As part of our Modernising the Governance (MtG) project, changes are being proposed to the University’s Royal Charter – our most important constitutional document – and our Statutes.
Why are changes being made? How do they benefit me?
Our current governance documentation and processes are outdated and no longer fit for purpose. Instead of providing clarity and guidance, they’re overly complex and repetitive, making them hard to use and understand.
The proposed changes are the groundwork to transform this situation, bringing our governance documents and processes into the 21st century.
The wellbeing of our staff and students, as well as accessibility standards, lie at the heart of all the proposed changes to governance.
Benefits will include:
- Increased transparency about how our University operates. It will be easy for our staff, students and other stakeholders to find out how decisions are made, and who has the authority to make them. Our community will have a better understanding of their part in the wider process, and how they help to deliver our strategy.
- People can find the information they’re looking for more easily because content is ordered in a logical way.
- Clarity about the rights, expectations and responsibilities of staff and students.
What will be changing?
Under the proposal, upcoming key changes include:
- Revised Charter – unnecessary complicated, old-fashioned language removed. New detail added to emphasise our commitment to and the importance of certain principles (e.g. academic freedom and equal opportunities).
- Removal of Statutes – Statutes removed to reduce duplicate content. Information currently held in Statutes moved to most appropriate place and reviewed to ensure use of simple language.
Key timeline – update to Charter and removal of Statutes
May – July 2022
- Consultation with Senate – 13 May
- University and College Union (UCU) Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) – 19 May
- 1st Reading of Special Resolution by Council – 17 May
- 2nd Reading of Special Resolution by Council – 20 June
- Formal submission to Privy Council on proposed changes to Charter and Statutes
1 August 2022 (subject to approval from Privy Council)
- Revised Charter published
More information
Visit the project’s SharePoint site.
