Governance Committee shall be a committee of the Board of Trustees.

Membership:

  • Three Sabbatical Officers
  • Two Student Trustee appointed by the Board of Trustees
  • One External Trustee appointed by the Board of Trustees

In attendance:

  • Chief Executive
  • Director of Policy, Governance & Advocacy
  • Any Member who wishes to attend as observers
  • Other staff members proposed by the Chief Executive and agreed by the Chair

The Chair of the Governance Committee shall be a Sabbatical Officer.

Remit:

The Committee shall have overall responsibility for ensuring that the governance arrangements of the Students’ Union as a whole are effective and fit for purpose.

The Committee shall:

  1. Examine any matters referred to it by the Board of Trustees, in relation to the oversight of democratic or organisational governance.
  2. Ensure that the appointment of External Trustees and Student Trustees are carried out in accordance with the relevant Articles.
  3. Ensure that new trustees are effectively trained and inducted, setting the culture and approach to welcoming new trustees.
  4. Oversee the implementation, development and ongoing management of governance within the Union.
  5. Establish and maintain procedures and systems of internal control designed to give reasonable assurance that all aspects of governance are in place.
  6. Review the Union’s compliance with all relevant legislation and good practice codes to ensure effective governance.
  7. Oversee reviews of the Union’s governance arrangements on a triennial basis.
  8. Review the Returning Officer’s Report to ensure the elections are fair and democratic.
  9. Ensure processes are in place for the declaration of interests to manage potential conflicts.
  10. Maintain oversight of skills and diversity of the Board and its committees, ensuring that their effectively represents the membership and their needs.
  11. When necessary, establish an Appointments Committee for appointing External Trustees.
  12. Report to the Board, through submission of the minutes for each meeting of the Committee. Approved minutes shall be published on the Union’s website.

Frequency of Meetings: At least once in the academic year.

Chair: Darcy Lan, Postgraduate Officer

Upcoming Governance Committee Meetings:

Governance Committee Meeting (GC2401) Tuesday 19 November 2024 18.00-20.00

Governance Committee Meeting (GC2402) Thursday 15 May 2025 18.00-20.00

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