Author: Philip Greenish, Chair of Council
The University’s governing Council met on 10 July. This blog provides an informal report to the University community of key items discussed – minutes will be posted on the University website after approval at the September meeting.
We welcomed a new Lay member, Dame Madeleine Atkins, President of Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge and the last chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and Emily Harrison, the new President of the Students’ Union (SUSU). Ahead of the meeting we had a detailed briefing, led by Kieron Broadhead and his team, on the University’s new Access and Participation Plan. Council was most impressed and fully supported these ambitious and exciting proposals. The plan has been well received by the Office for Students (OfS) who require universities to set themselves stretching targets. We recognised the challenge ahead and the need for the whole community to buy into what we now must deliver.
The formal Council meeting began as usual with a comprehensive report from the President and Vice-Chancellor (Interim), Professor Mark Spearing. The sector faces many uncertainties ranging from Brexit and the Augur review to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension scheme valuation and beyond, any or all of which might have a significant impact on our operations. On a positive note, Mark reported the very good news of the University’s significant rise in the NSS rankings this year (up 24 places overall) which reflects considerable, focused effort across the whole University. This improvement should translate to league tables rises next year. Council offered its thanks and congratulations to everyone who has played a part in delivering this success. Mark also updated us on the City of Southampton Green Charter that the University has signed up to – a detailed sustainability plan is being put together for the University. Our new Chancellor, Ruby Wax, will pay her second visit to the University later this month and Council discussed the need to develop a regular rhythm of her engagement with the University, in alignment with her other activities. Council also discussed items reported from University Executive Board (UEB) meetings held between May and July (which you can read in the UEB Blog).
The new Students’ Union president, Emily Harrison, presented a summary of achievements from the previous Sabbatical team and updated us on the new team’s arrival and their initial training. We noted that the election has delivered an all-female Sabbatical team, and Emily voiced a clear awareness of the need to represent the full diversity of our student community.
The University’s Business Plan was the main substantive item on this Council’s agenda. Separate papers covered the outcome of the business planning process, proposed key performance indicator (KPI) targets, the 2019-20 budget report, the Treasury Management Strategy and the proposals from Universities UK (UUK) on USS valuation next steps. After substantial discussion, we approved the budget and KPI targets and agreed all other recommendations. The budget figures will also form the basis for our submission to OfS. While our financial outturn for this year is forecast to be better than budget, the financial margins in future years are lower than we have been used to and there are many recognised risks ahead.
Council was presented with a paper refreshing the International Strategy and endorsed the revised focus represented in a ’strategy on a page’. Areas which need detailed consideration include international undergraduate recruitment, our international students’ experience and the diversity of our international student intake. We agreed the establishment of an International Strategy Working Group and will review progress at our next meeting.
We agreed to initiate an effectiveness review of Council later in the summer that will follow the Committee of University Chairs guidance. An action plan will be presented to Council at its November meeting.
In the rest of the meeting, we covered issues such as the expected completion of the Centenary Building (Highfield) due to open for the 2019-20 academic year, and the completion of the National Infrastructure Laboratory (Boldrewood) in time for September; the likely increase in Business School student numbers next year and attendant risks; the approach to Clearing this year; and the next phase of student accommodation refurbishment (Montefiore A and B). We discussed actions taken following the last Staff Engagement Survey and noted the importance of properly completed staff appraisals where, despite improvement, there is still more to be done. We took the annual report on freedom of speech.
This is a short report of a long and complicated meeting, which I hope colleagues find helpful.
Philip Greenish
Chair of Council