The University Court is the governing body of the University. Its powers are set out in the University's constitutional document, which is 'The University of Abertay Dundee (Scotland) Order of Council 1994'.
Court comprises a maximum of 25 members including independent members, ex-officio members and staff and student members. Independent members remain an absolute majority. Court meets at least five times each year.
The primary responsibilities of the Court as the governing body of the University are set out in the Statement of Primary Responsibilities.
The members of Court for the year to 31 July 2019 are:
Chair of Court/Independent Member (Retired Solicitor)
Murray Shaw is a retired solicitor and is a graduate of the University of Dundee. Qualified in 1982, Murray was a solicitor for over 30 years. He joined Biggart Baillie in 1982, becoming Senior Partner and Chairman in 2009, a position he held until the firm merged with DWF. He left DWF and joined Gillespie MacAndrew in 2014 and, having become Chairman there, he retired in 2017.
While his original workload included a broad range of disputes including commercial disputes, his experience in recent years has concentrated on planning and construction matters including judicial review and statutory challenges.
Murray was a member of the ICAS Discipline Board and Chairman of the ICAS Appeal Committee.
He is married with two sons and lives in Glasgow. His interests include golf, theatre-going and American history.
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Significant involvement with any organisation with which the University might do business
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Vice-Principal (Academic)/ex officio member
Professor Liz Bacon joined Abertay University as Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) in 2018.
A former President of BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT, Professor Bacon is also current President of EQANIE (European Quality Assurance Network for Informatics Education) and a past Chair of the BCS Academy of Computing and the CPHC (Council of Professors and Heads of Computing) national committee.
She is also a Trustee of Bletchley Park Trust.
A Professor of Computer Science at Abertay, Professor Bacon’s research interests include computing policy, smart systems, security and technology enhanced learning.
She is passionate about the development of her discipline and is keen to inspire more people to choose computing as a career, with a particular commitment to supporting women in entering, and progressing in, the profession.
Director – Customer Services, Business & Public Sector / Independent Member
As Director for BT Business customer service, Andrew is responsible for managing the customer experience including new contracts implementation and faults and repairs for BT’s Corporate & Small/Medium Enterprise (SME) business customers together with Billing in the UK.
Andrew joined BT in 2011 having previously held a number of senior management and leadership positions at Sky Plc and Royal Bank of Scotland Plc.
Andrew has vast experience of customer service & large scale people operations together with programme & delivery management roles in the UK and Internationally.
He holds an MBA from Edinburgh Napier University Business School & resides in Perthshire.
PAID EMPLOYMENT
BT Group PLC
DIRECTORSHIPS ETC.
BT Scotland Board.
SIGNIFICANT INVOLVEMENT WITH ANY ORGANISATION WITH WHICH THE UNIVERSITY MIGHT DO BUSINESS
BT Group PLC
POSITION(S) OF AUTHORITY WITH ANY ORGANISATION(S) WHOSE POLICIES AND DECISIONS MIGHT BE SUPPOSED TO IMPACT ON THE UNIVERSITY
N/a
SIGNIFICANT PECUNIARY INTERESTS
N/a
Business Consultant/Independent Member
John was born in Angus and studied Law at Dundee University and Economics at St Andrews University.
He has 20 years’ experience in international corporate banking and project finance in the City of London, covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Upon returning to Scotland, he has worked in charity management and for a leading ethical bank providing advice and affordable loans to organisations in the charity, social enterprise and community sectors.
He has served on various boards and committees in the voluntary sector including social housing and recycling. For 8 years he was a member of the University of Dundee Audit Committee. He has served on several public policy commissions and is a founder member of the independent Commission on School Reform.
Married with two children, he lives in St Andrews where he enjoys driving the safety for the sailing club.
PAID EMPLOYMENT
Director of Vanellus Consulting Ltd
DIRECTORSHIPS ETC.
