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UWCSEA Governance and Leadership
OVERVIEW
UWCSEA is committed to the highest standards of corporate governance. The UWCSEA Board of Governors recognises good governance as critical in supporting the school in achieving its mission and educational goal. Good governance begins with the Board of Governors and requires that they set the tone for the organisation. The Board of Governors is one of the principal bodies with the fiduciary obligation to ensure that the College acts to further its stated objectives, and that the College has appropriate systems in place to properly account for and safeguard the funds and assets of the College. The Board of Governors works closely with the management and stakeholders of the College to shape the vision, chart the major directions, and develop programmes and initiatives to produce a strong and enduring impact for the College in Singapore and beyond.
UWCSEA BOARD OF GOVERNORS
The UWCSEA Board of Governors comprises 15 members. The Board includes respected business and industry leaders, academics, educators, entrepreneurs and professionals. All members serve on a voluntary basis.
Size, Committees and Meetings The maximum number of Governors is 21. The Board has seven committees: • Education and Talent, which sets and oversees education and talent management strategies • Foundation Investment and Disbursement, which provides strategic direction for the Foundation’s investments and oversight of its disbursements and investments • Finance and Infrastructure, which oversees the College’s finances and its physical and digital infrastructure • Governance, which is responsible for nominations and governance matters • Audit and Risk, which oversees audit and risk matters • Engagement, which is responsible for improving the engagement and outreach of the College locally and globally, including the UWCSEA Foundation • Committee of Chairs, which functions as a coordinating and management committee among the Chairs of the Board and Committees Governors periodically re-evaluate the committee structure to ensure it is effective, strategic and forward-looking. The Board meets four times each year. Each Governor is usually a member of one committee, which also meets four times per year.
Board Effectiveness Review The Board carries out formal Board effectiveness reviews, externally every five years and internally every two years. Heidrick & Struggles were commissioned to conduct an external Board effectiveness review and their report and the Board’s response were made available to the College community in May 2019. Heidrick & Struggles concluded that the Board is effective and that we should celebrate the achievements made in recent years towards effectiveness and impact. As requested, they also recommended a number of ways in which the Board can improve, including providing assurance to key stakeholders on important issues. Work continues in this arena with a focus being the formation of a Constitutional Review Steering Group which will address many of these key areas as part of its work over the next school year: • improving documentation to clarify the role of the Board and Management to all stakeholders • creating efficiencies by streamlining Board and committee papers • improving induction and support for new Governors and Advisers • providing useful and tailored training, engagement and team building opportunities for Governors, Advisers and management
Composition The Board consists of three groups of Governors: • Ad Personam Governors – the majority of Governors are appointed by the
Board itself through a rigorous selection process. Many Ad Personam Governors are parents of current students of the College. To ensure the Board benefits from independent thinking, there are also several non-parent Governors. • Ex officio Governors – in 2019/20, the Head of College was replaced with the
College President, Carma Elliot, CMG OBE. • Interested Party Governors – these are elected directly by their constituencies and include two parent-elects and two teacher-elects, one from each campus.
Governor Recruitment, Selection and Induction The Board recruits Ad Personam Governors through a robust process that responds to clearly defined skill requirements for the Board. Candidates are first co-opted as Advisers to Board Committees. New Ad Personam Governors are usually only selected from that pool of Advisers who have served on a Committee. Appointments are based on an assessment of the following factors: • professional skills and fit with Board requirements • role models for UWC values, culture and alignment with the mission • demonstrated ability to contribute to a Board • past contributions to UWC/service institutions • impact on Board diversity • leadership potential • positive impact on government relations There is a comprehensive induction programme for all Advisers and Governors that includes information about the College and the Board, an induction session with the Board Secretary, and meetings with the Chair of the Board and other Governors.
Term Limits and Reviews Governors serve a maximum of two, three-year terms. Only the Chair may serve up to two additional terms of three years. The College and the Board holds its Governors and Advisers to a high standard and regularly evaluates each Governor against the following criteria: • is prepared for meetings • listens to and challenges others, when appropriate, while maintaining an atmosphere of respect • contributes and participates in a manner consistent with UWCSEA values • has made meaningful contributions to key decisions • attends most meetings and is highly attentive when present • contributes overall Whistle Blowing Policy The College has a Whistle Blowing policy through which members of the UWCSEA community may, in confidence, raise concerns about possible wrong-doing or improprieties in financial or other matters within the organisation. The Board thoroughly and appropriately investigates matters brought to its attention through the policy and takes appropriate follow-up action.
