Draft Code
The draft Scottish Code of Good Higher Education Governance was published in April 2013 and was subject to a consultation phase which ended on 11 June 2013. Written responses received during that consultation process are available further down this page.
Download the Draft Scottish Code of Good Higher Education Governance (PDF)
Terms of Reference
The remit of the Steering Group is to develop a new Scottish Code of Good Higher Education Governance which:
- takes account of the recommendations of the Review of Higher Education Governance;
- incorporates the standards of good practice existing in the Higher Education sector and elsewhere;
- makes proposals that are based on sound evidence;
- clearly identifies the separate duties and responsibilities of management and governing bodies;
- reflects both the inputs and the outputs required of governing bodies and governance;
- takes account of the importance of both the relationships and processes required to achieve good governance;
- considers the inter relationship which governing bodies should have with other bodies within their institutions concerned with governance ;
- is suitably flexible so that it can be applied to all institutions including the Small Specialist Institutions; and
- addresses if, and to what extent, the Code should apply to the Scottish operations of institutions based in other countries and to overseas operations of Scottish institutions.
Download the full Terms of Reference (PDF)
Ensuring an inclusive and transparent approach
As communities made up of staff and students, universities are aware of the vitally important contributions that students, staff and other stakeholders make to a regime of effective and inclusive governance. The development of a draft Code has included 80 meetings involving more than 350 university staff, students and others with an interest in a dynamic and successful university sector.
Providing a focus for discussions
A key part of the process to develop a draft Code involved consultation meetings at all 19 higher education institutions across Scotland. To support and provide a focus for these meetings and to inform the wider consultation, the Steering Group published an ‘Issues Paper’, detailing the main issues and areas for consideration or inclusion within a new Scottish Code of Good Governance.
The Steering Group received a number of written submissions of evidence on university governance which are available to view under Evidence Submitted .
The following responses were received to the subsequent consultation on the Draft Scottish Code of Good Higher Education Governance.
Organisations
National Union of Students Scotland
University of Aberdeen Senior Management Team
University of Edinburgh General Council
Individuals
Various academic staff of the University of Glasgow (in a single group submission)