No matter how skilled and experienced governors are, it is unlikely they will make their best contribution without some training and development, and the CUC Guide recommends that institutions should have a specific budget for such activities. Independent members are likely to need support in understanding the application of governance to the specific context of higher education, and internal members may need support in developing their understanding of the main resource areas for which the governing body is responsible as well as in taking a more strategic view.
Many institutions run induction and development programmes and use external providers, for example the Leadership Foundation. Where this occurs governors are encouraged to report back useful outcomes of the sessions they attended, and clerks might adopt a standard process to maximise the impact of training on the governing body. In addition to formal training, some governing bodies have a mentoring system whereby more senior members provide help and support to new members.
All new members, including new staff and student members, should receive induction training which should cover at minimum: the governance structure and the role of governing body members; understanding the corporate strategy and plans; the history and culture of the institution; the financial strategy; the estate and infrastructure strategy; audit, risk, and the role of the governing body in performance review; the HR strategy and current HR issues; research and enterprise; understanding academic governance; development and external relations; and student affairs and understanding the educational character.
As additional briefing, many institutions have presentations before each governing body meeting on some aspect of the institution’s business. Visits to departments and informal lunches/ dinners with staff can also be organised to brief the governing body.