About
What we do
- Who we are
- Who do I contact about…?
What we do
The Council Secretariat is responsible for matters relating to governance, assurance and compliance. These responsibilities are broad and, in general, relate to issues that are University-wide.
The section’s governance work relates to the servicing of Council and many of its committees, including the General Purposes Committee, the Audit and Scrutiny Committee and the Finance Committee. Such work goes beyond clerking these committees; where appropriate, the section will also handle much of the work generated by the committees. The section maintains the University’s statutes and regulations and is responsible for a wide range of other areas of work, including elections by Congregation and Convocation, and the maintenance of the Congregation and Convocation databases.
The section’s compliance work includes handling all matters relating to the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts, including dealing with requests made under the Acts and providing guidance and training to the University.
The section’s assurance work includes responsibility for the University’s risk management processes, including the maintenance of the University’s Strategic Risk Register.
Who we are
Michael Sibly, Acting Head of the Council Secretariat.
Michael is Acting Director of Planning and Resource Allocation and Head of the Council Secretariat.
(01865 2) 80303 | or by email
Nigel Berry, Senior Assistant Registrar (Governance)
Nigel is responsible for the administration of Council and its meetings and for the management of the Governance team in the Council Secretariat.
(01865 2) 80107 | or by email
Sarah Cowburn, Assistant Registrar (Governance)
Sarah is responsible for servicing a number of committees, including the General Purposes Committee of Council (GPC), the Security Sub-committee of GPC, the Joint Committee for Recognised Independent Centres (JCRIC), and for a range of associated work such as formulating draft policy, and advising on University processes and governance-related matters. Her other responsibilities include administering the process by which professorships are allocated to colleges and societies, maintaining the University’s register of delegations and administering the grants process to provide substitute teaching provision during the proctorial/assessorial year.
(01865 2) 70193 | or by email
Shirley Mulvihill, Elections Officer
As Elections Officer, Shirley conducts all elections by Congregation to places on Council and other University committees and boards. She is the Chief Returning Officer, responsible for the integrity of the ballot count, including the issue and security of ballot papers, and for determining which candidates are elected, to which position and for which period of office. As Co-ordinator of the Elections Office website, she is responsible for its content, structure and format. The Elections Officer also co-ordinates elections by Convocation (i.e. of the Chancellor and Professor of Poetry); manages the administration of appointments by Council to University and external bodies; and is responsible for the setting and annual publication of the University’s official dates of term.
(01865 2) 80463 | or by email
Robert Weavers, Administrative Assistant
Robert provides general administrative support to the Council Secretariat and Planning and Resource Allocation Section (PRAS), in particular in relation to HR, financial processes and committee support. Robert is also responsible for the administration of the Congregation and Convocation databases/registers.
(01865 2) 70139 | or by email
Ellen Hudspith, Senior Administrative Officer (Governance and Finance)
Ellen is responsible for servicing several of Council’s committees: the Finance Committee, the Committee on Statutes before the Privy Council, the College Accounts Committee, the College Contributions Committee, and the Honorary Degrees Committee. She also acts as Secretary to the Appeal Court, the Visitatorial Board and the Grievance Committee.
(01865 2) 80092 | or by email
Tora Pickup, Administrative Officer (Governance)
Tora is responsible for servicing a number of committees including the Central University Research Ethics Committee and the Socially Responsible Investment Review Committee, and the Committee for the Nomination of Select Preachers. She also assists the Senior Administrative Officer (Governance and Finance) in administering the Committee on Statutes before the Privy Council, the Visitatorial Board, the Appeals Court and the Grievance Committee, and undertakes governance related project work.
(01865 2) 70373 | or by email
Martina Harley, Administrative Support Officer
(01865 2) 70008 | or by email
Felicity Burchett, Assistant Registrar (Governance and Compliance)
Felicity works on both Governance and Compliance matters. She is responsible for maintaining the University’s legislation (other than Examination Regulations), including drafting and giving advice where required; provides advice to members on the conduct of business in Congregation (other than elections); acts as Secretary to the Committee to Review Donations; and supports the work of Council. She is the University's Data Protection Officer and heads the Information Compliance Team.
(01865 2) 80199 | or by email
Thomas Hall, Administrative Officer (Governance and Compliance)
Tom is responsible for servicing a number of committees including the Committee for Development and Alumni Relations, the Nominations Committee, and the Curators of the University Parks. He also assists the Assistant Registrar (Governance and Compliance) with University legislation and meetings of Congregation and undertakes compliance related project work.
(01865 2) 70012 | or by email
Max Todd, Senior Information Compliance Officer
Max is responsible for managing the University’s compliance with the Data Protection Act, the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations. Together with the Information Compliance Officers, he responds to requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act or Environmental Information Regulations; advises departments on the application of the Data Protection Act; responds to subject access requests under the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation; and provides training to members of the University on freedom and information and data protection.
(01865 2) 80299 | or by email at foi@admin.ox.ac.uk or data.protection@admin@ox.ac.uk
Information Compliance Officer
The Information Compliance Officer performs similar duties to those of Max Todd above.
