UEB, 6 November 2017

• The success of a £5 million grant awarded to the School of Social Sciences for a Department for Education project on children services was noted.
• It was noted that Mrs Sadgrove had attended a Living Wage week business breakfast at which the First Minister had spoken positively about the commitment of Welsh universities to the living wage; Mrs Sadgrove would be speaking about the living wage at the Business School’s business breakfast on Thursday.
• It was noted that UEB members had agreed which protected characteristics they would champion: age (Mr Williams); disability (Professor Coffey); gender reassignment (Professor Allemann); marriage and civil partnership (Mrs Sadgrove); pregnancy and maternity (Ms Sanders); race (Professor de Leeuw); religion and belief (Professor Thomas), sex (Ms Rawlinson) and sexual orientation (Professor Baxter); with Professor Boyne championing widening participation and disadvantage (which although not a protected characteristic was likely to become one in the future). The Vice-Chancellor and Professor Holford would champion all the protected characteristics.
• A briefing on the new Welsh Cabinet following the reshuffle would be circulated to UEB members once the new Public Affairs Manager was in post. It was noted that Ken Skates AM, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, remit would now include science and research and innovation.
• It was noted that Professor de Leeuw’s recent visit to Brazil and the University of Campinas (Unicamp), the top university in Latin America and a visit to the University of Bremen with Professor Ian Hall as the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences already had good collaboration with the University.
• It was noted that the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences had hosted a very successful Stem Cell Symposium, bringing together stem cell researchers from Japan and the UK, with the opening attended by the First Minister.
• Mr Williams noted his attendance at his first recognition of service awards event and commented that it was an excellent occasion.
• Mr Williams noted that he had attended an All-Party Parliamentary University Group meeting on financial sustainability with two speakers Mr Martin Lewis and Professor Mark Smith, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lancaster and Chair of HEFCE’s Financial Sustainability Group. Mr Lewis had focussed on the student support system and fees with the main concern about perception and trust over the graduate contribution system; Professor Smith had spoken about the financial health of English universities, seen as currently stable overall although huge disparity existed across the sector.
• That the GW4 event on 1 November 2017 had been well organised and the GW4 vice-chancellors had agreed that Professor Hugh Brady, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, would be the next chair of the GW4 Council.
• UEB received the Reconciliation of the Forecast Outturn to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 July 2017, UEB endorsed the Forecast Outturn and recommended its approval to Audit Committee and Council.
• UEB received the draft Annual Report and Financial Statements, some changes would be made to the Vice-Chancellor’s introduction before going on to Council for final sign off.
• UEB reviewed a draft of a five year financial plan. It was noted that the £9,000 tuition fee had been input.  Council would now received the draft plan at its meeting in December.

UEB received the following regular reports

• Internal Audit update
• Innovation System update
• Research and innovation monthly update
• Engagement activities monthly update
• Cardiff Innovation Campus update
• External environment update