Council minutes - 25 Nov 2019

Minutes Of The Cardiff University Council Held On Monday 25th November 2019 In Council Chamber, Main Building At 1.30pm

Present:  Professor Stuart Palmer (Chair), Professor Colin Riordan, Professor Karen Holford, Professor Rudolf Allemann, Mr Paul Baston, Mr Ricardo Calil, Mr Tomos Evans, Ms Judith Fabian, Mr Alastair Gibbons, Professor Kim Graham, Mr Michael Hampson, Ms Jan Juillerat, Dr Steven Luke, Mr John Shakeshaft, Mr David Simmons, Judge Ray Singh, Dr Janet Wademan, Mrs Agnes Xavier-Phillips, Ms Jackie Yip,

Observers: Dr Ellen Namhila, PVC University of Namibia, and Elin Jones, Research Innovation Services

Attendees:  Professor Gary Baxter, Professor Amanda Coffey, Ms Deborah Collins (Secretary), Ms Katy Dale, Mr Thomas Hay, Ms Susan Midha, Ms Alex Payne, Ms TJ Ra1707wlinson, Ms Karin Russell (Minutes), Ms Claire Sanders, Professor Damian Walford Davies and Mr Rob Williams.

Apologies:  Professor Marc Buhner, Dr Carol Bell, Professor Kenneth Hamilton, Professor Mary Heimann, Ms Lin Phillips, Mr Len Richards and Professor Dame Janet Finch (Observer)

1691 Welcome And Preliminaries

Noted

1691.1 That Professor Kenneth Hamilton, Head of the School of Music, was recently elected to membership but had sent his apologies for this meeting.

1691.2 That two observers were present at this meeting:

.1 Dr Ellen Namhila, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Administration, Finance and Resource Mobilisation at the University of Namibia;

.2  Elin Jones of the University’s Research and Innovation Services who was undertaking executive management training sponsored by the VCO. One of the requirements of the training programme was to attend a meeting of Council.

1692 Apologies For Absence

The above listed apologies were noted and the meeting was confirmed to be quorate.

1693 Minutes Of The Council Meeting Of 8 July 2019 And Special Council Meeting Of 2 October 2019

Noted

1693.1 The Minutes of the Council Committee meeting held on 8 July 2019 [18/721] were confirmed as a correct record subject to the following amendments:

1693.2 that point 1660.1.1 be amended to read ‘by Agnes Xavier-Phillips an interest in Centre for Student Life as a member of Glas Cymru’.

1693.3 that point 1661.5 be amended to read ‘at the Estates and Infrastructure Sub-Committee meeting it was noted that the recommended contractor would not be appointed until Autumn which was a delay on the original target, and that the main construction works might not start until January 2020. It was recommended that the advanced works should be enhanced to create some main programme float to avoid unforeseen delays impacting on the availability for the 2021/22 academic year’.

1693.4 The Minutes of the Special Council Meeting held on 2 October 2019 [19/208] were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

1694 Matters Arising From The Council Meeting Of 8 July 2019 And Special Council Meeting Of 2 October 2019

Noted

1694.1 that a correction had been made to the Treharne Review Part 2 Paper (18’652B) presented to Council on 8 July 2019 - the author section had been updated to read ‘Dr Gabe Treharne’. The 8th July 2019 minutes from this meeting had been amended accordingly.

1695 Declarations Of Interest

Noted

1695.1  that there were no declarations of interest.

1696 Chair’s Report To Council

Received and considered paper 19/230B, ‘Chair’s Report to Council’. Professor Stuart Palmer introduced the paper.

Noted

QER

1696.1 that Judith Fabian was the Council representative in respect of the Quality Enhancement Review and would undertake the scrutiny of the QER submission on behalf of Council.

1696.2 that Ms Fabian considered the change report to be a clear and well-written report and had no comments or concerns to bring to Council’s attention.

Students’ Union Lease Variations

1696.3 that revisions to the Students’ Union Lease, as received by the Policy & Resources Committee on the 7th November 2019 and distributed to Council Members (save for the two student members of Council) as paper 19/205B on the 13 November 2019, had been agreed and signed on Friday 15 November 2019.

1696.4 in response to a question and noting that the timescale for Council members to make a decision on the Student Lease matter was short, it was noted that negotiations had continued for some time and that an oversight had resulted in delay being made in putting the request to Council.

