Governor oversight of university performance

The request was partially successful.

Dear Cardiff Metropolitan University,

Please supply me with the following:

1. The latest version of your detailed strategic plan if later than the one published online two years ago after the appointment of the university’s vice chancellor.
http://campaigns.cardiffmet.ac.uk/docume...

2. The comparative measures of success (listed on page 21 of the published strategic plan) for 2017/18 and 2018/19 given that the university states ‘Performance will be monitored continuously and the indicators will be updated annually to report progress and to reflect any modification to the planned targets.’ Please confirm that these performance measures have not been abandoned by the Board of Governors.

3. The university says that ‘The Board of Governors will monitor the University’s progress against this Strategic Plan, informed by regular reports from the President and Vice-Chancellor and other senior staff.’ Please confirm that the Board of Governors have monitored the institutions progress against the benchmarks set out above, and if so, the basis upon which they have used to reflect performance against the remuneration package of the vice chancellor which has risen significantly in the last accounts by 26%?

4. The university has seen a steep fall in all league tables ie 3 consecutive years decline in the Complete University Guide to 96th out of 131; in the Guardian League Table CMU is now 113th out of 121 and the lowest university in Wales; in the Times League Table CMU is 108th out of 129; People and Planet League from a first class position of 8th in the UK to 68th. https://university.which.co.uk/cardiff-m...
What measures have the Governors put in place to counteract these declines and how are the Board holding the executive to account?

5. Please provide a list of those Independent Governors who have served on the Governing Body over the last two years, and confirm that none of them have any declared conflicts of interest aside from those that have been declared in the university’s register.

Yours faithfully,

Catrin Thomas

Freedom of Information, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Dear Catrin,

Thank you for your request for information (under the Freedom of Information Act 2000). Your request was received on the 18.07.2019 and has been given the following reference number: RI1434. Please use this reference number in all future correspondence. Thank you.

We endeavour to respond to your request promptly, however we are permitted, under the Act, to take up to 20 working days – the first day being the first working day after the request is received (this does not include Saturdays, Sundays, Bank Holidays or Public Holidays). If for any reason we are unable to meet this deadline we will keep you fully informed of the reason(s) why.

If you have any queries about this acknowledgement and/or your request, or if at any stage you are unhappy with the way in which your request is being dealt with, please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail ([email address]), letter (Cardiff Metropolitan University, Llandaff Campus, Western Avenue, Cardiff, CF5 2YB) or telephone (02920 20 5635).

Thank you very much.

Yours sincerely,

Esther Steele
Executive Officer / Swyddog Gweithredol

Tel  / Ffôn: 029 2020 5635
Email / E-bost: [email address]

Mae Met Caerdydd yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg a Saesneg a byddwn yn sicrhau ein bod yn cyfathrebu â chi yn eich dewis iaith boed yn Gymraeg, yn Saesneg neu’n ddwyieithog dim ond i chi roi gwybod i ni pa un sydd well gennych. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhyw oedi.

Cardiff Met welcomes correspondence in English and Welsh and we will ensure that we communicate with you in the language of your choice, whether that’s English, Welsh or bilingual as long as you let us know which you prefer. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to any delay.

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Freedom of Information, Cardiff Metropolitan University

1 Attachment

Dear Catrin,

 

Reference Number: RI1434.

 

Thank you for your request for information (under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000).

 

We are pleased to confirm that we hold the information you have requested
and are therefore able to provide answers to your questions.

 

If you have asked for the response to your request to be presented in an
Excel Spreadsheet, PDF or Word Document please find it attached.
Otherwise, please find the answers to your questions below in red text:

 

1. The latest version of your detailed strategic plan if later than the
one published online two years ago after the appointment of the
University’s Vice Chancellor.

[1]http://campaigns.cardiffmet.ac.uk/docume...

 

The University is working to the same Strategic Plan as published, which
runs from 2017-18 to 2022-23.

 

2. The comparative measures of success (listed on page 21 of the published
strategic plan) for 2017/18 and 2018/19 given that the University states
‘Performance will be monitored continuously and the indicators will be
updated annually to report progress and to reflect any modification to the
planned targets.’ Please confirm that these performance  measures have not
been abandoned by the Board of Governors.

