On 17 February 2017 Council held its annual Strategy Day in Darwin College.
Topics included a presentation by Alistair Jarvis, Deputy Chief Executive of Universities UK, discussions on the Institutional Plan and Medical Education at Kent and a tour of the Wigoder Law Building.
The meeting of the University’s Court on Friday 3 February 2017 was very well-attended with the highest turnout in recent years. Members of Court gathered for refreshments before the meeting started and it was pleasing to see so many members of Court, including Emeritus Professors, former students and former members of the University Council, return to the University for the meeting.
Sir David Warren, Chair of the University Council, chaired Court; the Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, gave a presentation on the Annual Review 2016 and Bob Scruton, Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee, presented the Financial Statements for 2015/2016.
Professor Jane Reeves, Co-Director of the Centre for Child Protection, gave a presentation on innovation in teaching and learning, the success of the award-winning Centre for Child Protection, which was very well-received.
https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/kentlife/9247/university-wins-guardian-award-for-digital-innovation
It was the Vice-Chancellor and President’s final meeting of Court before her retirement, scheduled for August 2017, and Sir Julian Brazier, MP for Canterbury and Whitstable, thanked her for her outstanding achievements and extremely successful period of leadership.
There will be a meeting of the Court of the University at 2.30pm on Friday 3 February 2017 in the Darwin Conference Suite on the Canterbury Campus. The Annual Review for 2015/2016 and the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 July 2016 will be presented.
Court members should have already received their invitations and papers.
Council met on 25 November 2016 and approved the 2015/2016 Financial Statements and the statutory reports/returns for submission to HEFCE by 1 December 2016.
Council also considered and discussed the University’s Key Performance Indicators.
Council approved a Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement, which will be published on the University website, and a budget for a new building in Park Wood, to provide further facilities for students, including a replacement bar and shop and a new PC study hub, social space and space for student activities.
At its meeting in October 2016 Council agreed to set up a Council Ethics Committee and approved a proposal to change the name of the Brompton Academy Trust to The University of Kent Academies Trust.
The Director of Corporate Communications gave a presentation on the work of Corporate Communications and its contribution to the implementation of the University Plan.
Prior to its meeting Council members were given a tour of the new Sibson Building.
At the last Council meeting of the 2015/2016 academic year on 1 July 2016, the Chair of Council thanked the outgoing members for their contributions to Council and the University. These were Elaine Colville, lay member of Council since 2010; Dr Mario Weick and Loba Van der Bijl, academic staff members since 2013; Tammy Naidoo, President of Kent Union and a member of Council since 2014; and Megan Wells, student member during 2015/2016. Council wished them well in their future endeavours.
New members of Council for the 2016/2017 academic year are Martin Cook, lay member; Professor John Fitzpatrick and Dr Owen Lyne, academic staff members; Charlotte Guy, non-academic staff member; Rory Murray, President of Kent Union; and Sarah Hankins, student member for 2016/2017. Council looks forward to welcoming them to their first meeting.
At our meeting on Friday 1 July, the Council of the University discussed the implications of the EU referendum.
The Council is the University’s governing body, and its members are from a wide range of backgrounds, including business, industry, law, media and public services, as well as representatives from all parts of the University.
We were united in endorsing the Vice-Chancellor’s commitment, and that of her staff, to support staff and students through this very difficult and uncertain time, as set out in her message sent to the University community on 24 June.
We also re-affirmed the importance of Kent’s status as the UK’s European University. We share the University’s pride in this identity, and its determination to remain an outward-facing, international institution.
This is at the heart of Kent’s future, and the Council is unequivocal in its support.
Sir David Warren
Chair of the University Council
One member of the University’s Grades 1 to 6 staff has been elected to the Council of the University. Charlotte Guy has been elected with 19% of the votes cast and will serve as a member of Council from 1 August 2016 to 31 July 2019.
This year was the first year that an on-line system was used for both the nominations and elections and there was a good response rate of 32% for the election, with 461 members of staff taking part.
Two members of University academic and research staff have been elected to the University Council.
Dr Owen Lyne and Professor John Fitzpatrick have been elected and will serve as members of Council from 1 August 2016 until 31 July 2019.
This was the first year that an online system was used for the nominations and the elections and there was a good response rate of 41%.
On Friday 1 April 2016 a meeting of the University Council was held at the University’s Medway Campus. At the start of the meeting the Chair of Council announced that the Vice-Chancellor had indicated that she intended to retire with effect from 31 August 2017 and that the process for appointing a successor would be set in motion through the appointment of a Joint Committee of Senate and Council.
Council received a presentation from Kent Union covering the activities of the Union, its achievements, its impact and its strategy for 2017-2020, and a presentation from the Partnership Development Office concerning widening participation, student engagement and success.
Council received the Equality Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Annual Report for 2014/2015, and welcomed the quantity and quality of information for staff and students in the report, and also received the Annual Report of the Fundraising Co-ordination Committee.
