Governance, Management Structure, and Conflicts of Interest Statement

1. Purpose and scope

This statement sets out LIBT's governance and management structure. It explains who is accountable for what, how academic decisions are separated from business and commercial management, and how external and student perspectives are brought into governance. It also sets out how LIBT identifies, declares, and manages a conflict of interest, whether that conflict is the academic/business overlap this statement is itself designed to limit, or any other kind. It names the committees referred to elsewhere in this policy portfolio (for example the Appeals and Complaints Panel and the Malpractice Panel) so a reader can see where each sits in the wider structure.

The individuals currently holding each role named in this statement are published in the Governance Register, maintained by the Academic Registry and available on the student portal, so that changes in personnel do not require a change to this statement.

2. Structure at a glance

Board of Directors (business and corporate governance)
   |
   +-- Director of Administration and HR (business/operations function)
   |
Academic Board (academic standards and quality — see section 4)
   |
   +-- Quality Manager (Quality Framework Statement)
   +-- Assessment Group (Assessment Policy)
   +-- Appeals and Complaints Panel (Academic Appeals and Complaints Policy)
   +-- Malpractice Panel (Assessment Malpractice Policy)
   +-- Special Consideration Panel (Special Consideration Policy)
   +-- Reasonable Adjustments Coordinator (Reasonable Adjustments Policy)
   +-- Course Approval and Review Committee (Course Approval and Review Policy)
   +-- Student-Staff Liaison Committee (Student Engagement Policy)
   +-- Safeguarding Lead (Safeguarding Policy)

3. Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is responsible for LIBT's corporate governance, financial sustainability, and overall strategy. It also appoints the Academic Board. It consists of a Chair and at least two other Directors.

A Director of Administration and HR reports to the Board of Directors. This role is responsible for staff conduct, grievance, and whistleblowing records (see the Staff Conduct, Grievance, and Whistleblowing Policy), and for staff development and CPD administration (see the Staff Development Policy). This is a business/operations function, not an academic one. It does not carry a seat on the Academic Board.

4. Academic Board

The Academic Board is responsible for academic standards and quality across all Academic programmes (see the Glossary for this and LIBT's other programme categories). Its responsibilities include approving this policy portfolio, receiving reports from the panels and groups listed in section 2, and acting on external examiner and quality assurance reports.

To keep academic governance independent of both business management and any single individual, the Academic Board's membership includes:

• at least one external member with no other role at LIBT (for example, an academic from a partner university or another institution), to bring an outside perspective on standards;
• at least one student representative, consistent with the Student Engagement Policy;
• a majority of members who do not also sit on the Board of Directors, so that academic decisions are not made by the same group that manages the business.

The Quality Manager reports to the Academic Board and is responsible for the operation of LIBT's quality management arrangements under the Quality Framework Statement.

5. Panels and groups

The panels and groups in section 2 are each defined in full in their own policy. The Governance Register records who currently chairs or coordinates each one. No individual chairs more than one of these bodies where this can reasonably be avoided, for the same reason as the Academic Board's composition in section 4.

6. Course and programme management

Each programme has a named Programme Leader, responsible for its day-to-day academic management and for liaising with the relevant Awarding Body. The current Programme Leader for each live programme is published in the Governance Register.

7. Conflicts of interest

7.1 What counts as a conflict of interest

A conflict of interest exists in any of the following circumstances. LIBT's own interest in an activity could lead it to act contrary to its interest in developing, delivering, or awarding qualifications fairly. A person connected with developing, delivering, or awarding a qualification has an outside interest that could lead them to act contrary to that interest. Or a reasonable, informed observer would conclude that either of these was the case.

7.2 Declaration

Every current and newly appointed member of staff, including part-time staff and external consultants, declares a potential conflict of interest before appointment. They review this declaration annually or when their circumstances change. A declaration may lead to a decision not to appoint, or to end an appointment, where a resulting risk cannot otherwise be managed. Every member of the Board of Directors and the Academic Board declares a conflict relevant to an agenda item at the start of a meeting. They do not take part in the related decision. Declaration data is processed under the Data Protection Policy, for the sole purpose of managing the conflict.

7.3 Conflicts affecting assessment

Staff involved in assessment, including assessors, moderators, internal verifiers, and quality reviewers, declare a personal interest in the outcome of a specific assessment (for example, assessing a family member or friend) as soon as it arises. LIBT removes the individual from that assessment or verification activity wherever reasonably possible. Where it genuinely cannot be avoided, someone with no personal interest independently reviews the outcome.

7.4 Recording and escalation

Declarations are recorded centrally by the Academic Registry. Where a conflict has had, or could have, an adverse effect on a student, on LIBT's ability to deliver or award a qualification, on the standard of a qualification, or on public confidence in it, this is reported to the Board of Directors. The Board decides what action to take to mitigate it, correct it, and prevent it recurring.

7.5 Separation of academic and business functions

Where an individual holds both a business or commercial role (for example, on the Board of Directors) and an academic role, this is recorded openly in the Governance Register rather than left implicit. It is treated as a standing conflict-of-interest consideration under this section. LIBT's aim, consistent with section 4, is to reduce the overlap over time so that academic judgement is, and is seen to be, independent of commercial decision-making.

7.6 Changes to business activities

Where LIBT is considering a change to its business activities, the Board of Directors assesses whether the change could create a new conflict of interest. It also considers whether the activity would be undertaken by LIBT itself or on its behalf, and what measures would be needed to prevent an adverse effect.

8. Review

This statement is reviewed annually by the Board of Directors, alongside any change to the Quality Framework Statement. The Governance Register is reviewed and updated whenever a named role changes, independently of this statement's own review cycle.

Company information: London Institute of Business & Technology Limited (LIBT) Hillary House, Prospect Hill, Douglas, IM1 1EQ, Isle of Man, British Isles.