Professional Services Executive Board
Professional Services Executive Board (PSEB) reports to University Executive Board (UEB).
Terms of reference
Objectives and outcomes
PSEB is the Professional Services senior leadership decision making and advisory body.
It has delegated responsibility from UEB to take key decisions on the strategic direction of Professional Services.
PSEB’s role is to ensure Professional Services departments deliver the public good purpose of the University through service excellence. PSEB also oversees financial and other resourcing across Professional Services and is responsible for achieving financial targets set by UEB, resilience and major risk and assurance matters.
Contact us
Chairs: Nigel Alcock and Tracy Lightfoot
Chief Financial and Operating Officer/Interim Chief Academic Services Officer
chief-operating-officer@york.ac.uk
+44 (0)1904 324862
For agendas and papers: Jo Black
Senior Executive Officer
The remit of the PSEB under the following core, agenda-aligned headings is:
(a) Strategic development, planning, performance monitoring and resourcing: items for consideration and/or decision
Strategy and projects
- To develop and recommend for UEB approval those elements of the University Strategy, and wider strategies and strategic initiatives and projects shaped and delivered by the Professional Services (PS);
- To approve and review a framework of PS risks and Performance Indicators (PIs) stemming from the Corporate Risks and Strategic KPIs;
- To approve major PS sponsored projects, and monitor progress against their delivery and advise on/resolve matters requiring the Board’s intervention;
- To facilitate collaboration across, and monitor PS contributions to all University strategies and projects, to maximise efficiency and impact.
Resources
- To approve staffing investment plans for the Professional Services in the context of the agreed budget and five-year forecast framework;
- To review and approve planned or in-year additional resource requests from Professional Services leads that impact on agreed plans/resources and prioritise resource allocation;
- To approve the agreed budgetary allocation to, and across, Professional Services Departments to ensure delivery of the Professional Services overall financial targets;
- To approve Professional Services organisational changes and restructuring within and across departments to deliver efficient resource models across Professional Services to meet the five-year forecast.
General
- To ensure health, safety and welfare, staff engagement, EDI and sustainability considerations are designed into all aspects of PS decision making and discussions, in liaison with other UEB bodies.
(b) Policy and regulatory matters
- To approve a Professional Services Risk Register (or be the hub for endorsing Professional Services departmental risk registers), delegating detailed risk management to the PSEB members;
- To approve major policies owned, developed and enforced by Professional Services Departments which do not require approval by UEB or other UEB sub-groups and bodies;
- To promote compliance with University Statutes, Ordinances, Regulations and policies to enable the Professional Services to contribute to University-level governance and assurance;
- To provide advice and approve means to ensure the enforcement or delivery of policy owned by Professional Services departments, including where referred to it to by other UEB sub-groups and Professional Services executive member sponsors;
- To monitor, advise and take decisions on responses and resources to address findings and actions from internal audit and a range of external inspection and regulatory exercises;
- To approve (in conjunction with the University Secretary) a delegation framework for decision-making within the Professional Services departments.
Authority
PSEB reports into UEB via Joss Ivory, the Chief Operating Officer, who is a Board member, and through the reporting mechanisms listed in the reporting and frequency section.
PSEB has budgetary control and decision-making authority as set down in these terms of reference and related policy and documentation, including the Scheme of Delegated Authority (SoDA).
Reporting to UEB
PSEB does not report to UEB following each meeting, but will do so as follows;
- Frequently: on a quarterly basis through summaries of the business of PSEs to UEB (aggregating key decisions and salient points of information).
- Ad hoc: where urgent University-wide matters pertaining to the PS departments require direct escalation to UEB for decision or discussion, the COO and other means of the PSEB are accountable for doing so, having consulted with other relevant UEB members.
Reporting to PSEB
PSEB and HoPS are empowered to establish task and finish and working groups to respond to requirements of initiatives impacting Professional Services departments. The actions of any groups should be reported to PSEB on a timely basis.
Information reporting from/referral between PSEB and other bodies
PSEB maintains indirect reporting and referral relationships with a range of bodies of UEB, including Capital, Enterprise Systems and Infrastructure Strategy (CESIS) Board in relation to capital and digital infrastructure planning, and Risk Review Group (RRG), Faculty Executive Boards (FOB) and Faculty Operations Groups (FoG).
- Nigel Alcock, Chief Financial and Operating Officer (Co-chair)
- Tracy Lightfoot, Interim Chief Academic Services Officer (Co-chair)
- Natalie Armstrong, Head of Faculty Operations (Sciences)
- Tom Banham, Interim Academic Registrar
- Tyrrell Basson, IT Director
- Joan Concannon, Director of External Relations
- Justine Daniels, Director of Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (RIKE)
- Simon Donoghue, Director of Strategic Planning and Performance
- Jamie Holliday, Head of Faculty Operations (Social Sciences)
- Rachael Millhouse, Director of HR
- Ros Roberts, Head of Faculty Operations (Arts and Humanities)
In attendance
- Jo Black, Senior Executive Officer (Secretary)
Meeting dates 2023-24
Date | Time |
---|---|
Tuesday 17 October | |
Tuesday 21 November | |
Tuesday 19 December | |
Tuesday 16 January | |
Tuesday 20 February | |
Tuesday 12 March | |
Tuesday 16 April | |
Tuesday 21 May | |
Tuesday 18 June | |
Tuesday 16 July | |
Tuesday 20 August | |
Tuesday 17 September |
Meeting dates 2024-25
Date | Time |
---|---|
Wednesday 18 September 2024 | 10.00am to 12.00pm |
Wednesday 16 October 2024 | 10.00am to 12.00pm |
Tuesday 19 November 2024 | 3.00pm to 5.00pm |
Tuesday 17 December 2024 | 10.00am to 12.00pm |
Tuesday 14 January 2025 | 3.00pm to 5.00pm |
Wednesday 19 February 2025 | 10.00am to 12.00pm |
Thursday 13 March 2025 | 10.00am to 12.00pm |
Wednesday 16 April 2025 | 10.00am to 12.00pm |
Tuesday 20 May 2025 | 2.00pm to 4.00pm |
Wednesday 18 June 2025 | 10.00am to 12.00pm |
Tuesday 15 July 2025 | 3.00pm to 5.00pm |
Meeting frequency
PSEB will meet once per month, with variations as required.
Meeting modes
Meetings will be held either in-person, online or via a hybrid format, subject to agreement by members.
Parent committee
Contact us
Chairs: Nigel Alcock and Tracy Lightfoot
Chief Financial and Operating Officer/Interim Chief Academic Services Officer
chief-operating-officer@york.ac.uk
+44 (0)1904 324862
For agendas and papers: Jo Black
Senior Executive Officer