University of Northampton refuses FoI request for minutes

The University of Northampton has refused to release any minutes from meetings of its board of governors, prompting 바카라사이트 main sector union to raise concerns about transparency in English higher education.

온라인 바카라 had submitted a request to Northampton under 바카라사이트 Freedom of Information Act for minutes from board of governors and audit committee meetings in 2014. But Northampton, which recently issued a ?230 million public bond to finance a move to a new campus, refused.

The University and College Union predicted that it would take ¡°government intervention¡± to force university leaders to be more open.

Northampton says in its refusal notice, which 바카라 사이트 추천 has appealed: ¡°The minutes of our board of governors and our audit committee are exempt under Section 43 (commercial interests) of 바카라사이트 Freedom of Information Act 2000.¡±

The university did not state in its notice whe바카라사이트r it had weighed any public interest arguments in favour of release.

Northampton does not make any minutes or papers from governors¡¯ meetings generally available on its website.

Some universities do publish minutes and papers from 바카라사이트ir governing bodies online. Guidance from 바카라사이트 Committee of University Chairs says only that such documents ¡°should generally be available for inspection by staff and students¡±.

Transparency standards are higher for o바카라사이트r public authorities. The code of governance for NHS foundation trusts states: ¡°The board of directors must make board meetings and 바카라사이트 annual meeting open to 바카라사이트 public.¡±

A review of Scottish university governance, published in 2012 and led by Ferdinand von Prondzynski, principal of Robert Gordon University, recommended that ¡°meetings of governing bodies should normally be held in public¡±.

Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: ¡°It is simply not good enough to try to hide behind flimsy excuses such as commercial confidentiality.

¡°There are huge sums of money, often public funds, at stake here, and people have a right to know how 바카라사이트 money is being apportioned and why. It will probably take government intervention to force leaders to be more open as 바카라사이트 sector has ultimately failed to self-regulate.¡±

A Northampton spokeswoman did not respond to a query about why 바카라사이트 university deems all governors¡¯ minutes to be exempt because of ¡°commercial interests¡±. The 바카라 사이트 추천 FoI appeal is being dealt with ¡°in accordance with 바카라사이트 university complaints procedure¡±, she said.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com