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2023-07-31-accounts

L 4 _ AND FINANCIAL a 7 \\ i STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023 F \ L

CONTENTS

CONTENTS
Introduction from the Chair of Council 4—7
Vice–Chancellor’s review 8—11
A summary of our year 12—13
Our strategic plan
14
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Research excellence 18—21
Transformational Education 22—27
A thriving Welsh language and culture 28—33
Economic, social, and civic impact 34—35
Global engagement 36—37
Our people 38—39
Financial Review 40—45
Sustainability 46—47
Our students’ union 48—51
Our physical and digital estate 52—55
Public Benefit statement
56—57
Remuneration report
58—59
Corporate Governance
60—75
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Independent auditor’s report to The Council 76—79
Statement of council responsibilities in respect
of the consolidated financial statements		 80—81
Consolidated statement of comprehensive income 82
and expenditure
Consolidated and university statement of changes 83
in reserves
Consolidated and university statement of financial position 84
Consolidated cashflow statement 85
Statement of principal accounting policies 86—95
Notes to the financial statements 96—121

1 ,I'l!d ,JF 4 0,4

INTRODUCTION FROM THE CHAIR OF COUNCIL

It is a pleasure to introduce our Annual Report in my capacity as Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council, highlighting the University’s achievements over the past year and providing a sense of where Bangor is going in the future.

September 2022 marked a moment of transition in the University’s leadership with the appointment of Vice–Chancellor, Professor Edmund Burke, the eighth since its establishment in 1884. His appointment comes during the second year of our ambitious Strategy 2030, refreshed under his guidance, setting out a clarity of purpose, vision and values, taking us to the end of the decade.

Among this year’s highlights, I was privileged to attend a week of degree ceremonies celebrating the success of our graduates, particularly poignant as most of these students had been affected throughout by the pandemic. We were delighted to honour eleven distinguished individuals presented with honorary degrees; among them, Dafydd Iwan, whose popular song ‘Yma o Hyd’ became an anthemic symbol for the Welsh Football team as well as for Wales.

As the academic year ended, our plans to establish the North Wales Medical School were finally confirmed when the General Medical Council verified that the University was meeting the required standards in the process towards accreditation, which meant we could begin recruiting medical students for a September 2024 intake. This is a significant milestone for the University, a game-changer for the region and crucially, for the people of North Wales. It should provide an economic boost to the area, as it extends our commitment to excellence in healthcare education from dentistry, nursing and pharmacy, ranking an impressive 15th in the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF2021). There is compelling evidence that medical graduates choose to work close to where they train. This development will help reverse the trend of declining GP numbers and workforce shortages, boosting those professionals who can consult in Welsh. We are grateful to Welsh Government for their funding and to Cardiff University for its support.

The global significance of our work was recognised in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. Bangor University was ranked in the top 100 out of 1 , 600 Institutions worldwide, placed 64th globally and 16th in the UK based on the contribution of our research, teaching, outreach and stewardship. From advancements in healthcare and sustainable energy solutions to combating global climate change, our research is delivering societal, cultural and environmental benefits.

Despite our successes, we’re under no illusion about the significant challenges facing our University and the sector more widely as the world continues to face uncertainty. Inflation is presenting increased costs on a scale not seen for decades. Our main source of income, the home undergraduate student fee, has been capped at £9k per annum for over ten years and continuing high inflation will inevitably affect us. Whilst the scale of these challenges is manageable in 2023/24, we must continue to maintain strong financial management, to identify ways of increasing efficiency and to ensure sustainability without compromising on quality.

Our governance effectiveness review conducted by Advanced HE concluded that the institution is being effectively governed. But we are not complacent. Its recommendations were adopted by Council to include a review of Senate, with cultural and operational changes underway to ensure that the University is optimally structured to deliver on its remit.

As we look ahead to commemorate our 140th anniversary next year, this review is a tribute to the hard work of our students and staff and the quality of their researchled teaching. I am confident that the Vice–Chancellor and his leadership team can navigate the challenges that lie ahead. I am grateful also to my colleagues on Council who voluntarily give their expertise, skills and time to support this institution. We are fortunate indeed to have such a committed group of trustees.

Marian Wyn Jones Chair of Council

Introduction from the Chair of Council

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Vice–Chancellor’s review
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VICE–CHANCELLOR’S REVIEW

At the start of the academic year, I had the privilege of assuming the position of Vice-Chancellor at Bangor University – a truly outstanding institution in a magnificent location with a long history of providing excellent teaching and world-leading research. I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead such an institution.

My vision for Bangor University is based on two fundamental principles: strengthening our position as a research-led teaching institution and maintaining a student-centred approach. Underpinning this vision is a dedication to sustainability as we strive to contribute to a thriving and sustainable environment.

Our goals include ensuring an outstanding student experience, establishing a solid global reputation, and fostering robust connections with the local community, whilst drawing upon our rich heritage in the Welsh language, history and culture.

During my first few months, I met with a wide range of colleagues in our schools, professional services departments and external stakeholders, which gave me some additional insight into the initiatives and challenges facing the University. These valuable conversations allowed me to reflect upon and review our priorities. They enabled me to put measures in place to further secure and solidify Bangor University’s standing as a global University with deep roots in its community.

I introduced changes at the Executive Board level to help unlock our full potential, facilitate student recruitment growth and establish a distinct identity.

I introduced two new key positions, the first of which was the Chief Transformation Officer, who has strategic responsibility for developing and implementing a transformational approach to the University’s activities, with an emphasis on integrating our digital and estate infrastructure to drive progress.

The second new role was that of Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement who has the strategic lead in developing and executing the University’s international strategy. The role also has oversight of academic contributions to international student recruitment and the provision of transnational education.

These investments signify our commitment to advancing the institution’s vision and global outreach whilst embracing modern approaches to maximise efficiency and excellence.

Vice–Chancellor’s review

I also recognised the need to review the shape and design of our academic structure. Staff and students alike engaged in productive consultation, and one of the key outcomes was the creation of two new schools – the North Wales Medical School and the School of Health Sciences.

Whilst the University agreed its 2030 Strategy about two years ago, these initiatives provided context around refocussing our attention and efforts on delivering the University’s priorities through to the end of this decade. We have adapted and refreshed our strategy to enable us to most effectively achieve our objectives for 2030.

One of the most important developments for the University and the region during the lifetime of this strategic plan is the establishment of the Medical School. The new School will strengthen our local healthcare provision and create a pipeline of healthcare professionals who understand local needs whilst increasing the number of doctors who are able to practice in Welsh. It will increase the University’s research capacity and the growth of the regional life sciences sector, providing a considerable boost to the local economy and helping to ensure that the people of North Wales live longer, healthier and happier lives. It also reinforces our commitment as a civic University and as an anchor for our region, contributing to the future prosperity of North Wales. In addition to this commitment, we will enhance our visibility and relevance in the region by developing more pathways into higher education through meaningful engagement across the North Wales education sector.

In the meantime, we continue to deliver a transformative educational experience, equipping our students with the knowledge, ambition, and confidence to excel in their careers. We are also strongly committed to nurturing transferable skills which empower our students to thrive in a modern society.

