University of Hull
Council
23 November 2010
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Part A: Unreserved Business
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Hull Alumni Association – Annual Report to Council 2009-2010
1. Objective
This report is for information and has been provided in accordance with
University Ordinance 22.
2. Summary
This paper is the Annual Report of the Hull Alumni Association 2009-2010.
3. Hull Alumni Association Report 2009-2010
Please see Appendix 1 attached.
4. Recommendation
This report is provided for information.
Mr Liam Cotter
Chair Hull Alumni Association
8 November 2010
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Appendix 1
Hull Alumni Association Annual Report to Council 2009-2010
Background to establishment of Hull Alumni Association
A Working Group established in 2009 to review the University’s Charter, Statutes and
Ordinances questioned the role of Convocation, its continuing relevance and its relationship
with alumni activity.
In response, the University’s Senior Management Team (SMT) with the support of Council,
established a small working group to review the role and future arrangements for
Convocation. The group met four times between January and June 2009.
The following recommendations were accepted by Council at its meeting in July 2009:

That the University’s Charter, Statutes and Ordinances be amended to accommodate
the changes proposed and the establishment of a Hull Alumni Association (HAA);
 That the membership of the HAA include former students of the University i.e.
anyone who had completed 120 credits at the University of Hull;
 That the purpose of the HAA be clearly stated in the University’s Ordinances;
 That the HAA has an Advisory Group;
 That an annual meeting of the HAA be held to which all alumni are invited
 That the HAA be reviewed after two years.
It was reported at a meeting of Council on 24 February 2010 that the Privy Council had
approved the amendments to the University’s Charter, Statutes and Ordinances on 9
December 2009.
Launch of the Hull Alumni Association
The HAA was officially launched by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Calie Pistorius at a special
event held in the House of Lords in April 2010 which was hosted by the University’s
Chancellor, the Rt Hon Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone. The launch was attended by
almost 200 graduates and a number of honorary graduates. The first Chair of the Association
is Liam Cotter, an economics graduate and currently director at RSM Tenon (the seventh
largest accounting practice in the UK).
Purpose of the Hull Alumni Association
The purpose of the Hull Alumni Association will be to:
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provide a means whereby former students of the University may hear about the way
in which the University is developing, about the University’s achievements and
successes and about challenges facing the University;
provide a means whereby former students of the University may contact one another
and the University formally through membership on Council and Court and
informally through the Alumni Office;
support and promote the interests of the University;
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support regional and overseas events and groups for re-union and networking of
former University of Hull students;
develop links with those University departments where there is a highly developed
system to communicate with former students;
work closely with the University’s Alumni and Development Office and the Students’
Union;
raise funds from among its own members, in consultation with the University.
Hull Alumni Association – Annual General Meeting
There will be an annual general meeting of the Hull Alumni Association. The first
meeting took place on 17th November.
Hull Alumni Association – Advisory Group
Revised arrangements require that an Advisory Group be established to support the work of
the Association. Terms of Reference for the Group have been drafted for consideration at the
first meeting of the Group.
Invitations to join the Advisory Group as appointees of the Vice-Chancellor have been sent
from the Vice-Chancellor to seven members of the HAA. To date those having agreed to
support the Group are Jane Bennett-Powell, Dr Judith Donovan and Mr Roger Warren.
The process for nominating and appointing 2 members from the HAA will be considered for
approval at the AGM on 17th November.
Appointments to Court
The Constitution of the HAA entitles the Association to elect to the University’s Court five
representatives from its membership. The process for this will be included in the
Constitution which is to be considered for approval at the AGM on 17th November.
As the process includes a number of stages it is necessary that it starts at least six months
prior to the meeting of Court in order that notification of appointment can be made to the
Secretary of Court by the deadline of December each year.
As there was not time to carry out the full process in 2010-2011 the following interim
arrangements were agreed; five members of the Advisory Group be appointed to serve on
Court (preferably who are not already members of Court in another capacity) until such time
as expressions of interest can be gathered and considered in accordance with Annex B. This
will at least mean that there is representation of the Association at the next meeting of Court
in January 2010 and that there is time to seek expressions of interest from amongst the
membership.
Liam Cotter
Chair Hull Alumni Association
November 2010
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