Trustee of Fife Law Centre - unremunerated
SIGNIFICANT INVOLVEMENT WITH ANY ORGANISATION WITH WHICH THE UNIVERSITY MIGHT DO BUSINESS
Nil
POSITION(S) OF AUTHORITY WITH ANY ORGANISATION(S) WHOSE POLICIES AND DECISIONS MIGHT BE SUPPOSED TO IMPACT ON THE UNIVERSITY
Nil
SIGNIFICANT PECUNIARY INTERESTS
Nil
Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor/Ex officio Member
As Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (University Services), Mark is responsible for strategic planning and resource allocation, and for the University's support services. He line manages the heads of department for estates and campus services, business development, information services, finance, business development, communications, human resources, strategic planning, student recruitment, student services, and research, enterprise and innovation services.
Mark joined the University in 2013 after five years as chief executive of the Scottish Funding Council, the national body responsible for funding teaching and learning provision, research and other activities in Scotland's colleges, universities and other tertiary education institutions. In this role, he was accountable to the Scottish Parliament for the combined annual budgets of £1.6 billion allocated to the Funding Council, and responsible for ensuring the delivery of the Scottish Governments policy objectives for further and higher education.
Between 2003 and 2008, Mark was Director of Lifelong Learning for the Scottish Government, with overall responsibility for delivery of government policies on higher education, further education and skills.
Mark has held a number of previous posts including Director of Social Justice for the Scottish Executive from 2000, and Assistance Director of Finance in the Scottish Office and subsequently for the Scottish Executive from 1999.
Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (University Services), Abertay University
Member of Board and Council of the Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS) non-remunerated
Non-executive Director, GGiS (The Goodison Group in Scotland), non-remunerated
Trustee, Robertson Trust, non-remunerated
Board Member, Scottish Association of Marine Sciences (SAMS), non-remunerated
As above
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Former Chief Executive of Angus College/Independent Member
John Burt was Principal of Angus College for over 16 years.
Whilst at Angus College, John Burt held a variety of posts including Director of the Association of Scottish Colleges, Chair of Principals' Forum in Scotland and Director of Scottish Further Education Unit. He also served as a member on forums including Fife and Tayside Wider Access forum and Tayside Economic Forum.
A graduate of Edinburgh University and Moray House College, Mr. Burt has wide experience as a lecturer, educational manager and sectoral leader in Scotland. In 2006 Mr. Burt was awarded was awarded an OBE for services to Further Education in Scotland.
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Trustee, Scottish Colleges Foundation
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Senior Lecturer/Member elected by Senate
Yusuf Deeni is Senate's elected member of Court. He has been a Senior Lecturer and also Director Research Degrees at the School of Science, Engineering and Technology since 2014
Dr Deeni received his BSc Biology from Savannah State University, Georgia, USA (1981), MSc Biology (Microbiology) from Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria (1989), and PhD in Molecular Biology (Molecular Pharmacology & Toxicology) from University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland (1998). He has been a Lecturer at Bayero University in Kano, Nigeria (1989 – 2005), which before then he has been teaching Biology at secondary level (1983 – 1989) and has risen to become Senior Master and later an Inspector of Education (Biology & Integrated Science with Kano State Ministry of Education in Kano, Nigeria. Post the tenure with Bayero University, Dr Deeni was a Post-doctoral Research Associate and later Group Leader at the Biomedical Research Centre, University of Dundee (1998 – 2007). Dr Deeni moved to Abertay University in 2007 as a Lecturer in Biotechnology and Biological Sciences.
Over the years, Dr Deeni led and managed several postgraduate programmes and have served and continued to serve in many key committees like the AU Senate, AU Research Degrees Sub-Committee (RDC), AU Embedding Equality and Diversity in the Curriculum Working Group, Race Equality Charter Mark Self-Assessment Team, AU SEAT, AU Joint Liaison Committee, AU Health and Safety Sub-Committee, AU Prevent Duty Group, etc.
Dr Deeni is a Molecular Pharmacologist/Toxicologist who applies molecular biochemical techniques (quantitative, integrative and systems biology) to assess the impact of xenobiotics (drugs) and environmental toxicants (physical, chemical, or biological) on cellular or organismal responses (intrinsic and adaptive) in defense, disease and survival. His research interests include: drug discovery, drug metabolism, protein & enzyme engineering, molecular carcinogenesis, molecular environmental toxicology, gene regulation & expression, and applied biotechnology.
