As a member of the Governing Body, individual governors must work effectively within the framework of responsibilities set out in the previous section. Governors are required to:

• Act in the best interests of the Governing Body.
• Support decisions of the Governing Body and its committees once they have been reached on the basis of collective responsibility even though you may have spoken against a proposal during the debate at a meeting.
• Give due priority to attending meetings of the governing body and the appropriate committees of the governing body. Each governor is usually a member of one committee in addition to the main Board.
• Attend College events (such as student prize-giving) so as to gain an understanding and appreciation of the work of the college, and to meet students and staff.
• Enable effective oversight of College affairs to be carried out and, to assist with this task, to participate in ‘link’ arrangements with Curriculum Areas. In particular, governors are expected to familiarise themselves with the College’s curriculum and quality assurance systems.
• Participate in training which enhances your contribution to the Governing Body.
• Understand that individual members of the Board have no specific powers. This means, for example, that statements may only be made on behalf of the Governing Body by those authorised to do so.

In our selection of a new governor we would look for the following attributes:

• Committed to lifelong learning and the role of Swindon College in providing the best possible learning and teaching within Swindon’s urban community and its wider hinterland.
• Willing and able to promote the equal opportunities policy adopted by the Governing Body to ensure that barriers do not exist to the entry of any potential learner, employee or Governor to the College.
• Willing to share skills and expertise gained in other work settings eg education and skills development, finance, estates management, human resource management, information technology, legal etc.
• Willing to meet students and staff and to give advice and support to College managers as appropriate
• Able to attend meetings of the Governing Body and at least one committee given that these usually are scheduled from 1600-1800 hrs.
• Willing to attend Governor training events as advised by the Clerk to the Governing Body and to attend College events, to gain a deeper understanding of the College and further education.
• Effective team membership skills, able to contribute to a collective process of information dissemination and decision making.
• Effective communication skills.
• High standards of probity.

Further specific desirable characteristics are:

• Experience in the field of education or at least be able to demonstrate an active interest in the subject.
• Experience of a senior management role in at least a medium scale organisation and/or have a full appreciation of issues which affect the senior management role in such organisations.
• A professional qualification or demonstrable expertise in a field which is of relevance to the oversight of the affairs of the College; such areas would include finance, accountancy, property management, human resources management, the law, marketing, information technology, higher education, the public sector and the voluntary services.
• Knowledge of Swindon and its environs from which the majority of students are drawn.

ON BEING A GOVERNOR
Here are some of the things that our present governors say about their experiences:

“Being a governor allows me to use my business skills in an entirely different setting to my day job.”

“I never cease to be amazed by the commitment of staff, students, fellow governors and stakeholders towards moving the College forwards.”

“You are ultimately responsible for the performance of the College but without being involved in the nitty-gritty. The governors are responsible for the strategic direction.”

“I became a governor because I wanted to put something back into the community from which I had earned my living.”

“I find myself learning about and discussing subject areas I could not conceive of in my work role.”

“Having studied at the College for many years it is rewarding to put something back in.”

“If you have a particular skills set, then there are specialist committees which you can sit on and which will use your knowledge and experience.”

“I was passionately interested in education without being an educational professional…becoming a governor seemed a good way to use my talents and experience.”

“I find meeting students and the input at meetings of the student governors particularly rewarding.”

“Time spent reading reports is compensated for by time spent with staff and students.”

“Apart from the more formal meetings, there are other meetings or gatherings which are more social in nature…above all I enjoy meeting people.”

“When making decisions, governors should always ask themselves whether the decision will improve the student experience…that is a great discipline.”