Brent sends letter to uni staff

Reported in Herald- his first day in charge apparently-

Herald wrote:

The new chairman of the board of governors at Plymouth University, Plymouth Argyle owner James Brent, has set out his vision for the university on his first day in post.

Mr Brent has written an open letter to all staff:

Dear Colleagues

Today, I officially take up the role of Chairman of your Board of Governors, something that I am very honoured and privileged to do.

As I promised you all a couple of weeks ago when the appointment was first announced, I think it’s important and timely that I share with you some of my objectives that I’ll be working towards over the next 12 months. These have been discussed with the University's Executive and approved by the Board.

I want to reiterate that, as Chairman, I’m not here to provide executive leadership for the University but I will be setting objectives for the Chief Executive and conducting appraisals to assure performance. The Board and I will be holding to account the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive on their leadership of this institution, and this will be achieved through a process of constructive challenge and support where needed, and monitoring progress against our strategy. The Board and I will work alongside our Executive colleagues to play our part in developing and enhancing the University’s relationship with stakeholders in Plymouth, the South West, and nationally, and ensuring that our story is told to a wide audience.

In addition to this, I’m going to undertake a number of specific projects, which will I hope ensure that the University moves forward rapidly and with confidence, and improves as a result of the lessons learned from the difficult period we have been through.

With the support of the Clerk to the Board and a firm of independent consultants, and in collaboration with the Executive, I will lead on a review of governance, one that will be tasked with developing a culture and system that will be seen as an exemplar in Higher Education. With the eyes of the region and the sector upon us, it’s important that we do not settle for something that is simply par-for-the-course. Our governance system will not be bureaucratic, quite the contrary, it will empower our executives to be entrepreneurial and to take decisions rapidly within a safe and supportive system.

The Chief Executive and I will lead a joint Board/Executive review of our current strategy, so that we can articulate 'what good looks like in 2020' and develop a specific plan for implementation. Our Board and Executive will agree a hierarchy of priorities for our University to ensure that we remain focused in our decision-making on what matters and who matters over this period.

It is also important that we ensure that our Board is collectively equipped to fulfil its responsibilities, so I’ll be overseeing a skills audit and a national recruitment drive for new Independent Governors. In doing so, we’ll also look to improve diversity.

With the right governance in place and an enhanced Board, the University can move forward with confidence, and go on delivering what it does best: outstanding teaching and support for its students; impact-driven research; and business-engagement of a standard to which others in the sector can only aspire. There will be further challenges ahead, of course, but I have every confidence that we have the people to meet those challenges.

I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can in the weeks ahead, during the course of my engagements here. In the meantime I would like to thank you, our leadership team and Governors for your and their support.

Best wishes

James Brent

Chairman

Board of Governors

Plymouth University

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i wonder how long his specific projects take to materialise ?

NO MENTION OF A HOTEL YET

Will there be a USB to connect the staff?

Brent overseeing corporate governance is bit like Paul Gascoigne fronting a don't drink and drive campaign. Just where is the credibility?

Sounds like 'We'll employ a load more business consultants and executives to sit with us on the gravy train'. Usually occurs alongside making frontline staff (i.e. those who do the actual work) redundant in order to improve save money.

Justin Leigh on Spotlight was giving Brenty fook saying he doesn't finish anything, he's starting to get a lot of criticism from the Beeb anyway. Brent was looking a bit stressed I thought, if the PCC/stadium deal falls flat then his days will be numbered.

Consultants, scum of the earth.

I heard from a good sorce that PCC is afraid to commit to building the little stand, one, the fallout from the Council rate payers, two, the majority of fans against, three, combine the two with an election in a few mouths. There you have it. Mr Brent who are you going to run to now?

That all sounds very believable except I'm not sure sure what the "majority of fans are against" bit means.

I'm pretty sure that almost to the last man that we all want to see a new grandstand.

Tgwu wrote:

I heard from a good sorce that PCC is afraid to commit to building the little stand, one, the fallout from the Council rate payers, two, the majority of fans against, three, combine the two with an elrection in a few mouths. There you have it. Mr Brent who are you going to run to now?

What a shame that there has been no consultation process or genuine attempt to find out what that "majority of the fans want".

