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Academic Performance Committee

 

1. Purpose

The University’s aim is to achieve sustainable academic excellence through the delivery of high-quality, financially sustainable, and market-informed education and research. The University Strategy, together with the Education and Student Experience (ESE) Strategy and the Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) Strategy, will provide the framework for achieving this aim. 

The purpose of Academic Performance Committee (the ‘Committee’) is to be accountable through the chair for the University’s academic performance in the delivery of those strategies and associated KPIs.

 The Committee:

• Seeks assurance on academic performance across all academic units, ensuring effective delivery in line with the University’s Education, Research, and Knowledge Exchange strategies and KPIs.
• Sets the associated performance expectations in line with the ESE and RKE strategies and strategic KPIs and apportions these to academic units for cascade and delivery.
• Monitors delivery against agreed targets via a rolling cycle of upward performance reports from academic units.
• Holds University leadership to account for delivery, identifies areas of underperformance, and commissions appropriate remedial action.
• Reviews and approves business cases related to the enhancement of performance in education, student experience, research, and knowledge exchange, and monitors progress of delivery via performance and assurance reports.

2. Priorities

1. To provide an annual opinion to UEB and council on academic performance together with a note of actions implemented to address areas of concern.
2. Development of an annual forward plan outlining the Committee’s business for the planning cycle
3. Shaping the academic performance aspects of the University’s strategy to ensure alignment with education, research, and knowledge exchange priorities
4. Ensure that robust plans are in place to drive improvement in performance for the academic units in the university. Implement monitoring systems to ensure that progress is being made in line with expectations.
5. Identify resources to support units within the university which are performing strongly and where there is opportunity for growth in activity leading to enhanced performance.
6. To embed active scrutiny of risks related to academic performance in committee activities.
7. To maintain oversight and manage the University’s position in the QS league table.

3. Responsibilities

1. Monitoring University performance against Education and Research KPIs, holding academic leadership to account for underperformance, and ensuring appropriate corrective action is taken.
2. To embed ESE and RKE KPIs within faculty performance frameworks and ensure appropriate oversight and accountability for progress against these measures
3. Approval and oversight of academic business plans to ensure delivery of education, research, and knowledge exchange in alignment with strategic objectives.
4. On behalf of UEB review the University’s performance in the National Student Survey (NSS), Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and Research Excellence Framework (REF), reviewing outcomes and ensuring appropriate actions are taken to achieve and sustain target performance levels.
5. To determine the priority of the KPIs to drive performance, and decide which take precedence for any conflicting KPIs.
6. Ensure on target delivery of education and research strategies into the faculty structure.
7. Performance monitoring of the Faculty and School level business plans. - Monitoring the performance of the education and research strategies and associated KPIs
8. Continuous oversight of academic and research portfolios to ensure viability and to maintain the oversight of the University’s size and shape.
9. Management of all associated risks.
10. Compliance with relevant regulations.
11. Performance Reporting and escalation to UEB.

4. Aligment to Accountability Framework

Implementation of strategy and achievement of KPIs.

5. Delegated Authority

1. The Committee is authorised to approve transactions within the financial thresholds set out in the University’s Scheme of Delegation, within the limits specified below:

• Contract Authorisation (non-research) and Expenditure: £2,000,000

6. Membership

Chair                           Deputy Vice Chancellor

Members                    4 x FPVCs

                                    2 x DPVCs

                                    PVC RKE

                                    PVC ESE

                                    Chief Operating Officer

                                    President of the Students’ Union

                                    Director of Technical Strategy

7. General

1. The Committee will be chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
2. Committee secretarial support shall be provided by the Chair’s Executive Assistant and governance support from the Governance team.
3. The Committee shall meet quarterly.
4. Members may nominate a deputy to attend in their absence, subject to prior agreement with the Chair.

8. Reporting

1. The following groups report to the Committee:

• • Faculty Executive Boards

 2. The Committee receives information from, and may refer matters to, the following groups as required:

• • Research and Knowledge Exchange
  • Education and Student Experience

 Time limited working or task and finish groups may be established where appropriate.

 3. The Committee reports to the University Executive Board and will provide interim and annual performance reports, or such other reports as required, in line with the reporting cycle determined by the Board.

(Terms of Reference Approved on 10 March 2026) 

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