Our achievements have been affirmed by being placed in the top position in the UK in the Unifresher’s Alternative league table, and we were 8th in the UK in the WhatUni Student Choice Awards. In terms of w orld rankings, we moved into the top 500 universities in the world in the QS ranking to complement our position in the top 500 in the world in the Times Higher Education w orld rankings.

Finally, sustainability is a core value and guiding principle for the University, ensuring that we play an active role in creating a better future for our planet. We were placed in the Top 10 among UK universities in the People and Planet League Table in 2022-23, as well as 20th in the World for Responsible Consumption and Production and 64th in the world overall in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

I am committed to driving forward our newly adapted Strategy 2030 to ensure sustainable growth, an exemplary education, research with worldwide impact and an outstanding student experience so that the University upholds its role in contributing towards creating a healthy and prosperous world.

Professor Edmund Burke Vice–Chancellor

Vice–Chancellor’s review

va• I I,ilJi:'

A SUMMARY OF OUR YEAR

Collaborating with Adra, North Wales’ largest social housing to advance skills and research into decarbonising housing stock

Concert to close the 100 years of music celebration

The Students’ Union celebrated 70 years of volunteering with The Tea Party project that was launched in 1952

Bangor University is leading one of eight projects funded by the UK Space Agency to revolutionise our ability to journey deeper into space – and even travel to Mars

First Minister Mark Drakeford announced the Welsh Government will fund up to 140 medical student placements each year at the new North Wales Medical School

9% Income growth

30,895 £2 meals sold in response to cost-of-living pressures

12,304

Kilometres travelled by the RV Prince Madog

£31 million

Research grants awarded

20[TH]

In the World for Responsible Consumption and Production in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

A summary of our year

Appointment of the UK’s first honorary lecturer with an intellectual disability

Celebrating the first cohort of graduates from the North Wales Police ‘Police Education Qualification Framework (PEQF)’

Language Technologies Unit transforming the future of Welsh

Plans unveiled for ambitious second science park building

State of the art wastewater monitoring research facility opened

Treborth Botanic Garden celebrates international accreditation success

1[ST]

Place in the Unifreshers Alternative League table 2023

8[TH]

Place in University of the Year from the What Uni Awards

4,724

Students graduated in 2022/23

500

Top 500 university in the world in the Times Higher World rankings and the QS World rankings

16%

Salary differential for tenant’s staff at our MSparc Science Park compared to other local jobs

A summary of our year

14

OUR STRATEGIC PLAN

In the last year, a light-touch review of the University’s strategic plan was carried out providing an opportunity to increase both the clarity and focus of the University’s ambitions and ensure that it continues to reflect the University’s priorities.

Bangor University is strongly positioned as a globally engaged institution that is deeply rooted in North Wales. We have consolidated our position as a researchintensive University, with a Research Excellence Framework (REF) performance in REF2021 that placed us second in Wales and 42nd in the UK. Moreover, seven out of ten final-year students who participated in the 2023 National Student Survey expressed satisfaction with the quality of their course.

As with all universities, we face a future that offers both challenges and opportunities. As such, we present a strategy that is growth-oriented and one that will require us to operate with agility.

Realising our ambitious strategy will mean that we can invest to further improve our excellent student experience and grow our world-leading, internationally excellent research. We aim to continue to deliver social, cultural, and environmental benefits through our sector-leading impact, addressing global societal challenges across areas including healthcare, climate change, and energy solutions for the future.

To view full details of our Strategy 2030 please visit: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/strategy–2030

Our strategic plan

MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

Mission

A globally engaged, research-led university rooted in North Wales, providing transformative learning experiences and nurturing a positive impact on society regionally, nationally, and globally.

Our vision

A globally connected University, realising opportunities for success through transformative, innovative, impact-driven research and teaching, with a commitment to sustainability.

Our values and guiding principles

These four values and guiding principles are our cultural cornerstones, guiding our decision-making and how we work together as a University community.

Ambition

Inspired by our history and our people, we enable the extraordinary. We are courageous, ambitious for our University, our colleagues, and our students, as well as supporting the ambitions of our partners. As a place of academic endeavour, innovation, and transformation, we are driven to help enrich society. We are committed to excellence at all levels of the educational and creative experience.

Inclusivity

We provide equal access, equal rights, and equal justice to all. We will promote mutual regard for the rights and liberties of diverse people and their ideas, backgrounds, and approaches to the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. We trust, value, empower and care for each other, and we hold ourselves accountable. As collaborators we will be responsive and will achieve more together.

Integrity

We act with honesty and transparency and will seek to collaborate in all we do. We will facilitate intellectual growth through academic freedom, creative expression and communication of truth, knowledge, social and moral development.

Sustainability

We are passionate about promoting a culture and scholarship of environmental stewardship, living in harmony, and caring for the world in ways that meet our economic, social, environmental, and cultural needs. Underpinned by our world-renowned research, we will support the development of Wales as a bilingual learning country with a knowledge driven economy for the benefit of the world and future generations.

Our strategic plan

THREE PILLARS AND THREE THEMES

The University’s strategy is underpinned by three strategic pillars and three transformational themes. The strategic pillars will sustain and progress our core endeavour to position the University as a driving force for higher education and the economy of North Wales, coupled with a vision that aims to be genuinely transformational, strengthening and promoting the University’s potential thematically aligned to our strengths and national policy priorities.

Sustaining and progressing

Research Transformational Thriving Welsh language excellence education and culture Strengthening and promoting Economic, social and civic impact Global engagement Our people

Committed to

Institutional sustainability

Our strategic plan

RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

We are dedicated to creating a positive impact through our diverse and excellent research portfolio. Our commitment to enhancing the well-being of individuals has impact both locally and globally. We also recognise the urgency of addressing pressing global challenges , such as climate change, environmental degradation, and social inequalities.

Our research has been ranked 30th in the U.K. for its impact on society in the government’s most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF). We actively seek solutions to some of the world’s most challenging problems, including improving health and well-being, protecting the environment, advancing the global 5G economy, contributing to low-carbon energy solutions, and participating in world-leading research on communicable viruses and other pathogens.

At Bangor University, we strongly emphasise interdisciplinary research , understanding that complex sustainability challenges require multi-faceted approaches. By promoting collaboration across different disciplines, we can develop comprehensive solutions that consider social, economic, and environmental dimensions.

In addition to our research strengths, we actively cultivate partnerships with businesses to enhance the employability prospects of our students. Moreover, our science park, M-SParc, serves as a hub for fostering business collaborations and leveraging research expertise to provide more employability opportunities for students.

Looking to the future, the establishment of the North Wales Medical School will provide opportunities to work further in the area of research and development with our local health authority.

Our university is a leader in addressing global challenges, driven by excellent research and a strong focus on sustainability. We are dedicated to finding innovative solutions and making a positive impact, inspiring future generations of researchers and change-makers in the pursuit of a more sustainable and equitable world.

Our strategic plan

Our research has been ranked 30th in the U.K. for its impact on society in the government’s most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF)

Our strategic plan

Revolutionising Maritime Sustainability: Prince Madog’s £5.5 Million Hydrogen Power Initiative Paves the Way for Emission-Free Voyages

The Prince Madog, our multi-purpose research vessel used to conduct marine research along the British coastline and in the Irish and Celtic Seas is set to reduce its emissions by up to 60% thanks to a pioneering £5.5 million hydrogen power initiative that could help re-shape the future of shipping. The Transship II project is the largest retrofit of its kind to-date and will see the Prince Madog retrofitted with a hydrogen electric hybrid propulsion system that will enable zero to low emission operation by 2025.

