UCC is Seeking External Members for its Governing Body


Governing Body 2023 Selections

UCC is Seeking External Members for its Governing Body

On 30th June 2023, UCC launched a call for expressions of interest for external members of its new Governing Body. Six external members will be selected from this call to take office on UCC’s new Governing Body from 8th November 2023. 

 
Important: This form is submitted in one sitting. We recommend that you read through the Competency Framework questionnaire and consider the content you will include for your Candidate Profile before beginning the online form submission. If you wish to change any answers/content after submitting your form, you may resubmit a new form prior to the submission deadline of 1pm on 20th July and your last submission will be treated as the final version.

Role of Governing Body and UCC’s Strategic Plan

Governing Body is tasked with the overall governance of the University and provides active strategic direction and leadership to enable the University to succeed in its mission of education and research. UCC is seeking individuals who can make a substantial contribution to the effective and efficient performance by Governing Body of these functions.

Role of Governing Body

UCC’s vision is to connect and empower people to create knowledge that shapes a sustainable and inclusive world. Our mission is to create and sustain an inclusive environment and culture to enable transformative research and learning for the enrichment of society and stewardship of our planet.

UCC’s Strategic Plan 2023-2028 – Securing our Future  has the following strategic goals:

  1. research and innovation
  2. student success
  3. global engagement
  4. our staff, our culture
  5. our place, our footprint.

Key enablers of the strategy are people, wellbeing and EDI; effective communications; resources; philanthropy and stakeholder engagement; operational excellence; strategic partnerships; digital capabilities and quality data; governance.

Candidate Profile

The University is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified candidates to fill the positions of external member on the next Governing Body of University College Cork. 

Candidates should have a career history at a sufficiently senior level in a complex organisation of scale and equivalent experience of relevance to Governing Body membership in areas such as:

  • Governance
  • Strategy
  • Executive/Management and Organisational Experience
  • Soft Skills and Attributes
  • Research and Innovation
  • Teaching and learning
  • Student Success
  • Staff and Culture
  • Sustainability and Climate action
  • Infrastructure
  • Financial

Governor Profile

To ensure the new Governing Body is competency based, the current Governing Body approved a Competency Framework to be utilised to assess the competencies of those interested in applying for membership of the new Governing Body. This Framework sets out the essential and the desirable skills required from the collective membership of the new Governing Body.

Skills, Experience and Competency Framework (“The Competency Framework”)

Selection Process

Interested parties will have until the closing date of 1 PM on 20th July to apply using the following online link, which contain the three steps below:

  • Complete an expression of interest form.
  • Carry out a self-assesment using the Competency Framework.
  • A candidate profile demonstrating how they meet the competencies they have assessed themselves as having.

A Select Committee appointed by Governing Body will review the prospective candidates and make a recommendation to Governing Body on the six most suitable candidates. Governing Body will consider the recommendation and approve six individuals as external members of Governing Body to take office on 8th November 2023.

A term of office for a selected external member will be for a period determined by Governing Body but will not exceed four years.

Further Information

If you have any queries regarding becoming a member of UCC’s Governing Body, please contact us at Governing Body External Appointments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligible candidates will submit an expression of interest, a competency self-assessment and a candidate profile for review by a Governing Body appointed Select Committee. The Select Committee will review all expressions of interest received and make a recommendation to Governing Body on the candidates for appointment as external members of Governing Body. If approved, Governing Body will make the appointments and specify the term of office for the appointments.

 

Suitably qualified candidates, who have a career history at a senior level in a complex organisation of scale and equivalent experience of relevance to Governing Body membership. Further details can be found under ‘Candidate Profile’ on this page.

The following additional eligibility criteria apply:

  • Candidates must have submitted a valid expression of interest, competency self-assessment and candidate profile in the prescribed format;
  • Candidates must not be a member of the academic council of the University, an employee of the University or a person who is remunerated under a contract with the University (for the purposes of this subsection, a reference to the University shall also include a University subsidiary company);
  • Candidates must not have already served two (2) or more consecutive terms of office on Governing Body;
  • Candidates must not have already served a cumulative period of terms of office on Governing Body exceeding eight (8) years;
  • Candidates must not be subject to any of the circumstances listed (a)-(g) in paragraph 7 of the Third Schedule of Universities Act 1997 (and Section B.2 of the UCC Principal Statute) which would cause an individual to cease membership of Governing Body:

(a) is adjudicated bankrupt,

(b) makes a composition or arrangement with creditors,

(c) is sentenced by a court of competent jurisdiction to a term of imprisonment,

(d) is convicted of any indictable offence in relation to a company or any other body corporate,

(e) is convicted of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty,

(f) has had a declaration under section 819 of the Companies Act 2014 made against him or her or is deemed to be subject to such a declaration by virtue of Chapter 5 of Part 14 of that Act, or

(g) is subject or is deemed to be subject to a disqualification order, within the meaning of Chapter 4 of Part 14 of the Companies Act 2014 , whether by virtue of that Chapter or any other provision of that Act.

Expressions of interest, the competency and skills assessment and the candidate profile can be completed online. The online form for submitting expressions of interest will be made available on 29th June 2023. If you have queries on completing the online submission, please email GBExternalAppointments@ucc.ie

The competency and skills assessment involves a self-assessment using a competency framework and submitting a candidate profile demonstrating how the candidate meets the competencies they have assessed themselves as having. All Governing Body members will complete this self-assessment.

The competency and skills self-assessments will enable the Governing Body Select Committee to assess the collective competency profile of the Governing Body and will inform the selection process for other internal and external members to constitute a body with the requisite skills and competencies.

There are a minimum of 6 scheduled Governing Body meetings per annum, with meetings typically of 4 hours duration (from 9.30 to 1.30 pm followed by lunch). Preparation time for scheduled meetings would usually be of the order of 4-6 hours. Meetings are typically held at UCC (Council Room, North Wing, Main Quad) but occasionally meetings are held at other UCC owned venues.

Further information on the time requirements, travel and subsistence etc. can be found in the Governor Profile.

Candidates will be informed of the outcome of the selection process in September 2023.

Expression of Interest Form Submission & Technical Questions

You will need a laptop or PC to complete the submission of interest. You can complete the expression of interest on a mobile device; however, this may be difficult due to the level of detail involved and so a laptop or PC is recommended.

The expression of interest form will be available from 29th June 2023 until 1 p.m. on 20th July 2023. The expression of interest form will not be accessible outside this window.

If you are unable to access the form between 29th June 2023 and 20th July 2023, please contact GBExternalAppointments@ucc.ie and, if possible, include a screenshot of the error you are receiving.

How to take a screenshot varies based on the type of computer you have. Refer to the links below for instructions should you need them:

Yes. However, if you wish to change any of the answers or content in your submission, you may do so by resubmitting a new form prior to the deadline for submission of expressions of interest at 1 p.m. on 20th July 2023. Where multiple submissions are made by a candidate, the last such submission will be treated as the final version.

If you wish to change any of the answers or content in your submission, you may do so by resubmitting a new form prior to the deadline for submission of expressions of interest at 1 p.m. on 20th July 2023. Where multiple submissions are made by a candidate, the last such submission will be treated as the final version.

You will be presented with the option to save or print your submission upon completing the form. Alternatively, you can request a copy of your submission by emailing GBExternalAppointments@ucc.ie.

Office of Corporate & Legal Affairs - Governance

Oifig na nGnóthaí Corparáideacha agus Dlí - Rialachas

Top