Remuneration Committee

REPORT OF THE REMUNERATION COMMITTEE 2021-22

The Remuneration Committee met on two occasions in 2021-22 – on 30th March 2022 and on 14th June 2022. Both meetings were held on site at the University and all members were present at each meeting. The Vice-Chancellor was not present at the meeting at which her salary was discussed.

The Chair of the Remuneration Committee always stresses to the Committee that their decisions should be based on fair, appropriate and justifiable remuneration that demonstrates procedural fairness and sensitivity to the stewardship of Winchester’s funds to ensure value for money and the protection of the Institution’s reputation. The Committee has access to a range of information to inform its decisions including:

• Winchester’s latest key performance indicators table and associated RAG ratings and trends, set against agreed strategic targets for Winchester as a whole

• The latest position on the HE-wide pay negotiations

• The current median pay ratio of the Vice-Chancellor to all Winchester staff

• Higher Education sector comparative remuneration data for senior staff in similar sized universities including the Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA) senior staff remuneration survey and the CUC Vice-Chancellor salary survey

• Other relevant data regarding external senior staff in public bodies locally (such as Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council)

• Consideration of these sources of comparative information ensures that the Vice-Chancellor’s remuneration is set at a level that is appropriate and justifiable in relation to the size and complexity of the role.

At the June meeting, the Committee agreed that the Vice-Chancellor, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Provost, and the Chief Operating Officer should receive a 3% salary uplift in line with the nationally agreed pay changes. The salary of the COO should also be adjusted to the median of comparators in comparable institutions.

Subsequently, when informed of this decision, the Vice-Chancellor expressed her gratitude but requested to not receive her 3% uplift, in light of the current economic challenges.

The Committee requested that the Vice-Chancellor and the Interim Director of Human Resources review the wording of the Senior Management Pay Scheme to ensure that it captures the considerations the Committee wishes to consider when reviewing senior staff salaries. Any proposed changes to the scheme will be presented to the Committee in advance of the scheme being operated in 2023. The Committee endorsed the need to keep the pay framework under review to ensure that it remains fair, open, and transparent.

These decisions were recorded and approved at the September 2022 meeting of the Board of Governors.