College Governor

Overview of the College

Solihull College & University Centre is a large General Further Education College situated in Solihull in the West Midlands. It has three sites, in central Solihull, in north Solihull at Smith’s Wood and in Stratford-upon-Avon. Solihull College & University Centre merged with Stratford-upon-Avon College in February 2018.

The College serves approximately 9,000 students and apprentices. Two thirds of students who study at Solihull College & University Centre come from Birmingham and one third from Solihull and Stratford-upon-Avon. 

The College provides a very broad range of programmes from entry level to higher education in 15 vocational areas. The largest areas are Foundation Learning, Health and Care, Business, Leisure (Sport) and Tourism, Engineering, Computing, and Arts and Media. The majority of learners are full time 16-18 year olds. 

The College is mostly funded by government agencies including the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the OfS (Office for Students). 

Higher education provision is well established in the College for 700 students through direct OfS funding. Students study a wide range of HNC/D programmes and partnership degrees with Oxford Brookes University, Newman University, Coventry University and the University of Northampton.

Nearly 1000 apprentices work with local employers predominantly in Care, Retail and Commercial Enterprises, Engineering and Building Services, Construction, Sport and Tourism, and Business Administration.

The Corporation

The Corporation is responsible for:

• Establishing the College’s strategic direction;

• Monitoring and challenging College performance against the agreed strategy and key performance indicators;

•Maintaining the overall framework of policies and procedures within which the College operates; and

• Ensuring students and apprentices are safe.

The Corporation is made up of 18 Governors from a wide range of professional backgrounds including education, finance, law, public service, private sector and small business. College staff and students are also represented. The Corporation currently has three Committees:

• Audit Committee;

• Remuneration Committee; and

• Search and Governance Committee.

Governors are expected to attend a high majority of the 10 meetings a year and two development days on Saturdays in January and October. In addition, there are frequent opportunities to contribute to special interest groups, visit lessons, talk to students and staff and attend regular celebrations of success such as the annual Higher Education Graduation Ceremony. Governors spend on average two days a month on College business.

You can see details of the current Governors at: Solihull College and University Centre Governance

Governor Vacancy

The Corporation currently has 1 external Committee Member role vacancy for the Remuneration Committee.

 The Remuneration Committee is responsible for overseeing appointment, payment and performance of Senior Postholders and the Clerk. Successful applicants are likely to have experience in: 

• Knowledge, experience and involvement in the FE sector or in an education environment, including schools and HE;

• Human Resources: senior leadership experience in training and staff development, performance management, equality and diversity;

• Governance: membership and processes.

[External Committee members are full members of their Committee but are not Governors on the Corporation and do not attend Corporation meetings. They are invited to Governor development sessions and celebration events and may be asked to be involved in Special Interest Groups that relate to their particular area of expertise.]

Person Specification for an External Member of the Remuneration Committee

The Corporation is seeking people who can demonstrate the following:

Personal Attributes:

• A commitment to education and lifelong learning and to the role of Solihull College & University Centre as the principal provider of educational opportunity in its locality and a key contributor to the regional economy;

• An ability to work positively with others and debate issues, whilst maintaining a constructive atmosphere;

• An ability to adopt a strategic perspective;

• An ability to listen to other viewpoints and express ideas in a clear manner; and

• A commitment to the promotion of equal opportunities.

Skills / Experience:

• Knowledge, experience and involvement in the FE sector or in an education environment, including schools and HE;

• Human Resources: senior leadership experience in training and staff development, performance management, equality and diversity;

• Governance: membership and processes.

Time Commitment:

• An ability to attend 2-3 Committee meetings a year, each lasting 2–3 hours and usually commencing at 5.30pm. There will also be preparation for the meeting, which will include reading the reports in relation to the agenda that are distributed one week in advance of the meeting;

• A willingness to participate in at least two half-day Governor Development events per year. These normally take place on a Saturday morning; and

• A willingness to take part in induction and other training. The induction process will include induction meetings with the Chair and Clerk and senior managers to discuss HE and FE provision at the College, as well as, financial and compliance requirements. Further, it will be expected that the administrative induction process is completed within 3 months, including the completion of the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) process.

Eligibility:

• An ability to sign a Declaration of Eligibility - Eligibility and Fitness to serve as a Trustee will be confirmed via Companies House and the Charities Commission;

• A willingness to declare any financial, business or personal interests which could be perceived as likely to affect judgement in relation to any aspect of the College’s business; and

• A willingness to be bound by the College’s Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct for Governors.

In addition, Governors are expected to:

• Act in accordance with the Seven Principles of Public Life as set out in the Nolan Report on Standards in Public Life;

• Contribute to the College’s strategic development and the strategic planning processes, as appropriate for an External Member of a Committee. This may include offering specialist knowledge, advice and expertise in order to add value to the work of the College;

• Develop an understanding of the context in which the College and the further education sector operates;

• Promote the College’s best interests in all the communities it serves, as appropriate;

• Participate in the periodic reviews of effectiveness of the Corporation;

• Participate in the periodic reviews of skills and training needs; and

• Participate in any training and development events as arranged from time to time, as appropriate to the role.

• Governing Principles and Committee Terms of Reference; and

• Financial Statements July 2020.

If you require any further information or would like an opportunity to visit the College please contact the Clerk’s PA, Anne Carey, by email anne.carey@solihull.ac.uk.

Solihull College & University Centre is an Equal Opportunities employer and welcomes applications for governor roles from all sectors of the community. We are committed to safeguarding and ensuring a safe environment for all students and expect all staff and governors to engage fully with this commitment.

To Apply for this role, please follow the link.