Human Resources Committee: Terms of Reference

1. Membership

The Human Resources Committee shall be a Joint Committee of the Council and the General Board and shall consist of:

  • (a) the Pro-Vice Chancellor with responsibility for Human Resources (Chair), ex officio;
  • (b) two members of the Council, appointed by the Council;
  • (c) one person appointed by the General Board;
  • (d) two Heads of Schools or their duly appointed representatives, appointed by the General Board;
  • (e) three Heads of Institutions who are not members of the Council or the General Board, appointed by the General Board;
  • (f) the Registrary and the Academic Secretary, ex officio; and
  • (g) up to four persons co-opted by the Committee.

Members in class (b) shall serve for three years, or as long as they remain members of Council, whichever is the shorter. Members in classes (c) to (e) shall serve for three years from 1 January. Members in class (g) shall be co-opted by the Committee to serve for one year from 1 October. Members may be re-appointed, but the maximum number of consecutive years of service shall be six.

The Chair may appoint a Deputy Chair from among the membership.

Attending: the Director of Human Resources as Secretary, the Deputy Director of Human Resources, the Assistant Director of Human Resources, and the Director of Communications or their deputy. Other persons shall attend when appropriate according to the business under consideration.

Decisions shall be made by the members only; those attending shall not have a vote.

The Chair may act on the Committee's behalf, in the interests of expediting straightforward business of the Committee. Any actions taken by the Chair shall be reported at the next meeting of the Committee.

2. Frequency of meetings and quorum

The Committee shall meet six times a year, provided that additional meetings may be arranged if necessary. No decision shall be made unless at least six members of the Committee, or at least fifty per cent of the members, whichever is the greater number, are present for the consideration of the relevant business.

3. Terms of Reference

The duties of the Committee shall be:

  • a. to own and oversee the implementation of the University’s People Strategy;
  • b. to recommend to the Council and the General Board, as appropriate, HR strategies, policies and procedures required to meet the University’s people requirements, having particular regard to the University’s mission statement, and to fulfil its statutory obligations;
  • c. to review from time to time the effectiveness of such strategies, policies and procedures;
  • d. to discharge such duties as required of it under those strategies, policies and procedures;
  • e. to refer to the Planning and Resources Committee, or other competent body, any proposals that have substantial resource implications;
  • f. to receive from the Remuneration Committee of the Council matters relating to reward policy and to consult with that Committee on the impact of any relevant changes in policy and practice;
  • g. to receive regularly management information on the University’s workforce; and
  • h. to determine the arrangements for employee relations, learning and development and equality, diversity and inclusion in respect of the University’s workforce.

In fulfilling its terms of reference, and mindful of the University’s Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech and the need to have particular regard for the importance of free speech within the law, the Committee will consider whether any decisions that it takes, on policy or other matters, could directly or indirectly (and positively or negatively) affect free speech within the law and record in its decisions any significant points arising from these deliberations.