Court report

By Peter Evans

The Court's meeting on 14 June was the first to be attended by the new Rector, Lorraine Kelly, who was warmly welcomed by her fellow Court members. Formal business was preceded by a presentation from the President of the Sports Union, Beth Gibson, who reported on sporting successes during 2003/04 as well as the strategic review of the Sports Union undertaken during the year.

The Principal reported on the visit by SHEFC representatives on 2 June to evaluate the success of the University's merger with the Dundee campus of Northern College (now the Faculty of Education & Social Work). The University had been commended on the progress made in learning and teaching developments and in managing the integration of the new Faculty. The Court also heard that accreditation had recently been awarded to the University for part-time distance learning courses in secondary teacher education: the reintroduction of secondary education in Dundee had been a key objective of the merger.

This was the last meeting of the Court to be chaired by Larry Rolland, to whom tribute was paid for his involvement with the University and higher education in Dundee over more than 40 years. Larry will however remain a member of the Court in his role as Chancellor’s Assessor. The Court bade farewell to Professors Norma Baldwin and Ron Elder, who were both retiring from the University.

The June meeting is the last in the academic year and always has a very full agenda with various matters requiring closure before the summer break. The following is a summary of the main decisions taken by the Court.

Outsourcing of Residences

A sub-group of members and officers had been acting on the Court's behalf to progress the proposed outsourcing of the student residences. On confirmation that the sub-group had now concluded its deliberations, the Court authorised the University Secretary to finalise arrangements and implement the transaction - subject to Customs & Excise approval of the VAT treatment and completion of due diligence work. The transfer of operations to Dundee Student Villages Ltd took place on 5 July.

The Vision: Towards 2007

The Court was presented with detailed institutional performance indicators including updates on progress in achieving the strategic objectives and key issues for faculties set out in the Vision planning document. The Court also received a series of proposed operational priorities for 2004/05 drawn up by the Principal, which were approved as the basis for discussion with Deans and the wider University community.

Financial Planning

The Court approved a financial strategy for the University, setting out general principles and targets including the achievement of a 3% surplus by 2006/07. The strategy incorporated detailed budget proposals for 2004/05 and a capital programme. Following discussions with Deans, the budget model embraced an incentivised taxation system to meet the non-attributable costs of support services, i.e. faculties would be subject to levies of 30% on core income, 5% on external research income and 15% on other income. The Court also approved a Strategic Plan Forecast for submission to SHEFC.

Capital Developments

Following scrutiny by the Finance Committee, full authority to proceed was given for the refurbishment of the Carnegie and Peters buildings, at a total cost of c. £2.8m, to accommodate a Natural Resources Law Centre.

The Court also approved funding of up to £500k for an options appraisal for a landmark building on the Heathfield site comprising teaching accommodation for general use and dedicated space for the Faculty of Education & Social Work. The Court considered ambitious proposals for capital investment in the University’s sporting facilities, both on the main campus and at Riverside. The total cost of c. £9m would be recovered through income from external use and commercial activities. The scheme was approved in principle, subject to submission of more developed proposals in due course; an initial investment of £800k in 2004/05 was sanctioned, principally for the improvement of all-weather pitches.

Review of Physical & Inorganic Chemistry

The Court was apprised of the background to this review, the conclusions which had been reached and the responses to them. It was emphasised that the University without any Chemistry base was inconceivable. The aim of the strategy developed by the Faculty of Life Sciences was to secure the future of the discipline and the area best positioned for successful interdisciplinary collaboration, and with the most significant growth potential, was Biological Chemistry. The Court endorsed the recommendation that the underfunded Division of Physical & Inorganic Chemistry should be phased out, with a target date of the end of 2004/05, and on condition that steps would be taken to protect the interests of staff and students affected.

Review of Court and Corporate Governance

A working group of Court members had undertaken a second review of the effectiveness of the Court (the first was carried out in 1999/2000), spurred on by discussion at the Court Retreat in April and with comments solicited from the other main bodies of the University and the campus unions. The Court approved the 18 recommendations of the review, which included a move from four to five business meetings of the Court per year, a further streamlining of the Committee system and (subject to Privy Council approval) a restructuring of the Court itself involving a reduction from 28 members to 23. The full report of the review is available at http://www.dundee.ac.uk/academic/

Merger of Funding Councils

The Court received a consultation paper issued by the Scottish Executive on the proposed merger of SFEFC and SHEFC. Members endorsed the position taken by Universities Scotland, agreeing that while there might be administrative advantage in merging the two Councils, this should not be broadened into a merger of the two sectors. The distinctive missions of higher and further education institutions should be recognised, as well as the benefits of institutional autonomy; nor should there be any dilution of funding for higher education. The Principal was authorised to make a strong response to the consultation paper on the basis of this consensus.

Green Travel Plan and Car Parking Strategy

A Green Travel Plan was approved for discussion with the City Council, identifying targets for reducing car usage and making recommendations on practical ways of achieving them. Accompanying the plan were proposals for the development of car parking capacity on the main campus to redress the loss of provision caused by current and planned construction projects. This would be achieved through a five-year investment programme, the costs of which would be recovered mainly through increased parking charges. This strategy was approved in principle, subject to the submission of more detailed proposals in due course. The Court also approved revised car parking regulations for the main campus, whose chief aim was to improve the legal basis for enforcing civil penalty notices. The regulations may be consulted at www.dundee.ac.uk/estates/CarParkRegs2004.htm