Purpose of the committee
The People and Culture Board is advisory to the Director of Human Resources. Its primary responsibilities are to provide coordinated strategic oversight, integration and assurance across the University’s people, culture and organisational development agenda.
The Board enables effective executive decision-making by ensuring that workforce strategy, risks, performance and major change activity are aligned to institutional priorities and delivered effectively. Student-facing matters are considered where they intersect with workforce, culture or organisational capability.
Key Responsibilities
The Board supports the Director of Human Resources to:
- Establish a People and Culture Strategic Plan that meets the needs of the University.
- Develop, oversee, approve or recommend changes to policy, procedure etc. within the People and Culture ecosystem of the University.
- Review implementation of the People & Culture Strategic Plan to assure delivery and benefits realisation.
- Monitor performance indicators relating to the workforce and approve actions to maintain these in a healthy range.
- Maintain strategic oversight of major organisational change programmes which materially impact staff.
- Provide assurance regarding the compliance regime for people and culture to Compliance Board.
- Ensure that external influences on the workforce are anticipated, understood, and accounted for in strategy and policy development.
- Identify opportunities and areas for future focus and how these might be prioritised.
- Consider how the conduct of its business could affect compliance with the University’s free speech duties.
- Oversee risk by:
- Maintaining a thematic risk register and ensuring that key risks specific to the Board’s remit are identified and assessed
- Allocating appropriate ownership for managing each risk down to an acceptable level
- Regularly monitoring and reviewing the implementation and effectiveness of mitigation actions and controls
- If appropriate, escalating significant or emerging risks in a timely manner for consideration at an institutional level by UEB
Reporting Relationships
The Board reports as follows:
- Meeting summary reports are circulated to UEB, for noting or discussion as required
- Minutes are made available to UEB
The Board maintains oversight of, and receives assurance from, relevant University committees and groups, including:
- Professional and Senior Staff Remuneration Committee
- Trade Union Consultative Committees
- Health & Safety Committee
- Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee
Procedural Rules
Meeting frequency
The Board meets four times a year, or as determined by the cycle of business.
Quorum
The quorum for meetings shall be one third of the membership.
Decision Process
Primary: in-meeting by general agreement.
Secondary: email outside meetings; requires 75% of membership to agree.
Tertiary: by Chair’s action, to be reported to next meeting.
Any decisions taken outside a meeting will be reported to the next meeting. The Governance Partner shall be responsible for ensuring that decisions made are reported to the next meeting and for retaining an appropriate record.
Membership
Ex-Officio Members
- Richard Brooks, Director of Human Resources (Chair)
- Ian Blenkarn, University Secretary and Registrar
- Professor Marcus Munafo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost
- Kirsty Shaw, Chief Operating Officer
- Professor Cassie Wilson, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience and Sport)
- Hayley Shaw, Research Culture manager
Appointed Members
- Dean of a Faculty/School or Associate Dean (Community and Inclusion), Vacancy
- Head of an Academic Department (Education and Research), Vacancy
- Head of an Academic Department (Technical and Experimental), Vacancy
- Head of a Professional Services Department (Managerial, Specialist and Administration), Vacancy
- Head of a Professional Services Department (Operational and Facilities Support), Vacancy
- Member of Education and Research staff, Vacancy
- Member of Professional Services Staff, Vacancy
In attendance (when required)
- Laura Andrews, Governance Partner
- Peter Eley, Deputy Director of Human Resources
- Sarah Sutton, Deputy Director (Talent)
- Emma Baker-Gaunt, Deputy Director (Equity, Inclusion, Culture & Staff Experience)
- Edward Webster, Deputy Director (Workforce Development)
- Chris Young, Deputy Director (Safety and Wellbeing Services)
Other attendees may be co-opted or invited for specific meetings/items at the discretion of the Chairs.
Where any ex-officio member is unable to attend any meeting, they may nominate an alternate to attend in their place.
Meeting dates and paper deadlines
A full schedule of meeting dates for all committees can be accessed here
The following timescales normally apply:
- Paper submission deadline: Two weeks before the scheduled meeting date
- Circulation of agenda and papers: One week before the scheduled meeting date
Items for future meetings should be discussed with the Governance Partner as early as possible.
Version Information
These Terms of Reference are reviewed by the Committee annually or more frequently as needed.
- Owner: People & Culture Board
- Approver: University Executive Board (UEB)
- Date of last approval: XXXX October 2026