the
COURT
MINUTES of the fourth meeting of the 2000/2001 academic year held on
Monday, 2 July, 2001, in the Council Room, Queen Anne Court, Maritime Greenwich Campus, commencing at 7.30 pm.
Present:Mr C R H Bull (in the Chair)
Mr T C Baker / Mrs A-M NelsonProf D Chambers / Mr D Pointer
Ms F Crook / Dr D Quarmby
Mrs G D duCharme / Mr P Stigant
Dr L Garner / Dr C St John-Brooks
Mr J C Gould / Mr Y S Tan
Mrs M McKinlay / Prof R H Trainor
In attendance:
Mr J M CharlesMr R Denton
Mr A Clayton Prof J Humphreys
Prof M Cross Prof D Wills
Apologies for absence were received from Mr P E Oldham and Mr I R Price.
DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
00/01.4.1No conflicts of interests were declared.
MEMBERSHIP
00/01.4.2Having considered the recommendations of the Nominations Committee, the Court resolved that:
iChantel Phippen, following her election as President of the Students’ Union, be appointed to the Court under Article 7(2)(c) for the period 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2002
iifollowing a ballot of those Governors appointed under Article 7(2)(a) that Gillian duCharme be re-appointed as a Governor under Article 7(2)(a) for the period 1 September 2001 to 31 August 2004 and that Simon Atkinson, Richard Baglin and James Loudon be appointed as Governors under Article 7(2)(a) for the period 1 September 2001 to 31 August 2004. It was noted that in all cases the candidates elected had received a simple majority of all Governors apointed under Article 7(2)(a).
APPOINTMENT OF UNIVERSITY SECRETARY
00/01.4.3The Committee approved the appointment of Linda Cording, currently Director of Planning and Communications at Brunel University, as University Secretary w.e.f. 1 September 2001.
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 2 APRIL 2001
00/01.4.4The minutes of the meeting held on 2 April 2001 were taken as read and signed as a true record.
BAD DEBT (NRI)
00/01.4.5The Director of Finance reported that the University was taking legal advice following the continued refusal by the European Commission to pay £295,048 for continuation work on a project which had been verbally requested by them but not confirmed in writing with the requisite number of signatures.
INTERNAL AUDITORS’ ANNUAL REPORT
00/01.4.6The Court noted that a revised Internal Auditors’ Annual Report had been referred back by the Audit Committee to the Internal Auditor for further amendment.
JOINT TRADE UNION COMMITTEE
00/01.4.7Governors had received a letter from the Joint Trade Union Committee asking the Court to invite two representatives to address the meeting on matters relating to restructuring and NRI. The Chairman had felt that he could not give permission on behalf of the Court. The matter was raised by David Pointer with a revised proposal that one representative of the Committee address the Court. After a brief discussion the Court unanimously decided that it would hear a statement from Bridget Leach representing the Joint Trade Union Committee but would not discuss the statement with her.
00/01.4.8Les Garner, a member of Court and a member of NATFHE, wished to record his thanks to the Court for allowing Bridget Leach to address the meeting.
ACADEMIC COUNCIL MINUTES
00/01.4.9The Court received a report from the Academic Registrar on Strategic Academic Issues arising from the meetings of Academic Council on 31 January 2001, 7 March 2001, 9 May 2001 and 13 June 2001 together with copies of the minutes. The Court welcomed the report and requested similar reports in future and also requested statistics showing distribution of all levels of academic awards. Information on entry qualifications should also be provided to allow some consideration of added value. A review of recruitment, retention and results against external benchmarks and internal targets was requested either at a future meeting or as a major item at a strategy day.
INTERNAL QUALITY AUDIT: EXTERNAL EXAMINERS
00/01.4.10The Court received a paper from the Academic Registrar and noted the procedural work in progress relating to the University’s External Examiner system.
COMMITTEE MINUTES
00/01.4.11The minutes of the following meetings were received:
iStaffing & General Committee held on 4 June 2001
iiAudit Committee held on 11 June 2001
iiiNominations Committee held on 18 June 2001
ivFinance & Estates Committee held on 19 March 2001.
HEALTH AND SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES OF DIRECTORS
00/01.4.12The Court, noting that the Staffing and General Committee had received a briefing paper on the draft Code of Practice on Directors’ responsibilities for health and safety, requested that, when the final version of this Code was issued, copies be given to all Governors.