International Foundation Programme

1696.5 that on a related matter, Professor Rudolf Allemann provided an update on the International Foundation Programme, the establishment of which, and related funding had been discussed and approved at the Policy & Resources Committee meeting on 7th November 2019;

1696.6 that work was ongoing to identify an appropriate place for the Programme’s study group within the Students’ Union building;

1696.7 that a paper would be issued to Council for approval on the conclusion of the discussions on the location for the study group and that this approval was likely to be needed outside of a standard meeting to ensure that arrangements were in place for the start of academic year 2020/21

Congratulations

1696.8 that Professor Bernard Schutz of the School of Physics and Astronomy had been given a prestigious award by the American Physical Society for his “pioneering and decisive” work in the detection of gravitational-wave signals. Professor Schutz had received the Richard A. Isaacson Award in Gravitational-Wave Science jointly with Professor Bruce Allen of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics.

1696.9     Noted with sadness, the following deaths of students
.1 Vipul Rameshchandra Bangad, an MSc student in Advanced Computer Sciences;
.2 Joseph Roddy Brennan, latterly on an Interruption of Study from an MChem;
.3  Oliver Meakings, a second year Physiotherapy student.

A moment’s silence was held as a mark of respect.

1697 Vice-Chancellor’s Report To Council

Received and considered paper 19/209, ‘Vice-Chancellor’s Report to Council’. The Vice-Chancellor introduced the paper.

Noted

1697.1 that in terms of Student numbers, the outcome of last year’s recruitment had been successful. Recruitment for 2020/21 was also positive (Home, EU and International were up 7% for UG and offers up 11%).  Although early in the cycle, postgraduate taught and research applications looked positive.

1697.2 in response to a question about entry requirements, it was confirmed that they had been lowered in some cases but raised in others, and that such responses were indicative of market conditions.

1697.3 in response to a question regarding the capacity of staff and resources if student numbers were to keep rising, it was confirmed that senior management was working to ensure continuity of teaching.

1697.4 in relation to student accommodation, this was the first year that the University had filled all spaces in the context of oversupply of student accommodation in Cardiff.

1697.5 in response to a question about the effect of reduction in entry tariff on performance, it was confirmed that sector data suggested there was no impact on outcomes - there had been no reduction in the rate of first class and upper second classifications issued across the sector.

Industrial Action

1697.6 that the day of the meeting was the first day of an intended eight-day strike and that the full impact of the strike would not be known until after the end of the action.

1697.7 that, drawing on lessons learned from previous strike action, there would be continuing and pro-active communications with the student body

Climate emergency

1697.8  that Professor Mike Bruford had been appointed as Dean for Environmental Sustainability and that on 29th November 2019 the University the University would be declaring a climate emergency and announced its aim to become carbon neutral by 2030.

1698 Key Performance Indicators: Performance Against The Way Forward 2018-2023

Received and considered paper 19/210B, ‘Key Performance Indicators: Performance against The Way Forward 2018-2023’. The Vice-Chancellor introduced the paper.

Noted

1698.1 that this was a regular report provided to Council to provide an update on performance under KPIs.

1698.2 in response to a comment, it was noted that a more in-depth discussion on student experience, teaching quality and student outcomes would be held at a future meeting.

1699  Report Of The President Of The Students’ Union

Received and considered paper 19/211, ‘Report of the President of the Students’ Union’. Jackie Yip introduced the paper.

Noted

1699.1 that the paper had been updated to record comments from the Away Day to include additional information on student life and a section on ‘hot topics’.

1700 Fee And Access Plan 2018/19

Received and considered paper 19/212, ‘Fee and Access Plan 2018/19 - compliance and effectiveness report’. Professor Amanda Coffey introduced the paper.

Noted

1700.1 that the item had been added to the agenda to remind Council of the requirements to complete a compliance and effectiveness report on the Fee and Access Plan 2018/19.

1700.2 that the timescales had been confirmed and that the report would need to be submitted to HEFCW by 24th January 2020 but that guidance had yet to be issued.

1700.3 that, given the timescales and subject to HEFCW requirements, Council was asked to approve the request for the report to be signed by the Chair on behalf of Council.