He is a reviewer to several journals and research funding agencies, an editorial board member, a member of many professional organisations and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology.
Senior Lecturer, Abertay University
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Program Manager at NCR Corporation/Independent Member
Gameelah Ghafoor heads NCR's Financial Software Security Portfolio. Gameelah has over twenty years experience within the software industry leading various technology driven solutions. In this capacity, she has worked with a range of industry, academic and public sector partners throughout her career. Gameelah is passionate about continuous learning.
Since graduating from Abertay University in 1994, Gameelah has owned her own retail business and has had numerous patents filed with the US Patent Office.
Gameelah is married with one daughter. She enjoys running having completed various 10K, half-marathons and a full marathon. Gameelah has also competed in the Royal National Mod with the Dundee Gaelic Choir.
Programme Manager, NCR FSG Ltd
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Director of Workforce, NHS Grampian and NHS Orkney / Independent Member
Annie Ingram is the Director of Workforce for NHS Grampian and NHS Orkney. NHS Grampian is the third largest territorial Board in NHS Scotland and is also a teaching Board. NHS Orkney is the smallest territorial Board in Scotland. In addition, Annie has recently been appointed as an Assistant Chief Executive, in NHS Tayside. As the North Regional Lead for Workforce, she is working collaboratively with colleagues to implement a single workforce service for the North.
Annie has worked in the NHS most of her working life, staring in Greater London at Mount Vernon Hospital, before returning to Scotland. Annie has worked for NHS Lothian, NHS Tayside and now with Grampian. A fellow of CIPD, Annie has returned to a professional HR role in 2012 when she was appointed as the Director in Grampian. Immediately prior to this appointment, she had spent 13 years, initially managing clinical services including theatres, ICU, pharmacy and renal services; before establishing the model for Regional Planning in Scotland. During her time as the Director of Regional Planning & Workforce Development for the North of Scotland, working with six NHS Boards, Annie was also the National Programme Director for Remote and Rural Healthcare, developing and supporting the implementation of Scottish Government Policy to sustain remote and rural services.
Annie has an interest in European employment law and its impact on the NHS, with a research LLM which looked at the impact of the Acquired Rights Directive and TUPE on commercial tendering in the NHS and a PhD in the impact of Working Time on the NHS. Outwith work, Annie has interests in karate, gardening and her family.
PAID EMPLOYMENT
Director of Workforce, NHS Grampian
DIRECTORSHIPS ETC.
As above.
SIGNIFICANT INVOLVEMENT WITH ANY ORGANISATION WITH WHICH THE UNIVERSITY MIGHT DO BUSINESS
The NHS has significant links with the University, but this is more likely to be with the local NHS Board, than NHS Grampian.
POSITION(S) OF AUTHORITY WITH ANY ORGANISATION(S) WHOSE POLICIES AND DECISIONS MIGHT BE SUPPOSED TO IMPACT ON THE UNIVERSITY
Nil
SIGNIFICANT PECUNIARY INTERESTS
Nil
Vice Principal, Perth College UHI/Independent Member
Veronica has 30 years’ experience in leadership roles gained across local, regional and national government organisations in the areas of business development, marketing and international development. She is currently Vice Principal at Perth College UHI. Veronica was formerly a member of the Board of Governors at West Lothian College and currently sits on the board of Caledonia Housing Association. Veronica chairs the Business Development Directors Network of Scotland’s Colleges.
Veronica is a graduate of Abertay University and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She is a qualified practising clinical solution focussed hypnotherapist and psychotherapist.
Paid employment
Perth College UHI, Vice Principal, External Engagement
Directorships etc.
Perth College UHI
Caledonia Group
Vital Life Solutions Hypnotherapy Ltd
Significant involvement with any organisation with which the university might do business
Perth College UHI
Head of Operations, Skills Development Scotland/Independent Member
Gordon has over 20 years’ progressive experience in managing complex public sector organisations. As Head of Operations for Tayside, Fife and Forth Valley, he is responsible for all Skills Development Activity in North East Scotland.
Born in Dundee, Gordon read history at St Andrews University before going on to further study at Napier, Dundee College and Abertay.
