Staff news

Court meeting: 12 May 2014

The University Court had its most recent meeting on 12 May.

Staff News will now be publishing regular updates on matters discussed at all Court meetings, during which members consider matters of strategic importance to the University.

Meetings of the Court are held six times a year.

The Court has the best interests of the whole institution at heart and it's important that the decisions which it takes are shared with and understood by our diverse University community.

Peter McCollRector
Peter McColl

Governing body

The Court is the University’s governing body and its legal persona.

With a focus on strategic direction, it takes the final decisions on issues of fundamental concern to the wellbeing of the University.

Detailed information on the membership and activities of the University Court, including meeting agendas, papers and minutes, is available online.

Court meeting: 12 May 2014

The following reports are summaries of a selection of items discussed and agreed on at Court on 12 May.

The meeting’s agenda and papers are available online.

Designation of Vice-Principals and Assistant Principals

Court approved the designation of a new Vice-Principal Data Science, based within the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine.

Professor Andrew Morris has been appointed and will take up this role on 18 August.

He is the UK’s leading authority on medical informatics and will work closely with Professor Kenway, Vice-Principal High Performance Computing, to take forward the development of Edinburgh Data Science, a University-wide initiative that will be launched later this year.

Alignment with SRUC

Court approved further exploration of the alignment of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) within the University, recognising the opportunities of such a strategic alliance around food and environmental security and health.

Scottish Code of Good HE Governance

In response to last July’s launch of a new ‘Scottish Code of Good HE Governance’, a Court Sub-Group was appointed to consider the implications for the University.

Court approved a number of the group’s proposals that will enhance key Court documents and lead to the creation of a new Committee structure to support the work of Court. The new structure will be implemented at the start of the next academic year.

Court will have a small number of Standing Committees which are supported by Thematic Committees responsible for key areas or themes.

Rectorial election

Court agreed, subject to consultation with Senate, that an election to identify the next Rector will be held 10-11 February, 2015.

Peter McColl, the University’s Rector, will stand down at the end of February 2015.

The Rector holds a key position within the University, and presides at meetings of Court. All staff and students can nominate candidates and vote in rectorial elections.