1700.4 that staff who supported the Fee and Access Planning process would review whether such activity could be more efficiently managed through the University’s governance framework

Resolved

1700.5 that, subject to HEFCW’s requirements when known, the Compliance & Effectiveness Report on the FAP 2018/2019 would be signed by Chair’s Action on behalf of Council in January 2020.

1701 Report From The Chair Of The Governance Committee

Received and considered paper 19/231B, ‘Report from the Chair of the Governance Committee’. Ms Jan Juillerat introduced the paper on behalf of the Chair of Governance Committee.

Noted

1701.1 that there were seven matters for Council’s approval, following their endorsement at Governance Committee:
.1 the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 Compliance report as detailed at Appendix 1 (19/174B).
.2 a change to the Governance Committee Terms of Reference Ordinance 10C 3.5 (iii), resulting from an agreed change to the Terms of Reference for the University Research Integrity and Ethics Committee:
‘Open Research Integrity and Ethics Committee to act as an oversight body to ensure that the University meets the requirements of the UUK Concordat to Support Research Integrity’
.3 the 2018/2019 Annual Statement on Research Integrity as detailed at Appendix 2 (19/164).
.4 the Code of External Funding Practice as detailed at Appendix 3 (19/166B)
.5 the recommendations that Council delegate authority to the Director of Development and Alumni Relations to act on its behalf to address the issue outlined in Appendix 4 (19/167B)
.6 the Annual PREVENT duty statutory monitoring return for 2018/19 as detailed at Appendix 5 (19/173B)
.7 the Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement for 2020 as detailed at Appendix 6 (19/181)

Resolved

1701.2   that all seven matters were approved by Council

1702 Students’ Union Memorandum & Articles Of Association - Amendments

Received and considered paper 19/223, ‘Students’ Union Memorandum & Articles of Association – Amendments. Jackie Yip introduced the paper.

Noted

1702.1   that a review of the Memorandum and Articles of Association was undertaken every five years.

1702.2 that the changes outlined in the paper had been ratified at the recent Students’ Union Annual General Meeting and at the Student Senate meeting on 19th November 2019.

1702.3 that it would be helpful in future if changes were annotated in red font to aid identification.

Resolved

1702.4 that the requested amendments were approved.

1703 Student Charter

Received and considered paper 19/215, ‘Student Charter’. Professor Amanda Coffey introduced the paper.

Noted

1703.1 that the paper was presented to provide the proposed changes to the 2019 Student Charter following the conclusion of the annual review activity, and to seek approval for publication.

1703.2 that the changes took account of recent guidance and had been undertaken in close partnership with the Students’ Union.

1703.3 that the changes had been made to try to increase accessibility and accuracy, and to include increased information on the Welsh Language Standards, the Mental Health provision and the Complaints process.

1703.4 that the changes were endorsed by Senate and the Governance Committee.

Resolved

1703.5 that the changes to the Student Charter as outlined in the paper were approved.

1704 University / Students’ Union Relationship Agreement

Received and considered paper 19/214, ‘University / Students’ Union Relationship Agreement’. Ms Deborah Collins introduced the paper.

Noted

1704.1t hat the paper was presented to provide proposed changes to the Students’ Union Relationship Agreement following the conclusion of the annual review activity and to seek approval for publication.

1704.2 that HEFCW expected institutions to review the University and Students’ Union Relationship Agreement on an annual basis.

1704.3 that the proposed amendments to the Agreement had been indicated in the document and they constituted a series of changes which improved the accuracy and accessibility of the document, based on feedback from the stakeholders consulted.

Resolved

1704.4 that the changes to the Students’ Union Relationship Agreement as outlined in the paper were approved.

1705 Treharne Review

Received and considered paper 19/229B, ‘Treharne Review Part 2 Action Plan Recommendations’. Ms Deborah Collins introduced the paper.

Noted

1705.1 that an action plan had been discussed at both UEB and the Governance Committee and that significant progress had been made against the recommendations.

1705.2 that comments from the Estates & Infrastructure Sub-Committee were included in the paper and were accepted.

1705.3 that work was being undertaken on the sponsorship framework to clarify roles.

1705.4 that the sponsorship framework would be resubmitted to a future Estates and Infrastructure Sub-Committee meeting.

1705.5 in response to a question about the expected timescales, it was confirmed that a progress report would be brought back to the next Committee cycle in January – March 2020.

