University of Glasgow - MyGlasgow - Governance at the University - Corporate Governance at the University - People governance

Remuneration Committee

Appointed by Court, the Remuneration Committee (RC) is responsible for considering and reviewing the salaries, terms and conditions, and any severance payments, for senior members of staff of the University.

Committee remit

The mandate for the RC is as follows:

To formulate the University’s remuneration policy, and review that policy annually, recommending changes to Court as and when appropriate.
To determine the salaries of the Principal and Senior Management Group (SMG) members having regard to:
collective and individual performance in advancing University Strategy 2036.
the need to offer competitive remuneration commensurate with those of other leading UK universities as reflected in robust comparative benchmark data and
the budgetary parameters approved by Court.
To annually determine University policy on the performance related element of professorial and senior professional remuneration (at Grade 10 level) as appropriate.
To propose recommendations on the nature and level remuneration for the Convener of Court, subject to the approval of Court, in the absence of the Convenor.
To inform Court on University policy on severance arrangements for colleagues, within the parameters agreed by Court and implement accordingly, giving due consideration to any severance proposal that:
falls outside the boundaries agreed and/or
Applies to a member of SMG.
To maintain oversight of the contractual arrangements of the Principal & SMG.
To receive an annual report on expenses incurred by SMG members.
To ensure that Committee membership reflects an appropriately qualified skill set and experience to effectively exercise its remit.
To seek the views of institutional representatives from student and staff bodies, including those of the recognised trade unions, in relation to the remuneration package of the Principal and SMG.

Current Operating Principles

The Remuneration Committee, on behalf of Court, has agreed and applies several operating principles that inform the determination and review of senior remuneration, upon which its decisions are based, and remain subject to regular review:

Remuneration level reflects the relevant skillset and experience consistent with the complexity, scale, accountability, and expectations of each role and delivery against strategic objectives.
Provide tangible reward for excellent performance in advancing the strategic aims and objectives of the University.
Offer competitive salaries aligned with other major UK universities having taken due cognisance of relevant external comparative benchmark data.
Consistently apply and maintain market median as the norm with the upper quartile as an exception (for the Principal & SMG) in positioning with the Russell Group or other comparators where appropriate, conducive with our overall performance at an institutional level and individual performance, until such time as institutional performance merits a review of this positioning.
Give due consideration to any case(s) where the level of remuneration is substantially misaligned based on comparative analysis against Russell Group benchmark data or other comparators where appropriate.
Apply a general principle that any performance related pay uplifts remain broadly aligned and consistent with those applied to the wider workforce.
Ensure that any review agreed falls within the budgetary envelope approved by Cour

Scheme of Delegation

The following details the delegated authority for the RC and shows how it is placed in the overall University Scheme of Delegation with escalation to Court:

Area of Responsibility	Limit	Delegated Decision Making Auhtority	Escalation To
Pre-approve University Remuneration Policy (pre Court)	N/A	N/A	Court
Pre-approve salaries of the Principal and SMG Members	N/A	N/A	Court
Pre-approve policy on the performance-related reward of professorial and senior administrative staff (all level 10 staff)	N/A	N/A	Court
Approve severance proposals within parameters set by Court and excluding SMG Members	N/A	N/A	Court

Committee Membership

This is a non-executive chaired committee with the following membership:

Lay member of Court (Chair)
2 further lay members including one of whom will be the Convener of Court
2 external lay members
1 staff representative on Court
SRC President

In attendance:

Principal
University Secretary and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Governance)
Executive Director of People & Organisational Development

Committee Member Responsibilities

Each Committee member has a responsibility to:

Openly and constructively challenge proposals presented ensuring minimal risk exposure to the university
Activity and behaviour should embody the University’s values (click here for details)

Format and cadence

The Committee will normally meet twice a year.

INPUTS

Institutional remuneration trends analysis
Market Supplement Policy
SMG Expense Report
Voluntary Severance and Salary Augmentation Report
Performance and Development Review Summary Report
Previous minutes and actions

OUTPUTS

Revised papers and reports to Court
Minutes

Substitutions and Quorum

Substitutions may not be made. There must be a minimum of 5 from the core group in attendance for decisions or approvals. In the event of a consensus not being reached, the Chair will have the casting decision or recommend escalation to Court.

Conflict of Interest

The RC 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.

Principal and Vice Chancellor Remuneration and Terms & Conditions

As the University’s Chief Executive Officer, the Principal has formal and wide-ranging responsibilities for the strategic leadership and direction of the University. The Principal is a member of Court and Convener of Senate. The Principal leads the Senior Management Group, which also includes the Senior Vice Principal & Deputy Vice Chancellor, Vice-Principals (9 in total), Chief Operating Officer & University Secretary and the Directors of Finance and Human Resources.

The remuneration and terms and conditions of the Principal & Vice Chancellor are determined by members of the Remuneration Committee. The Principal is not a member of the Remuneration Committee and is not in attendance at its meetings while his salary, terms and conditions are under discussion.

The Remuneration Committee’s review of the Principal’s salary is informed by:-

the annual P&DR discussion conducted by the Convener of Court, reflecting a comprehensive feedback process involving staff, students, members of Court and the senior executive and informed by a by an assessment of his performance against agreed objectives in the preceding year.
individual and collective SMG performance in advancing the University’s strategic objectives;
the need to provide tangible reward for excellent performance and a competitive remuneration package that is consistent with robust benchmark data and reflective of equivalent positions within comparable Russell Group/major UK universities.

Information on the Principal's salary can be found in the Financial Statements - University of Glasgow - MyGlasgow - Finance - Financial Statements