The project is part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 3 (CMDC3), funded by the Department for Transport in partnership with Innovate UK. It will be delivered by a consortium of major UK innovators in green maritime technology and hydrogen systems, led by O.S Energy, Bangor’s partner in owning and operating the Prince Madog, who also own and operate a fleet of dedicated offshore service vessels.

The new hydrogen propulsion system, which will work in conjunction with a diesel-fuelled main engine, will enable zero emission operation at slow speeds or over short distances - such as daily teaching trips with our students. In normal operation, the hybrid system and new novel propulsion design will reduce emissions by up to 60%.

Our strategic plan

Alarming Surface Temperature Trends in Himalayan Glaciers

A recent study found that the surface temperature of glaciers in the Himalayas, which are part of the Tibetan Plateau, has been increasing even more rapidly than the temperature in non-glacier areas during the last two decades (2001-2020).

During the warmest times in the autumn, the glacier-covered areas of the Himalayas were twice as warm as the non-glacier areas. This warming trend is a cause for concern because it is linked to significant losses in glacier mass. These Himalayan glaciers are crucial as a source of fresh water for the people living nearby and the ecosystems downstream. The melting of glaciers also makes them more dangerous.

Previous studies in this region have mainly focused on changes in air temperature, but this research by Dr Iestyn Woolway from the School of Ocean Sciences looks specifically at the surface temperature of the glaciers over long periods. The findings show that the Tibetan Plateau is experiencing extreme levels of heat more frequently, which is worrisome.

As global warming continues, it is expected that the Tibetan Plateau will warm even faster than before. High-altitude areas, like the Himalayas, will warm at a faster rate compared to the global average, leading to longer and more intense heatwaves on the glacier surfaces.

The study used satellite data to analyse land surface temperatures across the Tibetan Plateau, and the results showed an increase in the duration and intensity of glacier heatwaves in the autumn. This information helps us understand the changing climate in this critical region.

Our strategic plan

TRANSFORMATIONAL EDUCATION

In 2022/23, post pandemic, we fully returned to campus and continued to deliver our commitment that students will graduate from Bangor University having developed the knowledge, ambition and confidence to succeed in their chosen career, and make a difference to society.

High-quality taught programmes harnessing innovative technologies to enhance education

Bangor University was ranked 45th in the U.K. in The Times Good University Guide 2023. The University’s overall position improved by 19% - achieving its highest ranking since the guide was first published a decade ago.

Notable areas of improvement included teaching quality, which saw a climb of 48 places to 20th position, and student experience, with a rise of 39 places to 31st position.

The University also leapt over 100 positions in the QS World University Rankings to secure its position amongst the top 500 universities worldwide and amongst the top 50 universities in the UK.

As the pace of technological development increases, we continued to explore ways of bringing new technologies into our teaching.

A multimedia learning pack exploring the essentials of Sociology was awarded the top prize in the Excellent Welsh-medium Resource Award category at Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s annual awards.

The opening of Rondo Media’s new Aria Studios and the associated Aria Training Academy now also offers our students opportunities to benefit from worldclass film and television industry experience, harnessing the latest multimedia technologies.

The learning support team in Digital Services led advancements in the use of Blackboard Ultra. Indeed, the School of Medical and Health Sciences won the Anthology Catalyst Award for Teaching and Learning, recognising their innovative use of Blackboard Learn Ultra. We also developed the University’s position on Generative Artificial Intelligence such as Chat GPT, as the use of chatbots expanded rapidly.

Our strategic plan

23 Our stratsgie plan

Embedding equality, diversity and inclusion

As part of the institutional approach to addressing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, work is underway to ensure our curricula include a diverse set of pedagogies and content, along with assessment that is inclusive for all students.

This included initiatives such as piloting an Inclusive Curriculum Framework in a module and Programme, working with the CELT Transitions Project Lead to tailor the Be Bangor Ready and Be Your Best at Bangor to be relevant to all students and to support them with their transition to University.

500 Amongst the top 500 universities worldwide

Supporting health and well–being

With the cost of living a concern amongst many students, the University introduced a range of support, including £2 hot meals in Café Teras, a review of the Hardship Fund methodology to make accessing the fund easier for students, and a greater focus on budgeting both online and as part of one-to-one meetings.

Canolfan Brailsford reduced the cost of gym membership for students, Halls reduced laundry prices and Bar Uno menu prices, Academi drinks prices and Pontio student cinema tickets were all frozen at 2021/22 prices.

Our work on building a campus where everyone plays a role in creating a safe environment free of violence and harassment of any kind continued, with 1.5 hours of Bystander intervention training offered to every first-year undergraduate student this academic year.

The ‘Donut Worry’ roadshow highlighted the range of support available to students including advice on money, housing, learning support, counselling and mental health specialists, as well as donuts. A twoyear myf.cymru project led by Bangor University continued to promote the well–being of Welsh speaking students through the myf.cymru platform - a student-led, clinically-reviewed source of resources and peer support for mental health through the medium of Welsh.

The University and Undeb Bangor students’ union also published its Student-Led Mental Health and Well–being Strategy, with this strong history of collaboration firmly embedded within the implementation and evaluation of the new strategy’s objectives.

Journey to graduate jobs

As part of our commitment to a renewed focus on employability, the University created the new role of Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Employability.

Following the completion of the Advance HE and HEFCW survey to assess how employability has been embedded into the curricula of Welsh higher education providers, Professor Fay Short, using the recommendations received in that report, conducted an institutional review of employability. To ensure inclusivity, the review incorporated a diverse range of perspectives from various stakeholders, including students, academics, and professional service staff. Efforts were made to engage individuals from different backgrounds with a shared interest in employability, ensuring that their voices were heard, and their unique viewpoints considered. This has provided us with a deeper understanding of our current context, drawing on evidence from the sector and our stakeholders, and allowed us to build a set of actions for embedding and enhancing employability at Bangor University.

Our strategic plan

What our students say

Students have a right to have their say, and have those views and opinions taken seriously. Seven out of 10 of the final-year students that took part in this year’s National Student Survey were satisfied with the quality of their course.

Our strongest performing programmes for student satisfaction, achieving 100% satisfaction, were in Marine Biology/Oceanography, Zoology with Conservation, Geography and Product Design. Student satisfaction was also above 90% in Accounting, Design Studies, English Language, Finance, Forestry and Arboriculture, Midwifery and Welsh Studies.

Out of the 44 subjects in which Bangor University is ranked as part of the National Student Survey, over 20

Using 360-degree photography, 3D laser scanners and drones

One of the key advantages of studying archaeology and history at Bangor University is the access we have to a vast array of historic monuments and archaeological sites on our doorstep.

Lecturers in the field of archaeology and heritage are now using drones and 3D photography to enhance the conventional

subjects have achieved a top 10 UK position in at least one of the four questions within the Teaching theme, with most (19) subjects achieving a top 5 position.

