University Court
The University Court is the governing body of the University, established by the University of the West of Scotland Order of Council 2019. The Court collectively determines the future direction of the University, monitors performance and aims to foster an environment in which the institution’s strategic aims are achieved and students succeed.
The Court has wide ranging powers, in particular relating to the strategic direction of the University and the execution of the University’s financial responsibilities. The Court has delegated powers related to purely academic matters to the Senate.
In executing its powers Court has a particular duty to observe the highest standards of corporate governance and Court members commit to conducting themselves in accordance with the accepted standards of behaviour in public life.
The membership of Court comprises a majority of lay members with ex-officio and elected staff and student members. The University of the West of Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity (SC002520) and therefore Court members are also Charitable Trustees.
Statement of Primary Responsibilities of Court
- To protect the reputation and values of the institution
- To ensure, in conjunction with the Senate, the quality of the institution’s educational provision and adequate provision for the general welfare of students
- To approve the mission and strategic vision of the Institution, its strategic plan, key performance indicators (KPIs) and annual budgets, ensuring that they have due regard to the interests of students, staff and other stakeholders, and monitoring performance in terms of these
- To appoint the Principal & Vice-Chancellor as the Chief Executive Officer of the University and put in place suitable arrangements for monitoring his/her performance.
- To appoint the Secretary to the governing body
- To ensure the establishment and monitoring of systems of control and accountability, including financial and operational controls, risk management, means of evaluating the governing body’s own performance and clear procedures for handling internal grievances and “whistleblowing” complaints and for managing conflicts of interest.
Contacts
Any queries in relation to the University Court should be directed to:
- Donna McMillan, Secretary to Court, donna.mcmillan@uws.ac.uk, 0141 848 3677
- Alison Loudon, Assistant Secretary to Court, alison.loudon@uws.ac.uk
- Lorna Maclean, Governance Support Co-ordinator, lorna.maclean@uws.ac.uk
Useful Information
Download some useful documentation related to the Court.
- Committee Memberships (pdf)
- Standard Letter of Appointment to Membership of Court (pdf)
- Skills Matrix (pdf)
- Attendance Analysis (pdf)
- Court and Executive Group Register of Interests
- University Court Equality Statements
- SAUWS Code of Practice
- Standing Orders of Court 2023 (pdf)
- Review of Effectiveness
- UWS Report on Compliance with Section 8 of the Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 (pdf)
Last updated: 15/01/2024