University of Dundee Strategic Advisory Taskforce minutes: April 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Sir Alan Langland, Chair
• Professor Shane O’Neill, University of Dundee
• Dr David McBeth, University of Dundee
• Francesca Osowska, Scottish Funding Council
• Richard Maconachie, Scottish Funding Council
• Cllr Mark Flynn, Dundee City Council
• Sir Paul Grice, Universities Scotland
• Professor Liz Bacon, University of Abertay
• Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, University of St Andrews
• Simon Hewitt, Dundee and Angus College
• Manaswi Budhathoki, Dundee University Student Association
• Alison Henderson, Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce
• Jane Martin, Scottish Enterprise
• Evonne Boyd, Skills Development Scotland
• Shirley Laing, Scottish Government
• Colin Cook, Scottish Government
• Catherine Cavanagh, UNISON
• Katrina Currie, Unite
• Mary Senior, University and College Union
• Lesley English, Developing the Young Workforce
• Professor Karen Reid, NHS Education Scotland
• Tim Allan, V and A Dundee

Items and actions

The Chair, Sir Alan Langlands (AL), welcomed the members to the first meeting of the taskforce and thanked Dundee City Council for hosting the meeting.

AL provided context for the taskforce being part of wider funding challenges for further and higher education across the UK, compounded by increasing costs, falling numbers of international students, changing economic picture across the globe, the impact of EU Exit, and the impact of policies such as changes to student visas and immigration policy.  The positive impact universities have to wider society including the cultural and economic impact was highlighted.

The Terms of Reference for the taskforce were highlighted with particular reference to the operational independence of the Taskforce, and the purpose being to provide advice to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), University of Dundee (UoD), Scottish Government (SG), and Dundee City Council (DCC). It was underlined that the Taskforce will respect the autonomy of the UoD, also recognising its charitable status, and will be protective of the position of the SFC. Whilst support and advice will be provided, it is clear that decisions are for UoD and the University Court to make which will need to take full account of the impact on the region, city, and country as a whole and do all it can to protect the interests of staff and students.

The current position at the University of Dundee (UoD)

Prof Shane O’Neill (SON) commented on the importance of partnership with those who have a stake in the future and the opportunity to renew and take a fresh look at established  partnerships would be a valuable role of the taskforce.

By way of context he highlighted the sector-wide challenges presented by the current funding structure and the impact of policy changes such as student visas, as well as the rise in running costs including energy prices. He noted that UoD has an unusual balance of activity which presents challenges, with the success of the research capacity presenting its own issue in terms of the ability to cross-subsidise, which makes it more difficult to absorb the pressures.

He outlined the vision of the University including a desire to maintain a broad base of activity while restructuring from the current delivery model to a three faculty structure, providing an opportunity to build efficiencies and strengthen the leadership role of faculty heads.

A range of advisors were providing input including from the SFC, leadership mentoring from trusted sector-wide colleagues, and support from Universities Scotland.  SON said he hoped the Taskforce will provide a complementary input to the range of support already in place.

Further action underway

Francesca Osowska (FO) described the range of work to support UoD. 

Reflecting the cross-portfolio interests within the Scottish Government, a cross-government Ministerial group was set up, which had met four times.  

SFC had created a dedicated team to work with the UoD and to provide information to SG Ministers. It is recognised that as well as financial recovery, the vision for the future of the university is as important in creating confidence in future learners, staff, and researchers as well as for lenders.

An independent investigation was underway, led by Pamela Gillies, looking at how the University arrived at its current position, which would look at the roles including that of the Court, to provide a report due mid-June, with a period of engagement with staff and students prior to publication.

In discussion it was raised that engagement with the Unions could have been better and a request was made for information that could be shared with Union members including dates and key messages of the investigation. 

ACTION:  SFC to pass on comments about Union engagement to the independent investigation team.

Wider perspectives

Members were invited to speak to the wider context from their own or their organisation’s perspective. 

All contributors agreed on the valuable contribution made by the UoD to the city, the region, and the tertiary education sector, and expressed a commitment to working together to provide advice and support to allow the university to survive and thrive.