1705.6 in response to a question as to whether the sponsor would be reviewed against the 3% delivery figure required for bond funded projects, it was confirmed that delivery would be required on the financial return of the project.

1706 Powell Review Report

Received and considered paper 19/233B, ‘Powell Review Report’. Ms Deborah Collins introduced the paper.

Noted

1706.1 that the paper was presented to provide a summary of the discussions undertaken in respect of the Powell Review and its recommendations at Governance Committee in September and November 2019, and to seek endorsement for progression of the recommendations.

1706.2 that the review had also been presented by the Rev Canon Gareth Powell at the October Away Days but that Council members requested further opportunity to contribute fully to the recommendations.

1706.3 that in response to a question it was confirmed that the topic was not included within the University’s Risk Register.

Resolved

1706.4 that the Powell Review recommendations should be discussed in greater detail by all members of Council, including the new Council members;

1706.5 that the matter would be added to the agenda for the planned training day scheduled for 16 January 2020;

1706.6 that members who wished to provide feedback should do so by written submission to the Chief Operating Officer by 6th January 2020.

1707 Membership Of Council And Its Committees

Received and considered paper 19/232B, ‘Membership of Council and its Committees’. Ms Deborah Collins introduced the paper.

Noted

1707.1 that the paper was presented to request approval of the appointment of new Lay Members to Council and its committees, following consideration at Governance Committee on the 14 November 2019.

Resolved

1707.2 that the appointment of Professor Dame Janet Finch as a Lay Member of Council with immediate effect for a first term of three years from 26 November 2019 to 31 July 2022 was approved.

1707.3 that the appointment of Professor Dame Janet Finch as a Lay Member of the Remuneration Committee, appointed by and from the Council, with immediate effect for a first term of three years from the 26 November 2019 to the 31 July 2022 was approved.

1707.4 that the appointment of Professor Kim Graham, PVC Research, Innovation & Enterprise for a second term to the Policy & Resources Committee as the member of the Council appointed by Council from among its academic staff members with immediate effect to 31 July 2021 was approved.

1707.5 that as the agreement of the relevant Powell Review recommendation within the previous agendum item was deferred, the extension of the initial appointment terms of John Shakeshaft and David Simmons, for a fourth year until 31 July 2023, would be deferred.

1707.6 that Members noted the recommendation of Governance Committee that the Lay Members of Council should consider the process of appointment and term of office of Council Chairs and specifically the end date of the current Chair’s term of office. It was resolved further that a recommendation would be submitted to Council during the Spring Term 2020.

1708 HEFCW Triennial Assurance Review Report

Received and considered paper 19/213, ‘HEFCW Triennial Assurance Review Report’. Professor Amanda Coffey introduced the paper.

Noted

1708.1 that the paper was presented to inform Council of the outcomes and recommendations of the HEFCW Triennial visit and the University’s response to the matters raised.

1708.2 that there were two matters for review:
.1  that the University had been given notice to take immediate action to update the Students’ Union Relationship Agreement -  this had been undertaken in March 2019 and would be subject to annual review;  
.2  that HEFCW’s response to the action plan drawn up against the most recent National Student Survey (NSS) results had been positive.

1709 Report From Chair Of Policy & Resources Committee

Received and considered paper 19/207B, ‘Report from Chair of Policy and Resources Committee’. Mr Alastair Gibbons introduced the paper.

Noted

1709.1 that the paper was presented to provide Council with assurance that the Policy and Resources Committee was fulfilling the functions delegated to it, and to present its recommendations to Council.

1709.2 that the following matter referred to within the report required Council approval.

• Annual Treasury Management Report -19/132B (Appendix A)

1709.3 that, with one possible exception, investment managers generally had produced satisfactory returns;

1709.4 that two other matters recommended for Council’s approval were covered separately on the agenda – minutes 1713 and 1715 below refer.

Resolved

1709.5 that the Annual Treasury Management report was approved.

1710 Finance Report

Received and considered paper 19/216B, ‘Finance Report’. Mr Rob Williams introduced the paper.

Noted

1710.1 that Council noted the Financial Report for the 2 months ended 30 September 2019.

