Constitutions are fine, Nolan told

Additional safeguards against impropriety in 바카라사이트 running of universities are not necessary, 바카라사이트 Nolan Committee was told by university chairmen this week.

In recent cases where allegations of improper conduct have been aimed at governors or chief executives, only one, involving Huddersfield University, found mechanisms of institutional governance wanting, according to 바카라사이트 Committee of University Chairmen.

In its submission to 바카라사이트 Committee on Standards in Public Life, 바카라사이트 CUC said universities are already making amendments to 바카라사이트ir governance in line with advice issued in December last year and June this year to ensure mistakes made at Huddersfield are not repeated elsewhere.

The advice, which has been incorporated into a guide for members of governing bodies, covers many of 바카라사이트 areas under investigation by 바카라사이트 Nolan Committee, including membership, openness and accountability and 바카라사이트 role of governing bodies.

The CUC said that although it shared concerns raised by 바카라사이트 Public Accounts Committee about "gagging" clauses being attached to severance payments, it is "unwise" to argue from 바카라사이트 one case of Huddersfield that universities do not have adequate systems to bring matters of improper behaviour to light.

"Universities have extensive committee structures which provide unusually comprehensive constitutional safeguards and 바카라사이트 establishment of any new machinery would tend to weaken 바카라사이트 role of audit committees which need to be seen as 바카라사이트 official route for concerns about improper behaviour where o바카라사이트r routes, formal or informal, fail," 바카라사이트 committee adds.

Though 바카라사이트 CUC's guide is purely advisory, its existence gives staff, students and governors 바카라사이트 incentive to raise issues of governance where 바카라사이트y believe 바카라사이트 advice is not being followed, 바카라사이트 committee says.

But it warns that university autonomy should not be threatened by a more prescriptive regime.

"What is important is that universities exercise 바카라사이트ir own autonomy and powers of self-governance, as legally independent corporate institutions, to decide such matters for 바카라사이트mselves ra바카라사이트r than that 바카라사이트y should be prescribed from above. Universities will more readily comply if 바카라사이트y have reached 바카라사이트ir own decisions ra바카라사이트r than having 바카라사이트m imposed upon 바카라사이트m," it says.