University council minutes 26 November 2024

Minutes of the meeting held on 26 November 2024 at 9.15 am via Microsoft Teams

Membership:

Bobola Ajibola
Ingrid Barker
Thomas Chambers
James Cooper
Paul Crichard
Ruth Dooley
Nicola de Iongh (Chair)
Chris Fung
Steve Gardiner – A
Vanessa Garratt
Dr Louise Livesey
Dame Clare Marchant
Pamela Sissons
Elonka Soros
David Soutter (until C.24.127)
The Rt Revd Robert Springett
Joe Sucksmith
Julie Walkling
Dr Peter Warry

Board Apprentice:

Eleanor Hill

In attendance:

Julie-Ann Brooks, Director of People

Katharine Clough, Chief Marketing Officer

Prof Cathia Jenainati, Head of School (Business Computing and Social Sciences)

Jess Lawson (for C.24.127 and 128), Director (Strategic Planning and Transformation) / Assistant Secretary to Council

Dr Graham Parton, Head of School (Education and Science)

Camille Stallard, Chief Financial Officer

Daniel Taylor (for C.24.128), Good Governance Institute

Joanna Watson (for C.24.128), Good Governance Institute

Dr Pauline Williams (for C.24.129), Director (Academic Quality Enhancement and Innovation)

Dr Matthew Andrews (Secretary to Council), Chief Operating Officer

Penny Gravestock (Minutes), Senior Governance and Secretariat Officer

C.24.113 Prayer
The Rt Revd Robert Springett opened the meeting with a prayer.

C.24.114 Welcome and Apologies
Received and noted: apologies for absence from Steve Gardiner and Jackie Labbe, and for early departure from David Soutter. It was noted that the Rt Revd Robert Springett would be stand in to act as Chair if Nicola de Iongh had to leave the meeting periodically.

C.24.115 Business of the Agenda
Noted: that there had been no request to unstar any item on the agenda, and therefore it was
assumed that papers C/77/24 to C/86/24 had been approved or noted as stated.

C.24.116 Declarations of Interest
Received: no declarations of interest.

C.24.117 Minutes of the meeting held on 1 October 2024
Resolved: it was agreed that the minutes were an accurate record of the meeting held on 1 October 2024.

C.24.118 Matters Arising (C/65/24)
Received and noted: the Matters Arising paper.

C.24.119 Chair’s Business

C.24.119.1 Received and noted: an update from the Chair, reporting that Dr Peter Warry would be stepping down as the Senior Independent Governor from 1 February 2025.

C.24.119.2 Received: updates from each of the Committee Chairs on key discussions held at the following meetings:

a. Finance and General Purposes Committee, 5 November 2024;
b. Audit and Risk Committee, 8 November 2024;
c. Governance and Nominations Committee, 12 November 2024;
d. Council, Foundation, and Chaplaincy Committee, 13 November 2024;
e. UoGPSL Board, 15 November 2024.

C.24.119.3 This item was discussed under Confidential Business.

C.24.120 SU Report to Council (C/66/24)

C.24.120.1 Received: the Students’ Union (SU) update, noting in particular:

a. updates from each of the campaigns being led by the Officers;
b. work with the Director of Student Experience to update the Student Code of Conduct;
c. plans for communications to support the dissemination of student surveys covering course experiences, University services, and transportation;
d. liaison with local Councillors to help tackle crime around Cheltenham;
e. successes regarding Religious Extenuating Circumstances and the removal of alumni library fees;
f. the ‘Voice it with the VC’ event held on 22 October 2024;
g. events held to recognise Black History Month;
h. work with the International Services Team to discuss plans for an annual Global Celebration to showcase the University’s commitment to diversity and to celebrate its international community.

C.24.120.2 Considered:
a. the ‘Think Before You Ink’ campaign to help students to consider options carefully before signing a house contract, and to encourage the use of University-approved landlords. Council discussed the proportion of students renting non-approved accommodation and potential risks;
b. the opportunity to run a joint campaign with the University on approved accommodation, noting that there were also vacancies in the halls of residences;
c. that it would be useful to identify the number of students being impacted by the work of the Students’ Union over the year;
d. opportunities for Students’ Union involvement in induction for January 2025 starters;
e. work around the Awarding Gap, noting particular concerns raised by students including facilities such as parking and the reduced number of libraries and helpzones;
f. the need to raise awareness that students could be vulnerable as targets for employment in the sex industries during race week;
g. other student safety issues such as spiking, and liaison with venues around Cheltenham and Gloucester. It was noted that the Academic Staff Member of Council was the Chair of the Cheltenham Borough Council Community Safety Partnership Girls Group and that it may be useful for her to meet with the Students’ Union outside of the meeting to discuss this work further;
h. the need for bystander training to help encourage individuals to call out poor behaviour;
i. the success of the Officers’ speeches at the Graduation Ceremonies.