GOVERNORS’ PROFILE
00/01.4.13The Court adopted the Governors’ Profile recommended by the Nominations Committee subject to minor amendments. The Profile as amended and approved by the Court is appended.
NRI BUSINESS PLAN
00/01.4.14The Court
iadopted the NRI Business Plan. It was agreed that progress reports on its implementation be submitted to future meetings.
iiresolved that
athe staffing of NRI be reduced by approximately 130 using redeployment elsewhere in the University where possible with approximately 110 redundancies
bin accordance with legal advice received by the University, agreed that Civil Service redundancy terms be applied to unpromoted staff in the posts which had transferred to the University at the acquisition of NRI and whose appointment in the Civil Service had been permanent
cUniversity voluntary severance terms be applied to other staff.
Les Garner requested that his dissension be recorded.
EXTERNAL AUDITORS
00/01.4.15It was noted that a claim had been made against the External Auditors following their failure in earlier years to identify problems in the NRI accounts. A possible consequence would be their resignation as the University’s auditors, in which case it would be necessary to appoint new auditors in the summer with the Selection Committee’s recommendation being ratified by the Court at its October meeting.
RACHEL McMILLAN BUILDINGS
00/01.4.16It was noted that the Chair of the Finance and Estates Committee and Vice-Chancellor as delegated by the Court had considered offers received for the Rachel McMillan land and buildings and resolved that the offer from a developer on behalf of Trinity College of Music be accepted. Exchange of contracts had taken place with completion to take place not later than 31 July. The University would receive from the developer interest on the capital sum and the costs of continuing to hold the property for the period from 31 May until the date of completion.
PROVISIONAL BUDGET 2001/2002 AND FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST
00/01.4.17The Court approved the recommendation of the Finance and Estates Committee that the provisional budget 2001/2002 and Five-Year Financial Forecast be adopted recognising that there were a number of major variables. Subject to the approval of the Bond guarantor the cost of implementing the NRI reorganisation would fall in financial year 2000/2001.
00/01.4.18It was agreed that a stand-by borrowing facility of up to £5 million should be put in place and the Director of Finance was asked to make the appropriate arrangements.
00/01.4.19Cashflow statements for the years covered by the Five-Year Forecast would be circulated to all members of the Court.
AVERY HILL CAMPUS: CHARLTON ATHLETIC “BUBBLE”
00/01.4.20The Committee
inoted that finalised terms for the release of the land on which the Charlton Athletic “Bubble” would be sited would be recommended to the Chair of Court as soon as they were available after details for access had been finalised with the London Borough of Greenwich
iiagreed that a short lease of five years of the empty flat which was part of the Sparrows Farm building be leased to Charlton Athletic to use as a base from which to administer the “Bubble” and that the Chair of Court be given delegated authority to approve this lease together with the lease for the land on which the “Bubble” will be sited, subject to suitable terms being agreed with the Director of Estates.
IMPLEMENTING THE NEW STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY
00/01.4.21The Court
iendorsed the Vice-Chancellor’s paper “Implementing the New Strategy and Structure of the University”. Two votes were recorded against and there were no abstentions.
iiresolved that the School of Chemical and Life Sciences be transferred to the Medway Campus w.e.f. the commencement of the 2002/2003 academic year. It was noted that there would be a synergy with NRI and opportunities for collaboration although it was recognised that in the short-term the move may have a detrimental effect on student recruitment. Two votes were recorded against and there were no abstentions.
iiiunanimously resolved that the University undertake a joint feasiiblity study with the London Borough of Greenwich regarding the proposed collaboration on post-16 post-18 education between the University, the London Borough of Greenwich and Greenwich Community College.
00/01.4.22Governors attending the meeting had received a note from some Chemical and Life Sciences staff indicating their concern at the proposed move of the School to the Medway Campus in summer 2002. The Court noted that the move was being planned by a group chaired by David Wills and that there would be full and continued consultation with staff of the CLS School. Governors requested that the CLS staff be informed that the Court understood the case they had made but that the balance of necessity had caused the decision that the transfer should take place.
2001/2002 COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
00/01.4.23The Court gave delegated authority to the Chairman to determine the membership of Court Committees for 2001/2002.
