SRUC - Chair

The Role of Chair of the SRUC Board

The Chair is responsible for the leadership of the Board and, together with the Board and the Principal, helps provide high-level strategic direction to SRUC to ensure delivery of its key objectives.

The Chair should promote the wellbeing and efficient operation of the Board, ensuring that all Board Members work together effectively and have confidence in the procedures laid down for conduct of business. S/He ensures that Board members apply the highest standards of corporate governance and observe the accepted principles of public life.

The Chair ensures that the Board discusses those issues which it needs to discuss and discharges its responsibilities in a business-like way. S/He must be assured that Board sub-committees, which play a central role in the proper conduct of the Board’s business, report back appropriately.

The Chair ensures that SRUC is well connected to its stakeholders, including to staff and students, and plays an ambassadorial role on behalf of SRUC.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership of the Board, its effectiveness and its conduct;
• Ensuring that the Board acts in accordance with its Articles of Association and with accepted standards of behaviour in public life;
• Ensuring that the Board sets the strategic direction of the institution and that performance is adequately assessed against the objectives set by the Board;
• Ensuring that the Board exercises collective responsibility;
• Acting as a critical friend to SRUC, to the Principal and Chief Executive and to members of the Executive Leadership Team, being mindful of the boundary between governance and management;
• Liaising with Committee Chairs between Board and Committee meetings;
• Representing SRUC at meetings with external bodies and stakeholders including the Committee of Scottish Chairs, the Scottish Funding Council, and Scottish Government and represents the Board at ceremonial events, including graduations;
• Chairing two SRUC trusts, comprising 4- 6 meetings annually and one meeting of SAC Corporate Trustee ltd;
• Representing SRUC in an ambassadorial role, using personal influence and networking skills where appropriate, to support SRUC’s aims and objectives;
• Acting on behalf of the Board under formalised delegated authority to take forward matters between Board meetings, with such matters to be reported formally to the next meeting of the Board;
• In liaison with the Company Secretary, ensuring an adequate and effective induction process is in place for all new Board members and that there are on-going development opportunities for Board members to enable the Board to effectively discharge its responsibilities;
• Contributing to the governance of SRUC through membership of the Remuneration & Appointments Committee;
• Regular liaison with the chair of SAC Commercial:
• Being responsible for the appraisal of the Principal and Chief Executive, in accordance with approved arrangements and to undertake the annual appraisal of Board members, including meeting individual members and relevant follow up.

Further information, including the Person Specification and time commitment, can be found in the Candidate Brief document below.

Interview with SRUC Outgoing Chair, Sandy Cumming CBE

Listen to the podcast: Sandy talks about his time as Chair of SRUC and the recruitment campaign for his successor.