Staff Student Liaison Committee - Meeting Notes

Notes from School of Civil Engineering Student Staff Liaison Committee Meeting Tuesday 8 September 2009 1 pm

Present

First Year
George Pahali

Second Year
Cameron Creigh

Third Year
Eli Fensom
Sumeer Gohil
Pat James
Paul Edwards
James Dagher

Fourth Year
Afida Md Yusof
Amanda Abdullah
Phillip Lathourakis
Ben Monaghan

Staff Representatives

Prof Kim Ramussen
Dr Tim Wilkinson
Dr Li Liu
Dr Abbas El-zein
A/Prof David Airey


1. Welcome: DA welcomed all members.

2. Matters arising from last meeting in April

Previous minutes

Scitech Library
* Still crowded

Replacement photocopier in the precinct
* TW still trying (slowly!)

Thesis topics for next year online
* TW to see if WebCT will work, or if just easier to send around by email
* Postscript – 2009 topics sent by email to all students – invited to talks and posters

Assignment timetable
* TW circulated what had been gathered to date

3. Student issues

Coastal Engineering
* Staffing problems in this course in recent years had been as a result of staff shortages
* Replacement lecturer found at short notice following student concerns raised early in the semester
* What options are there for starting early?
Civil Engineering design
* Real life problems got a big tick.
* Lack of feedback or a model solution made it hard to establish what was required

Work experience
* Lack of briefing for students
* TW referred to webpage www.civil.usyd.edu.au/courses/civl4008
* Small number of students seemed to have experience lined up

Communication with students
* TW asked about what is best way to get info across to students – eg some info had been given to students on work experience.
* Messages in lectures, v emails etc
* Students have a responsibility to pay attention to notices when given

Timetable & courses
* Steel 2 & concrete 2 in the same semester is tough (this is changing 2010)
* Engineering Disciplines – is it worthwhile?


Meeting closed at 2.05 pm