A significant, research-intensive university council needed to maintain its reputation for excellence.
The university’s council had a good track record and was highly experienced. To maintain the university’s position given the competitiveness and volatility of the higher education sector, the council sought to review its performance and identify ways to improve governance.
Nous gained input into our review by:
We structured our analysis using our proven framework for board governance, which we have used to advise university councils and other governing bodies. The framework consists of six elements of high quality governance, including composition and capability, relationships, and accountability and risk.
Nous made several recommendations for the council to improve its approach to governance, including conducting strategic horizon scanning, ensuring its composition reflects the makeup of the university community, and implementing more nuanced and dynamic ways to measure performance (such as a live dashboard). The recommendations will help the council achieve continuous improvement.