Council Minutes 10 February 2020

Minutes of the Cardiff University Council held on Monday 10 February 2020 In Committee Rooms 1 and 2, Glamorgan Building at 14:30.

Present: Professor Stuart Palmer (Chair), Professor Colin Riordan, Professor Rudolf Allemann, Dr Carol Bell, Mr Ricardo Calil, Mr Tomos Evans, Ms Judith Fabian, Mr Alastair Gibbons, Professor Kim Graham, Mr Michael Hampson, Professor Mary Heimann (1738.15.3 onwards), Professor Karen Holford, Ms Jan Juillerat, Ms Lin Phillips, Mr John Shakeshaft, Judge Ray Singh, Dr Janet Wademan, Mrs Agnes Xavier-Phillips, Ms Jackie Yip.

Attendees: Professor Gary Baxter, Mr Dev Biddlecombe (item 1738), Professor Amanda Coffey, Ms Deborah Collins (Secretary), Ms Katy Dale, Mr Thomas Hay, Ms Susan Midha, Ms Alex Payne, Ms TJ Rawlinson, Ms Karin Russell (Minutes), Ms Claire Sanders, Professor Damian Walford Davies, Mr Richard Walters, Professor Duncan Wass (item 1738 – 1738.3) and Mr Rob Williams.

Apologies: Mr Paul Baston, Professor Dame Janet Finch, Mr Steven Luke, Mr David Simmons, Len Richards

1733 Welcome and preliminaries

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1734 Apologies for absence

The above listed apologies were noted and the meeting was confirmed to be quorate.

1735 Minutes of the Council meeting of 25 November 2019 and special Council meeting of 16 January 2020

Noted

1735.1 The Minutes of the Council Committee meeting held on 25 November 2019 [19/348] were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

1735.2 The Minutes of the Special Council Meeting held on 16 January 2020 [19/349] were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

1736 Matters arising from the Council meeting of 25 November 2019 and special Council meeting of 16 January 2020

Noted

1736.1 there were no matters arising;

1736.2 the plans for the International Foundation Programme, which had been approved via correspondence, were proceeding on schedule.

1737 Declarations of interest

Noted

1737.1 there were no declarations of interest.

1738 Cardiff Innovation Campus Business Case update

Received and considered paper 19/362B, ‘Cardiff Innovation Campus Business Case’.  This item, introduced by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor,  was taken earlier than listed on the agenda with members’ agreement.

Professor Duncan Wass, Director of Cardiff Catalysis Institute, and Dev Biddlecombe, Director of Estates Department, were invited to join the meeting for this item.

Noted

1738.1 a short animation received showing the construction of the site, including the two elements of the Translational Research Facility (TRF) building and the Innovation Centre building (IC);

1738.2 Professor Wass provided the committee with information relating to the function of the Catalysis Institute and Professor Rudolf Allemann with information on the Institute of Compound Semi-Conductors;

1738.3 Professor Wass left the meeting before Professor Karen Holford and Rob Williams presented the paper;

1738.4 Council was asked to approve an increase to the overall budget for the CIC project, noting that this was a unique build and that there were commercial details contained within the paper that were highly sensitive and strictly confidential;

1738.5 [Redacted]

1738.6the cost increase was largely associated with the cleanroom design and the identification of finalised machinery costs, supplier quotes and a fixed price for the cleanroom;

1738.7the complexity of the design of the cleanroom had created significant delays in delivering the project - that the delay was approximately 51 weeks from the original date, resulting in an additional cost of £6M;

1738.8 [Redacted]

1738.9  within the £40M additional funds requested, a contingency figure of £8.8M had been requested because of the level of uncertainty and risk in the time to complete the design and development given that the building works were not due for completion until the end of November 2021;

1738.10 the project had attracted grant funding of approximately £4.7M (which had been netted from the requested additional funding figure);

1738.11 [Redacted]

1738.12 [Redacted]

1738.13  [Redacted]
.1 [Redacted]
.1.1 [Redacted]
.1.2 [Redacted]
.1.3 [Redacted]

1738.14 on completion, the project would give the University a significant advantage and a competitive edge and would be important reputationally, that there were significant capital and revenue risks and that agreeing to the requested funding would impact upon future investments of the University which would need to be mitigated through space allocation and asset disposal.

