September marked the halfway point of my three-year term as a staff governor at Edge Hill University, and it feels timely to reflect on my experience so far.
\nFirstly, I was delighted to be nominated by my peers to this role, and I am honoured to be able to represent academic colleagues at the board, providing assurance that staff perspectives inform institutional strategic decisions. While this has been clear throughout my time on the board, it may at times seem overshadowed by other dominant narratives, NSS results, REF, TEF and financial sustainability, to name a few. In reality, it is evident that there is a consensus amongst the executive and the board that student outcomes, research excellence and thriving scholarly activity are impossible without flourishing and valued staff.
\nSecondly, as outlined by Ann Kennedy (support staff governor) in her summer blog, it has certainly been a dynamic and intense period to be a staff governor \u2013 with a steep learning curve for me. While I share many of Anne\u2019s sentiments about how both the executive and board have responded to the turbulent times posed by financial challenges in the education sector, I would like to acknowledge the broader context which has influenced strategic decisions.
\n\u2022\tIn the time that I have been on the board of governors, there have been considerable changes to legislation, conditions of registration and political policies that impact on higher education sector. The WonkHE podcast has helped me to stay informed, enabling me to ask relevant strategic questions and contribute constructively to critical discussion about the complex and dynamic matters arising.
\n\u2022\tIn addition, the institution has seen the biggest change to the executive team in decades, saying goodbye to both the deputy vice chancellor and vice chancellor (with a collective 60 years\u2019 service), just months apart. While this could have left a sizeable hole, the board and executive have performed outstandingly to keep this mighty ship sailing and ensuring that all stakeholders have been involved in the appointment of the new VC. The open and transparent approach to recruitment that included diverse stakeholder engagement and two-way communication with staff and students was one of the highlights so far. It is reassuring to see that a similar approach has been integrated into the development of the universities next 5-year strategy and the professional services review.
\nThirdly, I have been impressed by the robust processes involved in development of the new (draft) strategy. It has been data driven, culturally informed and responsive to the geopolitical landscape. In addition, the process has taken advantage of the diverse perspectives of 150 members of staff during the consultation period, and the vast experience of the executive and the board of governors over the last 9 months. Once the draft document is ready for sharing, I strongly encourage all staff to engage with the process and provide constructive feedback. We all need to be able to take ownership of the future direction of our university.
\nFinally (for now), I want to acknowledge the enabling approach that has been at the centre of communications from both Lynn Hill (COO) and Michael Young (VC), with commitments to invest resources to support digital transformation and streamline quality processes and operational activities, allowing us all to focus on what matters most \u2013 which we all have opportunity to shape via the new initiative \u2018ideas into action\u2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
September marked the halfway point of my three-year term as a staff governor at Edge Hill University, and it feels timely to reflect on my experience so far. Firstly, I was delighted to be nominated by my peers to this role, and I am honoured to be able to represent academic colleagues at the board, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n