final details run smoothly.
c) SM suggested a visit to Kent in the next month or so and will organise a small group to tour the facilities.
d) SM noted that there had been a long discussion about plenaries and various names had been put forward. SM was liaising with both JK and Philip Davies about the CUP and Eccles Centre Lectures. GC would approach one of the individuals discussed about the third plenary address. Any other nominations would be welcome in the next week or so.
e) SM reported that there had been progress on civic involvement and plans were underway to have a Lord Mayor’s reception. SM requested that SN send her and GC a list of BAAS invitations that normally went out.
f) SM asked about the new contacts at the Embassy. The individual replacing Dan is Rick Roberts, but Dennis’s replacement hadn’t yet arrived. SM will be in contact with Sue Wedlake about the new personnel. There was also some discussion about requesting an additional Embassy Grant; SM reminded the Committee that the US Embassy had offered support for the Manchester conference in getting the abstracts online, though this was part of a large internet project. SM to liaise with IS and the Embassy about this. BAAS could also offer some financial support towards this. A figure of £150 was agreed.
g) SM reported that plans for the Leicester conference are well underway. Currently the conference organisers are exploring venues for a city event and banquet. One issue was that such venues require an early deposit; SM will liaise with GT about whether BAAS can pay the deposits from one of the accounts. GT will check on past practice with Nick Selby.
h) SM reported that Robert Mason has been in touch about provisional plans for the 2008 conference in Edinburgh.
10. Libraries and Resources Subcommittee (IR reporting)
a) IR reported that the Library and Resources Subcommittee had met on the 21st September at the British Library. One item of business was the next long-term project. Kevin Halliwell had discussed a directory of specialist collections and library resources across the UK. KH will take responsibility for organizing this. (He was previously responsible for the US newspaper database, so he has a great deal of experience in this area.) Instead of producing a hard copy (as had occurred in 1992), it was agreed that a web-based directory would be most appropriate. KH will begin the project by conducting a survey of provision nationally. SN noted that this is exactly the sort of thing that AHRC enhancement grants would be useful for.
b) IR circulated copies of the new Resources for American Studies (2005, formerly the American Studies Library Newsletter). It was agreed that the next print run would be larger and that it would be distributed with ASIB. This year’s issue did have a grant from US embassy for £800; however, the cheque had been lost in the post, but will shortly be reissued. There had been a high cost for printing this edition because it had been turned around very quickly. GT suggested going to the printers we use for ASIB. GT and IR and CM will liaise about this proposal.
c) IR reported that John Pinfold has resigned from the subcommittee, so they are actively looking for new members. Committee members should make their own university/school librarians aware of this committee.
d) IR reported that the subcommittee requested a timetabled slot at the Conference; GC indicated that this would not be a problem. Matthew Shaw at the BL will identify someone to lead on this.
e) IR raised the issue of travel expenses for the subcommittee meetings. At present, only the chair of subcommittee received expenses. This is an historical anomaly and it was agreed that all subcommittee members should get their travel expenses paid.
f) IR reported that there are new officers: Jayne Hoare has now taken over as Secretary following R Bennett’s resignation and the new Treasurer is David Forster from the Liverpool American Studies Centre.
11. EAAS (HM reporting on behalf of JV)
a) JV was unable to attend the meeting but offered an emailed report which the Secretary conveyed to the Committee. The deadline for the EAAS Cyprus conference had passed and we are awaiting the provisional programme.
b) HM circulated a reminder from JV about the ASN Book Prize; this also has gone on the web and on the mailbase.
c) HM reminded the Committee that EAAS is launching an ejournal; Marc Chénetier had asked for a short piece on the state of American Studies in Britain; it was agreed that the Committee would approach Dick Ellis, who had recently published a letter to the ASIB editor about this, and Philip Davies to see if they would like to volunteer.
12. Fiftieth Anniversary Planning
a) The Committee agreed that 50th anniversary planning should no longer be an agenda item. GC suggested that BAAS should make some effort to think about the future and he suggested that a panel on the future of American Studies in Britain might be a good panel to construct for Kent.
b) The Committee thanked Sue Wedlake in her absence for her continued support over the last year on this project. The Secretary is to arrange for flowers to be sent to her.
13. Any Other Business
a) CM raised the issue of the wording of the Founders Award STA, which appeared to preclude young researchers. IS reported that the emphasis was on a wider division between the existing (primarily postgraduate) STAs and the new award. It was also made clear that individuals not in post/non-tenured could apply for the former postgraduate category. IS will work to ensure that there is clarity about this issue.
b) Thanks were offered to SM for organizing the meeting at MMU.
14. Date of next meeting
The next meeting will be held at Leicester on Friday 13 January 2006. The Conference subcommittee will meet at 10am for a tour of the facilities; all other subcommittees will meet at the regular time of 11am, with the Executive Committee meeting following in the afternoon. Those who require parking should be in touch with MH or GL for guidance.
Dr Heidi Macpherson, Secretary.
Phone (office): (01772) 893041 or 893040
Fax: (01772) 892970
email: hrsmacpherson@uclan.ac.uk