1711 Reconciliation Of The Forecast Outturn To The Financial Statements

Received and considered paper 19/234B, ‘Reconciliation of the Forecast Outturn to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 July 2019’. Mr Rob Williams introduced the paper, which was supported by a PowerPoint presentation.

Noted

1711.1 that the paper explained the variances between the financial forecast and the actual outturn for the year ended 31 July 2019.

1711.2  that table 1 of the document showed income had increased at 4.2% compared with 2017/18 against an increase in expenditure of 2.0%. This had helped to reduce the operating deficit for the year to £6.9M before other provisions and investment gains.

1711.3  that the total deficit of £117.4M included a provision of £92.9M for the 2017 deficit on the USS pension scheme and a £9.5M impairment of the University’s investment in CSC Ltd.

Resolved

1711.4 that the Reconciliation of the Forecast Outturn to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 July 2019 was approved.

1712   Judgements For The Financial Statements

Received and considered paper 19/235B, ‘Judgements for the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 July 2019’. Mr Rob Williams introduced the paper.

Noted

1712.1 that the paper set out the responsibilities of Council and the judgements made in the preparation of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 July 2019.

1712.3 that the paper described the process adopted and the provisions made in respect of two significant judgements – the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) Pension Scheme and the Cardiff University Pension Fund – and.

1712.4 that since the original investment in 2015 in the Compound Semiconductor (CSC) Ltd joint venture, changes in both UK and European grant funding and the impact of the current economic and political landscape had meant that the original income growth assumptions were unlikely to be met in the timescale envisaged and that in consequence an impairment review had been undertaken which had resulted in a provision of £19M being made against the University’s £24M investment.

1712.5 that discussions had been held with significant stakeholders who had expressed comfort with the University’s approach.

Resolved

1712.6 that the Judgements for the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 July 2019 were approved.

1713 Cardiff University Annual Accounts 2018/19

Received and considered paper 19/236B, ‘Cardiff University Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 July 2019 and Letter of Representation to PwC’. Mr Rob Williams introduced the paper.

Noted

1713.1 that the paper presented the draft Annual Report and Financial Statements of the University for the year-ending 31st July 2019, and the Letter of Representation to the external auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

1713.2 that both items had been received by the Audit Committee and recommended for Council approval.

1713.3 that the following matters were drawn to Council members’ attention:
.1 that the Financial Review showed the reconciliation of the overall deficit of £117.4M with the operating deficit of £6.9M.
.2 that the table demonstrated the breakdown of student numbers against 2017/18 representing a 4% increase overall in student numbers.
.3 that the University’s key risk areas had been reviewed by the UEB and the Audit Committee.
.4 that the document outlined Council members’ responsibilities.
.5 that the independent audit report from PwC confirmed that the consolidated financial statements gave a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and of the University’s affairs, that the report included a statement recognising the appropriate use of income together with assurance about the judgements and estimates made in relation to pension provisions and the impairments of the Compound Semiconductor investment.
.6 that £312M staff costs spent in 2019 represented 58% of total income compared to 59% in 2018.

1713.4 that the document covered the accounting assumptions and notes to the financial statements including:
.1  the staff costs and the numbers and analysis of payees in the University;
.2 a more detailed note on the CSC investment and provision, and detailed notes on the USS pension provision, making reference to the updated valuation;
.3 an outline of the capital commitments figure for 2018/19, which was significantly higher than previous years due to commencement of major construction works and associated commitments.

1713.5 that the document set out Related Party Transactions detailing organisations where members of Council had or cold have an interest – members had been invited to review the list for accuracy.

1713.6 that the Audit Committee had reviewed the Letter of Representation to PwC and received appropriate representations from management.

Resolved

1713.7 that the Annual Report and Financial Statements of the University for the year-ending 31 July 2019 and the Letter of Representation were approved.

1714 Annual Sustainability Assurance Report (ASSUR)

Received and considered paper 19/237B, ‘Annual Sustainability Assurance Report (ASSUR)’. Mr Rob Williams introduced the paper.

Noted

1714.1 that the paper explained the purpose of the Margin for Sustainability and Investment (MSI) KPI and the content of the ASSUR statement to be returned to HEFCW.

1714.2 that the Chair of the Audit Committee confirmed that the contents of the letter had been endorsed by the Committee.

Resolved

1714.3 that the Annual Sustainability Assurance Report (ASSUR) was approved.

