A new Women Count report has placed Kent among the top tier of 166 UK HEIs for the number of women on its 25-member council.
With 48% of its Council positions taken up by women, Kent is well above the Committee of University Chairs aspirational target of 40% of female governing body members. It can also be considered a gender-balanced board, generally defined as between 40% to 60% of either gender.
The report, entitled Women Count: Leaders in Higher Education 2016, was published on 2 March.
Sir David Warren, Chair of the University’s Council, said: ‘I am delighted that the University of Kent is at the forefront of gender diversity on its Governing Council. Diverse institutions are more effective institutions. I am proud to be Chair of a very effective Council in a very high-performing university.’
Kent’s Council is “the supreme governing body of the University” and its responsibilities include the oversight of the management and administration of the revenue and property of the University and oversight of the conduct of the affairs of the University.
The Council is also responsible for the appointment of lay officers, including its Chair and the Chancellor, lay members of the Council and external auditors, and for the making and amending of the University’s Statutes and Ordinances.
The Council’s principal committees include the Finance and Resources Committee, Audit Committee, Lay Nominations Committee and the Remuneration Committee.
