Assurance 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 Strategy and the Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy, will provide the framework for achieving this aim.
The purpose of the Assurance Committee (the ‘Committee’) is to ensure that the University complies with all its legal and statutory obligations and deploys a mature and effective approach to its governance, risk and compliance activities to support the delivery of its strategy.
2. Priorities
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To establish, oversee and refine mechanisms to deliver the Committee’s remit of risk management, governance and assurance.
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To ensure those mechanisms operate effectively across the University, embedding consistent practice and ensuring appropriate information flows into the Committee.
- To establish clear reporting to UEB (and subsequently the Audit and Risk Committee) as to the status of compliance and risk exposure.
3. Responsibilities
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The monitoring of compliance with relevant legal and statutory obligations.
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To ensure the effective implementation of a risk management framework that identifies and records risk across the university, and to ensure that appropriate challenge over the management/mitigation of those risk;
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To ensure, where applicable, the implementation of effective assurance activities over those risks and compliance requirements.
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To ensure and overseeing the reporting of the strategic risk register to UEB and subsequently, the Audit and Risk Committee.
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To ensure audit reports and associated findings are appropriately responded to by management with effective action plans, and that completion of the action plans is completed in a timely manner.
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Ensure that relevant policies which guide the university to compliance with key legal and statutory requirements have appropriate ownership and are subject to regular review, remain up to date, and comply with legislation, regulations, and best practice.
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Escalate, by exception, any significant matters within the Committee’s remit — including risks, compliance failures, and assurance concerns — to the University Executive Board where risks or issues (non-compliance) remain unresolved or require higher-level intervention.
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Ensure appropriate oversight of business continuity and incident response plans across the university.
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Receive and consider reports from relevant sub-committees or groups, ensuring key areas of compliance are effectively monitored and any significant matters are addressed or escalated as required.
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Consider emerging external requirements or governance issues within the Committee’s remit and determine the appropriate body or process for their consideration and response.
4. Alignment to Accountability Framework
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Set standards: strategy, policy, standard operating procedures, compliance, training and guidance
5. Delegated Authority
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The Committee is authorised to instruct the development and seek assurance that formal remediation plans are developed and implemented where systemic or significant non-compliance is identified.
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The Committee is authorised to review Tier 1 policies within its remit, with approval reserved to the University Executive Board.
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The Committee is authorised to review and approve Tier 2 policies within its remit, with outcomes reported to the University Executive Board for noting.
6. Membership
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Chair
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Chief Governance and Risk Officer
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Membership
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Deputy Vice Chancellor
Chief Financial Officer
Chief People Officer
Director of Governance and Assurance
Director of Research and Innovation Operations
Director of Internal Audit Services
Director of Legal Services
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The Associate Director of Risk and Assurance will be in attendance at meetings.
7. General
1. Chair
The Committee will be chaired by the Chief Governance and Risk Officer.
2. Committee Support
Committee secreterial support shall be provided by the Chair's Executive Assistant and governance support from the Governance team.
3. Frequency of Meetings
The Committee shall meet quarterly.
4. Deputies
Members may nominate a deputy to attend in their absence, subject to prior agreement with the Chair.
5. Quorum
A quorum will be half the regular membership plus one.
8. Reporting
1. The following groups report to the Committee:
- Information Management and Security Steering Committee
- Risk Management Group
- Research Governance
- Human Tissue Research Management Group
- Immigration Compliance Group
- Safeguarding Steering Group
- Academic Quality Assurance Committee
2. The Committee maintains appropriate links with the following groups:
- Audit and Risk (Committee of Council)
- Health and Safety (Committee of Council)
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 14 October 2025)
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