The Remuneration and People Committee

The Remuneration and People Committees merged in September 2025, with the aim of streamlining the Board committee structure and enabling consideration of broader people-related business and senior staff reward proposals in one forum.

The Remuneration and People Committee has three principal broad responsibilities:

Acting on delegated authority on behalf of the Board to approve remuneration of members of the University Executive, including the President and Vice-Chancellor. In fulfilling this duty, the Committee will review and scrutinise remuneration of senior staff in the sector and, where appropriate, more broadly.
To ensure oversight of relevant strategic documents, e.g. delivery plans and frameworks (including those related to reward and equality, diversity and inclusion) and risk and performance assessment measures.
As required by relevant Statute and Ordinance, to give full and proper consideration to any proposals to dismiss academic and academic-related colleagues on grounds of redundancy, and where necessary making recommendations to the Board.

To consider policies and procedures relating to the remuneration of senior staff and recommend approval to the Board and to oversee their implementation within the University.
To consider and determine on behalf of the Board the remuneration arrangements for the President and Vice Chancellor, other members of the University Executive, senior staff as agreed within wholly or jointly owned subsidiaries, and other senior staff as determined by the Committee and the Board, in line with agreed policies.
To delegate to an appropriately constituted Senior Salaries Review Group (or Groups) the task of making recommendations on the remuneration of professorial and equivalent senior administrative staff not covered in 2 above and provide oversight of the salary review process.
To provide assurance to the Board that the University is adhering to current relevant regulation and guidance. This will include oversight of arrangements to ensure and promote freedom of speech and academic freedom within the Committee’s remit, recommending action to the Board as and when appropriate.
To receive and approve reports enabling the Committee to fulfil its role in relation to senior staff remuneration (this includes a report for inclusion in the financial statements on the number of staff earning over £100,000 per annum and a report on the analysis of the annual salary review of Non-Clinical Professors).
To receive, comment upon and note the succession plan for the University Executive.
To receive and comment upon (after approval by University Executive), the outcomes of pay gap reviews and audits.
To ensure oversight of relevant strategic documents, e.g. delivery plans and frameworks (including those related to reward and equality, diversity and inclusion) and risk and performance assessment measures and to monitor the achievement of those risk and performance measures.
To receive and consider reports from relevant staff and student networks and groups and have oversight of the overall staff experience.
To consider proposed termination of permanent contracts which had at the outset a known or foreseeably greater risk of possible redundancy due to the finite nature of the project or funding for the post and make recommendations to the Board
To give full and proper consideration and make recommendations to the Board on: a) any proposals to dismiss members of academic and academic-related colleagues on grounds of redundancy in line with Ordinance XXIII or b) targeted voluntary severance arrangements, subject to the understanding that only necessary approvals are recommended to the Board. (Information provided in advance of the meeting and the approach to decision making consistent with Ordinance XXIII are set out in Appendix A.).
To commission independent advice as required to enable the Committee to fulfil its remit.

APPENDIX A. Information provided in advance of the meetings

The proposal that there should be dismissals by reason of redundancy must be provided to the Committee in advance of a meeting to consider such proposal. In addition, appropriate information shall be provided to enable the Committee to reach a reasoned assessment of the proposal and to consider alternative strategies for resolution of the circumstances leading to the proposal. This will include some or all of the following, depending on the circumstances:

an identification and analysis of the alternatives to redundancy;
the reasons for any discontinuation or reduction of activity or for the proposed redundancies;
an outline of the relationship with the strategic plan of the relevant unit;
an analysis of financial considerations;
an analysis of the impact of the proposed redundancies on activities within the Unit and in other Units within the University;
a report of consultations with the School or Unit Board;
a review of the impact on the workloads of remaining staff.

2. Reaching a decision

The Committee will consider the information provided and decide whether to recommend the proposal to the Board. In preparing its advice to the Board, the Committee:

may request such other information as it deems appropriate and necessary to reach a reasoned assessment of the proposal and of any alternative strategies for resolution of the circumstances leading to the proposal;
shall take a pan-institutional view of the circumstances;
shall consult with any persons or bodies within the University as are deemed relevant;
shall ensure that all suitable and appropriate alternative strategies for resolution, including redeployment and restructuring, have been properly considered; and
shall receive and respond to reports from the relevant trade unions (which may be encompassed in a report from the Joint University/ Trade Union Contracts Committee).

The Remuneration and People Committee

Membership

Terms of reference

APPENDIX A. Information provided in advance of the meetings

2. Reaching a decision

Meeting dates for the year

Minutes

People Committee minutes: