UU Magee Taskforce - meeting minutes 11 September 2024
Taskforce members in attendance
Name | Role |
|---|---|
Stephen Kelly (Chair) (SK) | CEO, Manufacturing NI |
Nicola Skelly (Vice-Chair) (NS) | Executive Director, Washington Ireland Programme |
Prof. Paul Bartholomew (PB) | Vice-Chancellor, Ulster University |
Prof. Paul Seawright OBE (PS) | Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Ulster University |
Moira Doherty (MD) | Deputy Secretary, Skills and Education Group, Department for the Economy |
John Kelpie (JK) | Chief Executive, Derry City & Strabane District Council |
Leo Murphy (LM) | Principal and Chief Executive, North West Regional College |
Paul Hannigan (PH) | Head of College, Atlantic Technological University Donegal |
Steven Lindsay (SL) | Deputy Vice President, Londonderry Chamber of Commerce |
Alison Wallace (AW) | Strategy Manager, Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership |
Paddy Mackel (PM) | University and College Union |
Ethan Davies (ED) | President, Ulster University Students Union |
Gavin Killeen MBE (GK) | Managing Director, Nuprint Technologies Limited |
Philip Rodgers (PR) | Director of Workforce Policy, Department of Health |
Apologies
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
Ian McKenna (IM) | Principal Officer, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science |
Dawn McLaughlin (DM) | Non-Executive Director, Invest NI |
Mary MacIntyre OBE (MM) | Chartered Town Planner |
Welcome
SK welcomed attendees to the meeting and introduced new members of the taskforce and DfE secretariat:
- Ethan Davis – UU Student Union President
- Phillip Rodgers – Director of Workforce Policy, Department of Health (DoH)
- Linda Williams – incoming Director of DfE Magee Expansion Division.
Conflicts of interest
No further conflicts of interest noted.
Minutes from last meeting/update on action points
All taskforce members confirmed they were content, and no amendments were required to the minutes of the previous meeting. The secretariat provided updates on the DfE owned action points.
Summary of previous meeting
SK provided a summary presentation of the previous meeting and noted the fact that the completion and publication of the interim report is an important step forward. SK put on record his thanks to all members of the UU Magee Taskforce, the report writer and DfE’s secretariat team.
Future work plan and engagement
Prior to this meeting, SK advised that he had conducted media engagements with a number of outlets and noted the interim report was positively received.
SK updated members on discussions with other stakeholders and the areas that still need further development. He advised that Ulster University has established a team dedicated to the expansion which is operational at this time.
Topics for the next two taskforce meetings were confirmed:
- October – Infrastructure (DfE secretariat to meet with Department for Infrastructure over coming weeks to discuss and extend invite to attend the next taskforce meeting).
- November – Cross-border collaboration and destination campus/attractiveness.
SK invited taskforce members to reach out to people that they feel would be useful to engage with. He also noted that Mark Patterson from BBC Radio Foyle wanted to speak with UU Magee Taskforce members at the November session.
LM highlighted the need for work to commence regarding post-primary school awareness to drive forward the behavioural change in study destinations and options, and that everyone has a part to play in this. PS advised that the UU school engagement team has undertaken some recent work on this and can provide a summary to the taskforce. MD noted that the DfE Careers Service can provide information on trends in school leavers’ career choices and could also assist with messaging.
Action Point 1: PS to share summary of UU’s school engagement team’s recent work on post-primary school awareness.
JK also noted the wider partnerships to look at with this project:
- Council (elected body)
- Strategic Growth Partnership
- North West Strategic Growth Partnership
- North West Ministerial Council (NWMC)
There was a discussion on the draft Programme for Government (PfG) and the disparities in the language used compared to the NDNA priority action. SK highlighted that the taskforce should be “relentless” in the pursuit of expansion to 10,000 students, and this target is mirrored in the departmental three-year business plan.
SK sought approval from the taskforce members to push the NI Executive for adoption of their action plan. All agreed.
Action Point 2: Chair to convey to the NI Executive by way of the Economy Committee the need for adoption of their Action Plan on how to deliver on the 10,000 student commitment.
SK noted that the strategic outline case (SOC) would pave the way forward and proactively improve work on business cases.
Correspondence
None.
Discussion: Interim report washup
The taskforce discussed the interim report and reflected on work to date.
There was further discussion on the final report and the format it may take. UU advised work had commenced on the broad academic plan in advance of this. The Report Writer noted that there will need to be discussions with the new Director of the Magee Expansion Division as she will become the senior reporting officer (SRO) for the final Action Plan.
SK also expressed the need for the taskforce to consider commissioning an economic impact analysis. The SIB representative noted that this will form the basis of the SOC.
Action Point 3: Secretariat to set up meeting with Report Writer, Chair of Taskforce and incoming Director of the Magee Expansion Division.
Discussion: Pursuing the ‘asks’
SK noted that several asks within the interim report required answers and questioned how best to obtain these. MD advised that work should begin at pace and the current DfE team had already started to address the “asks” but would need further assistance from other teams within DfE and elsewhere.
Action point 4: DfE to consider how the asks are communicated to the NI Executive.
Discussion with Minister for the Economy
Minister Murphy joined the meeting and put on record his thanks to UU Magee Taskforce members for their work to date. The taskforce then held a discussion with the Minister raising a number of questions which were answered by the Minister. Due to time constraints, it was agreed that further questions raised by the Taskforce would be answered via correspondence.
Any other business
Minister Murphy announced his intention to offer greater financial support for Graduate Entry Medical School students by enabling students from here access to tuition fee loans. Consultation on this measure has commenced and subject to its outcome, it is hoped that students could access this support from September 2025.
Date of next meeting
The next meeting was confirmed for 9 October 2024.
Action points
Action points from this meeting:
Number | Action point | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | PS to share summary of UU’s school engagement team’s recent work on post-primary school awareness. | UU | |
2 | Chair to convey to the Executive by way of the Economy Committee the need for adoption of their Action Plan on how to deliver on the 10,000 student commitment. | Chair | |
3 | Secretariat to set up meeting with Report Writer, Chair of Taskforce and incoming Director of the Magee Expansion Branch. | DfE | |
4 | DfE to consider how the asks are communicated to the Executive. | DfE |
Action points brought forward from previous meetings:
| Number | Action point | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | DfE to seek further information regarding existing ‘bridgehead programmes.’ | DfE | Ongoing |
2 | Ulster University to share accommodation presentation and Cushman and Wakefield review of student accommodation with Strategic Investment Board representative. | UU | Ongoing |
3 | DfE to contact Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to arrange meeting regarding infrastructure issues discussed. | DfE | Ongoing |
4 | Taskforce to consider a meeting with University of Limerick in the coming months. | Taskforce | Ongoing |