Purpose of the committee

To provide assurance to Council on the long-term financial sustainability of the University, through general supervision of the University’s finances. This includes the principles of good practice in financial management; recommendations on investments, borrowing and capital expenditure; and assessment and monitoring of the financial plan.

Key Responsibilities

1. To maintain oversight of the University’s financial plans, highlighting risk and opportunities to Council
2. Making all decisions and recommendations with the aim of assuring long-term financial sustainability, including maintaining an overview of fee income against expected expenditure
3. To review and recommend the annual budget to Council
4. To review and approve the Student Union annual budget
5. To recommend to Council the principles of financial management to be applied by the University and approve amendments to the Financial Regulations.
6. To consider and approve the Annual Audited Accounts and Financial statements in accordance with the Office for Students Accounts directions and consequently, with the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC), review the Annual report and make recommendations to Council.
7. To supervise the University’s investments and borrowing, determining the appropriate allocation of funds and their risks and terms, and approving these directly or making recommendations to Council according to the approval limits as set in the Scheme of Delegation
8. To oversee capital expenditure, approving expenditure and disposal between £2 and £5 million, and to consider and make recommendations to Council on material changes to capital budgets
9. To provide insight to ARAC on key financial risks on the risk register
10. To test the validity of financial assumptions made in the business cases of major projects and to provide advice to Council accordingly
11. To take any other such decisions as defined in the Scheme of Delegation, or as may be agreed from time to time

Membership

Total membership: 6 members, with a minimum of 3 lay members and 1 student governor
Term: A member may serve for no more than a total of nine (9) years save in exceptional cases.
Chair: Treasurer
Ex Officio members: Treasurer, Vice-Chancellor & President
Other members: by appointment by Council on the recommendation of the Nominations Committee
In attendance: The Director of Finance, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chair of Council and others at the discretion of the Chair
Secretary: The Head of Governance or a member of their team

Procedural rules

Procedure: in the absence of any specific rules, the procedure is as set out in the Standing Orders of Council
Quorum: Three, of whom at least two must be lay members
Frequency of meetings: Typically four meetings per year
Report/Minutes: Submitted to Council

Sub-Committees

Investment Sub-Committee (ISC) and University Commercialisation Executive Board (UCEB)

Version information

Owner: Finance Committee
Version number:
Approval Date: 13 July 2022
Approved By: Council 13 July 2022
Date of last review: 13 July 2022