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AGWG-M11
REVIEW OF SCOTLAND 'S COLLEGES
WORKING GROUP: ACCOUNTABILITY & GOVERNANCE
Minutes of Meeting
Cardonald College ,Glasgow
12 January 2007 , 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm
Participants:
Aileen McKechnie, Scottish Executive (Chair)
Margaret McLachlan, Scottish Executive (Secretariat)
George Reid, Scottish Executive
Martin Fairbairn, Scottish Funding Council
Ian Graham, Principal, John Wheatley College
Graeme Hyslop, Principal, Langside College (substitute)
Ian Macpherson, Association of Scotland's Colleges
Neil Cuthbert, Association of Scotland's Colleges
Jill Little, NUS Scotland
Mary Dignam, STUC
John Cassidy, STUC
David Caldwell, Universities Scotland
Apologies:
Linda McKay, Principal, Forth Valley College
Introductions
The Chair welcomed members and in particular Graeme Hyslop, who had become one of the group's most regular attendees, and Ian Macpherson, who has officially taken over membership from Sandy Watson. The Chair requested that our thanks to Sandy for the work he carried out during his time on the workstream be recorded.
1. Minutes of the previous meeting including action points
The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed subject to some minor changes.
List of Action Points
From previous minute
- Executive to ask Mr McClelland for a list of bullet points, from his presentation, covering key messages.
Done - requested and then circulated to members in December
- Margaret McLachlan to circulate information on definitions used by the Executive for Public Appointments.
Done - sent in November
- Margaret McLachlan to re-issue revised work plan.
Done - sent in November
From Rolling Action Point:
- Executive to seek legal advice regarding Sabbatical Officers
The Executive has sought legal advice and will disseminate the response as soon as possible. The ASC also raised the point whether this legal advice would clarify the position regarding student associations.
ITEM 3:
- Executive to include non-statutory and statutory interventions on agenda for 8 December.
To be discussed under A.O.B time permitting.
ITEM 4:
- Executive to forward members comments on report to DTZ
Done
- Executive to prepare a working group's final report and pass to members for comment
Done
2. Review of Accountability and Governance in the Scottish College Sector - Final Report
Members had discussed the DTZ report at the meeting held in November and had agreed the recommendations which the workstream would incorporate into its own report. The workstream's draft report had been circulated to members prior to the Christmas break and members had given comments. Members discussed a number of changes to the draft report and agreed that a near-final report, incorporating these changes, should be sent to the Core Group without further reference to the working group. The Core Group's approval of the revised draft would be sought at its next meeting, Friday 19 January. This course of action was agreed under the caveat that only minor drafting changes could be made subsequently. Members would also receive a copy of the near-final report for final sign off.
3. A.O.B
The ASC suggested that it would be useful for the A&G report and related issues to be shared with Principals and Chairs. It was agreed that this would be a useful way to disseminate the findings more widely and would be taken forward.
Aileen McKechnie thanked members for their contributions to this workstream and indicated that this would be the final meeting of the working group. She also informed members that her team were currently arranging a Launch Event for the full Review in March to which members would be invited.
Margaret McLachlan
Reviews Team
January 2007