Governance & Policy Archives

How are Boards engaging on strategy?

by Susie Hills | May 20, 2025 | Governance & Policy

Board time is increasingly dominated by monitoring and assurance activities, yet the importance of quality discussion and debate on strategy and looking ahead to future challenges has never been more important. In our governance reviews, we ask Board members about the...

How safe can we make our universities?

by Sara Doherty | Feb 5, 2025 | Governance & Policy

The HE sector seems confused about what is meant by safeguarding, and how far universities should go to ‘take care’ of their students. The debate seems to be taking us beyond the letter of the law to make campuses as safe as possible for students who choose to invest...

Update on the Financial sustainability of HE providers in England

by Will Spinks | Dec 16, 2024 | Governance & Policy

Last month the Office for Students (OfS) published its November update on the “Financial sustainability of higher education providers in England”. Halpin Consulting Fellow Will Spinks outlines why it is essential reading for anyone trying to understand the generic...

There are ways for UK universities to help in Gaza as they did in Ukraine

by Dr Paula Sanderson | Jul 18, 2024 | Governance & Policy, News, People & Culture, Strategy & Transformation

News updates on the invasion of Ukraine have slowed and I fear war in Ukraine has become normalised. Reporting of the invasion of Kharkiv in May particularly hit home, as I recollected interviewing some incredible women (always women!) from universities in Kharkiv,...

Q&A: Policy and Strategy with Alastair Sim

by Susie Hills, Alastair Sim | Apr 16, 2024 | Governance & Policy, Strategy & Transformation

Alastair Sim is Halpin’s newest Consulting Fellow and an experienced leader in the fields of policy, advocacy and strategy. He’s passionate about higher education’s success, and its contribution to the common good. Alastair served for 14 years as the Executive...

Introducing the EDI Maturity Framework: Supporting Institutional Maturity in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

by 'Teleola Cartwright | Jan 8, 2024 | Governance & Policy, People & Culture

The importance of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) cannot be overstated. It is not enough for organisations to be tokenistic to these principles; they must actively work towards institutional maturity in EDI. This...