Remuneration Committee Annual Report 2020/21

Membership, Attendance and Activity of the Remuneration Committee

The members of the Remuneration Committee are all lay members the University’s governing body, Council, and are independent of University management. Membership comprises the Chair of Council, the Vice-Chair of Council (who is the Chair of the Remuneration Committee), the Treasurer and two other lay members of Council.

All members of the Remuneration Committee are appointed by the Nominations Committee (whose Terms of Reference are publicly available here) with a focus on ensuring an appropriate balance of relevant skills, experience and competencies. Where necessary, additional expert advice and guidance is sought to inform the Committee’s decision making.

The Committee met three times between 1 August 2020 and 31 July 2021 and corresponded on matters relevant to the Committee on a number of occasions between meetings. Membership and attendance at meetings during this period was as follows:

Annex 1: Terms of Reference of Remuneration Committee

Purpose

The purpose of Remuneration Committee (‘the Committee’) is to ensure the proper remuneration of the

University’s senior post holders, as well as to have oversight of remuneration arrangements for other senior members of staff.

Definitions

For this purpose, the following definitions are applied: ‘Senior post holders’ means:

  • the President and Vice-Chancellor; and
  • direct line management reports of the President and Vice-Chancellor who hold executive responsibility (see Schedule 1); and
  • the Executive Director of Human Resources

‘Other senior members of staff’ means (with the exception of those already included within the definition of ‘senior post holders’):

  • employed Officers of the University, as defined in Section III of the Ordinances of the University; and
  • Level 7 employees; and
  • any other employees paid a basic salary of ?100,000 or more per annum.

Responsibilities of the Committee

The Committee shall:

  1. Determine the remuneration of the President and Vice-Chancellor.
  2. Determine the policy by which the remuneration of other ‘senior post holders’ is set.
  3. Review and approve the remuneration of other ‘senior post holders’ on receipt of recommendations from the President and Vice-Chancellor or his or her nominee
  4. Approve the principles by which the remuneration of employed Officers of the University is set.
  5. Approve the principles by which the remuneration of Level 7 employees is set.
  6. Monitor the remuneration processes applying to employed Officers of the University, Level 7 employees, and any other employees paid a basic salary of ?100,000 or more per annum.
  7. Review and approve severance arrangements for senior post holders, employed Officers of the University and any employees paid a basic salary of ?100,000 or more per annum.

In discharging its responsibilities, the Committee will:

  1. Consider the context in which the University operates.
  2. Consider senior remuneration in the context of remuneration for all staff.
  3. Consider equality, diversity and inclusion data as relevant to these Terms of Reference.
  4. Consider benchmarking data as relevant to these Terms of Reference.
  5. Consider the public interest and the safeguarding of public funds alongside the interests of the institution when considering all forms of payment, reward and severance to the staff within its remit.
  6. Provide an annual report to Council on the conduct of its business.
  7. Provide a publicly available annual report on the conduct of its business.

Membership

The Committee shall comprise the Chair of Council, the Vice-Chair of Council, the Treasurer and two lay members of Council.

The Vice-Chair of Council will normally be the Chair of the Committee. In the event that the Chair of Council is Chair of the Committee, he or she may not chair any discussion in relation to item i. of these Terms of Reference.

Other attendees

The Committee shall be supported by the Executive Director of Human Resources or his or her nominee who shall provide or arrange for provision of appropriate advice and guidance to the Committee and act as secretary to the Committee.

The Chair of the Committee may invite other attendees as appropriate. No attendee will be present for any agenda item which concerns his or her own remuneration or which for some other reason would cause a conflict of interest.

Meetings and quorum

The Committee shall meet with such frequency and at such times as it may determine. The quorum for meetings of the Committee shall be three, one of whom must be the Chair of Council or the Vice-Chair of Council.

Schedule 1

  • Direct line management reports of the President and Vice-Chancellor who hold executive responsibility: Senior Vice-President (Academic)
  • Vice-President (Education)
  • Vice-President (Research and Enterprise) Vice-President (Operations)
  • Chief Operating Officer – ends 31 December 2021, role replaced by Vice-President (Operations) Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities
  • Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences Dean of the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
  • Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Executive Director of Finance and Planning