He is a Justice of the Peace for the Sherrifdom of Dundee, Central and Fife, sitting mainly in the Dundee Court and a trustee of the Dundee Heritage Environment Trust.
Head of Operations (North East Region), Skills Development, Scotland
Director/Trustee of Dundee Historic Environment Trust, Director of WorkNet International Ltd, Justice of the Peace - Sheriffdom of Tayside, Central and Fife
Skills Development Scotland
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Former Director of Finance, NHS Tayside/Independent Member
Ian McDonald has had nearly 40 years’ experience within the National Health Service and was the Director of Finance for NHS Tayside between 2009 and June 2015.
Ian began his career in the NHS in 1975, gained an SHNC in Accounting from Perth College of Further Education in 1980 and is a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Professional Financial Accountants.
For the last five and a half years, Ian was a co-opted external member of the Audit Committee prior to joining the lay membership of Court of 1 January 2015.
Married with 2 children (both Abertay graduates) and living in Dundee, Ian is a self-confessed keep fit fanatic as well as an avid follower of St Johnstone Football Club now that his playing days are over.
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Higher Education Consultant/Independent Member
Jenny Rees is an experienced senior manager and director in higher and further education, currently a Board member of the UK Quality Assurance Agency for higher education (QAA) and also on the Board of Edinburgh’s Telford College and the Scottish Qualifications Authority’s Advisory Council. She has held a number of ministerial appointments and voluntary positions including serving on the Scottish Funding Council. She retired from Edinburgh Napier University in 2011 where she was Vice Principal (Academic Quality and Customer Service).
She started her career as a statistician in the brewing industry before moving into education as a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. From responsibility for its part-time MBA programme, she developed her managerial career through posts at the Scottish College of Textiles, now part of Heriot-Watt University; Bell College, now part of the University of the West of Scotland; and Glasgow Caledonian University. Her responsibilities spanned academic quality; teaching & learning strategy; the quality of the student experience; corporate planning; marketing & communications; UK and international recruitment; and wider access.
She is now developing a portfolio of interim management and consultancy assignments to complement her board positions.
Consultant & Interim Manager, Dr Jenny Rees, Ltd
Director of Dr Jenny Rees Ltd
Significant involvement with any organisation with which the University might do business
None
Member of the Advisory Council of the Scottish Qualifications Authority
Public Interest member, Discipline Panel, Institute of Chartrered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
Head of Communities & Cultural Engagement, Perth & Kinross Council / Independent Member
Bio – to be added
PAID EMPLOYMENT
Chief Officer, Perth and Kinross Council
DIRECTORSHIPS ETC.
Board member, National Library of Scotland February 2014-present
Chair, Governance Committee, National Library of Scotland February 2014-present
Vice Chair, National Library of Scotland June 2014-present
This is a public appointment by Scottish Ministers. Appointment term ends 31 January 2019.
SIGNIFICANT INVOLVEMENT WITH ANY ORGANISATION WITH WHICH THE UNIVERSITY MIGHT DO BUSINESS
None.
POSITION(S) OF AUTHORITY WITH ANY ORGANISATION(S) WHOSE POLICIES AND DECISIONS MIGHT BE SUPPOSED TO IMPACT ON THE UNIVERSITY
None.
SIGNIFICANT PECUNIARY INTERESTS
None.
Former Vice-Principal, Adam Smith College/Independent Member
Shirley has more than 30 years’ experience in Scotland’s college sector, having joined Glenrothes College in 1980 as a temporary part-time lecturer. Over her subsequent career, she held the posts of senior lecturer, Head of Faculty, Director of Curriculum, Associate Principal, Assistant Principal and finally, Vice-Principal of Adam Smith College. She also represented the College on a number of national strategy groups covering all aspects of tertiary education.
She played a key role in the merger of Glenrothes and Fife Colleges to form Adam Smith College in August 2005, and was closely involved in research which revealed Fife’s “degree deficit” – a smaller proportion of the population educated to degree level than most other parts of Scotland. After the merger, Shirley began to work closely with Abertay University, building on its long-established relationship with Fife College.