In the latest Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey , the overall satisfaction of taught postgraduates with their studies was 85%, based on 607 responses (30%) which ranked us 23rd out of 101 in the sector. In terms of teaching, of the 593 PGTs who answered, 91% agreed that ‘staff are good at explaining things’ and 93% agreed that ‘staff are enthusiastic about what they are teaching’. 90% agreed that the course ‘has enhanced my academic ability’ and 89% agreed that ‘my course is intellectually stimulating’. The proportion of PGTs who agreed they felt better prepared for their future career was 85% at Bangor University, which was 10 percentage points above the Russell Group benchmark of 75%.

learning experience and to mitigate time and accessibility constraints, allowing students to acquire new skills and understand the legalities and responsibilities of using drones, whilst exploring new and exciting ways of bringing physical and oral history to life through technology.

This and other examples of good practice in harnessing innovative technology is being shared with teaching staff so that it can be applied in different subject areas.

Our strategic plan

Redoubling our commitment to fieldwork teaching

As travel opened up post-pandemic, we were able to take maximum advantage of our fantastic local environment, other locations in the UK, and opportunities for students to experience overseas fieldwork.

Through fieldwork, students can gain subject-specific knowledge, often using the field sites as case studies of wider issues. They also learn practical and research skills and meet local experts and stakeholders as part of their experience.

For example, this year, first year School of Natural Sciences students followed in the footsteps of Charles Darwin, by studying the geology, glacial geomorphology and the conservation and management of Cwm Idwal.

WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY

The field trip to Cwm Idwal was wonderful. Learning outdoors and looking at what we are studying to me is an essential and invaluable experience. Especially as it gives us the unique and unrivalled opportunity to gain understanding and ask supplementary questions in more relaxed ways.

Students have also been able to experience international fieldwork in a number of locations, including Tenerife, Barcelona, Arizona, Florida and the Netherlands to name but a few.

Our strategic plan

Supporting the NHS

As the NHS celebrated its 75[th] anniversary, we took a moment to celebrate the contribution made by Bangor University in supporting the NHS through its various programmes.

The value of this collaboration cannot be overstated, as it helps to alleviate the burden on the NHS while simultaneously providing valuable experience to students.

WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY

WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY

Working with the Primary mental health care service with NHS has provided me with an incredible learning opportunity. They also provide training opportunities remotely as well as offline which enables us to learn about different approaches, therapies and new developments in the field.

My year on placement with the NHS team has been extremely rewarding and enjoyable. The client work has been challenging and interesting and there is a real sense that you are putting the skills and theories learned on the Masters course to good use, and helping people make effective changes in terms of their mental health and well–being.

Our strategic plan

i ‘ it epee provision and a world-leading

29 o

A THRIVING WELSH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

The Welsh language is a core part of our cultural heritage and fundamental to our identity as an institution. Our Welsh Language Strategy illustrates our unwavering commitment to the Welsh language and bilingualism and provides a platform from which the University can actively contribute to the revitalisation of the Welsh language, not only socially and culturally but also economically. It also supports the Welsh Government’s ambition to see the number of people able to enjoy speaking and using Welsh reach a million by 2050. To enable this, and in line with the government’s vision, we are committed to increasing the number of Welsh speakers, increasing our use of the Welsh language, and create favourable conditions for Welsh language use in our institutional infrastructure and day-to-day working.

Bangor University has a long-standing reputation, both nationally and internationally, for our collective expertise in fostering a truly bilingual workplace, in providing high-quality Welsh-medium provision , and in conducting innovative and impactful research around the Welsh language and bilingualism. Our goal is to lead the sector in providing a truly bilingual environment for staff, students and external stakeholders where the Welsh language can flourish. We also aspire to becoming an advocate for bilingualism globally.

By 2030, we aim to consolidate the Welsh language in all aspects of our work, ensuring that staff and students have the opportunity to learn and work in a thriving Welsh and bilingual environment.

Nearly 70% of the University’s workforce and nearly a quarter of our students have Welsh language skills. During 2022-23, Canolfan Bedwyr reported that over 140 staff members were taking their Welsh language courses and that 50 students were awarded the Welsh Language Skills certificate.

Our strategic plan

Our ambition for promoting the use of Welsh within the workplace extends further than the provision of Welsh language classes. Keeping pace with developments in the digital world, Canolfan Bedwyr’s Language Technology Unit is at the forefront of developing cutting-edge technologies designed specifically for the Welsh language. The unit is a leader in its field, paving the way in creating and providing tools to enhance the use of minority languages worldwide in a rapidly changing digital world. Among its most recent advances, the Language Technologies team has developed Macsen , a Welsh personal assistant software similar to Alexa or Google Assistant , which can execute specific tasks or provide information. They have also developed ‘The Transcriber’, a software programme that Y Trawsgrifiwr transcribes Welsh speech into text. This programme offers instant transcriptions of recorded materials and provides subtitles, quickly and easily for film footage, whilst also supporting researchers who collect qualitative spoken data in Welsh.

These projects alone highlight the tremendous possibilities of Welsh artificial intelligence and speech technology in supporting the active use of Welsh in the workplace , all of which are openly shared to motivate its use across all industries and sectors.

By further enhancing and strengthening our commitment to the Welsh language in teaching, research, community outreach, and in the workplace, our aim is to ensure that Bangor University is a sector leader for Welsh language provision and a world-leading proponent of bilingualism .

Our strategic plan

31 o

Filling the Gap: Innovative Welsh Language Resources Enriching Education

Recognising the urgent need to address gaps in Welsh language resources to enhance the teaching and learning experience of students, a number of staff at Bangor University have sourced funding from the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol to develop innovative resource material within their fields. Dr Gareth EvansJones launched a well-received series of online conversations called ‘Identities: Cymreictod,’ discussing national identity in Wales from various perspectives, including religion, race, gender, and LGBTQ+, and explored Welsh identity in its historical, contemporary, and future dimensions, applauding the rich diversity of the population. Rhian Tomos instigated a series of podcasts Am Blant (‘About Children’) exploring contemporary issues relating to childhood, which led to further podcasts including Am Iechyd (‘About Health’), which discusses contemporary Am Filiwn (‘About (the) Million’) which health-related issues affecting us all, discusses aspects of education that help pupils along the road to becoming Welsh speakers within the context of the target to reach a million Welsh speakers by 2050, and Am Waith Cymdeithasol (‘About Social Work’), which discusses relevant issues relating to the Social Work profession.

In addition, Dr Cynog Prys and Dr Rhian Hodges developed an award-winning multimedia Welsh-Language Sociology Learning Pack to support students studying sociology through the medium of Welsh.

Having identified a dearth of engaging Welsh language resources with content specific to Wales, Dr. Prys and Dr. Hodges embarked on a collaborative journey to produce a high-quality educational tool, funded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol , that would cater to A-level Sociology students and those starting their HE studies through the medium of Welsh.

The learning pack encompasses a diverse range of materials, including e-books and videos with captivating illustrations by renowned cartoonist Huw Aaron. These resources were thoughtfully curated to engage students in their learning journey while immersing them in the rich and vibrant Welsh language and culture.

The initiative has received a very positive response from the education sector, culminating in a prestigious award at the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Annual Awards for Best Welsh Medium Resource.

