About the university

Statement of primary responsibilities

  1. To approve the mission and strategic vision of the University, long-term academic and business plans and key performance indicators, and to ensure that these meet the interests of stakeholders.
  2. To delegate authority to the Vice Chancellor as chief executive, for the academic, corporate, financial, estate, and personnel management of the University.
  3. To ensure the establishment and monitoring of systems of control and accountability, including financial and operational controls and risk assessment.
  4. To ensure processes are in place to monitor and evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the University against the plans, delivery and approved key performance indicators, which should be, where possible and appropriate, benchmarked against other comparable institutions.
  5. To establish processes to monitor and evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the Court itself.
  6. To conduct its business in accordance with best practice in higher education corporate governance and with the principles of public life drawn up by the Committee on Standards in Public Life.
  7. To appoint the Vice Chancellor.
  8. To appoint a secretary to the University Court and to ensure that, if the person appointed has managerial responsibilities, there is an appropriate separation in the lines of accountability.
  9. To be the employing authority for all staff and to be responsible for establishing a human resources strategy.
  10. To be the principal financial and business authority of the University, to ensure that proper books of account are kept, to approve the annual budget and financial statements, and to have overall responsibility for the university's assets, property and estate.
  11. To be the University's legal authority and, to ensure that systems are in place for meeting all the institution's legal obligations, including those arising from contracts and other legal commitments made in the University's name.
  12. To make such provision as it thinks fit for the general welfare of students, in consultation with the Academic Council.
  13. To act as trustee for any property, legacy, endowment, bequest or gift in support of the work and welfare of the University.
  14. To ensure that the University's constitution is followed at all times and that appropriate advice is available to enable this to happen.