(01865 2) 80523 | or by email at foi@admin.ox.ac.uk or data.protection@admin@ox.ac.uk
Nina Fionda, Information Compliance Officer
The Information Compliance Officer performs similar duties to those of Max Todd above.
(01865 2) 80660 | or by email at foi@admin.ox.ac.uk or data.protection@admin@ox.ac.uk
Sally Vine, Head of Assurance
Sally is responsible for the University's arrangements for assurance, both financial and non-financial, and for ensuring that the University has adequate and effective risk management processes. She manages the relationship with the internal auditors, PWC; and is secretary to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee.
(01865 2) 80179 | or by email
Sophie Hockley, Administrative Officer (Assurance and Risk Management)
Sophie works with the Head of Assurance and the internal auditors on the delivery of the assurance service, and supports the work of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee. She coordinates a number of risk management and compliance activities, and is secretary to the Conflict of Interest Committee.
(01865 2) 70298 | or by email
The members of the Council Secretariat are based at:
University Offices
Wellington Square
Oxford
OX1 2JD
Who do I contact about…?
|
Advice on governance-related processes and other matters; |
Nigel Berry (01865 2)80107 or |
|
Appeal Court |
Ellen Hudspith (01865 2)80092 |
|
Appointments by Council to its committees and other bodies |
Shirley Mulvihill (01865 2)80463 |
|
Appointments by the Vice-Chancellor to University committees and other bodies |
Shirley Mulvihill (01865 2)80463 |
|
Audit and Scrutiny Committee |
Sally Vine (01865 2)80179 or |
|
Benefices Delegacy |
Tora Pickup (01865 2)70373 |
|
Bribery and Fraud Policy |
Sally Vine (01865 2)80179 or |
|
Central University Research Ethics Committee (CUREC) |
Tora Pickup (01865 2)70373 or |
|
College Accounts Committee |
Ellen Hudspith (01865 2)80092 |
|
College Contributions Committee |
Ellen Hudspith (01865 2)80092 |
|
Committee for Development and Alumni Relations |
Thomas Hall (01865 2)70012 |
|
Committee for the nomination of Select Preachers |
Tora Pickup (01865 2)70373 |
|
Committee on Statutes before the Privy Council |
Ellen Hudspith (01865 2)80092 |
|
Committee to Review Donations |
Felicity Burchett (01865 2)80199 |
|
Conflict of Interest Committee and policy |
Sophie Hockley (01865 2)70298 |
|
Congregation (except elections) and database
|
Felicity Burchett (01865 2)80199,
|
|
Council |
Nigel Berry (01865 2)80107 or |
|
Curators of the University Parks |
Thomas Hall (01865 2)70012 |
|
Data Protection (including the General Data Protection Regulation) |
Max Todd (01865 2)80299 or |
|
Dates of Term |
Shirley Mulvihill (01865 2)80463 |
|
The University’s register of delegations |
Sarah Cowburn (01865 2)70193 |
|
Elections by Congregation and Convocation |
Shirley Mulvihill (01865 2)80463 |
|
Finance Committee |
Ellen Hudspith (01865 2)80092 |
|
Freedom of Information |
Max Todd (01865 2)80299 or |
|
General Purposes Committee of Council (GPC) |
Sarah Cowburn (01865 2)70193 |
|
General queries |
Martina Harley (01865 2)70008 |
|
Gifts and Hospitality policy |
Sally Vine (01865 2)80179 or |
|
Grievance Committee |
Ellen Hudspith (01865 2)80092 |
|
Honorary Degrees Committee |
Ellen Hudspith (01865 2)80092 |
|
Joint Committee for Recognised Independent Centres (JCRIC) |
Sarah Cowburn (01865 2)70193 |
|
University legislation (other than Examination Regulations); |
Felicity Burchett (01865 2)80199 |
|
Management of the Governance team |
Nigel Berry (01865 2)80107 |
|
Nominations Committee |
Thomas Hall (01865 2)70012 |
|
PREVENT duty |
Sarah Cowburn (01865 2)70193 |
|
Allocation of professorships to colleges and societies |
Sarah Cowburn (01865 2)70193 |
|
Risk Management |
Sally Vine (01865 2)80179 or |
|
Security Sub-committee of GPC |
Sarah Cowburn (01865 2)70193 |
|
Socially Responsible Investment Review Committee (SRIRC) |
Tora Pickup (01865 2)70373 |
|
Teaching Fund |
Sally Vine (01865 2)80179 |
|
The grants process to provide substitute teaching provision during the proctorial/assessorial year |
Sarah Cowburn (01865 2)70193 |
|
Sealing of documents |
Felicity Burchett (01865 2)80199 |
|
University’s Data Protection Officer |
Felicity Burchett (01865 2)80199 |
|
Visitatorial Board |
Ellen Hudspith (01865 2)80092 |
|
Website queries |
Martina Harley (01865 2)70008 |