Halpin was commissioned by Cardiff Metropolitan University to conduct an extensive, independent review of their governance effectiveness between August 2020 and January 2021. Recently named Welsh University of the Year in 2020 for overall improvement, a leap in recent major league tables and a relatively strong financial performance, this review was very much focused on how the university can improve to ensure continued success.
With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the review was undertaken in a year that was far from the norm. The review process was fully remote and included a survey of all current Governors, 29 interviews with all Governors, senior leadership team and a selection of past Board members, a benchmarking study of board structures at comparator institutions, a desk review to assess compliance, and observations of Board and all committees.
Outcomes:
- 35 recommendations to help improve governance practice aiming for ‘leading-edge’ governance practice, and a number of suggestions to improve the connection with staff and students.
- Provided guidance notes on remote meetings, board papers and improving board diversity.
- The Board will be receiving the report in mid-February and we will meet again with the Task & Finish group later in 2021 to review implementation progress.