If there had been PCC, say, could then propose something safe in the knowledge that there was a reasonably large body of support for it rather than, as it appears, attempting to do their best to prop up a failed private development plan still-born by being limited in scope, effectiveness, vision, sustainability and popularity with public money.

This suggests a serious question: Who the hell is supposed to be implementing a coherent PR campaign for any of this? Mickey feckin Mouse?

Brent's "Ocean" City

The Life Centre cafe is often full to bursting. A decent cafe/bar in the new stand would surely be a profitable alternative on weekdays, turning into a replacement for the FarPost Club on Saturdays. This could be run by a team of volunteers under the guidance of PAFC hospitality team.

New cafe hub is plan for in the park, plans and location are being look into by the FOCP.

Hitch wrote:

Brent overseeing corporate governance is bit like Paul Gascoigne fronting a don't drink and drive campaign. Just where is the credibility?

Exactly.

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

That all sounds very believable except I'm not sure sure what the "majority of fans are against" bit means.

I'm pretty sure that almost to the last man that we all want to see a new grandstand.

The majority of fans who sit in the directors box and love the way buildings inthe corner look??? I'd say Brent is even more desperate to get out now

The fans consultation was attempted but with constant delays, muddying of the waters, TOR, minutes having to be agreed anything done in fact to avoid having to answer any pertinent questions. Anybody that has upset JB fears being completely cast out into the cold as the trust have been threatened with. Either ask the fans what they really want, show us the plans, take the feedback and listen to it or STFU and do one, I'm fed up to the back teeth of hearing so much rhetoric about how this is our club (when you want our money that is) and the second we are out the ground on our way home we have to thankful and grateful for what we have, and don't ask any awkward questions, it doesn't work like that.
Brent was saying last night on telly that he only spends about one day a week working on Argyle, trying to distance himself from the club?

Correction: half a day.

I can't for the life of me understand why the ice rink, built with basketball usage in mind, isn't going to be built into and under the new grandstand. Alongside the ice rink the facilities people using the ice rink and grandstand would require: bars, restaurants, parking etc.

The only person who genuinely believes that the city wants or needs HHP must be Brent and even then it's his desire to fill his pension pot ever further that is over-ruling all logic.

Brent should either piss or get off the pot because without council money, ie. money belonging to the city's council tax payers - which means me and many others like me, none of it will go ahead; the council should be dictating to Brent the terms and conditions and insisting that the scheme they want, and the club and city both deserve and need, gets built and not some bloody abomination that suits only one blinkered, ill-advised, autocratic and greedy person.

AS soon as Nool n Bean Head nailed their colours to his mast right from the begginning and have provided a protective Aviva shield ever since, it was obvious that the reluctant one had brought the useful idiots on board for that very reason and to rattle buckets, of course.
They will stand by him til the bitter end...............and he knows it.

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

Correction: half a day.

I can't for the life of me understand why the ice rink, built with basketball usage in mind, isn't going to be built into and under the new grandstand. Alongside the ice rink the facilities people using the ice rink and grandstand would require: bars, restaurants, parking etc.

The only person who genuinely believes that the city wants or needs HHP must be Brent and even then it's his desire to fill his pension pot ever further that is over-ruling all logic.

Brent should either piss or get off the pot because without council money, ie. money belonging to the city's council tax payers - which means me and many others like me, none of it will go ahead; the council should be dictating to Brent the terms and conditions and insisting that the scheme they want, and the club and city both deserve and need, gets built and not some bloody abomination that suits only one blinkered, ill-advised, autocratic and greedy person.

This absolutely.

Tgwu wrote:

New cafe hub is plan for in the park, plans and location are being look into by the FOCP.

Will PCC shelve the Central Park "masterplan"in light of the loss of £1M+ S106 contributions from HHP?

PCC as no money for any of the proposal on the plans. Money  will come from 106 of future developments around the City and grants. One grant coming is from the Lawn Tennis Association for new tennis courts and 106 money is allotted  from the proposed development by the Reel Cinema.

The new tennis courts is plan to be built on the corner of the clock rounderbout, on the play area side,, we had been allocated funds for new toilets, but FOCP would like them to be part of the new cafe hub.

I see he got a grilling on Spotlight last night. He does PR well it appears, not much in his answers other than things will hopefully be happening sometime soon.