The pack has been widely adopted in schools and universities across Wales, fulfilling the vision of enhancing the availability of Welsh language resources in the field of Sociology and inspiring more students to embrace the Welsh language as they pursue sociology studies, ultimately contributing to the growth and enrichment of Welsh-medium education.

The multimedia learning pack on Sociology stands as a beacon of progress in Welsh-medium education and offers a valuable resource that bridges the gap in Welsh language materials.

Our strategic plan

Welsh language support for students and educators

As part of our ongoing civic engagement activity and enhancing our marketing and recruitment agenda, lecturers from the Department of Welsh have been engaging with A/AS Level students in a series of discussion panels. The panels featured experts, scholars, and practitioners discussing various aspects of the A/AS Level syllabus, including works such as the stage play “Siwan” by Saunders Lewis, the award-winning film “Hedd Wyn,” the second strand of the Mabinogi, the tale of Branwen, the Hengerdd and the poems of Dafydd ap Gwilym.

A number of local schools participated in the events, with the sessions also being made available to all on the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol website. Feedback from both students and teachers was overwhelmingly positive, with the discussions aiding exam revision. The initiative was commended for bringing the texts to life for the students and providing them with an opportunity to interact with fellow Welsh students while getting a taste of university life.

Schools from further afield also benefited from receiving digital copies of the discussion panels, which served as an invaluable independent review resource. In particular, students appreciated the interpretations and comments from panel members, which were beneficial in preparation for oral examinations. The accessibility of the recordings helped break down geographical barriers and provided a glimpse into the offerings, connections, and experiences of the Welsh Department.

The initiative, funded by Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and the Bangor Fund, provides another example of how the University is contributing to the promotion and understanding of Welsh language and literature among students and educators alike.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND CIVIC IMPACT

The results of the UK’s publication of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) have reaffirmed our position as one of the best Universities in the UK for the impact of our research both locally and globally. This success is driven by the University’s natural strength in working in partnerships to deliver the very best impacts and contributions to both global and local communities.

During this year we secured new contracts to train the police-force of the future, to grow our degree apprenticeships in Digital and Advanced manufacturing, to upskill the NHS through continuing professional development. A significant development is the North Wales Medical School , a transformational project which will deliver growth for the University in teaching and research whilst also delivering for communities across North Wales. This will usher in a significant transformation in our regional impact, going beyond our already extensive contributions to the broader healthcare field.

This year has been a key year for Treborth Botanical Garden. The gardens are thriving and visitor numbers reached 70,000 reflecting the rapid growth in the recognition of the gardens as a regional asset. The Gardens secured accreditation from Botanic Gardens International this year whilst also delivering an extensive range of activities in health and well–being alongside the development of new gardens and an exciting vision, continuing to deliver growth in its user community and through its generous volunteer base.

The network of regional partnerships continues to deliver for the North Wales Communities. Our commitment to working with local authorities, BCUHB, the North Wales Economic Ambition Board and both Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and Coleg Cambria is delivering economic and social opportunity and enabling a truly joined up approach to regional needs and infrastructure, sometimes collaborating sometimes working in concert for the region.

12 months of successful engagement, with the aim of improving decarbonisation

Bangor University is working with Adra, a local social housing provider, to establish the focal point of a regional decarbonisation ecosystem that will provide an integrated approach to the transition to low carbon, energy-efficient, housing stock in the region in a way that supports business growth and investment and the socio-economic well-being of residents. The Decarbonisation Hub at Tŷ Gwyrddfai, Penygroes is set to be the first of its kind in Wales and the UK to tackle decarbonisation in housing.

Led by Adra, this ecosystem/ cluster brings together the key regional stakeholders, both public and private sector. The project includes Adra, Travis Perkins, Bangor University and Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and can deliver across the housing supply chain.

The Hub will deliver:

Our strategic plan

5? i

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

Bangor University is dedicated to fostering global engagement among our students and staff, collaborating with partners to create a sustainable world for present and future generations. Our approach to global engagement is built on a commitment to collaborative work and delivery, whilst emphasising our multilingual and multicultural roots.

We have a growing international student population, which enriches our institution and our city with ethnic and cultural diversity. We have seen a significant increase in the number of students from different countries, who now represent almost a third of our student body. Having increased by nearly 20% to include students from over 125 different nationalities we are a truly global university in the heart of North Wales, offering a high-quality education that empowers our international students to change their lives and their communities. We also benefit from their diverse perspectives and experiences, which enhance our academic environment and our range of subjects.

While offering high-quality education to international students in Bangor remains a crucial element of our global engagement, Bangor University also actively forges educational collaborations on a global scale including in China, Bahrain, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, and Singapore.

In Changsha China, we recently celebrated a decadelong partnership with the Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT). A partnership that resulted in the creation of the Joint Educational Institute: Bangor College China (BCC), which provides educational programmes in disciplines such as Forestry, Business, and Electronic Engineering. This partnership alone has produced over 1,100 worldclass graduates , profoundly impacting not only their own lives but also the broader community through the significant contributions these graduates will make to society at large.

Fostering such collaborations holds great significance in our engagement efforts, in the future we aim to not only enhance our existing courses but also to broaden our collaborative research initiatives.

Our Global Engagement Strategy includes an ambition to work with partners around the world to transform lives and contribute to both societal and economic development extending our partnerships to include opportunities for joint research and innovation activities whilst supporting the University’s commitment to long-term sustainability, covering the social, economic and environmental aspects of our activities.

Over 125 different nationalities of students

Our strategic plan

International partnership to improve the effectiveness of tropical forest conservation

Slowing tropical deforestation is vital for tackling climate change. However despite decades of effort, a lot of conservation is relatively ineffective. Bangor University has world-renowned strength in conservation impact evaluation. We are working with Dahari, a conservation organization based in the Comoros, to establish their new approach to slowing deforestation (based on individual agreements with local farmers) as a Randomized Control Trial. This will provide robust evidence about the effectiveness of this approach and will inform future conservation efforts.

Deep reefs of the Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean

Jyodee Sannassy Pilly joined The Ocean Conservation Exploration and Education Foundation expedition with REV Ocean to explore the twilight zone on the most remote reefs in the Indian Ocean. Jyodee participated in dives in two submersibles to document the reefs of the Chagos Archipelago to depths of 500m. This expedition provided early career scientists training in deep water ecology and conservation management, with an opportunity to explore reefs well below diving depths. The project builds on Bangor’s involvement in an international collaboration on the impact of climate change on coral reef resilience in the Chagos Archipelago funded by Fondation Bertarelli.

38 NNQOK Ourstratègie plan

OUR PEOPLE

Bangor University is dedicated to a comprehensive approach to supporting the physical and mental health and well-being of both staff and students. Recent developments, including the Student-Led Mental Health & Well–being Strategy 2023-2025 and the Health and Well–being Strategy 2020-2024, reflect the university’s commitment to creating a culture of open discussions about health, supporting healthy lifestyles, and driving societal change through research-based interventions.

Universities see tremendous benefits when focussing on people, environments, relationships, and policies and are at their best when these elements come together. Satisfaction increases and performance improves as people report feeling happier, healthier and more engaged. It can also result in improved student satisfaction. Investing in employee well-being can lead to increased resilience, better employee engagement, reduced sickness absence and higher performance and productivity.

