What we do

The Governance Office, which forms part of the Directorate of Legal Affairs and Board Secretariat, provides a support service for the following functions:

1. Detailed support to the Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer (in his capacity as Clerk to the University's governing body) for the work of the Board of Governors.  This is provided by the Deputy Secretary, who also:

• provides advice on all matters associated with the constitution and the arrangements for University governance;
• seeks to promote the attainment and maintenance of high and consistent professional standards for committee servicing in the University.
• oversees all elections and appointments to the Board of Governors, Senate and the General Assembly

2. Providing advice on the interpretation of the University’s constitutional and regulatory framework as embodied in the Charter, Statutes, Ordinances and General Regulations of the University.

3. Advice on the public interest disclosure policy and procedures (‘whistleblowing’)

4. Advice regarding events that fall within the remit of the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech at the University, including liaison with the Students’ Union

5. Leading on the University’s policy framework, including policy development and formulation

6. Providing the secretariat for the following:

• the Board of Governors and its committees (Audit and Risk, Finance, Nominations, and People)
• the General Assembly
• Senate and its two Academic Quality and Standards Committees
• Planning and Resources Committee, and its sub-committees (Finance and Capital Planning, and People and Organisational Development)
• the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee

Details and guidance on how the Governance Office works with colleagues to support these committees is available

Find out more information regarding our governance structure, the people who lead our governance structure, copies of the most recent corporate documents and the founding documents of the University:

• University's governance
• Further Committee information

Feedback from the Staff Survey 2019 revealed that colleagues would like to know more about how decisions are made at our University.

An animated diagram has been created to help explain at a University-level the different governance and management committees

Governance Team contacts, and their committee responsibilties are: