Dear University of Bath staff and students,

I have requested permission of the University to make use of the University website for the purposes of communicating this important message.

Halpin Partnership has been appointed to conduct an independent review of the effectiveness of the University of Bath’s Council and governance arrangements, following an open and competitive tendering process.

We are a specialist Higher Education consultancy which draws from our team of consulting fellows who have robust experience and expertise across diverse fields in the education, public and corporate sectors. See www.halpinpartnership.com

Our review team will evaluate the Council’s compliance with the Committee of University Chairs’ Higher Education Code of Governance, assess the effectiveness of Council and its sub-committees and consider the relationships between Council and Court and Senate, along with other relevant issues raised by stakeholders. Our work will include specific focus on the Remuneration Committee and consider best practice from inside and outside of the HE sector. We will make recommendations for improvement to the University Council May 2018.

It is critical that the review process gathers input from the wider University community and other stakeholders. We are currently developing an online survey and will publish a link in January inviting participation. This survey will be managed independently of the University and you can be assured of absolute anonymity and confidentiality. There will also be opportunities to take part in more detailed focus group discussions.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and input.

Susie Hills Joint CEO of Halpin Partnership Ltd