During the year, several measures were implemented to support staff well-being, including providing information and support on the menopause, with Bangor being the first in Wales to achieve menopausefriendly accreditation status. We also offer financial well-being workshops, and established Staff Well– being Coaches and Champions.

Furthermore, we organised a second staff well–being afternoon centred around the theme of ‘connect,’ one of the five steps recommended by the NHS to enhance mental health and well-being. The other steps, such as being physically active, learning new skills, giving to others, and paying attention to the present moment, will form the basis of future activities.

Tackling mental health stigma in the workplace

Bangor University signed the Time for Change Wales Employer Pledge , demonstrating its dedication to addressing mental health stigma and discrimination while promoting mental well-being. Alongside this endorsement, the University devised a thorough action plan encompassing various targeted initiatives. These initiatives comprise integrating mental health and well-being into the induction process, encouraging staff to share personal stories about supporting their mental health, arranging events and training focused on these topics, providing signposting services, and fostering general awareness throughout the university community.

Time to Change Wales is funded by the Welsh Government and delivered jointly by Adferiad/ Recovery and Mind Cymru.

Rachelle Bright of Time to Change Wales said, “Time to Change Wales is delighted to support Bangor University in further helping to break the silence around mental health. Imagine if every organisation in Wales made a public pledge to tackle stigma: employers big and small, councils, universities, football clubs, places of worship, charities… that would send a powerful message that mental health is something that can be talked about, and that stigma and discrimination are not welcome!”

The pledge is a public commitment to changing the way the University thinks and acts about mental health at every level.

We continue to review and develop our inclusive recruitment practices to ensure we both encourage and support a diverse range of talent and protect against bias in our processes. To further that end, our bespoke online Unconscious Bias training module was launched in 2020 and, to date, over 1300 members of staff have completed this training.

The EDI group has also worked to ensure that core issues are addressed across our academic programmes and in our curricula.

Our strategic plan

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Highlights

Highlights
2022/23 2021/22
Income £178.022 million £163.249 million
Income growth 9% 6%
Surplus before tax (as % income) £5.611 million (3%) (£35,489) (-22%)
Surplus / (defcit) excluding USS
pension movements (as % income)		 (£4.851 million) (-3%) (£1.131 million) (-0.7%)
Operating cash fow from operating
activities (as % of income)		 £12.740 million (7%) £16.486 million (10%)
Capital expenditure £10.711 million £10.084 million
Year-end cash and short-term
investments		 £41.466 million £45.133 million

Overview

In the 2022/23 year we recorded our largest ever income, which grew by 9% on the previous year. The 2022/23 year continued to bring challenges with home undergraduate fees fixed at £9,000 cost pressures from inflation and higher pay costs than expected after the higher education sector brought forward the first part of the 2023/24 pay award to February.

Despite these cost pressures it is pleasing to deliver a strong set of results with a positive surplus before tax and Operating Cash Flow from operating activities.

In the longer term, we are targeting a stronger performance to more to a longerterm sustainable position. This is largely expected to be delivered through income growth and a continued focus on efficiency.

Financial Review

Operating performance

Our income comes from several sources as shown in the chart below.

Total income £178.022 million

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19%
14% 11%
Research grants
and contracts Funding body Other
grants income
24%
16%
9% 7%
Full time
home students Full time international Other tuition Residences
tuition fees students tuition fees fees fees
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Total tuition fees grew by 9.8% in 2022/23, which was largely due to a 49% increase in full-time international students. Student recruitment continues to be a very competitive market, with no fees cap on numbers for English or Welsh universities. A fee plan has been agreed by HEFCW including a fee of £9,000 for home undergraduate and PGCE students. The fee plan includes investments to support widening access, the student experience, Welsh medium and employability, including providing free access to all sports clubs, societies and volunteering activities in the Students’ Union, and enhanced library and sporting provision.

The portfolio of research grants and contracts also continues to grow with the proportion of total income from research grants and contracts growing from 18.1% to 18.6%.

The increase in activity inevitably led to an increase in expenditure with pay costs staying consistent as a proportion of income at 52.8% even after the first part of the 2023/24 national pay award was paid early in February. There were several increases in non-pay costs during the year especially in relation to utilities which put pressure on the underlying operating performance in the year. The provision for paying the past service deficit of USS was recalculated in the year and an increase in gilt rates resulted in a reduction in the value of the provision of £10,468 million. Overall, the University delivered a £5.611 million surplus or 3% of total income.

The statement of financial position was largely consistent with the position as at 31 July 2022 with net assets of £210.096 million at 31 July 2023 compared to £212.423 million at 31 July 2022. The main change between the two years was a shift from cash to short-term investments following the introduction of a more dynamic approach to treasury management and the use of time-deposit accounts, which resulted in an additional £1.172 million of investment income in the year.

The cash inflow from operating activities in the year was £12.740 million, or 7% of total income. In the longer term, we are targeting a higher level of operating cash generation to finance the plans for future capital expenditure.

Financial Review

Student numbers

In 2022-23 we had 10,551 students studying with us, a similar level to the previous year. International enrolments had however increased by almost 50% to just over 3,000 students compared with last year, predominantly driven by a significant increase in international taught postgraduate students. The distribution of students* in 2022-23 was:

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Undergraduate Postgraduate
6,475 4,076
Full-time Part-time
9,193 1,358
Home International
7,515 3,036
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* Student census data as at 1 November, with further adjustments in respect of semester 2 enrolments.

Capital investments

Our strategy for the estates remains under regular review to ensure we have the capacity and capability to effectively accommodate a wide range of teaching and research across our broad portfolio of disciplines.

During the year we finished our project to modernise the public realm around the Main Arts Library Quad. This is now providing a flexible space outdoors for events and for students, staff and visitors to use.

Several smaller schemes were completed in the year including the refurbishment of the entrance foyer to the Main Arts building and some key maintenance schemes.

The year has also seen some key developments in respect of our digital infrastructure. We are pleased that the University has made a major investment into a new HR and Payroll system with a significant project spend in 2022/23. The project went live in October 2023 and will provide an excellent platform for the University in the future.

In the year we also made a major investment into the demolition of the Alun Robert’s tower, although as a demolition project this has not been capitalised. The tower is now almost demolished. This removes a building in poor condition and provides an excellent site for future development.

Financial Review

Principal risks and uncertainties

The University recognises that there are inherent risks and uncertainties associated with many aspects of its operations. We aim to identify, manage and mitigate those risks wherever possible and promotes a culture of active risk management throughout the University. The institutional risk register is formally reviewed by the Executive Board, Audit and Risk Committee and Council regularly.

The key high-level risks present for the University are:

Each risk is assigned to a member of the Executive Board as the risk owner and another senior colleague as the risk lead. The cause and effect of each risk is scored to give an inherent rating. The risk process then considers the first, second and third line of controls before identifying a residual score and clear actions to mitigate or manage the risk.

Pension schemes

The University operates three main pension schemes. Staff at grade 7 and above are enrolled into USS. Staff at grades 1-6 are automatically enrolled into the NEST Defined Contribution Scheme and have the option to join the BU PAS Defined Benefit Scheme.