Key themes of the discussion included:

• the role of the university in promoting the city and the region

• impact of the university on businesses

• the university as one of the biggest employers in the area with a diverse workforce

• the importance of public confidence in the university, particularly for students considering offered places

• the impact of universities generally (analysis suggests that for every £1 invested in HE, there is a £14 return)

• the urgency of the situation and the need for action

• the wider context of a sector dealing with 15 years of underfunding in teaching and research, and the vulnerability of an over-reliance on income from international students

• the need to engage with longer-term solutions

• other current and historic work that may be relevant to the Taskforce, including the Taskforce on Transformation and Efficiency led by Sir Nigel Carrington, the Withers Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape, and the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc Taskforce as a model of how a Taskforce can effectively bring about change

• impact of the situation with UoD on other education institutions in the region including college students

• the need for staff to be reassured about the future and for trade unions to be informed and included in the process (it was also noted that Dundee UCU local reps wanted to be directly involved in the Taskforce)

• the role of the university in providing a supply of highly motivated and talented people for businesses in the area

• the scale of the financial challenge, which would be beyond individual local entrepreneurs who want to help

• links to regional skills planning activity

ACTION:  Secretariat to consider read across to other relevant work including the Sir Nigel Carrington Taskforce

Open questions, discussions and ideas

AL asked what it is, beyond capacity and capability, that the university needs to enable it to get through to the next stage and what we can do collectively to support the next few months. SON said that UoD was working towards an announcement within the next two weeks to set out an alternative route to recovery. SON asked that the Taskforce help reinforce positive messages that the university is here to stay, to highlight that the university continues to deliver excellent teaching and research and will continue in the long term; to promote confidence in the taskforce coming together to support the recovery plan.

A fuller discussion took place on the context, impact, urgency and communications.

Key themes of the discussion included:

• There was agreement that promoting public confidence in the UoD was important but concerns that Taskforce members needed to know the proposed approach to financial recovery in order to support it

• It was agreed that the UoD recovery plan is a matter for the University and its Court, and SFC and SG have a limited role because of the financial input. It is not for the Taskforce to sign off the recovery plan, however if the Taskforce is to meaningfully advise on a plan it must be given the opportunity to do so. The role of the campus unions and collective consultation between unions and employer was also noted and respected

• Communications and engagement was discussed including that there is no specialist comms support on the group with local knowledge and this could be useful for supporting the taskforce to communicate with stakeholders and the wider community. There are positive messages that can be shared now, and as the detail of the recovery plans are available it can be built upon.

• The university sector is a driver of economic growth, with the university as a magnet for attracting talent, a centre for meeting the skills needs and a centre of economic activity in terms of being a large organisation as a procurer, and as an employer that generates spending in the local community

• The urgency of the situation was emphasised, with young people making decisions now about accepting offers

• Engagement with trade unions also need to continue and be strengthened

ACTION:  The UoD  will ensure that a clear, succinct statement on the vision of the kind of university aspired to will be provided.

ACTION:  SFC and UoD to consider how the taskforce can support and feed into the considerations of the revised recovery plans.

ACTION: Consideration of the most appropriate communications expertise to be engaged.

AL closed by thanking members and reminding all that there needs to be absolute confidentiality and trust within the group.  It was stressed that this is not an effort to interfere but to reinforce, ask questions, and provide advice in accordance with the Terms of Reference.

A request was made for agreed communications.  

ACTION: Secretariat to draft comms and share with members for approval.

In conclusion, AL noted that although a clear direction of travel towards recovery has been noted, a tangible plan has not as yet been forthcoming; a plan that needs to have the input of staff, students and other stakeholders.

The Chair emphasised:

• one of the goals of the taskforce is to build confidence in the university 

• the hope is that members feel they are part of a collaborative forum

• minutes will be published on a dedicated page 

• terms of Reference have been agreed

• members should take very great care on communication in line with the Terms of Reference

• the aim is to have 4-5 meetings – dates will be sent out asap

The Chair thanked the members.