Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director of Engagement and Advancement
This week’s meeting was split into two parts – first, a meeting of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee, and then a slightly shortened UEB meeting.
Two main items on the EDI Committee agenda:
- A proposal was approved to strengthen the remit and membership of the committee in order to deliver a number of improvements to its effectiveness, and to ensure greater co-ordination with faculty and professional services EDI committees. These changes will include: Professor Mark Spearing, Vice President (Research and Enterprise), will take on the role of University EDI Champion, and will also chair the Equalities Charter Programme Board, with the Vice-Chancellor taking overall accountability for equality and diversity; membership of the committee will be refreshed to ensure senior leadership representation from faculties and professional services, and also to ensure stronger student and PGR representation; the committee will be charged with developing and implementing a new Diversity and Inclusion Strategy; and the committee will facilitate greater coordination with local committees to ensure a more effective and consistent approach across our University community.
- The Committee also discussed the recent Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) inquiry into racial harassment at universities. As the Vice-Chancellor made clear when the report was published last week, this is an issue he and the University takes extremely seriously, and we have zero tolerance towards any racial harassment of students or staff. The report and its detailed recommendations are being urgently reviewed, and UEB will have a further discussion about the issue at its meeting next week.
On the main UEB agenda today:
- The Vice-Chancellor reported back on his continuing visits to meet with faculties and professional services directorates across the University. He said the visits had, without exception, all proven to be very interesting, informative and constructive engagements, which further underlined the breadth and strength of Southampton’s high-quality and world-leading activity. These initial visits are continuing until February 2020. The Vice-Chancellor also drew UEB’s attention to last week’s 2020 Best Global Universities rankings published by US News and World Report, which saw Southampton ranked joint 94th overall, placed 10th among UK universities, and joint 33rd among European institutions.
- UEB reviewed and approved a Final Budget Paper 2019-20, setting out a revised budget for the current financial year, adjusted to include actual rather than planned student numbers, and other variations in our financial assumptions since the draft budget was originally created. This will now be formally reviewed and approved by November Finance Committee and Council. As always, there will be a delicate balance between ensuring the ability to invest in strategic initiatives, ensuring we are adequately investing in maintaining our multi-campus infrastructure, generating a surplus for future investment in our facilities, and maintaining tight control of all our costs against a very uncertain economic and political backdrop.
- Next, the Vice-President (Research and Enterprise) provided a Research Excellence Framework (REF) Progress Report with an overview of the University’s preparations to deliver a successful REF outcome, a year away from our REF 2020 submission. As context: the UK (REF) is the largest and most comprehensive research assessment exercise in the world and drives the allocation of over £2bn annually, of which the University receives over £45m. In the previous exercise, REF 2014, the University ranked 8th for Research Intensity, 11th for Research Power and 18th for Grade Point Average (GPA). The Vice-Chancellor commented he had been impressed by the level of engagement and commitment to REF preparations he had observed during his recent faculty and school visits.
- UEB reviewed and approved two papers which will now be discussed at November Council: a Staff Engagement Report, which summarises the progress against action plans by faculties and directorates, and which have been discussed on a weekly basis at UEB meetings; and a retrospective report on 2018-19 performance against the University’s Key Performance Indicators.
- Finally, UEB noted a report detailing the outcome of the 2019 Home Office Basic Compliance Assessment. The University has been informed by the Home Office that it has successfully met the requirements of the annual Tier 4 basic Compliance Assessment – this is critical to allow us to recruit students from outside the UK. UEB congratulated all of those involved and the Vice-Chancellor noted that our performance against the core metrics was exceptionally strong, and very possibly sector-leading.