Board of Governors
About us
Why do we have a Board of Governors?
As some of you may remember, the formal inauguration of the University of Portsmouth was celebrated in July 1992. With this new University status came the requirement that the University be managed in accordance with Articles of Government approved by the Secretary of State. The Articles of Government say we must have a Board of Governors and sets out the Board's responsibilities, constitution and powers.
What does the Board do?
The Board of Governors is the Governing Body of the University and carries responsibility for ensuring the effective Management of the Institution and for planning its future development. It is the Board that has ultimate responsibility for all the affairs of the Institution.
University governance is the constitutional forms and processes through which universities govern their affairs. The Board of Governors holds management accountable. The Board observes the seven principles of public life:
- Selflessness
- Integrity
- Objectivity
- Accountability
- Openness
- Honesty
- Leadership
This document supplements the Articles of Government and should be read in conjunction with the Articles of Government and the Instrument of Government.
The University works in line with the CUC Code and we regularly review our operation against it, as shown in the gap analysis.
How does it work - committees?
The Board of Governors conducts its work through a number of committees which report into the main Board. These are:
Audit and Quality
Audit and Quality Committee meets four times a year. The membership is restricted to external Governors only with members of Directorate and senior management invited to attend for specific items. The Committee carries out all the responsibilities placed on it by the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) Financial Memorandum (which incorporates the HEFCE Accountability and Audit Code of Practice at its Annex B).
In particular, it recommends the appointment of external and internal auditors and monitors their performance and effectiveness; reviews the internal audit plan and considers all audit reports; monitors the effectiveness of internal control systems to ensure that satisfactory arrangements are in place to promote economy, efficiency and effectiveness; and commissions and reviews the outcomes of value-for-money audits.
The Committee is also charged with monitoring the effectiveness of quality assurance processes in respect of all audit matters and, on behalf of the Board, the Committee receives and discusses reports on reviews undertaken by external bodies concerned with quality.
Estate and Information Technology
Estate and Information Technology Committee meets three/four times a year. This Committee is concerned with strategic and operational planning, including recommendation of the University Estate and Information Technology Strategy; property acquisitions and sales; maintenance and refurbishment of building stock; landscaping and grounds; asset management; investment appraisals; and ensuring that any new building or building adaptation or IT development is planned and procured within the funds allocated.
Finance
Finance Committee meets four/five times a year. The Committee makes proposals for the annual budget of the University and its allocation, and monitors performance against budget. Its responsibilities also include consideration of the annual financial statements; strategic and financial planning; investment; capital expenditure; loans and income generation; inventory control; advising the Board on the ability of the University to afford the Capital Expenditure Plan and proposing an annual capital budget to that end.
Human Resources
Human resources Committee meets three/four times a year. The Committee formulates overall policy on personnel and employee relations matters, including recommendation of the University’s Human Resources Strategy; approves the broad framework of pay and conditions of service for staff; approves changes in other conditions of service; offers advice on personnel policies and practices and best practice in personnel management; monitors compliance with statutory and other requirements in such matters as equal opportunities and health and safety, seeking to ensure that the work environment and personnel policies and practices are conducive to realisation of the full potential of staff.
As part of its remit, the external Governor members of the Committee also act on Appeal Panels on behalf of the Board to consider appeals against dismissal and appeals made under the Disciplinary, Grievance and Occupational Performance Procedures. (On occasion, External Governors who are not members of Human Resources Committee may also be called on to act on Appeal Panels.)
Students' Academic and General Affairs Committee
Students’ Academic and General Affairs Committee (SAGA), meets three/four times a year. SAGA is the principal medium through which Governors are directly able to hear the views and concerns of the students through the Students’ Union’s Sabbatical Officers.
There are two aspects of the Committee’s work:
- liaison with the student body on all student welfare and constitutional matters;
- in respect of operational academic activities, assurance that the mechanisms providing that the student voice is heard are in place and effective.
All six elected Sabbatical Officers of the Students’ Union serve as full members of the Committee.
There are also a number of committees which meet only on a needs basis and then report into the main Board. These are:
Emergency
Emergency Committee meets only if required, to consider whether resolution of an identified issue might be sufficiently urgent to necessitate calling a Special Meeting of the Board. Its decision is communicated to all Governors without delay.
Nominations
Nominations Committee meets on a needs basis, and advises the Board on the overall balance of its membership and recommends the appointment of new Governors, drawing on nominations received from within the University, from Governors, and from open advertisement.
Remuneration
Remuneration Committee meets on a needs basis, usually once a year, to determine on behalf of the Board the salaries and conditions of service of the senior post holders: the Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellors, Director of Finance and Clerk to the Board of Governors.
Staff Representatives on Governors Committees
Results of Elections and Appointments
Results of elections of Staff Governors and appointments of Staff Representatives on Governors' Committees.
Governors' Register of Interests
A Register of Interests is held by the Clerk to the Board of Governors and details the interests of members of the Board and University staff associated with Board level committees. The Register identifies the following interests:
i) remunerated employment, office, trade profession or vocation, and
ii) financial securities, and
iii) contracts with the University, and
iv) personal relationship interests, and
v) membership of mutual support organisations.
The Register of Interests can be found here.
Full information and guidance regarding the Register of Interests can be found in the Addendum to the Articles of Government, which is currently under review.
Governor Departmental Link Scheme
This Scheme facilitates links between our Governors and University departments. The aims of the Scheme are to:
- Provide Governors with a better understanding of some of the day-to-day workings of the University;
- To increase Governors' overall knowledge of how the University operates, particularly in light of their involvement in discussions on areas such as the Strategic Plan;
- To maintain the confidence of staff and students in the role of the Governing Body through visibility and accessibility;
- To demonstrate Governors' independence from management;
- To raise mutual awareness and understanding.
A list of the current active departmental links is provided below:
When do we meet?
The Board of Governors meets five times a year: in October, November, January, March, and June.
The Governors' committees each meet between four to six times per year, reporting into the main Boards. The dates for all scheduled meetings are given here:
