It is my honour to continue to serve as Interim Chair of Council until the beginning of the next academic year while our Chair, Dame Shirley Pearce, is on leave of absence to lead the Teaching Excellent Framework (TEF) Review.
As the academic year at LSE ends, I write to update you on Council’s activities this term and highlights from our May and June meetings.
LSE 2030
Council was delighted to hear about the successful internal launch of LSE 2030 at the start of Summer Term, and in May and June discussed strategy delivery with the Director and School Management Committee (SMC).
We closely monitor progress made on the delivery of the strategy at the beginning of every Council meeting. Our enthusiastic thanks to the Director, B McClure (Head of Directorate & Strategy Delivery), and SMC, as well as our Audit Committee Chair John Hughes, for their significant contributions to creating a dashboard with clear metrics which will assist Council with monitoring as we move from strategic planning to the implementation of LSE 2030.
In June, we also approved the 2019 Financial Plan that underpins LSE 2030. Council thanked the Pro-Director for Planning and Resources David Webb, our new Chief Financial Officer Mike Ferguson, and the Finance and Estates Committee (co-chaired by Council members Roger Mountford and Nigel Hugill) for their excellent work in producing a superb plan.
Of course, we are also carefully tracking external events, from Brexit and governmental reports to unexpected new matters that will have an impact on our School. Although much remains uncertain in the months ahead, we will continue to monitor issues closely and support actions in the interest of LSE and our community more broadly.
Our campus and community
In May we also heard an excellent presentation from Laura Dawson, Director of Data and Technology Services, on both plans for significant improvement in technology at LSE and gaps to be filled across the institution. Council is committed to enhancing our School’s digital capabilities, and will follow technology developments to benefit student, research and administrative needs closely, as well as manage cyber security challenges.
We also heard from Julian Robinson, Director of Estates, and Ian Spencer, Director of Residences and Catering, about our campus—both the journey to where we are and exciting new additions and improvements to come. Council thanked the Estates teams, as well as Nigel Hugill and Roger Mountford, for their many years of leadership to develop LSE for everyone.
Council started our June meeting with an inspiring tour of the new Centre Buildings, visiting the new teaching and learning spaces with state-of-the-art facilities. We formally minuted our appreciation to the Estates team, Finance and Estates Committee, and all LSE staff who contributed to creating this landmark building at the heart of campus.
Council thanked the Investment Sub-Committee of the Finance and Estates Committee, under the leadership of its Chair Neil Gaskell, for on-going outstanding work—including their demonstrated commitment to the School’s Socially Responsible Investment Policy.
In June, Council also discussed the Staff Survey results, which shows improvements have been made in almost all areas. Council appreciatively recognized the good news. Both Council and SMC also acknowledge that more needs to be done and will be discussing how further improvements can be made in coming months.
Welcome new members of Council
After a thorough recruiting process designed to complement the skills and experience across Council, as well as our strong commitment to diversity and inclusion and the global nature of the School, Council are delighted to welcome a number of new members during the 2019/2020 academic year.
First, Council are delighted to announce the first Professional Services Staff member of Council, Dr. Claudine Provencher. Council and the Governance Committee thank the many applicants with strong records of contributions to the School for their interest in the role and their much- appreciated time and effort to apply.
Council expressed its deep appreciation for Vice Chair Academic Board Professor Emily Jackson’s wise advice and generous participation in so many aspects of Council and Council committee business at and in between meetings. And we warmly welcome the new Vice Chair Academic Board Professor Martin Anthony to Council (more accurately, back to Council as Professor Anthony served on Council between 2010 and 2013).
Council are also delighted to announce the renewal of two academic members Professor Terhi Rantanen and Professor Simona Iammarino for a second term, as well as the renewal of independent member of Council Elisabeth Stheeman.
We also congratulate Zulum Elumongo for his second term as SU Secretary General and look forward to ongoing collaboration.
We are honoured to welcome two new lay members of Council during the course of the 2019/2020 academic year: Sir David Higgins (Chairman of Gatwick Airport Limited, former Non-Executive Chairman High Speed Two (HS2), former Chief Executive of Network Rail and former Chief Executive of London Olympic Delivery Authority) and Donald Kaberuka (Chair of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and former President of the African Development Bank, former Minister of Finance of Rwanda, and former governor for Rwanda for the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank).
We are also delighted to announce that Johannes Huth (Head of KKR Europe, an alumnus (Bsc. (Econ) 1984) and a former member of the LSE Court of Governors and various committees of Court) will be joining Audit Committee on 1 August 2019 and then Council on 1 August 2020.
Dr Sania Nishtar (Co-chair at the WHO High-Level Independent Commission on Non-communicable diseases, Chair of the United Nations University Institute of Global Health, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Federal Minister, Government of Pakistan, and Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Program in Pakistan) has also been appointed to Council from 1 August 2020. However, she has just been appointed to a Cabinet-level position in Pakistan and will defer her appointment to a future date.
Council’s membership now better reflects the global dimension of the work of the School and the diversity of the staff and student body.
I would like to thank the members of the new Governance Committee of Council, along with School Secretary Louise Nadal and Interim Head of Governance Jim Benson, for their exceptional effort and commitment this term in recruiting new members and implementing a number of governance reforms. The Governance Committee also reviewed closely the composition of the committees of Council, and Council also thanks the Chairs and members of these committees of Council:
- John Hughes (Chair of Audit Committee)
- Nigel Hugill and Roger Mountford and (Co-Chairs of Finance and Estates Committee)
- Alastair da Costa (Interim Chair of Remuneration Committee)
- Dr Katherine Rake (Interim Chair of the School Ethics Committee).
The membership of the Committees of Council for 2019/20 will be published on the website shortly.
Student experience
At every Council, we receive an update about the many different work streams to improve all aspects of student education and experience. Council welcomed the report from Dilly Fung, Pro-Director (Education) that outlined achievements in the 2018/19 academic year and the planned programme of strategic change as part of LSE 2030 and its priority to Educate for Global Impact. Improvements in internal undergraduate survey results and successes such as the Change Makers programme are positive, as is the continued recognition from SMC and all staff of the need to continue to improve in this area.
Student experience will be a major focus of our October 2019 Away Day, covering academic matters, mental health and wellbeing, widening access, and other innovative activity to support students.
Congratulations from Council
On behalf of colleagues on Council, our most appreciative congratulations to the winners of the 2019 LSE Students’ Union Teaching Excellence Awards: Junius Olivier, Andrew Summers, Izabela Wnuk, Katarzyna Krajniewska, Sylvia Chant, Anne Ruderman, Damian Tambini, and the Department of Geography and Environment for the Departmental Excellence award. Our congratulations also to all colleagues who were runners up or highly commended for your outstanding contributions to our scholarly community.
Congratulations also to colleagues who were recognized in the Values in Practice Awards earlier in the year for your fantastic work, including those commended, runners up and winners Bryan Pilkington, Claudia Niruban, Adam Judge, Esti Sidley & Rebecca Newman, Ryan Guillot, Vicky Turnbull, the Porters in Estates Division, Dimple Purshottam-Bhimji, Simon Beattie, Ian Spencer. Thank you for all that you do for LSE.
I am delighted to celebrate the July graduations with graduands and their families and friends, as well as LSE academic and professional services staff.
Other contributions…With thanks
I had the pleasure of participating in a conference call with the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association chaired by Patrick Mears OBE. I thank our alumni leaders around the world for their insights and deep commitment to LSE. I also follow closely LSE’s public lecture series and take this opportunity to congratulate all who make this possible, particularly Alan Revel, Head of Events, and colleagues who contribute to and make our exceptional podcast series possible.
As this academic year winds to a close, we look forward to an exciting fall with our new strategy firmly in place. All my thanks to each and every member of the LSE community—students, professional service staff, academic faculty, School leaders, our Director, members of Court, alumni, supporters and my colleagues on Council and Council committees—for so many contributions this past year.
My very best wishes to all for a lovely summer,
Susan