- some of the main items considered by the University Council at its meeting on 19 March
Budgetary Mechanism
The Council approved recommendations from the Planning and Resources Committee concerning changes to the budget mechanism for l999-2000, whereby funding allocations would be based on previous years', rather than projected, student numbers. The changes were intended to give budgetary units greater certainty in their planning, increase year-on-year stability and to enable firm allocations to be made earlier in the planning process.
Budget for l999-2000
The Council received a paper on the budget for l999-200 and noted that the overall position was that the University had moved into a deficit of £l.8m compared to a forecast surplus of £270k for the current year. The majority of the deterioration was attributable to the loss of overseas students and to the reduction in value of the HEFCE core grant. The Council approved a number of measures intended to address this deficit, including a freeze on vacancies arising in non-academic posts funded from budgetary income. This was subject to the Vice-Chancellor having discretion to waive this restriction in exceptional cases when he considered that keeping a post vacant would not be in the University's interests. In addition non academic posts becoming vacant should be left unfilled for a minimum period of three months.
Best Value and the Public/Private Partnership
The Council considered a paper on Best Value and Public/Private Partnerships (PPP) in the light of the strong concerns expressed at the December meeting of the Senate about the need to reduce the level of support costs charged to the academic units and the need to find the most efficient means of delivering support services. The Council noted that the University has had an involvement in PPP type schemes for at least ten years including the partnerships with Kelsey Housing Association and Bradford and Northern Housing Association, the contracting out of pay-phone management, the use of Studentline and the contracting out of a number of catering services. After discussion, in which it was noted that the key test of Best Value was whether it delivered the best service for the local people, the Council agreed that the University should adopt as formal policy the use of PPP type schemes, through a Best Value market testing process, as a method of achieving necessary reductions in cost without compromising the quality of the service provided.
Tuition Fees
The Council approved a 3% increase in the level of overseas fees and agreed that a fixed fee option should be introduced for overseas students, with the fee being set slightly above the standard overseas fee, but subsequently fixed for the duration of the course. It was noted that officers were authorised to negotiate lower rates in certain circumstances and that the University would be offering overseas students the possibility of paying fees in their own currency.
Community Stadium
The Council received a report from the Estates Committee which included details of preliminary discussions regarding the proposal by Brighton & Hove Albion to site a 25,000 seat community stadium at Falmer. It was agreed that it would be appropriate for the Council to hold a full debate on the proposal at its July meeting by which time a number of issues surrounding the project and the University's position in relation to it would have become clearer.
