Commitment

The circumstances surrounding the Gillies Report have been a chastening experience and triggered a time for deep self-reflection. They present a unique opportunity to renew and refresh the University’s covenant with its community—staff, students, alumni, the Court, research partners, third party stakeholders, and the City of Dundee.

The structural reforms and actions outlined in this response to the Gillies report are not only designed to address the specific shortcomings identified in the Report but also to embed a stronger, more resilient governance and leadership culture. They are also not an exhaustive list of actions that will, in the fullness of time, be implemented to support an improved control environment and facilitate stronger governance.

We believe that these changes will enable the University to rebuild trust, strengthen its foundations, and emerge as a more transparent, inclusive, and accountable institution, better equipped to serve its mission and community in the years ahead.

This action plan is intended as a roadmap for meaningful, measurable change in direct response to the issues detailed in the Gillies report and the findings of the 2024 Court Effectiveness Review. We are committed to completing all the actions in the timescales provided.

We are committed to learning the lessons from the past by establishing a practice of continuous review and improvement, towards imbedding best practice. 

Implementation of the action plan will require the commitment and collaboration of all members of the university community. Progress on each theme will be formally reviewed quarterly by the UEG and the University Court. Systems will be established to track and monitor progress with the action plan and outcomes shared with our staff and student community and external stakeholders at regular intervals. 

Engagement with the Scottish Funding Council to monitor progress against actions will continue, alongside input into wider sectoral learnings from what happened at the University.

We are committed to becoming the institution we aspire to be - a truly values-led University with a culture that privileges transparency and accountability, and that actively supports evidence-based, collaborative decision-making, integrity, and openness.