1738.15 the following points were confirmed in relation to questions posed by Members of Council:

• [Redacted]
• as the process progresses, there needs to be confidence in the final figures, and that there were now detailed technical designs with supplier quotes which were guaranteed by the contractor;
• in terms of how funding the extra figure requested affects the overall financial position of the University, the University’s ability to invest in further projects would be restricted for the next 5-10 years. The project would have a continuing influence on the University’s financial position overall;
• in terms of commercialisation of the project, it was envisaged that third parties would make use of the cleanroom facilities;
• a number of current issues could have been avoided had a major design been in place before contracts agreed;
• members of Council were of the view that it would be beneficial to employ external experts to investigate and report on the reasons for the current difficulties and to identify lessons to be learned, especially in light of the fact that this was the second large scale building project that went significantly over budget;
• a decision not to proceed with the cleanroom would have a significant detrimental impact on the ability to perform areas of science and develop relationships on the back of the University’s innovation and technological advances – also, a significant amount of grant funding was attached to the project;
• the stage 4 design would need to be approved by 17th February and, if delayed, would impact on the conclusion of the project and generate further costs;
• the potential risks and associated costs, as outlined on page 16 of the paper, were being looked at carefully to manage costs, and that support was being provided to enable the achievement of targets;
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]

Resolved

1738.16 the proposed budget increase as set out in section 1.4 of the paper was approved, with the exception of the risk budget (£16.511M) and the contingency budget (£8.811M);

1738.17 approval of the risk budget of £16.511M would be deferred and the costs reviewed to identify a reduction;

1738.18 an external review would be instigated to identify any mistakes and learn from them, the review to include a response from Senior Management on how the project had been managed;

1738.19 [Redacted]

1738.20 a report, with updated contingency, risk assessment and costs, should be presented to the next meetings of P&RC and Council, or sooner if possible, the report to demonstrate how developments were being managed and by whom;

1738.21 the report submitted to P&RC should be circulated for information to members of Council who are not members of P&RC;

1738.22 Dev Biddlecombe left the meeting following the conclusion of this item.

1739 Chair’s report to Council

Received and considered paper 19/344B, ‘Chair’s Report to Council’.

Noted

Congratulations

1739.1 the following staff were honoured in Her Majesty’s New Year’s Honours List for 2020:

• Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray (School of History, Archaeology and Religion) received an OBE for services to Education and Muslim Communities in Britain. Professor Gilliat-Ray has conducted extensive research on chaplaincy, especially in prisons and hospitals, since 1994;
• Professor Ian Weeks, Dean of Clinical Innovation for the University’s College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, received an OBE for services to knowledge transfer and medical innovation. Professor Weeks’ work has included research and innovation in the development and manufacture of novel diagnostic tests for human disease;
• Professor Phillip Jones of the Welsh School of Architecture who received an OBE for services to architecture and decarbonisation. Professor Jones is chair of Architectural Science and the Low Carbon Research Institute (LCRI), and co-director of the University Energy Systems Research Institute.  Professor Jones’ research has focused on low energy, low carbon, and sustainable design in the built environment;
• Professor Timothy Walsh, School of Medicine, received an OBE for services to Microbiology and International Development and for work into antimicrobial resistance;
• Ali Abdi, Community Gateway Partnerships Manager, was made an BEM for voluntary service to the black, Asian and minority ethnic community in Cardiff and to recognise work in building a successful partnership between Cardiff University and the community of Grangetown;

1739.2 Professor Amanda Coffey would be leaving her post as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience and Academic Standards at Cardiff University next month having been appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of the West of England.

1739.3 the Chair extended his congratulations and well wishes on behalf of the Council.

Chair’s action

1739.4 the Chair had undertaken the following by Chair’s Action following consultation as appropriate:

• in relation to the International Study Centre – Students’ Union Lease Exchange, providing approval for land disposal from the University to the Students’ Union (SU) in the form of a lease exchange;
• in relation to the Student Charter 2019/2020, which was approved by Council on 25 November 2019, agreeing a minor amendment to revise the use of language, as set out in the paper presented to Council in November;
• appointment of Professor Dame Janet Finch to the Academic Promotions Committee, effective from 6 December 2019 to 31 July 2022;
• review of the University’s annual 2019 Welsh Language Monitoring Report and its approval for publication on the University’s website.

