The Council have received the remarks made by Professor G. R. Evans at the Discussion of this Report on 27 April 2004 (Reporter, p. 662) and have referred them to the General Board who have commented as follows:
Professor Evans has not understood fully the context of the Faculty of Education in which the Report is written. As the Report makes clear, the two new Professors will be expected to provide strong leadership in research, thus maintaining the momentum in the development of a unified research profile following convergence between the University School of Education and Homerton College. Both these institutions achieved a 5 rating in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). Accordingly, the General Board strongly deny Professor Evans's assertion that the Faculty of Education constitutes a 'weak area of the University's activities'.
With regard to Professor Evans's observations about senior promotions, the Board note that funding for the two proposed Professorships in Education will be made available through the suppression of existing offices within the Faculty. There will therefore be no detrimental effect on the funds made available for senior academic promotions.
The Council are submitting a Grace (Grace 5, p. 736) to the Regent House for approval of the recommendation of the Report.