REASEHEATH COLLEGE BOARD
SEARCH AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Minutes of a meeting of the Search and Governance Committee
held on Monday, 11 July 2011
PRESENT:Emily Thrane (Chair)
Meredydd David
John Platt
Penny Rudd (Item 5 onwards)
Steve Wilkinson
IN ATTENDANCE:Margaret Hutchinsonutchinson, Clerk to the Board
- APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
1.1 Apologies for absence were received fromNick Carey.
- DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
2.1 No interests were declared.
3.MINUTES AND MATTERS ARISING
3.1 It was RESOLVEDthat the minutes of the meeting held on 3 March 2011 be confirmed as a correctrecord.
4.PROPOSED MERGER WITH WALFORD AND NORTH SHROPSHIRE COLLEGE
4.1 The Principal gave an oral report on the proposed merger with Walford and North Shropshire College, informing Members that Walford and North Shropshire College did not wish to progress with the proposed merger,following the differences in opinion that had been confirmed and could not be resolvedat the meeting of the Merger Steering Group on Tuesday,5 July 2011.
4.2 The Committee noted with considerable regret that the merger was not now to take place as a result.
4.3 It was RESOLVED that the contents of the Principal’s oral report,to form the basis of a paper to be considered by the Board at its meeting on Thursday, 21 July 2011, should be noted.
5. MEMBERSHIP REPORT
5.1 The Clerk gave her report on the current membership of the Board, with an indication when the term of office of each member was due to expire.
5.2 Attention was focused on the one existing vacancy, as well as the group of five Governors whose term of office was due to expire in the summer of 2011. The Committee recalled that a discussion on the membership of the Board had been previously deferred to enable the Board to retain some flexibility of composition for the future, if the proposed merger had gone ahead.
(Penny Rudd arrived at 2.15 pm)
5.3 A detailed discussion took place on the re-election nominations of Governor from 1 August 2011 to be made at the Board meeting on 21 July 2011.
5.4 Whilst Penny Rudd acknowledged her earlier intention not to stand for re-election in the summer of 2011 when her term of office was due to expire, she expressed her willingness to remain as a Board member for the next twelve months or for an earlier period until someone with similar expertise could be identified to serve as Governor to take her place on the Board. The Committee acknowledged also Penny Rudd’s role as link Governor with Animal Management, a role that she wished to continue in the next few months. Members commended the approach she was taking in this area, and suggested that consideration might be given to the retention of her expertise in an external Governor capacity, if Penny’s professional commitments would allow.
5.5 Detailed consideration was given also to the four other Governors whose term of office expired in the summer of 2011, and nominations for re-election were determined in all four cases.
5.6 Attention was turned to the prospective member, Roger Lane-Nott. It was acknowledged that Roger Lane-Nott had considerable expertise in the area of Engineering and would be an asset to the composition of the Board, and should be nominated for appointment. The Clerk undertook to contact Roger Lane-Nott to ascertain his continued wish to become a Governor at Reaseheath College. It was noted that each new Governor should be provided with a mentor to enable the new Governor to gain insight into the culture of the College and its Governing Board. It was suggested that Melvin Johnson, Staff Governor, might be asked to take on this role in the case of Roger Lane-Nott.
5.7Note was made that in the summer of 2012, further vacancies for Governor were to occur. It was agreed that the Clerk should determine a strategy for the filling of the vacancies, including a Skills Audit and external advertisement, to be considered by the Committee at its next meeting in the autumn.
5.8 Members were pleased to note that Melvin Johnson had been nominated to serve as Staff Governor for a further term of office of three years.
5.9 The Clerk was pleased to report also that the two Student Governors were pursuing their chosen courses of study in the autumn term and it was likely that they both would be willing tocontinue to serve as Student Governors. The Committee, acknowledging that the next meeting of the Board on 21 July 2011 was in the student summer holiday, gave its fullsupport to the availability of travel expenses for all Governors, including Student Governors,and asked the Clerk to contact the two Student Governors to ascertain whether or not theywouldbe able to attend the meeting on 21July if their travel expenses were paid.
5.10It was reported that one of the two Vice Chairs, Emily Thrane, had been nominated to serve as Chair of the Board, when John Platt, Chair of the Board, stepped down in July 2011. The Committee agreed to recommend that the Board should continue to have two positions of Vice Chair.
5.11 It was RESOLVEDthat the contents of the report should be noted and the following should be recommended to the Board for approval at its meeting on 21 July 2011:
- The nomination of the re-election of Richard Ratcliffe and Jon Furber for a further term of office of four years from 1 August 2011 to 31 July 2015
- The nomination of the re-election of John Platt, Denis Parton and Penny Rudd for a further term of office of twelve months from 1 August 2011 to 31 July 2012
- The nomination of Roger Lane-Nott as Governor, to be appointed for a four year period from 1 August 2011 to 31 July 2015
- The nomination of Melvin Johnson as Staff Governor for a further term of office of three years from 1 August 2011 to 31 July 2014
- The retention of the position of two Vice Chairs of the Board.
6.ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES (AoC) CODE OF GOVERNANCE
6.1 The letter from J.F. Bingham, Chair, Association of Colleges (AoC), dated 9 May 2011, providing an up-date on the development of a Voluntary Foundation Code of Governance for English Colleges, was received.
6.2It was RESOLVED that the contents of the AoC letter should be noted.
7.AoC BRIEFING ON THE BRIBERY ACT 2010
7.1 The AoC Briefing on the 2010 Bribery Act that had been effective from 1 July 2011 was received.
7.2 The Committee was informed that the College had developed a policy that would be submitted to the Audit Committee for consideration at its next meeting.
7.3 It was RESOLVED that the contents of the AoC Briefing should be noted.
8. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
8.1 It was RESOLVED that the next meeting be held on Thursday, 10 November2011at 2.30 pm, following the official opening of the Weaver Centre.
S&G Final Minutes 11 July ‘111