Corporate Governance at the University

The mandate for the EC is as follows:

• Review the Estate Directorates’ Health & Safety policies, procedures, and practices.
• Review and approve the University Estate Strategy on an annual basis.
• Review and approve the Estates Business Plan every 5 years; review the Annual Operating Plan
• Review and receive regular reports on the condition of the estate including required investment and maintenance budgets.
• Approve the 5 year and annual Estates Investment Plan.
• Review Investment Plan performance updates.
• Review Estates Risk Register
• Review and approve Maintenance and Energy Management strategies, including the supporting procurement arrangements. Review regular reports on action plans in support of these strategies
• Approve relevant leases, acquisitions or disposals as set out in the University Delegation of Authority.
• Endorse Major Capital Projects for approval at Court

The following details the delegated authority for the EC and shows how it is placed in the overall University Scheme of Delegation with escalation to Finance Committee, Investment Committee or Court:

Estates Committee shall include several independent professionals from differing backgrounds in property development, property management, facilities management, construction, energy management and/or property procurement.

This is a non-executive chaired committee with the following membership:

• 4 Lay Members (one as Chair)
• 2 Elected Academic Staff Member
• 1 Elected Professional Services (Support) Staff Member
• Principal
• Senior Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor
• Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary
• Executive Director of Finance
• Executive Director of Estates
• Students’ Representative Council

In attendance:

• Estates staff as required

Each Committee member has a responsibility to:

• Ensure all strategies, policies and investments are in line with legislation and University Strategies & Policies, ncluding alignment with the University’s sustainability goals
• Actively contribute to mitigation of Estates and Health Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) risks taken from the SMG Strategic Risk Register
• Take ownership for specific actions and risks in the Estates Committee Action and Risk Logs. All actions and risks must have a Committee member as overall owner
• Identify, assess and mitigate risk at an Estates portfolio investment level
• Review and approve the University Estate Strategy on an annual basis.
• Review and approve the Estates Business Plan every 5 years; review the Annual Operating Plan, rolling 3-year budget and 10-year outlook.
• Openly and constructively challenge where strategies or investments do not meet key criteria for regulatory, business continuity and strategic investments
• Agree that all business cases, plans and strategies are achievable
• Ensure activity and behaviours embody the University’s values (click here for details)

The meeting schedule will be every month with an extended full day workshop in March as part of the annual budgeting cycle. 

INPUTS

• UofG strategy and plan
• Estates Strategy and Roadmap
• Management information provided by Planning Insights & Analytics
• Current FY and 3-year Estates Investment Budgets and 10-year Outlook
• Portfolio Investment breakdown split by financial year
• Investment Health Summary
• Investment Business Cases/Proposals/Change Requests to be presented
• Summary of changes made to action log

OUTPUTS

• Decision Log
• Action Log
• Minutes (shared with Finance/Investment/IPSC)

Substitutions may be made with prior notice given to the clerk.  There must be a minimum of 4 from the core group (excluding clerk) in attendance for decisions or approvals. In the event of a consensus not being reached, the Chair will have the casting decision.

The EC will follow the UofG procedure for the management of any conflicts,  The procedure defines declaration of conflicts as a standard agenda item at the start of the meeting, the maintenance of a register of conflicts, and a process for managing all conflicts which are declared.