1739.5 Noted, with sadness, the following deaths:

• Professor John Moore, a pioneer of cancer research in Wales and an Honorary Lecturer at Cardiff University, at the age of 83;
• Mr Derek Beevor, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, CARBS, on 9 June 2019.

A moment’s silence was held as a mark of respect.

Fee and Access Plan 2021/2022

1739.6 an unpublished HEFCW circular in relation to applications for fee and access plans for 2021/22 required submission of plans to HEFCW by Friday 20th March 2020;

1739.7 as the next meeting of Council was on 2nd April 2020, permission was sought to authorise the Chair of Council after appropriate consultation with members to approve the University’s Fee and Access Plan 2021/22 for submission to HEFCW by Chair’s Action,

Resolved

1739.8 the Chair of Council was granted authority to approve the Fee and Access Plan 2021/22 after consultation and by Chair’s Action on behalf of Council.

1740 Quality Enhancement Review update

Received and considered paper 19/350, ‘Quality Enhancement Review Update’. Professor Amanda Coffey was invited to provide an update.

Noted

1740.1 a meeting had taken place with the Review Team who had clarified matters for the University’s submissions including required documentation and other specific information;

1740.2 the Review Team had confirmed that a visit would take place over the period 2nd  to 5th March 2020 and that the programme for the visit would include a meeting with between three and five lay members of Council, to whom a briefing would be provided;

1740.3 that the Review Team had identified the following areas of focus for the visit:

• Assessment and Feedback;
• strategic oversight of the programme and partnership development;
• a better understanding of how data are gathered and used for  educational purposes;
• in relation to quality and plans, how data are used to ensure programmes are managed effectively and the student experience enhanced.

1740.4 that as the date of the visit in March coincided with planned UCU industrial strike action, steps were being taken to mitigate any potential impact and ensure the Review Team’s meetings could go ahead as planned;

1740.5 confirmed, in response to a question, that the Students’ Union President had input into the University’s response, although the Students’ Union had also submitted its own separate submission to the QAA.

1741 Vice-Chancellor’s Report to Council

Received and considered paper 19/347, ‘Vice-Chancellor’s Report to Council’. The Vice-Chancellor was invited to speak.

Noted

1741.1the position in terms of applications was positive and that the University had been outperforming the sector in many areas;
Coronavirus Update

1741.2 a contingency working group had been set up with the University’s priority being the health of students;

1741.3 those students thought to be in affected areas (over 100 students) had been contacted and confirmation had been received that none were affected.

1741.4 at the date of the meeting, exposure seemed manageable but that the situation continued to be monitored, and that in particular the future recruitment and supply chains were being monitored to ensure they remain strong and that a longer term financial impact with regard to future student recruitment was underway.

Industrial Action

1741.5 the working group had been reconvened and was working on continuing communication with students with involvement from the SU President.

1742 Students’ Union President’s Report

Received and considered paper 19/346, ‘President’s Report 2019/20’. Jackie Yip was invited to speak about the paper.

Noted

1742.1 the Students’ Union President offered her apologies for the typographical errors in the version of the paper that had been circulated;

1742.2 there had been huge interest and engagement from students in the SU Annual General Meeting (AGM), following a challenging semester for students;

1742.3 the SU was working with students and the University to manage the outcomes from the AGM especially around the pro-choice discussion, which was the subject of collaboration with South Wales Police;

1742.4 a motion was submitted to the Student Senate to introduce a Lennon Wall for any messages in support of the Hong Kong Protestors. This would be introduced in the near future, with work ongoing to ensure that the wall is implemented safely and fairly;

1742.5 in response to a question relating to the exclusive Postgraduate study space which had been on the 3rd Floor of the Students’ Union building, it was confirmed that the SU was Liaising with Libraries staff to find an alternative location, and was continuing to work closely with the students affected by this change;

1742.6 in response to a question in relation to the Cardiff University students who had been unable to vote in the recent General Election, it was noted that there were two separate issues:

• the first issue related to an error in the address of their private accommodation and had been resolved;
• the second issue related to a system used by the University to encourage students to register to vote at the start of the academic year via the University’s website. The form should have been closed down earlier in the academic year and students advised to register to vote directly with Cardiff County Council. Unfortunately, the form had been left open and used by a small number of students. The students affected had been contacted as soon as the discovery was made. Receipt of only one complaint indicated that the impact overall had been low.