Shirley was instrumental in the setting up of the Abertay University Centre at Adam Smith College in 2008. This partnership has greatly improved access to high quality degree-level education for enthusiastic and able people in Fife, at a time and place that fits around their personal commitments and lifestyles. More than 1500 Fife people have now achieved degrees they might not otherwise have been able to study. In effect, their lives have been changed as a result of the work the Adam Smith/Abertay Partnership.
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Principal and Vice-Chancellor/Ex officio Member
Nigel Seaton joined Abertay University as Principal and Vice-Chancellor in 2012.
Professor Seaton began his academic career at the University of Edinburgh, where he gained a BSc (Honours) in Chemical Engineering in 1982. He went on to do an MSE and a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. After completing his PhD in 1986, he worked as a research engineer with Atkins Research and Development and with BP.
From 1989 to 1997, he was Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Clare College. He was a visiting professor at Cornell University in 1996-97. In 1997, he returned to the University of Edinburgh as Professor of Interfacial Engineering. Between 1998 and 2007, he was successively Head of the School of Chemical Engineering, Head of the Division of Engineering, Head of the Institute for Materials and Processes, and Dean of Undergraduate Studies in the College of Science and Engineering. He then became Assistant Principal (Taught Programme Development) and later Vice-Principal (Academic). In 2008 he moved to the University of Surrey, firstly as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development) and then as Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
Professor Seaton is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
Principal, Abertay University
Director, Equality Challenge Unit
Unit Director, JISC
Director, GuildHE
Trustee, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
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Head of Division of Mental Health Nursing and Counselling/Member elected by academic staff
Born in the UK, Kate has lived in Spain, Germany, Israel, and the US. After gaining an MA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University, she came to Scotland to carry out a research PhD at St Andrews University. She stayed here to raise her two sons and undertook training to become a Counsellor. She joined Abertay in 2012 as a teaching fellow and currently leads the Division of Mental Health Nursing and Counselling. Her research interests include the process and mechanisms of change in therapy and the development of Pluralistic Counselling.
Outside of her family and work interests, Kate enjoys gardening, watching rugby and walking her dog.
PAID EMPLOYMENT
Abertay University
DIRECTORSHIPS ETC. None
SIGNIFICANT INVOLVEMENT WITH ANY ORGANISATION WITH WHICH THE UNIVERSITY MIGHT DO BUSINESS
None
POSITION(S) OF AUTHORITY WITH ANY ORGANISATION(S) WHOSE POLICIES AND DECISIONS MIGHT BE SUPPOSED TO IMPACT ON THE UNIVERSITY
None
SIGNIFICANT PECUNIARY INTERESTS
None
President of the Abertay Students’ Association/ex officio Member
Tam Wilson is the President of Abertay Student Association, elected in March 2017.
Tam Wilson was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife and attended Balwearie High School. Leaving school at the age of 15, Tam had a number of jobs in Fife ranging from shop assistant to welder's labourer. Tam began his BA in Media, Culture & Society at Abertay aged 21.
During his time at university, Tam worked in after school care and held the role of Dundee UNISON youth officer and Dundee SSP branch chair. Tam stood in the West End ward of Dundee in the May 2017 council elections and graduated from his honours degree in the July.
As well as local party politics, Tam is involved in a number of grassroots organisations and campaigns.
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On appointment, new members of Court are sent the following Template Letters of Appointment from the Chair and the Secretary.
The Abertay Students’ Association Vice-President is invited to attend all meetings of Court.
In accordance with the Scottish Code of Good HE Governance, the Secretary to Court and the Finance Director - as senior officers closely associated with the work of the governing body – have submitted details of any interests to the University register of interests - see below.
Director of Finance and Research Funding
David joined Abertay in July 2015, and is responsible for providing strategic financial insight, supporting transformational change and delivering financial leadership and direction across the University. David has extensive financial and management experience in international food manufacturing and higher education.
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University Secretary
Abertay University
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Non-Executive Director, APUC
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Vacancies in the independent membership of Court arise from time to time and are advertised widely, including on the University website and through alumni. If you are interested in becoming an independent member of Court, please email the Secretary to Court at s.stewart@abertay.ac.uk to express your interest and further information will be provided to you.