Nominations Committee: Appeal for nominations.
30 Oct 2008
An invitation to all members of staff.
In the current session the Nominations Committee of the University will give consideration to, and make recommendations for, the appointment and re-appointment of lay members (that is, persons who are neither employees nor students of the University) to serve on the Board of Governors and on the General Assembly with effect from September 2009.
At the same time, the Committee wishes to develop the 'pools' of suitably experienced lay individuals that it previously established, and that have been used as a source of candidates for Board and General Assembly membership in recent years.
The Board is the governing body of the University, and carries ultimate responsibility for the University’s strategic direction, finances, property and staffing arrangements; it has 25 members.
The General Assembly is a much larger body (200+ members) which provides an interface between the University and stakeholders in the wider community.
Currently, the Board meets five times, and the General Assembly twice, annually. In addition, Board membership in particular will normally involve some committee work.
This notice, which is also being issued to all current Board and General Assembly members, seeks nominations from within the University community for both the Board and the General Assembly ‘pools’.
For the relatively small numbers required for the Board, the Committee would welcome names of possible candidates of the highest calibre who have the necessary skills, expertise and background/track record to contribute substantially to the University's governing body in fulfilling its key responsibilities. The Committee anticipates that many of those identified will be highly influential in regional matters, and others in national or international terms.
In contrast, the 'pool' for possible General Assembly members will be larger, and these nominations should reflect the requirements of its primary role, namely to act as an interface between the University and stakeholders in the wider community.
In each case - Board and General Assembly - the Committee recognises that only a small number of those whose names are in the 'pools' will be required during each year and those not selected will normally be automatically considered for the next and subsequent years.
In making its recommendations for membership of the two bodies, the Nominations Committee always takes account of the existing balance of skills and expertise found among existing members, in addition to representative issues such as age, gender and ethnicity. Nominations of those of black or of minority ethnic backgrounds, of those with disabilities, of women and of younger adults are especially welcome.
It is important that all appointees are in sympathy with the values and purposes of higher education, and specifically with the aims and aspirations of The University of Manchester.
Each nomination, consisting of a supporting statement – including confirmation as to whether the nomination is for membership of the Board or of the General Assembly - and with a biographical resumé attached, should be sent to:
- Martin Conway, Deputy Secretary (in the John Owens Building), by Monday 24 November 2008
If there is any help or information that you need, please get in touch with Martin Conway directly on:
- tel: 0161 275 2086 / fax: 0161 275 7177 / email: martin.conway@manchester.ac.uk
Please note that in bringing forward candidates for consideration by the Committee, it is especially important that the nominations are not discussed with those concerned, as not all can be successful.
This is an important step in widening the 'pools' of possible candidates for both the Board and the General Assembly, as well as improving the transparency of the process. The Nominations Committee looks forward to receiving some high-quality and imaginative names for its consideration. Any contribution that you are able to make to this process will be greatly appreciated.
Sir John Kerr
Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the Nominations Committee
30 October 2008