1715 ARCHI Wider-BE

Received and considered paper 19/217B, ‘ARCHI Wider-BE Business Case’. Professor Rudolf Allemann introduced the paper.

Noted

1715.1 that this was the final business case to secure funding for the expansion and diversification of the Welsh School of Architecture as set out in the WIDER-BE academic case.

1715.2 that the business case had been endorsed by the Investment and Banking Sub-Committee and the Policy & Resources Committee.

1715.3 that there had been significant growth potential identified in the school with demand for places being high and no issues recruiting students.

1715.4 that the project had used a staged approach;
.1  that stage 1 was progressing well;
.2  that stage 2 was expected to remain within budget
.3 that the tender for stage 3 was soon to commence and that the project was expected to be delivered to budget.

1715.5 that the lessons learned from the Treharne Review had been built into the project, and that the feedback from the Policy & Resources Committee was that this was a strong business case. It was further noted that the expectation was that the project would be delivered within the overall budget.

Resolved

1715.6 that the budget of £20.21M to complete the design, procurement and delivery of works to support the expansion of the Welsh School of Architecture and to address the maintenance works in the Bute Building was approved.

1716 Senate Report To Council

Received and considered paper 19/206B, ‘Senate Report to Council’. The Vice-Chancellor introduced the paper.

Resolved

1716.1 that the report be noted

1717 Annual Quality Report

Received and considered paper 19/218, ‘Annual Quality Report’. Professor Amanda Coffey introduced the paper.

Noted

1717.1 that the paper was presented for Council to consider the Annual Quality report which provided an holistic overview of the University’s academic quality management systems during the 2018/19 academic session.

1717.2 that the report was also presented to ASQC and to Senate for approval on 6 November 2019.

1717.3 that the Annual Quality Report provided a risk status and narrative for each area of activity from which Council could provide assurance to the HEFCW.

1717.4 that improvements had been seen in a number of areas: Collaborative Provision and Periodic Review risks had lowered from ‘amber’ to ‘green’; Examination Paper Errors risk had lowered from ‘red’ to ‘amber’ highlighting the significant collaborative work undertaken by staff in Registry and Schools.

1717.5 however, that there were two areas which had been identified as red status signifying serious issues of concern: those areas were Assessment and Feedback and Student Cases, and the report identified the immediate actions being taken to address those concerns.

Assessment and Feedback

1717.6 that the Assessment and Feedback score had been due to NSS scores being below benchmarks - the University had responded to HEFCW on the matter who were comfortable with the response.
Student Cases

1717.7 that in relation to Student cases, the report indicated where the University had undertaken actions to address the concerns.

1717.8 that whilst the work undertaken in 2018/19 to review and revise student cases policies and processes would streamline some areas of work for 2019/20, the volume of work within this area had significantly increased, mainly due to the rapid and significant increase in the number of student behaviour cases and student complaints, attributed in part to the success of the Disclosure Response Team in making students aware of the options available to them.

1717.9 that the impact of the increase in the volume of work had seen a delay in concluding and responding to student cases and, consequently, the risk had been raised from ‘amber’ to ‘red’ to reflect this, and a number of targeted actions were being taken to address the identified issues.

1717.10 that Academic Regulations, Annual Review and Enhancement, and Programme Approval risks had remained at ‘amber’ despite actions to develop new policies and processes which would be implemented in 2019/20 (as the outcomes had yet to be determined).

1717.11 that in response to a question relating to Assessment and Feedback, it was confirmed that this area had been a significant area of focus for schools. It was further noted that the measure was problematic for the sector as a whole.

1717.12 that in response to a question about the NSS results for Assessment and Feedback, there had been two difficult questions for the University (‘I have received helpful comments on my work’ and ‘marking and assessment is fair’) - there had been some improvement but consistency was required.

1718 Report From Chair Of Audit Committee

Received and considered paper 19/238B, ‘Report from Chair of Audit Committee’. Mr Michael Hampson introduced the paper.

Noted

1718.1 that the paper was presented to provide Council with assurance that the Audit Committee was fulfilling the functions delegated to it, and to present its recommendations to Council.

1718.2 that there were two matters referred to within the report presented for decision:

• Risk Register and Risk Appetite -19/183B (Appendix 1)
• Risk Management Annual Report - 19/187B (Appendix 2)

1718.3 that a review of the financial regulations had been agreed with the Finance Department to bring the regulations up to date and improve the internal control environment.

