University Governance - in summary
At the University of Manchester, we have a governance structure and constitution that follow the principles of good governance in higher education. We have a duty to conduct our affairs in a responsible and transparent way and to take into account the requirements of our funding bodies.
Further information can be found at:
What do Committees do?
Committees play an important role in university governance and decision-making processes. They:
- ensure decisions are fully considered and formally recorded;
- support consultation and communication;
- approve or recommend decisions to a parent committee, depending on the committee’s remit as detailed in its terms of reference.
Further information about the university’s governance and central management committees and the relationship between the bodies can be found at:
Terms of Reference
Our formal committees have terms of reference which describe the purpose, remit and authority of the committee and provide details about the organisation of the committee, its membership, its parent committee, and any sub-committees it may have.
Further details about committee terms of reference can be found at:
Further Information
Additional supporting information, and details about the University’s foundation, can be found on our governance pages at:
Supporting/Servicing a Committee
Roles and Responsibilities
Chair and Secretary – fundamentally important in ensuring that the committee functions effectively and conducts itself in accordance with its terms of reference and authority.
Committee members – vital in enabling committees to discharge their responsibilities.
Comprehensive guidance is available at:
Forward agenda
It is helpful to for committee secretaries to develop a business schedule or forward agenda. This identifies the items which have been scheduled, or are anticipated for future meetings of the committee, and can also highlight those items which are pending scheduling.
Logistics
Information to help you plan the logistics of your meetings, such as room bookings, media services and catering, can be found at:
- Resource Booker
- Room Catalogue
- Book a teaching room
- Manage an out of hours event
- Media Services
- Hospitality On Campus
Often, meetings are a combination of virtual and in person attendees and guidance for helping hybrid meetings such as these run smoothly can be found at:
Agenda preparation and business scheduling
All committee meetings should be supported by the circulation of an agenda and papers in advance of the meeting.
Agendas and any accompanying papers play a key role in enabling committee meetings to function efficiently and prioritise key items of business. Guidance on developing and circulating an agenda is at:
It is also helpful for committee secretaries to develop a business schedule or forward agenda. This identifies the items which have been scheduled, or are anticipated for future meetings of the committee, and also highlight those items which are pending scheduling.
Minute writing
Minutes are a vital component of good governance. The minutes of a meeting provide an accurate, impartial and balanced record of the business transacted at a meeting. Further information and guidance can be found at:
Templates
We recommend that colleagues use University templates for their committee paperwork, available at:
If you have any queries, please contact the Governance Office.
Submitting papers to a Committee
When submitting papers to a committee, it is important to use the standard report template to ensure consistency across the committees and for the readers’ ease of reference. Guidance on report writing, which includes a link to the downloadable report template, is available at:
There are a number of key considerations when writing a committee report:
- Executive summary – this should provide a concise summary of the paper to be presented, which covers the purpose of the paper and all key points.
- Decisions – these should clearly and precisely state the action required from the committee. All decisions requested should be listed individually and specifically. Reports should ask the committee to note, to discuss, to recommend, or to approve. Further information on decisions can be found at: Report and paper writing.
- Approval route – the committee may take the decision to approve if the matter is within its decision-making remit, defined in its terms of reference. If it is not in its remit to approve, the committee may recommend to a parent or superior committee for formal approval. Further information about the committee structure, its hierarchy and reporting routes is available at: Governance structure.
Key contacts
If you would like further information about this guidance, or general university governance matters, please contact us via:
We would be happy to attend team meetings or provide bespoke training on areas contained within this guidance. Please contact us on the link above if we can provide further assistance.