Conflict of Interest The College policy requires Board and staff members to disclose any conflict of interest in the performance of their duties. In the case of the Board, the policy requires Governors and Advisers to report potential conflicts to the Governance Committee, which may impose remedies specific to the situation.
Policies on corporate and individual behaviour The Board also adheres to the College’s policies on corporate and individual behaviour, including the Board of Governors Guidelines, Confidentiality Policy, Harassment Policy, Staff Safeguarding Code of Conduct, and the Equal Opportunities, Access and Disabilities Policy.
Commissioner of Charities Oversight The Board has adopted best practices in key areas of governance that are closely aligned with the Code of Governance for Charities and Institutions of a Public Character (the “Code”). In line with the Commissioner of Charities requirements, UWCSEA’s Governance Evaluation Checklist and new Transparency Framework can be found via the Charity Portal website www.charities.gov.sg.
Anna Lord
(resigned 13 March 2020) Ad Personam Governor Chair Committee of Chairs
Surinder Kathpalia
Ad Personam Governor Chair of Audit and Risk Committee Governance Committee Committee of Chairs
Benjamin Hill Detenber
Ad Personam Governor Education and Talent Committee
Lau Chun Wah (Davy)
(resigned 21 January 2020) Ad Personam Governor Governance Committee
Kim Teo ’76
Ad Personam Governor Foundation Investment and Disbursement Committee Governance Committee
Pamela Kelly Wetzell
Interested Party Governor – Teacher Representative Governance Committee
Priti Devi
Ad Personam Governor Chair of Engagement Committee Committee of Chairs
Heinrich Jessen ’86
(resigned 30 June 2020) Ad Personam Governor Governance Committee
Stefanie Green
(appointed 8 July 2020) Interested Party Governor – Parent Representative Education and Talent Committee
Heather Carmichael
Ad Personam Governor Chair of Education and Talent Committee Audit and Risk Committee Committee of Chairs
Vivek Kalra
Ad Personam Governor Finance and Infrastructure Committee Finance and Infrastructure Investment SubCommittee
Carma Elliot CMG OBE
Ex-officio Governor College President Education and Talent Committee Engagement Committee Foundation Investment and Disbursement Committee Finance and Infrastructure Committee Governance Committee
Caroline McLaughlin
Interested Party Governor – Parent Representativee Engagement Committee
Subodh Chanrai ’82
Ad Personam Governor Chair of Governance Committee Committee of Chairs
Margarita Encarnacion
(resigned 7 April 2020) Interested Party Governor – Parent Representative Education and Talent Committee Audit and Risk Committee
Mark Porter
Interested Party Governor – Teacher Representative Education and Talent Committee
Seng Chee Ho
Ad Personam Governor Education and Talent Committee
Sajjad Akhtar
Ad Personam Governor Interim Chair (1 March 2020 – 31 August 2020) Vice Chair (1 September 2020 onwards) Chair of Finance and Infrastructure Committee Chair of Finance and Infrastructure Investment SubCommittee Interim Chair, Committee of Chairs
Andrew Budden
UWCSEA BOARD ADVISERS
Philip Motteram Steve Okun WT Cheah Sumitra Pasupathy (resigned June 2020) Sharat Sinha (resigned August 2020) Leon Toh Tara Garson Flower
Daire Dunne (appointed December 2019) Jonathan Forth (appointed September 2019) Ruby Lee (appointed September 2019) Dimple Sanghi (appointed September 2019) Brian McAdoo (appointed December 2019) Rahul Raj (appointed December 2019) Prabhat Ojha (appointed December 2019)
UWCSEA/UWCSEA-EAST/UWCSEA FOUNDATION COMMITTEES
Audit and Risk Committee Surinder Kathpalia, Chair Heather Carmichael WT Cheah (Adviser) Jonathan Forth (Adviser) Dimple Sanghi (Adviser)
Education and Talent Committee Heather Carmichael, Chair Seng Chee Ho Benjamin Detenber Carma Elliot CMG OBE Mark Porter Stefanie Green Brian McAdoo (Adviser)
Engagement Committee Priti Devi, Chair Caroline McLaughlin Carma Elliot CMG OBE Steve Okun (Adviser) Leon Toh (Adviser)
Foundation Investment and Disbursement Committee Andy Budden, Chair Kim Teo ’76 Carma Elliot CMG OBE Daire Dunne (Adviser)
Finance and Infrastructure Committee (FIC) Sajjad Akhtar, Chair Vivek Kalra Carma Elliot CMG OBE Philip Motteram (Adviser) Tara Garson Flower (Adviser) Rahul Raj (Adviser to FIC Investment SubCommittee) Prabhat Ojha (Adviser to FIC Investment SubCommittee) Governance Committee
Subodh Chanrai ’82, Chair Carma Elliot CMG OBE
Surinder Kathpalia Pamela Kelly Wetzell Kim Teo ’76 Ruby Lee (Adviser)
Committee of Chairs
Sajjad Akhtar, Interim Chair Heather Carmichael
Subodh Chanrai ’82
Priti Devi
Surinder Kathpalia