1718.4 that PwC’s contract for external audit provision ended with the 2019/20 academic year and that a tender exercise would be required for future years.

1718.5 that there had been a high number of limited assurance reports from internal audit, but neither the internal nor external auditors considered that the reason for this was as a consequence of a generally weak control environment; instead that it was related to a focus on areas that are of greater risk. It was further noted that the external auditors had not seen the University as having a weaker control environment.

Resolved

1718.6 that the Risk Register and Risk Appetite report and the Risk Management Annual Report were approved.

1719 Internal Audit Annual Report

Received and considered paper 19/219B, ‘Internal Audit Annual Report’. Ms Deborah Collins introduced the paper.

Noted

1719.1 that the paper was presented to Council in line with the requirements set out in Ordinance 10.B and was produced by the Head of Internal Audit in relation to the University’s internal controls on risk management and governance.

Resolved

1719.2 that the 2018/2019 Internal Audit Annual Report was approved for submission to HEFCW.

1720 Audit Committee Annual Report To Council

Received and considered paper 19/239B, ‘Audit Committee Annual Report to Council’. Mr Michael Hampson introduced the paper.

Noted

1720.1 that the paper presented the Annual Report from the Audit Committee in relation to the 2018-2019 session, which was a formal reported to provide Council with assurance.

1721 Redundancy Committee Report To Council

Received and considered paper 19/220B, ‘Redundancy Committee Report to Council’. Ms Sue Midha introduced the paper.

Noted

1721.1 that the paper outlined the actions taken under the delegations of both July 2018 and July 2019.

1721.2 that the Redundancy Committee had met on 10 July, 7 August, 6 September and 4 October, and that the recommendations made by those meetings had been approved by the Chair of Council, with redundancy notices having been issued where so authorised and appropriate.

1721.3 that the Chair reminded the lay members of Council that the composition of the Redundancy Committee included 2 lay members of Council and requested that lay members made themselves available either in person or via telephone where possible.

1722 Annual People Management Report

Received and considered paper 19/221B, ‘Annual People Management Report’. Ms Sue Midha introduced the paper.

NOTED

1722.1 that the paper was presented to provide an overview of the University’s staff profile and people related activities for the year ending 31 July 2019, and that this was the second report for 2019/10.

1722.2 that the key points were:
.1 that there had been a reduction in headcount and Full Time Equivalent (FTE) between 2018 and 2019 across all pathways, but notably in clinical academic and administrative.
.2   that some of the reduction related to the transfer of PGMDE and some of it was due to voluntary turnover which had been higher than in previous years.
.3 that the Strategic Equality Plan demonstrated the intention to attract greater diversity of applications.

1723 Any Other Business

1723.1 Noted that two items for discussion had been covered earlier in the meeting.

1723.2 In response to a question on the fire safety of our student accommodation, following a recent fire in student accommodation in Leeds, that a report from the Head of Estates & the Fire Safety officer had been received on the day of the meeting by UEB and that senior management had been assured by its contents:
.1  that the University had one instance of cladding that was similar to but not identical to that installed at The Cube in Leeds.
.2 that the University was currently examining a sprinkler system and fire compartmentation in specified blocks.
.3 that there were limitations on what the University could do in respect of privately-owned accommodation, but that pressure was being exerted to try to ensure that all organisations were meeting their responsibilities;
.4 that fire escape tests, and fire equipment tests had been carried out at University accommodation and no concerns identified.

1724  Items Received for Information

Council Noted
Paper 19/222B, ‘Students’ Union Accounts’
Paper 19/225, ‘Research Grants and Contracts’
Paper 19/228, ‘Report of Sealing Transactions’
Paper 19/224, ‘Award of Emeritus/Emerita’
Paper 19/240B, ‘UEB Operational Plan’

1725  Draft Agenda For The Next Meeting

Council received and considered paper 19/227, ‘Draft Agenda for Next Meeting’.

Noted

1725.1      Draft agenda for the next meeting: 10 February 2020

1725.2      Members noted the draft agenda for the next meeting.

Resolved

1725.3      that the draft agenda for the next Council meeting was approved.

1726 Next Meeting

The next meeting of Council is 10 February 2020.