Office of the Group Secretary

The establishment of the Group Secretary Office was responsive to a concern expressed by the Auditor General that the University did not have an adequate line of sight so far as its controlled, associated and affiliated entities were concerned. In particular, the University needed to address:

1. the establishment of a register of those entities;
2. the development of a policy and procedures to better manage the formation, management and, where appropriate, the disestablishment of Centres; and
3. the development of a policy and procedures about the formation, management and, where appropriate, the disestablishment of Foundations.

Additionally, in the case of Foundations, it was necessary to review their operations to ensure that their focus was fundraising and, where that was not the case, work with the relevant faculty officers either to secure their compliance with the Foundations Policy or to arrange for their disestablishment. 

The Group Secretary also acted as company secretary to the University’s controlled entities and ensured that officers of the University who were appointed as directors of those entities, as well as entities which are associated or affiliated with the University, received comprehensive guidance in respect of their duties and responsibilities.

In 2010 the Group Secretary assumed responsibility for both overseeing the work of Archives & Records Management Services and acting as the decision-maker on GIPA applications and privacy complaints.

The only incumbent of the position retired in 2021 and the responsibilities were distributed to other officers.