Higher Education Governor Programme

The global pandemic has forced organisations to accelerate the adoption of new remote teaching practices, digital technologies and on-line ways of working. It is unclear to what extent this may have long-lasting effects on the traditional ‘campus model’ approach and whether we will see a rise in on-line only learning courses. Aside from the inherent privacy and security risks associated with remote working, more data about students is being gathered than ever before. Some of the information helps to provide personalised services to students; other uses of data enable institutions to track their student’s progress and success post-graduation. Additionally, institutions are part of the modern data environment where data is shared and processed by third parties or using external technology platforms that can present additional privacy risks. Institutions also gather an increasing amount of personal data as part of research programmes particularly in the social and medical sciences which adds to the complexity for already busy privacy teams.. The need to implement appropriate governance and privacy measures to protect personal information is therefore greater than ever before. This session will explore these common challenges and provide you with other data privacy compliance insights.

We are delighted to welcome Gareth Packham, Head of Information Security Management at Oxford Brookes University.

Speakers:

• Rt Hon Alan Milburn, Chair of the Social Mobility Foundation and former Cabinet Minister
  
• Sir Michael Barber, Chair at the Office for Students

Social mobility is high on the agenda of many universities. In the last decade, universities have made a step change in improving access to higher education despite increases to tuition fees. With the introduction and scrutiny of Access and Participation plans, universities have a greater focus on improving access to existing models of provision for young people. However, as recognised by the Office for Students, this won’t meet the needs of all students, business or public services in future years.

To create a fairer society and for individuals to unlock their potential, universities must focus not only on access, but on delivering a successful experience to students during their studies.

What further changes are needed to create fair and equal access for other student cohorts? How should governors engage with stakeholders to understand the needs of their region? And what part should governors play in challenging progress?

We are delighted to be joined by the Rt Hon Alan Milburn, Chair of the Social Mobility Foundation, former Cabinet Minister and former Chair of the Social Mobility Commision and Sir Michael Barber, Chair at the Office for Students.

Read more about the discussion at this event on our blog

Over the next six months, Governors will have to deal with a number of challenges as the sector looks to establish new ways of working following the COVID-19 pandemic. The CUC has recently released a new Audit Committee Code of Practice, which emphasises the role of the Audit Committee in institutional culture and sustainability. The role of the Audit Committee will be critical in providing independent challenge and scrutiny, in particular as the majority of universities will look to finalise their annual report and financial statements in the coming months.

This session will explore:

• The new CUC Higher Education Audit Committee Code of Practice - what’s different and how Audit Committees can align with the good practice it explores; and
• The role of Governors, management and auditors in relation to going concern in the financial statements.
  

The coronavirus outbreak has caused an increase in both the likelihood and impact of cyber attacks, as organisations react rapidly to potentially significant operational and financial challenges.

The nature of the threat is also changing, with attackers exploiting uncertainty and unprecedented situations; from rapidly changing operations and processes to ensuring controls still take place even for remote working.

This session will explore:

• Key cyber security risks higher education providers are facing and how these are evolving due to COVID-19.
• How higher education providers look to assess and manage these risks.
• The role of governors play in guiding the organisation through managing cyber security risk.
  

As organisations look at what operations will look like during and beyond COVID-19, many universities are considering the role virtual learning will play in their future, particularly while campus learning is not possible.

What questions should governors be asking their senior management teams to ensure the model and methodology being proposed will deliver as it should?

This session will explore:

• How do you effectively deliver virtual learning to best meet the needs of your student population?
• How do you best support your academics to deliver content virtually?
• What due diligence is needed to ensure you have robustly tested your proposed model from a delivery and a cost perspective?

Higher education providers are under pressure on all fronts, including a reduction in numbers of International Students, uncertainty over domestic students, increased costs from changing operations towards a virtual delivery model and keeping students and staff safe.

This session will explore:

• The challenges and expectations for the coming Academic year.
• How higher education providers can assess and monitor the financial position through this uncertain time.
• Strategies and tactics to consider for good financial management and sustainability.
• The role and responsibilities of governors during this period of financial uncertainty