1743 Research Excellence Framework

Received and considered paper 19/351B, ‘Mock REF 2019 – Assurance and Risk Report’. Professor Kim Graham was invited to speak about the paper.

Noted

1743.1 [Redacted]

1743.2 [Redacted]

1744 Report from Policy and Resources Committee

Received and considered paper 19/352B, ‘Report from Policy and Resources Committee to Council’. Mr Alastair Gibbons was invited to speak about the paper.

Noted

1744.1 attention was now focussed on planning the budget for 2020/21 to achieve the required surplus of £17.3m;

1744.2 staff costs to income ratio against Russell Group comparators needed to be improved;

1744.3 the next meeting of Policy & Resources Committee would review the data behind the Transforming Cardiff project.

1745 Finance Report

Received and considered paper 19/343B, ‘Financial Report – December 2019’. The Chief Financial Officer was invited to speak about the paper.

Noted

1745.1 the paper covered the 5 months from August 2019 to December 2019;

1745.2 [Redacted]

1745.3 [Redacted]

1746 Report from Redundancy Committee

Received and considered paper 19/345B, ‘The Proposed Cessation or Reduction of School Activities: Report to Council on Redundancy Committee under delegations of July 2019’. Sue Midha, Director of Human Resources, spoke about the paper.

Noted

1746.1 a paper was presented to and agreed by Council in July 2019 which proposed redundancies for the Academic Year 2019/20 and agreed delegations for overseeing this process.

1746.2 this paper was a regular report to Council in relation to the outcomes of Redundancy Committee meetings from August 2019 to date.

1746.3 Council was asked to note that the recommendations from the Redundancy Committee meetings during that period had been approved by the Chair of Council and redundancy notices had been issued accordingly.

1746.4 the Chair of Council extended his thanks to those lay members who had been in attendance at Redundancy Committee meetings and emphasised the importance of lay members making themselves available for meetings whenever possible.

1747 Report from Remuneration Committee

Received and considered paper 19/341B, ‘Report from Remuneration Committee to Council’, which was noted by the Committee.

1748 Update on pensions

Received an oral update from the Chief Financial Officer.

Noted

1748.1 the second Joint Expert Panel report, issued at the end of 2019, had looked into the governance of the USS scheme, the valuation methodology, calculation of liabilities and the options for parties to consider.

1748.2 the University was preparing a response to the report;

1748.3 the Chief Financial Officer had met with the internal actuarial group which was supportive of the second report;

1748.4 a Tripartite group had been set up consisting of members of the USS, UUK and UCU;

1748.5 the Tripartite Group was meeting weekly to try to resolve some of the difficulties and had met five times in January 2020 to address questions arising from the report;

1748.6 the local Cardiff University Pension Fund (CUPF) Scheme had undergone a triennial valuation in March 2019 which had demonstrated an increased deficit in respect of which Mercers had been engaged to advise.

1749 Any other business

Noted

1749.1  a request was made that some of the more substantial HR related items are presented earlier on Council agendas.

1750 Items received for information

Council noted the following:

• Paper 19/329, ‘Research Grants and Contracts August – October 2019’
• Paper 19/338, ‘Report of Sealing Transactions’
• Paper 19/363B, ‘Annual TRAC Return 2018-19’

1751 Draft agenda for the next meeting

Council received and considered paper 19/340, ‘Draft Agenda for Next Meeting’.

Noted

1751.1 the draft agenda for the next meeting: 2 April 2020

Resolved

1751.2 the draft agenda for the next Council meeting was approved.

1752 Deputation from UCU

Noted

1752.1 deputation was received from the Cardiff Branch of UCU in accordance with the provisions of Ordinance 11 (Standing Orders), 13 (Deputations);

1752.2 three representatives from the UCU Branch attended: Professor Nicky Priaulx, Professor Frank Sengpiel and Dr Sarah Jenkins.

1752.3 the deputation sought to provide context to some of the concerns that had prompted industrial action scheduled to commence later in February 2020, being pay, workload, casualisation and inequality.  The deputation took the form of an address by the UCU Branch representatives supported by a briefing paper;

1752.4 Council’s decision, to receive and note the deputation, would be conveyed to the Deputation in writing by the University Secretary.

1752.5 the matters raised would be discussed at the Council event on 5th May 2020, with more information and context to aid
understanding of the Workload Allocation Model

1753 Next meeting

The next meeting of Council was confirmed as 2nd April 2020.