 

The University’s Measures of Success and Performance Indicators continue
to be reported to the Board of Governors regularly with the last report
made to Board on 19 April 2019.

 

3. The University says that ‘The Board of Governors will monitor the
University’s progress against this Strategic Plan, informed by regular
reports from the President and Vice-Chancellor and other senior staff.’
Please confirm that the Board of Governors have monitored the institutions
progress against the benchmarks set out above, and if so, the basis upon
which they have used to reflect performance against the remuneration
package of the vice chancellor which has risen significantly in the last
accounts by 26%?

 

Please see Question 2 above: The Board of Governors monitors progress
against the Strategic Plan using the Measures of Success and Performance
Indicators. The Vice Chancellor’s salary for 2017/18 was £233,906 plus an
annual supplement in lieu of employer’s 13.97% pensions contributions. The
Vice Chancellor’s salary for 2018/19 was £238,584 plus an annual
supplement in lieu of employer’s 13.97% pensions contributions. The Vice
Chancellor’s year on year pay increase between 2017/18 and 2018/19 was
therefore 2%. The payment of annual supplement in lieu of employer’s
pension contributions would have appeared in the Annual Report and
Financial Statements as an apparent increase in the Vice Chancellor’s
remuneration package for 2017/18. However it must be clearly stated that
this payment was made instead of, rather than in addition to, the payment
of employer’s pension.

 

4. The University has seen a steep fall in all league tables i.e. 3
consecutive years decline in the Complete University Guide to 96th out of
131; in the Guardian League Table CMU is now 113th out of 121 and the
lowest university in Wales; in the Times League Table CMU is 108th out of
129; People and Planet League from a first class position of 8th in the UK
to 68th.
https://university.which.co.uk/cardiff-m...

What measures have the Governors put in place to counteract these declines
and how are the Board holding the executive to account?

 

The Board of Governors receives a report annually at its first autumn
meeting on League Table performance; in considering this paper, the Board
will expect relevant executive action to be reported.

 

5. Please provide a list of those Independent Governors who have served on
the Governing Body over the last two years, and confirm that none of them
have any declared conflicts of interest aside from those that have been
declared in the University’s register.

 

The names of members of the Board of Governors are reported annually as
part of the University’s Annual Report and Financial Statements. Board
members complete an annual Register of Interests.  Any conflict of
interest in respect of a particular item of Board business is declared at
the time and recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

 

If you are unhappy with the way in which your request has been dealt with
or with the outcome of the consideration given to your request, you may
ask for an Internal Review. If you are not content with the outcome of the
Internal Review you have the right to apply directly to the Information
Commissioner for a decision. Our procedure for carrying out Internal
Reviews can be found under the ‘Complaint’ section of this document.

 

If you have any queries about this response or would like any further
information about your request, or the Freedom of Information Act in
general, please do not hesitate to contact us again by e-mail
([email address]), letter (Cardiff Metropolitan University,
Llandaff Campus, Western Avenue, Cardiff, CF5 2YB) or telephone (02920 20
5635).

 

Thank you very much.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Esther Steele

Executive Officer / Swyddog Gweithredol

 

Tel  / Ffôn: 029 2020 5635

Email / E-bost: [2][email address

 

Mae Met Caerdydd yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg a Saesneg a byddwn yn
sicrhau ein bod yn cyfathrebu â chi yn eich dewis iaith boed yn Gymraeg,
yn Saesneg neu’n ddwyieithog dim ond i chi roi gwybod i ni pa un sydd well
gennych. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhyw oedi.

 

Cardiff Met welcomes correspondence in English and Welsh and we will
ensure that we communicate with you in the language of your choice,
whether that’s English, Welsh or bilingual as long as you let us know
which you prefer. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to any delay.

[3]Image result for gdpr

Please visit the ICO [4]website for further information.

Ewch i [5]wefan Swyddfa’r Comisiynydd Gwybodaeth am ragor o wybodaeth.

 

 

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