The valuation of USS as at 31 March 2023 is well underway. We have around 0.5% of the active membership of USS and is an important component of our financial position. We have a liability of £46.796 million on our balance sheet in respect of USS liabilities and our annual payments to USS for employer contributions are £10 million.

The funding position of the scheme has improved, and the valuation process is now well under way with all stakeholders working towards a quick finalisation of the process using an accelerated timetable.

Financial Review

At the last valuation the scheme in 2020 there was a deficit of £14.1 billion and total contributions of 31.4% of salary were needed to fund the future benefits (25.2%) and the past service deficit (6.2%). A reduction in benefits was needed to keep the scheme affordable for members and employers and a significant package of additional support measures was put in place by employers to support the strength of the employer covenant.

The initial results from the valuation are that the scheme had a surplus of £7.4 billion at 31 March 2023 and that 20.6% total contributions would be required to fund a restoration of the pre-April 2022 benefits. With no deficit in the scheme no payments would be required for deficit recovery payments. Each 1% point of employer contributions cost us around £500,000 so the potential savings would be a significant step in growing our financial strength and sustainability.

The BU PAS scheme is a defined benefit scheme operated by the University. On an FRS 102 basis the scheme currently has assets of £116.393 million and liabilities of £107.580 million and therefore a surplus of £8.812 million which is recognised on the University’s Statement of Financial Position.

The scheme is being valued at 31 July 2023 and agreement has already been reached to reduce the University employer contribution from 23.5% to 17.5% for 2023/24. The initial position at 31 July suggests the employer contribution could fall significantly.

The NEST scheme is a defined contribution scheme where members pay 5% of salary and the University pays 3%. The University has recently agreed a new strategy for pensions which will see some significant improvements to the NEST scheme.

Endowed funds

The University holds funds arising from bequests and other gifts, which are recognised in these accounts as either endowments or donations with or without restrictions. These funds have been invested on a pooled basis and are managed by UBS in line with the University’s sustainable investment policy. During the year, the funds incurred a diminution in value of £98,000 alongside an income of £250,000. The total value of endowment reserves as at 31 July 2023 was £8.176 million, including accumulated income of £1.622 million.

Outlook and going concern

The Group and University’s activities, together with the factors likely to affect its future development, performance, financial position, cash flows, liquidity and borrowing facilities are set out within this Strategic Review.

The Group and University meets its day to day working capital requirements through unrestricted cash balances which are adequate to meet liabilities as and when they fall due for the foreseeable future. The Council has prepared detailed cash flow forecasts for both 2023/24 and 2024/25. After reviewing these forecasts the Council is of the opinion that, taking account of severe but plausible downside risks, the Group will have sufficient funds to meet their liabilities as they fall due over the period of 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements (the going concern assessment period).

Financial Review

We have assessed several scenarios which estimated the various financial impacts of the risks faced through a range of areas, in particular student number and fee income generation together with income from residences and commercial income. This also included assessment of the plausible impact of continuing inflation for both staff costs and operating costs.

The University has a Budget for 2023/24 based on its student recruitment together with control over capital expenditure to maintain liquidity. The University has no plans to increase its level of debt funding facilities. No banking covenants have been breached or are estimated to be breached during the going concern assessment period.

Because of this review, the Council considers that the Group and the parent University can manage its finance and business risks and will continue to meet their liabilities as they fall due for at least 12 months from the date of the approval of the financial statements and therefore have prepared the financial statements on a going concern basis.

M Riddleston, Chief Financial Officer

E Hepburn, Chair of Finance and Strategy Committee

Financial Review

SUSTAINABILITY

Bangor University strives to be the preferred choice for individuals who are passionate about creating a more sustainable world. Our scientists are dedicated to addressing pressing environmental issues such as climate change and the excessive use of single-use plastics, as well as preserving biodiversity and protecting ecosystems on land and sea.

At the campus level we are working hard to enhance the sustainability of all we do, by implementing policies on travel, waste management and recycling, energy usage and carbon emissions, biodiversity conservation, and sourcing all our food from sustainable suppliers.

The University’s commitment to reducing its own adverse environmental impact was recognised through successful recertification to the international standard ISO14001:2015. This supports our drive towards sustainable practices and the setting of ambitious environmental goals.

2022/23 saw several improvements across numerous themes, such as development of a Water Management Plan, an Amenity Grassland Management Plan, and establishing a methodology for capturing and calculating CO2e emissions associated with the travel between students’ homes and the University.

November 2022 saw the launch of the 25 by 25 campaign , in partnership with the Students’ Union. The campaign aims to engage staff and students in helping to reduce carbon equivalent emissions by 25% by the year 2025. Focussing on three key target areas energy, travel and waste, the campaign has created a greater awareness, and actions so far consist of an electric ‘switch off’ campaign, discounts for reusable mugs in our catering outlets, an increase in secured cycle racks, and an investigation into using a carbon negative search engine.

The University climbed nearly 20 places in the People and Planet University League Table , which ranks institutions on their sustainability actions. It was ranked 10th out of 153 UK universities, up from 28th in 2021 and 2nd in Wales.

This year also saw the University ranked in the top 100, placing 64th globally out of 1,591 institutions and 16th in the UK when measured against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the annual Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

Sustainability

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48 IL UNDEI Ourstudènts. vièws

OUR STUDENTS’ UNION

Undeb Bangor our Students’ Union has seen a significant amount of activity and work delivered in 2022-23 by our students and our Student Officer and staff team. Our priorities have focused on supporting students, representing their voice with our work and activities. We are and offering them opportunities to engage dedicated and determined to ensure we deliver the highest student experience for our diverse student body.

We have continued to support and subsequently have high engagement with our free clubs, societies, and volunteering projects . We’ve aided student groups as they recover from the effects of Covid-19, and we’ve also provided support in the establishment of new groups to align with evolving student needs and interests. The course representative system remains dedicated to empowering students to advocate for their academic concerns and interests both within their school and across the entire university. We are also building links between students and the university hosting Q&A sessions with members of the University Executive.

We have worked closely with the University to ensure that the interests of our students have been effectively represented this year. The Cost-of-Living crisis has been a major concern for Bangor students, and this has been a priority campaign of ours. Our partnership response with the university to the cost-of-living crisis is a strong example of our collaborative approach and close working relationship. These initiatives include the introduction of £2 meals in some University catering outlets; improvements to the Hardship Fund; using HEFCW funding to support students with the cost-of-living and their well–being to provide food vouchers, travel bursaries for placements students and free reusable period products.

Top 10 Best Students’ Union in the UK

The University Executive approved the university Student Led Mental Health Strategy, which has been a collaborative strategic co-creation project where we’ve seen meaningful collaboration between the University, the SU and students to create this strategy. This Strategy is sector leading in content and approach in terms of student involvement in the creation of the Strategy and continued student engagement with the implementation. These projects have been collaborative throughout, and the partnership work that we have seen during this period demonstrates the benefit of a strong and independent Student Union working collaboratively with the University to represent the interests of all students.

Our students’ views

We presented the Undeb Bangor Student Experience Report (published in November 2022 and covering the academic years 2020-2021 and 2020-22), which reviews the student voice and experience and highlights some of the key areas which are currently of importance to students. Commendations and recommendations were set out, with an aim of ensuring the student experience and partnership working is the very best it can be. The University presented a highlevel response to this report to the May University Council meeting.

