Mary Senior University and College Union Ṣtakeholder engagement and democratic input into good governance
Words of wisdom? You re the university! Talk to everyone Attend pre-meetings......don t take it personally!
Words of wisdom? Carefully marshal arguments Policy over factions Follow where the money goes...in particular senior staff pay.
Words of wisdom? Abandon hope, all ye who enter here......ps but hang in there to support the elected chair!
Role of staff and student governor Working Together Review von Prodzynski and the Higher Education Governance Bill Role of the governor
Working Together Review Scottish Government STUC February 2014 Relationships employers- unions government http://www.gov.scot/publications/2014/08/4647
Working Together Review objectives: opportunities for innovation that would enhance productivity, workplace development, and labour market security and resilience; what constitutes good practice, the principles that underpin it, the benefits it delivers, and how it might be more widely supported, adopted and secured; opportunities to promote collective bargaining, workplace democracy, diversity and equality, including specifically the participation of women.
Working Together Review - group Chair Jim Mather former Scottish Govt Minister 3 trade union reps 3 employers public and private sectors Academic adviser Prof Patricia Findlay
Working Together Review recommendation: 24) The Scottish Government should legislate to ensure that there is effective worker representation (from representative trade unions) on the board of every public sector body; a role tasked with representing worker interests. In so doing the Government should have in mind the need to increase the number of women on the Boards of public sector bodies. The role should be afforded status equivalent to a nonexecutive director and the individual(s) should be furnished with all the necessary business information, training and development to engage in a meaningful manner with other board members and executives.
Working Together Review recommendation: unique and authentic perspective provided by the union representatives experience. The ability of union representatives to highlight the workplace and the workforce implications of strategic decisions not only improved policy but helped ensure effective and harmonious implementation. Working Together Review 2014
Higher Education Governance von Prondzynski Review 2011 Review higher education governance in Scotland make recommendations Principal Rector Scottish Trades Union Congress Chair of Court National Union of Students http://www.gov.scot/topics/education/universitiescolleges/16640/r eviewhegovernance
von Prondzynski Review...The story of Scottish higher education is overwhelmingly a good one. This report is not an exercise in criticism or complaint. It is an attempt to recommend how the system, at a time of important national change and renewal, can be governed to enable it to play its role as effectively as possible, and with the widest consent and support of its participant and external stakeholders... Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski
von Prondzynski - purpose of university governance: Effective stewardship of the university to secure its sustainability over the medium and long term; Safeguarding the mission of the university and the services it provides for the public benefit Securing the proper and effective use of public and other funds; Ensuring stakeholder participation and accounting to the wider society for institutional performance.
von Prondzynski recommendations 3.2...Remuneration committees should include staff and student members. The work of the committee should be transparent, and in particular, the basis upon which pay is calculated should be published... 4.2...There should be a minimum of two students on the governing body, nominated by the students association/union, one of who should be the President of the Students Association and at least one of whom should be a woman. There should be at least two directly elected staff members. In addition, there should be one member nominated by academic and related unions and one by administrative, technical or support staff unions.
von Prondzynski recommendations 4.1 Chairing of Governing Bodies The chair of each governing body should be appointed through a process that reflects the democratic ideal of higher education, thus involving an election. The chair should receive some form of reasonable remuneration.
HE Governance Bill 1. Elected chair of governing body 2. Staff, student and trade union nominees on governing bodies 3. Academic boards 4. Academic freedom
Staff and student governors What is a university for?