Governance

Further Education Colleges are incorporated bodies controlled by a corporation (also referred to as a governing body or board of governors).  Colleges are Exempt Charities for the purposes of the Charities Act 1993, although do not fall under the direct supervision of the Charities Commission.  In this respect the Secretary of State is appointed Principal Regulator and Board Members are also considered to be Trustees with certain legal obligations.

A corporation is a collective, strategic decision−making body which is responsible for:

• the determination and periodic review of the educational character and mission of the institution and for the oversight of its activities;
• publishing arrangements for obtaining the views of staff and students on the determination and periodic review of the educational character and mission of the institution and the oversight of its activities;
• approving the quality strategy of the institution;
• the effective and efficient use of resources, the solvency of the institution and the Corporation and safeguarding their assets;
• approving annual estimates of income and expenditure;
• the appointment, grading, suspension, dismissal and determination of the pay and conditions of service of the holders of senior posts and the Clerk, including, where the Clerk is, or is to be appointed as, a member of staff, the Clerk’s appointment, grading, suspension, dismissal and determination of pay in the capacity of a member of staff; and
• setting a framework for the pay and conditions of all other staff

Our Corporation has agreed its membership as 14 Governors, including the Principal, 1 staff Governor and 1 Student Governor. All Governors are unpaid volunteers recruited from the communities which the College serves.  Certain Corporation documents are available for the public to view on this website. In order to increase openness, accountability and to meet all legal requirements, new documents will be added on a regular basis.

Obtaining views of students and staff

Students
The views of our students are at the heart of the College’s decision-making and quality assurance processes.
Students can express their views in a variety of ways, including via:

• the Student Council – made up of Student Representatives from each group – which meets with the Principal and Senior Leadership Team
• the two Student Governors, one from each campus, who have a standing agenda item at meetings of the Board of Governors and full voting rights
• Student representation on college committees
• Student focus groups
• Student surveys carried out by the College
• National Student Survey and Ofsted Surveys (held during Inspection)
• Tutors, Student Services, the Student Officer and other staff informally
• The College also engages with its HE students through the feedback received as part of the National Student Survey.
• Feedback from students feeds into the College quality assurance and review processes, including the Self-Assessment Report and the Quality Improvement Plan.

Staff
The College seeks to engage with staff through the following opportunities:

• Staff Surveys
• Staff Forum
• Joint Consultation Committees
• Principal’s Question Time
• Staff Briefings by the Senior Leadership Team
• Direct CEO link on the intranet
• College Committees and Focus Groups
• Staff and Student Governors
• Two members of staff (one from each main campus) and two student governors are elected to the Board of Governors and play a full part in the business of the Board. In addition to its responsibility to review the educational character, mission, values and strategic priorities, the Board also monitors all aspects of the College’s provision, its financial performance and its outcomes for learners.

The Committee has the following committees. The Board receives a report from each committee chair at each meeting. The non-confidential minutes of the meetings are available on request from the Director of Governance, Alison Lydon alison_lydon@weymouth.ac.uk

Committees: Quality & Student
Finance and Resources (with Estates Sub Committee)
Search & Governance
Remuneration
Audit & Risk