PLANNING CYCLE
00/01.4.24The Court adopted the following planning cycle:
iconsideration by the Vice-Chancellor’s Group – the Vice-Chancellor having arranged for appropriate papers to be drafted
iiwhere appropriate (VCG to determine this) consultation to take place with Academic Council and/or relevant committees or boards
iiiconsideration by the Executive Committee
ivsubmission to the Court (normally this would be direct to the Court but may on occasion be via the relevant Committee).
Normally the timetable would be set to allow reference back for amendment at all stages.
This process would be used for all planning within the University and depending on the particular area of planning the Vice-Chancellor’s Group would determine whether any committees or boards needed to be brought into the process.
HONORARY DEGREES COMMITTEE
00/01.4.25The Court
ireceived the minutes of the Honorary Degrees Committee meeting held on 11 June 2001
iiapproved the recommendations of the Honorary Degrees Committee for revisoins to the Regulations and associated documentation for the award of Honorary Degrees.
BERGMAN OSTERBERG TRUST
00/01.4.26The Court approved for immediate implementation revised Regulations for the Grant of Educational Awards – Dartford College of Education: Bergman Osterberg Trust as recommended by the Trust Assessors.
E-UNIVERSITY HOLDING COMPANY
00/01.4.27The Court endorsed the University’s membership of the e-University Holding Company, a company limited by guarantee, with a total liability of £1.
EFFECTIVE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
00/01.4.28The Court noted that
ithe Chairman, having been granted delegated authority by the Court, had appointed Roger Price to replace Valerie Vaughan-Dick as Governor member of the Court’s working group on self-assessment of effective financial management
iithe working group planned to meet in August 2001 to complete its review.
USE OF UNIVERSITY SEAL
00/01.4.29The Court approved the use of the Common Seal of the University on the following:
iArticles of Agreement & Conditions of Contract re: Dreadnought West Annexe, Maritime Greenwich Campus – Enabling Works between Bryen & Langley Limited and University of Greenwich
iiFinancier’s Warranty from Developer’s Consultant re: King William Court, Maritime Greenwich Campus, London SE10 between:
aGordon Fanshaw and Partners, University of Greenwich and The Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund
bDannatt Johnson Architects, University of Greenwich and The Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund
iiiTransfer (HM Land Registry) re: Rachel McMillan College between University of Greenwich and City & Provincial Properties plc
ivDeed of Release of Rights & Obligations re: Rachel McMillan College, Deptford, London, SE18 between Goldsmiths College and University of Greenwich
v Counterpart Lease re: Units 40-41 Questor (formerly known as Dartford Trade Park), Dartford, Kent between Clerical Medical (Dartford) Limited and University of Greenwich
viLicence for Alterations re: Dreadnought House, North West Corner between the Secretary of State for Defence (Greenwich Hospital) and University of Greenwich.
The meeting finished at 10.45 pm.
JMC
27.7.01
F:\Court\minutes\02JULY2001
University of Greenwich
Appointment of Governors
Profile
1Experience in industry, commerce, a profession, education or public service providing a background relevant to the operation of a large complex organisation such as the University.
2Commitment to higher education including teaching, research and widening participation.
3A willingness to attend approximately 12 meetings per year, to read agenda papers and other documents and to sit occasionally on appointment or disciplinary panels or ad hoc committees and to have personal commitments and timetable which make this possible. Potential Governors should note that most meetings are held at 7.30 pm on Monday evenings.
4A professional expertise which is useful to the University, perhaps providing a level of advice not otherwise available.
5Personal background including profession, gender and ethnicity to enable the Court to maintain a balanced membership.
Notes
1Items 1 and 2 in the profile are essential criteria for all nominees as External Independent Governors ie “Persons having experience of, and to have shown capacity in industrial, commercial or employment matters or the practice of any profession”, of whom there are ten and for any external nominees to any of the five places for Co-opted Governors.
2Although many Governors have an interest in politics the Court would not normally appoint as a Governor anyone currently active in Party politics at national level such as an MP or Parliamentary candidate. The University’s Instrument of Government states: “No person who is an elected member of any local authority shall be eligible for appointment as a Governor otherwise than as a co-opted member.”
3In considering individual nominations to fill vacancies the Court will consider the balance of its existing membership.
JMCharles
Approved at 2 July 2001 Court
Crt\Nominations\Govs-Profile
Court: 2 July 2001 page 1