UWCSEA STRATEGY 2018–2023
UWCSEA STRATEGY 2018–2023
During the 2019/2020 year, the campuses continued to enact the UWCSEA Strategy, based on the Strategic Vision which describes the intended five-year outcome in each of the four Areas of Focus. The four Areas of Focus identify 10 strategies that have become strands that will help the College to realise these outcomes. These strands then guide planning and decision-making for campuses, schools and operational areas at the College. During 2019/2020, each campus and operational area continued implementing the multi-year plans for projects that are bringing these strategies to life. This year, some strands have been prioritised to receive focus, while other strands will naturally receive more detailed focus in later years. This priority will necessarily be different on each campus given the operational maturity and priorities of each, as identified in the campus-specific strategies that are reviewed each year. The Board of Governors oversees progress through a report on an Area of Focus at each of the four meetings during the year, while the senior leadership teams monitor the detailed projects. In February 2020, the global pandemic started to impact the operations of the College, and the period March–July 2020 was characterised by operational reprioritisation and strategic, compassionate response to the changed conditions for students, staff and families as a result of the global pandemic. The following pages highlight the 2019/2020 outcomes of the campuses’ progress towards the UWCSEA Strategy 2018–2023 in each of the four Areas of Focus.
UWCSEA STRATEGIC VISION
Students will be equipped with the qualities and skills to become compassionate, engaged global citizens who seek to make a positive contribution towards peace and a sustainable future. To achieve this, a diverse, united and caring College community will focus creatively on students learning through a dynamic, holistic programme that supports individuals, their wellbeing and their readiness for an uncertain future.
Effective operational practices provide for the College’s long-term future in Singapore.
UWCSEA STRATEGY
AREAS OF FOCUS A UNITED COMMUNITY
OUR STRENGTH AND CAPACITY
Education as a Force Peace and a Sustainable At UWCSEA, we educate Future EDUCATION our students to impact on Our community is AS A FORCE individuals and society in strengthened by diversity and accordance with the UWC united in common purpose. mission. Through a holistic On local, national and global Learning Programme, platforms, we will seek to students develop the skills and qualities (which meld engage with and impact positively on individuals and to form the UWCSEA Learner Profile) to fulfil their communities who hold similar, disparate and diverse ideas. potential and become life-long learners and ethical All members of our community should understand Peace agents for change. to include concepts such as justice, equality and human We understand educational excellence to be rights and to be more than the absence of conflict. manifested by student learning across all five elements Our Learning Programme will help seed and nurture of our Learning Programme. This spirit of excellence, these concepts. We aspire to promote Peace in all of its balanced with a serious commitment to wellbeing, will contexts—for the individual, our communities and our help inspire our community to rich experiences and global societies. We will embed structures to support high achievement. learning for Peace and its systematic implementation Our innovation will align with our values. We will take scalable, safe-to-fail approaches to probe and test the across the College, and develop meaningful links with likeminded organisations that are in pursuit of the same goals. boundaries of our strategies and practices. Sustainability as a systemic response means aligning Within the contexts of Singapore and our Learning Programme, we will seek to be inclusive and diverse, in accordance with our definitions of these concepts, and we will recognise the importance of intercultural competence. ourselves to the UN Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all within the means of nature. We will engage with these challenges by deepening our intellectual and moral capacities, and building our collective wisdom. We will develop our curriculum to ensure that sustainability is Key developments during 2019/2020 year: woven into all five elements of our learning programme Strategy E1: Extending Excellence from K–12. We will also develop our community’s • Development of micro-credential: Planning for capability in systems thinking.
