Organisational changes - message from the Vice-Chancellor

Friday, 09 March 2012

Vice-Chancellor, Sir David Bell

On arriving at the University, I set myself the early task of reviewing our senior management organisational and decision-making arrangements. In doing so, I wanted to ensure that our processes are as efficient and effective as possible. I have now completed this review and today can announce the following changes:

Vice-Chancellor's Executive Group (VCEG)

I intend to create a V-C's Executive Group (VCEG) that builds upon the work begun by Tony Downes when he was Acting Vice-Chancellor in forming the ‘PVCs+ Group'. Membership of the V-C's Executive Group will be the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, the Pro-Vice-Chancellors and the Directors of Governance, Student and Academic Services and Finance and Corporate Services. The Group will meet weekly on Monday mornings during term time and will be responsible for advising me and for considering the business for Senior Management Board.

Senior Management Board (SMB)

Meetings of Senior Management Board (SMB) will be reduced in frequency to two per term plus a meeting in September to ‘sweep up' business accumulated over the summer vacation. Membership will be the members of VCEG noted above, together with the Deans of the Faculties. The Directors of Human Resources and of Communication will routinely be in attendance and I will consider further the membership of SMB when the changes described below are fully embedded.

Senior Management Board will continue to be the place where executive matters are decided. It will also remain the vehicle through which matters requiring consideration by Senate, Strategy and Finance Committee and Council are channelled.

Deans of Faculties

It is very important that the Deans of Faculties continue to play a central role in the leadership of the University, not least because of their connection to the wider academic community. For that reason, Deans will meet with me on a monthly basis, over and above routine regular contact.

To strengthen their role and ensure that the Deans are connected into the most senior levels of the University, I have also decided that line management responsibility for them will transfer to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

Directorates

I intend to rationalise the current Directorates to provide a more integrated structure.

I have decided to move to a position where we have three rather than five groups: an Office of the University Secretary (led by Keith Hodgson), a Student and Academic Services group (led by Richard Messer) and a Finance and Corporate Services group (led by David Savage).

Within this overall framework, the current Facilities Management Directorate will fall within the Finance and Corporate Services group as will the current External Affairs Directorate with the exception of all student recruitment activities which will move to the Student and Academic Services group. Against this background, Richard Messer will take on the new role of Head of University Administration and David Savage the new role of Chief Operating Officer. I have asked Richard and David to bring forward to me reorganisation proposals given the new responsibilities they will be taking on. Details of changes to be made will be announced in due course.

The Office of the University Secretary will constitute the existing activities of the Governance Directorate save for the RISIS Development and Support Office which will move to the Student and Academic Services group. At the same time, the Graduation Office will move to the Office of the University Secretary.

Overall, I believe the above arrangements will result in improved governance and decision making within the University. Generally, there is more to do to streamline our processes but this is an important and necessary starting point. These changes will come into effect on 1 August 2012. I will provide an update in due course.

Vice-Chancellor, Sir David Bell