With the higher education sector facing so many challenges, effective university governance has never been more important. In order to help you understand how the University of Sussex is governed, here is a brief guide to our governing body, Council. 

The University of Sussex is an organisation formed by Royal Charter and holds charitable status. 

Two main bodies are involved in the governance of the University: Council and Senate. 

Senate is the academic body, is responsible to Council and subject to its general control and approval. 

Council is the University’s governing body, setting its strategic direction and scrutinising the performance and effectiveness of the University’s management. The Vice-Chancellor and the University’s Executive Group are responsible for day-to-day delivery and are accountable to Council. 

Who is on Council? 

The current Chair of Council is Dame Denise Holt, who was appointed to a three-year term in 2017, which was renewed for another three years this year, until 2023. 

The majority of Council members, including the Chair, are independent of the University, i.e. not staff or students. 

There are 25 members of Council, including 15 independent members, who are appointed by Council on three-year terms, which can be renewed twice (so, a maximum tenure of nine years). 

There are also eight staff and two student representatives: 

• Vice-Chancellor
• Provost
• Three staff members of Senate
• Two members of academic staff, elected by the academic community
• One member of professional services staff, elected by the professional services committee
• The President of the Students’ Union (currently known as the USSU Council Representative due to a restructure of the USSU roles)
• Postgraduate research representative from Senate 

The current membership can be viewed online. 

What are its powers and responsibilities? 

Under the University’s statutes, Council is responsible for “the revenue and property of the University, its conduct and activities, and shall exercise all the University’s powers”. 

Among other things, this includes oversight of: 

• The University’s Strategy
• Financial Statements and audited accounts
• Appointment of internal and external auditors
• The University’s budget
• Appointment of the VC, Provost, PVCs and Chief Operating Officer
• Appointment of the Chair and Vice-Chair of Council, the Chancellor, and independent Council members
• Establishment and abolition of Schools of Study
• Changes to the Council’s committee structure
• Approval of projects over £10m, or £5m with specific risk factors 

Additionally, Council is responsible for ensuring the University fulfils its obligations regarding PREVENT and Health and Safety. 

How does Council fulfil its duties? 

Council normally meets three times a year for a formal meeting, each accompanied by a strategy session and a briefing. 

Decision making is generally by consensus, with voting if required, and collective, with objections noted by exception. Conflicts of interest are declared both annually (published) and at the start of each meeting.

Council also has a number of committees, which meet more frequently:

• Audit and Risk (ARC)
• Strategic Performance and Resources
• Student Experience
• Capital Programmes
• Remuneration A (VC Pay)
• Remuneration B (staff pay)
• Chairs’ Committee 

Dates of full Council and Council committee meetings can be found in the University’s committee timetable. 

What has changed since March 2020? 

Because of the onset of Covid-19, a number of changes have been made to the way Council operates. 

As well as holding all meetings remotely, Council - held an additional meeting in May, plus between March and July held informal fortnightly briefings and extra Committee meetings, as required. Council will also have an informal briefing over the summer to receive an update on Clearing and any other key issues and intends to meet formally in September / October. 

Additionally, Council has approved new measures to strengthen its financial oversight and ensure greater controls over the process for approving major financial decisions during the Covid-19 pandemic period, including a limit on the Vice-Chancellor’s spending authority of £750k.

For expenditure over £750k and under £10m, Council has delegated its authority to a subset of Council officers, including Chair of Council Dame Denise Holt (or the Vice-Chair) plus one Committee Chair other than the Chair of ARC, to act on its behalf during this period. Spending above £10 million requires the approval of full Council.

Additionally there are regular meetings of Council’s financial sustainability group to monitor the University’s financial position, which is reported regularly to Council.

In making the changes, the University wanted to ensure that it could act swiftly to take necessary decisions during this fast-paced environment, while ensuring that there is agreement across the Executive and Council on spending the University’s limited resources.  

For more information about Council, visit the University’s website.