Concept-Based Teaching and Learning Key developments during 2019/2020 year: • Rapid roll-out of remote learning was possible due to Strategy P1: Working for Peace previous investment in digital learning platforms • Development of an Initiative for Peace (IfP) toolkit to • Review of current guiding statements resulted in facilitate implementation of IfP by other schools development of a prototype graphic and staff training module Strategy P2: Sustainability as a Systemic Response • Embedding Sustainable Development within Service Strategy E2: Deliberate Innovation Learning Programme on East Campus • Mission aligned competency-based outcomes • Development of environmental sustainability learning developed for review spaces on both campuses Strategy E3: Diversity and Inclusion • Both campuses awarded Greenmark Platinum Super • Focus on intentionally developing linguistic diversity Low Energy certification continued with working group establishing language • Further progress with Sodexo caterers on sustainable frameworks and reviewing the language policy approaches to food service • Structures supporting LGBTQ+ community established • Parents’ Associations and Ambassadors developed • Launch of antiracism statement and ARDEI sustainability awareness-raising initiatives for parent implementation plan • Design and testing of a pilot programme to raise teacher capacity to support individualised learning styles
PEACE AND A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
A United Community Our Strength and A UNITED A strong College community, Capacity COMMUNITY based on shared values, is UWCSEA puts people, not fundamental to our success. systems, first. Our plan for Our community members sustainable growth will be will demonstrate respectful transparent and support attention to diverse needs our community, while and perspectives, and compassionate engagement with reflecting and responding to current realities and future others. possibilities. We will guarantee the financial security We seek to promote the educational significance of UWC residential life and will seek to harmonise the of the College while balancing present and future educational, environmental and organisational needs. best of the day and residential experiences. We will In order to retain education as our focus, we recognise the strengthen relationships with one another, between necessity of humane, sustainable and effective systems. campuses and with those outside our immediate We will develop operational systems that set a positive, community of students, staff and parents. We will data-informed culture around rigorous practices, build strategic relationships that extend our reach and adhering to all external regulatory requirements. deepen our impact. We will intensify the focus of the In adapting to any changes, we will support our UWCSEA Foundation, enhance Alumni engagement, community and protect the College’s ethos and values.and continue to dedicate an agreed percentage of our annual turnover to scholarships. We will establish decision-making processes and leadership structures that enhance operational Our fundamental responsibility to our community effectiveness while retaining flexibility to adapt to members is to keep them safe, well and secure at all changing circumstances.times and in all situations. We will continue to develop robust safeguarding practices, and empower our Key developments during 2019/2020 year: community to identify and respond to safeguarding Strategy S1: Ensuring Long-term Financial situations. We will implement policies, practices and Sustainability programmes to support staff and student wellness and safeguard everyone in our community. • Investment sub-committee implemented process of reviewing management of College reserves Key developments during 2019/2020 year: Strategy S2: Embedding Effective Systems Strategy C1: Strengthening our Community • Implementation of finance systems to streamline • Values in Action community consultation process invoicing and payment systems • External review of Residential Boarding programme • Preparation for online procurement system to point • Parents’ Association developed additional programmes of launch to further support College initiatives • Introduction of Managebac for online planning, • Comprehensive professional learning programme for assessment and reporting administrative and support staff rolled out • Review of application processing procedures to create Strategy C2: Keeping People Safe and Well alignment • Visitor management process and systems reviewed • Critical Incident and Crisis Management protocol review and training for leaders across the College • Wellness and Counselling Centres further resourced (education, administrative, operational)on each campus • Embedding Circles of Vulnerability Critical Incident Strategy S3: Establishing Effective Decision-Making and Crisis Management process Structures • Cybersecurity training delivered as compulsory • Recruitment of Head of East Campus module for all staff • Streamlining of UWCSEA Foundation leadership structures • Establishment of Financial Relief Programme for • Establishment of Tender Evaluation Committee families experiencing short-term financial challenges • Streamlining of College policies management and review process • Establishment of Constitutional Review Working Group
OUR STRENGTH AND CAPACITY
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Our goal is to educate individuals to embrace challenge and take responsibility for shaping a better world. In order to prepare our students to meet this ambitious goal, our holistic learning programme has been deliberately designed to encompass five interlinking elements: academics, activities, outdoor education, personal and social education and service. These elements combine to provide our students with a values-based education that develops them as individuals and as members of a global society. Through the learning programme, students develop disciplinary knowledge, skills and understandings alongside the skills and qualities of the UWCSEA Learner Profile. Opportunities to develop the skills and qualities identified in the UWCSEA Learner Profile are embedded in all five elements of the programme. Where a meaningful connection is made, intentional development of a specific aspect of the UWCSEA Learner Profile is explicitly linked to the associated benchmark, indicating the profile skill or quality that is being developed. These are used in our communication to teachers, students and parents. In the 2019/2020 school year, the leadership team commenced a review of the learning programme as part of the UWCSEA Strategy.