C.24.120.3 Noted: the report. It was also noted that it was not appropriate for Council to respond to the request in the paper related to the Students’ Union exposure to a historic pension scheme.

C.24.121 CONFIDENTIAL: Vice-Chancellor’s Report (C/67/24)
This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.24.122 CONFIDENTIAL: Annual Financial Statements for y/e 31 July 2024 (C/68/24)
This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.24.123 CONFIDENTIAL: External Audit Findings Report (C/69/24)
This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.24.124 Audit and Risk Committee Annual Report 2023/24 (C/70/24)

C.24.124.1 Received: the report from the Audit and Risk Committee to provide assurance on the adequacy and effectiveness of institutional arrangements for: risk management, control, and governance; and economy, efficiency, and effectiveness. The Chair of Audit and Risk Committee noted that the opinion in the report was informed by the receipt and consideration of reports from the Internal and External auditors and from management.

C.24.124.2 Resolved: Council received and approved the Annual Report and agreed that it should be forwarded to the Office for Students.

C.24.125 CONFIDENTIAL: October Year to Date Finance Report (C/71/24)
This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.24.126 CONFIDENTIAL: OfS Forecast and Regulated Fee Decision (C/72/24)
This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.24.127 CONFIDENTIAL: Project Miscible Update – November 2024 (C/73/24)
This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.24.128 CONFIDENTIAL: Governance Effectiveness Review – Draft Report (C/74/24)
This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.24.129 Annual Assurance Statement (C/75/24)

C.24.129.1 Received: the Annual Assurance Statement for 2023/24 which provided Council with assurance of the academic quality and standards of the University’s awards during the year. The Director (Academic Quality Enhancement and Innovation) highlighted the summary of 2023/24 and the priority actions for 2024/25 including the development of an institutional response to the National Student Survey, and plans for closing the awarding gap.

C.24.129.2 Considered:

a. the balance between perceived grade inflation and the University adding value for students by helping them achieve better outcomes, and how that could be managed within Office for Students requirements;
b. the RAG rating for courses across the four Schools and whether it could be redesigned so that trends for continuing courses were more obvious (as the changing number of courses made comparisons difficult);
c. whether data could be presented differently to separate students who were neurodiverse from those with physical disabilities.

C.24.130 CONFIDENTIAL: Council and Sub-Committee Membership (C/76/24 and C/76a/24)
This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.24.131 Reappointment of External Auditors* (C/77/24)
Resolved: Council approved the reappointment of Grant Thornton UK LLP as the Company’s external auditors for 2024/25 and for remuneration to be agreed by the Audit and Risk Committee.

C.24.132 Modern Slavery Act 2015 – Annual Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement Review* (C/78/24)

Resolved: Council considered and approved the statement for publication and signing by the Chair of Council.

C.24.133 Register of People with Significant Control* (C/79/24)
Resolved: Council confirmed that its Register of People with Significant Control as maintained with Companies House should remain the same.

C.24.134 Access and Participation Plan 2025/26 to 2029/30* (C/80/24)
Resolved: Council approved the provisional acceptance of the Access and Participation Plan.

C.24.135 CONFIDENTIAL: City Campus Property Progress Report* (C/81/24)
This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.24.136 Internal Audit Report for 2023/24* (C/82/24)
Received: the Internal Audit Report for 2023/24.

C.24.137 CONFIDENTIAL: Annual Report of Student Casework 2023/24* (C/83/24)
This item was considered under Confidential Business.

C.24.138 Prevent Strategy/Duty: Annual Report 2023/24* (C/84/24)
Noted: the annual report which offered assurance regarding the Prevent Duty-related activity that had taken place through 2023/24, and that the University must submit an ‘accountability & data return’ to the Office for Students with either the Chair of Council or VC required to ‘sign off’ the annual accountability statement.

C.24.139 Health and Safety Annual Report* (C/85/24)
Received and noted: the Health and Safety Annual Report for 2023/24.

C.24.140 Council Schedule of Business* (C/86/24)
Noted: the Schedule of Business.

C.24.141 Minutes from Council Committees*
Noted: that the minutes from the following meetings would be available from the Universities Committees page on the staff Sharepoint site.

a. Finance and General Purposes Committee, 5 November 2024
b. Audit and Risk Committee, 8 November 2024;
c. Governance and Nominations Committee, 12 November 2024;
d. Council, Foundation and Chaplaincy Committee, 13 November 2024.

C.24.142 Any Other Business

C.24.142.1 Received: an update from the Chief Marketing Officer on the Strategy refresh, noting work to make it more accessible and easy to read for all stakeholders.

C.24.142.2 Noted: that it was the last meeting of Council for David Soutter and Penny Gravestock, and for Professor Jackie Labbe if she had been able to attend. Council thanked them for their work and support for the University.

C.24.143 Date of Next Meeting
Tuesday, 4 February 2025 at 9.15 am (location to be confirmed). It was noted that this would include the joint meeting with Academic Board