Corporate Governance at the University

The Committee shall:

• Oversee the delivery and implementation of all University policies which reflect legislative requirements with respect to equality and diversity
• Consider relevant changes in legislation and recommend new policy developments accordingly
• Consider the outcomes from monitoring and evaluation and recommend new policy developments accordingly
• Progress the Equality Outcomes as required in the Scottish Government Public Sector Duties
• Ensure publication of the University’s annual equality and diversity monitoring report
• Monitor the admissions and progress of students and career progress of staff in relation to protected characteristics
• Review the membership and remit annually and to co‐opt additional representative members to the Committee as may be required

The committee will be mindful of resource implications in its deliberations.

The following details the delegated authority for the EDSC and shows how it is placed in the overall University Scheme of Delegation with escalation to Senate and/or People & Organisational Development Committee:

This is an executive chaired committee with the following membership:

• Principal and University Equality Champion (Chair) and (acting) Court Representative
• Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Vice Principal and Head of College (CoSE) and Age Equality Champion
• Executive Director of People & Organisational Development and Disability Equality Champion
• Vice Principal and Head of College (CoSS) and Gender (Sex) Equality Champion
• Vice Principal (Learning & Teaching) and LGBT+ Equality Champion
• Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary and Mental Health Champion and (acting) Student & Academic Services Representative
• Director of Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Vice Principal (Economic Development and Innovation) and Race Equality Champion
• Vice Principal and Head of College (CoMVLS) and Religion and Belief Champion
• Vice Principal (External Relations) and Sanctuary Champion
• SRC President
• SRC VP Student Support
• Trade Unions Representative (UNISON as nominated by Joint Union Liaison Committee (JULC))
• Court Representative (see Principal above)
• Head of Social Media and Student Communications
• Clerk (Equality and Diversity Unit (EDU))

Corresponding members

• Executive Director of Finance
• Vice Principals and Heads of Colleges (HoC), where not already a members

Other University Trade Union Representatives

• GMB Representative
• UCU (University and College Union) Representative
• UNITE the Union Representative

The EDSC may invite others to attend meetings on an ad hoc basis where this would help to expedite its work.  In addition, the Committee may co‐opt individuals with specific expertise as members in order to deal with specialist items of business, but not to fulfil a representative function.  In either case the individuals may come from within or outwith the University.

It is agreed the principle of 40% of either gender should be regarded as the minimum for gender balance on EDSC (not including Clerk).

Composition (as at 1st meeting of the academic year 2023‐2024): Male 39% Female 61%  

Each Committee member has a responsibility to:

• Champion, at all times, the University commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
• Provide insight, scrutiny and challenge to new and revised EDI policies
• Openly and constructively challenge where change initiatives do not meet our EDI outcomes or meets key regulatory criteria
• Maintain subject matter knowledge in EDI regulations and trends across HEI
• Identify, assess and mitigate EDI risk at strategic University level as well as operational, programme and project levels
• Take ownership for specific actions and risks in the EDSC Action and Risk Logs. All actions and risks must have a committee member as overall owner
• Activity and behaviour should embody the University’s values (click here for details)

The EDSC shall meet 3 times per year for 2 hours and call extra‐ordinary meetings as required. 

INPUTS

• People & Organisational Development strategy (2020-2025) and plan
• Equality and diversity monitoring analysis
• Summary of changes made to action log

OUTPUTS

• Revised papers and reports to Court
• Decision Log
• Action Log
• Minutes

Substitutions may be made with prior notice given to the clerk.  There must be a minimum of 7 from the core group (excluding clerk) in attendance for decisions or approvals. In the event of a consensus not being reached, the Chair will escalate to Senate or People & Organisation Development Committee as appropriate.

The EDSC will follow the UofG procedure for the management of any conflicts,  The procedure defines declaration of conflicts as a standard agenda item at the start of the meeting, the maintenance of a register of conflicts, and a process for managing all conflicts which are declared.