Mission competencies are actions that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, understanding and dispositions students gain from our learning programme. They emerge when students, and our alumni, mobilize their learning in complex, real-world situations in service of the mission. In 2019/2020 five competencies were identified during the review of the learning programme which commenced in the same year, led by the Learning Leadership Team. The competencies reflect both the breadth of our holistic learning programme and the myriad ways that students and alumni can be seen to be enacting the mission: • Essential Literacies – Critically and creatively integrating and adapting literacies essential to supporting communication and problem-solving in local and global contexts. • Interpersonal and Intercultural Understanding – Engaging with the cultures, politics and identities of self and others, including the norms and values that underlie one’s actions. • Peacebuilding – Building peace in local and global contexts. • Sustainable Development – Engaging with complexity, understanding multiple futures, taking the role of steward and developing sustainable solutions within environmental, social, economic and political systems. • Self and Community Wellbeing – Building wellbeing in self and others, whilst supporting a sense of connectedness and autonomy. In 2020/2021, these competencies will be reviewed in consultation with staff and the wider community so as to embed them as part of the UWCSEA guiding statements.
OPERATIONAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19: LAUNCHING REMOTE LEARNING
On 19 March, two days before the scheduled Term 2 break, UWCSEA closed its campuses to students in order to prepare for the increasingly likely scenario of school returning in a remote learning model after the holiday. Indeed, this was the case as a Singapore-wide circuit breaker was announced on 3 April, and as a result, both campuses closed to students from Monday, 6 April in preparation for the commencement of the circuit breaker on Wednesday, 8 April and school resumed in a remote learning model. As the increasing restrictions on international travel became evident, and border restrictions started to close access, many of our boarding students and National Committee scholars understandably chose to return to their home countries some as early as February 2020. As these students were no longer able to return to Singapore and attend school in Term 3, UWCSEA worked to ensure continuity of learning and provided synchronous lessons that followed the High School timetable, maintaining connections between students and teachers and allowing for authentic assessment. Students were also provided with remote pastoral support and College counseling services.
On 2 June, the circuit breaker ended and some students, teachers and essential operations staff were able to return to the campuses. In many cases this was a successful return to campus for students in the Primary School. However, the majority of High School students remained in remote learning, although a number of modified, safe-distanced practical lessons in the sciences and performing arts were made available for the purposes of preparation for coursework and assessments during the last three weeks of the school year. The two overall guiding principles for the College’s response to the challenges of COVID-19 response and the need to move to remote learning. These were: • provide continuity of education for students, applying best practice in remote learning, while continuing to adapt and change according to student, parent and teacher feedback • remain a united community and do our best to take care of each other emotionally, practically and financially, while ensuring the sustainability of the College for future generations The College’s previous investment in 1:1 devices and in upskilling teachers and students by embedding technology as a tool for learning in every classroom and across the learning programme meant that the College was able to create a comprehensive response to the need to close the physical campuses. Supported by existing specialist expertise, advance preparations for remote learning were supported by the Learning Technologies and IT teams, allowing for a relatively smooth technological transition to remote learning. In this report, each of the elements of the learning programme contains a highlight story on the College’s operational response to safely operate in the changed conditions created by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
LEARNING IN ACTION
The five elements of our learning programme complement each other to create a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. This is a carefully planned and purposeful process, where students develop understanding in disciplinary and interdisciplinary ways. For example, students gain deep disciplinary understanding in our academic programme, which may be applied in outdoor education or service when students encounter and grapple with real world situations.
UWCSEA STORIES
The case studies included in this section of the report were selected to illustrate the learning taking place across the College, highlighting both the concept-based nature of the curriculum and the intentionally interconnected nature of the five elements of our learning programme.
