How does the governance of our university work today? At King’s College, London there are five main parts to the university governance structure, often lacking in transparency. These are:
(1) the KCL Council, the ‘supreme governing body’,
(2) the Academic Board, which is mostly elected by staff,
(3) the system of collective bargaining and consultation with the University and College Union, Unison and Unite,
(4) the KCL Students’ Union,
(5) the internal management of the nine KCL faculties.
(1) KCL Council
The KCL Council is the university’s “supreme governing body“, and the main target of this petition. When King’s College, London was established in 1829, it was given a Royal Charter, while its governance structure was periodically amended by later Acts of Parliament. In the King’s College, London Act 1997, section 15 stated there should be 8 academic staff, 2 non-academic staff, and 3 students as “Elected Members” on the KCL Council. However the Act did not make clear that these rights to elections could not be removed, or that the KCL statutes could not be changed without staff and student consent.
In 2009, elected staff members and two student members were unilaterally abolished. This was possible because unelected members on the KCL Council were a majority. In 2019, however, three staff members, appointed via the Academic Board, were allowed to return to the KCL Council. The elected head of the KCL Student Union also sits on the Council. In 2020, just 4 out of 19 Council members are elected. Other members are often drawn from business or civil society, but are appointed solely by the existing Council. The right of the 3 academic board members is not written into the KCL statutes. This says “Membership of the Council” is determined by the Council’s own “Nominations Committee“. The Council appoints itself: the Council (not staff) selects any other “staff” members, and there remains just one student.
Read our consultation document on reforming the KCL Council (open till 12 April 2021):
(2) Academic Board
The Academic Board is established by the KCL Council, and currently has just under 80 members. In other universities, an Academic Board makes binding decisions over university management on staff and education issues, which members of staff representatives are best placed to manage. By contrast, the KCL Academic Board is said to “be the body responsible under delegated authority from the Council for the regulation of the academic work of the College in teaching and examining and in research” (Charter, para 8). It is also said that the Academic Board “conveys the academic experience, knowledge and views of the staff and students to Council on matters impacting on academic development and education and research quality” (Ordinances, B8.2.1). It is unclear whether the Academic Board has any meaningful decision making powers.
(3) KCL unions
There are three recognised unions at KCL. Trade unions have a right to organise and collectively bargain for fair pay and working conditions with employers under international human rights law, and are protected in the “right to take industrial action” under UK law to improve or protect pay, or jobs, in any trade dispute.
For academic staff, the main union is the University and College Union. This has branch Facebook and Twitter pages, while staff can join as members on UCU’s main site. The UCU KCL branch rules (its constitution) can be downloaded here:
For administration, catering, cleaning, estates, finance, staffing, KCLSU, King’s Sport, libraries, professional services, residences, students, students services and security staff, Unison is the main recognised union. The KCL branch has a Facebook and Twitter page, and staff can join as members on Unison’s main site.
For technical staff, Unite is the recognised union. Staff can join as members on Unite’s website.
Although three unions are recognised, there is no transparent agreement that sets out a consultation procedure with staff. The university has not yet started a statutory information and consultation procedure, that would require KCL management to negotiate with a view to agreement before changes to workplace relations. Under the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004, just 2% of staff are needed to trigger the procedure (KCL says it has 8,500 employees, so this means 170 employees). This would bind management into a transparent process of consultation and agreement.
(4) KCLSU
The KCL Students’ Union has a president and vice presidents who are elected in a ballot by students each year, unlike the KCL Council. The KCLSU has a budget to organise student affairs, and powers to make decisions about student societies, unlike the Academic Board. Every student is automatically enrolled as a member with a vote in the KCLSU, unlike staff members at KCL’s trade unions, but may opt out of membership if they choose.
(5) Nine faculties
Almost all academic staff and students belong to one of the nine faculties of King’s College, London. These are Arts & Humanities, Dentistry, Law, Business, Life Sciences & Medicine, Natural & Mathematical Sciences, Nursing & Midwifery, Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, and Social Science & Public Policy.
The nine faculties have “Executive Deans” which manage the faculties day to day. In other universities, heads of department are often chosen by members of staff in consultation with students. This had historically been an unwritten custom in many departments at KCL, but it no longer is. At KCL, Executive Deans are not elected by staff or students, but have come to be appointed by the KCL Council. Executive Deans do not have any clear powers or duties under the KCL Charter, Statutes or Ordinances, but rather follow the terms of their appointment by the KCL Council.