The built environment that students experience shapes educational experiences and has a big impact on students’ learning experience, improving learning and non-learning spaces on campus in order to improve the student experience, this has been one of our priorities over the last academic year. We’ve had membership on the Learning & Non-Learning Spaces Task and End Group where we’ve reported on student feedback and raised concerns about lack of spaces throughout the year. The demand for improvements to learning and non-Learning spaces across campus is supported by data from our recent survey, to which we had over 500 responses, this feedback is included in our Student Experience Report for 2023 where we will make recommendations to the University. We are also pleased to see progress on this matter with developments to spaces in the Main Arts foyer, library and Pontio underway.

As presidents of the Students’ Union and the UMCB (Welsh Students’ Union) we are members of the University Council and sabbatical officers are represented on all University strategy groups. We have been proud of our contributions to many of these groups and initiatives over the year.

Undeb Bangor reached the Top 10 Best Students’ Union in the UK reaching the 7th position in the Whatuni Student Choice Award 2023, and ranked in the top 20 Student Crowd league table for clubs and societies , these awards are based on real student reviews, collected from campuses around the UK.

We have once again received the Excellent Standard in Green Impact Students’ Union Awards 2022-23 and achieved the highest score out of all Students’ Unions in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This esteemed recognition underscores the Union’s continuous commitment to sustainability and environmental excellence. Undeb Bangor’s achievement in attaining the Excellent Standard can be attributed to its range of impactful initiatives that address critical sustainability challenges and encourages positive change.

These awards are testament to the hard work the Undeb team and our student leaders have put into creating a great experience for students bringing the student community together in these testing times.

Nyah Lowe President, Student Union

Celt John Llywydd UMCB

Our students’ views

Top 20 Student Crowd league table for clubs and societies

OUR PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL ESTATE

The University is the custodian of a large, varied and historic estate, situated at various sites in Bangor, Anglesey, Llanfairfechan and Wrexham. By site area the estate is the 5th largest in the UK higher education sector (359 hectares) and contains over 170 buildings (234,102 square metres) and 2,445 student residences.

An Estates Vision has been agreed that sets the direction of travel for the University over the long term but recognises that this is set within an ever changing environment and evolving need of our academic and student communities.

To reflect our Strategic Delivery Plan, we now have six active Project Boards working and delivering within approved parameters set within a new governance framework to deliver an exciting physical estate.

The main campus within Bangor dominates the skyline and this is changing for the better with the demolition of the 11-storey Alun Roberts Tower. Having met a range of science needs over the last 60 years, and most recently Chemistry and research, the demolition will soon be completed, with the previous occupiers being relocated to refurbished spaces within our existing estate.

Improving the look, feel and use of our campus is really important and we have begun a rolling programme of targeted investments. We are creating new social learning spaces and a dynamic discoverable reading collection to reflect our curriculum and research. This has enabled us to improve the use of buildings such as Deiniol, Pontio and Libraries to better cater for students who wish to study, socialise or both. The 5th floor of Pontio has been transformed into a flexible student social and study space , that is very popular and has been positively received.

Our physical and digital estate

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The work to the public realm continues, with improvements to the Outer Quad now complete, showcasing the University Summer Ball and Graduations in 2022/23. Community engagement sessions are ongoing as we prepare the final planning application for Parc Y Coleg.

The previous thinking on the Deiniol Building has now been extended to encompass the North Wales Medical School. Phase 1 of the project will see the first intake of students in 2024 at Brigantia and Phase 2 will see the 2025 intake taking occupation of a fully refurbished and fitted out Deiniol Building.

The schematic layouts for these spaces have been approved by the General Medical Council.

To support our ambitions of innovation and opportunity, we are developing proposals for a new phase of M-SParc, providing sector and industry leading space for businesses and researchers. In parallel, we are also progressing our new Centre for Environmental Biotechnology at Henfaes. This will see exciting, new innovative research facilities being developed for us in collaboration with industry partners.

Our physical and digital estate

55 oO

DIGITAL

Our digital services underpin most of what we do. We recognise that we must continually evolve and develop our infrastructure and applications to meet staff and student expectations. Our ambitions are outlined in the Digital Strategy. This sets out a significant investment programme in our network, cyber security capabilities and business and student systems.

with HR and payroll. It will provide what is expected in a modern working environment where employees and managers can easily interact with their profiles and information from a single web portal.

We have already begun our Wireless Refresh 2024 project . This is a significant investment that will see not only our students continuing to benefit from our award winning wifi solution, but also, we are rolling this out to as much of our campus as we can, so that staff will also benefit, offering the opportunity to touch down and work anywhere.

During 2022/23, we have concentrated our efforts to enhance the systems that underpin the student journey, from admission to undergraduates. As part of this activity, we have been in the process of rolling out Banner Phase 1 for Study Pathways and Data Futures , alongside the implementation of Admissions CRM Recruit and a dynamic web site which truly reflects our curriculum. Underpinning these new systems is Worktribe Curriculum, which provides real time updates for programme and module to be surfaced accurately and consistently where required. A single source of truth.

Cybercrime remains a continuous threat and we are working hard to protect our network and develop our cyber practices to avoid loss or exploitation of data and widespread interruption of the IT service. The cyber threat is real, relentless, and can be destructive.

In 2023/24 the University will be developing an surfaced accurately and consistently where required. Integrated Strategic Delivery Plan to shape estate A single source of truth. and digital infrastructure over the next seven years to In addition, we have been integrating iTrent, which will support and enhance student and staff experience and success. bring a transformational change to how we interact

PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT

Bangor University is a Registered Charity (number 1141565) in accordance with the terms of the Charities Act 2011. In setting and reviewing the University’s objectives and activities, the University has due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and supplementary guidance for charities established for educational purposes.

Funded by quarrymen and farmers who wanted to give the local people of North Wales the chance to access higher education, Bangor University first opened its doors in October 1884. Today, we have over 10,000 students and around 2,000 . members of staff

Teaching

At the core of our mission lies the goal of cultivating well-educated, skilled, and self-assured graduates who are fully prepared for both professional and global engagement.

The establishment of the North Wales Medical School moved one step closer by launching our recruitment campaign to enrol students to our Medical course starting in September 2024. Our partnership with Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board will enable us to deliver a full medicine programme strengthening our local healthcare provision while also increasing the number of those able to practice in Welsh also providing a huge boost to the local economy.

As part of our ongoing civic engagement activity the Department of Welsh has been engaging with A/AS Level students in a series of discussion panels. Our commitment to the Welsh language and bilingualism is unwavering and our strategy provides a unique platform from which the language can thrive, offering an opportunity to actively contribute to the cultural, economic and health benefits of the region.

Research

Bangor University is a research-led University of and for North Wales, offering life-changing educational opportunities and contributing positively to the local community. Among its initiatives is a wastewater monitoring research facility, where scientists can analyse water samples to detect human pathogenic viruses and antimicrobial resistance in freshwater, estuarine, and coastal environments. This helps track the prevalence of these microorganisms in the community through wastewater sampling. More recently, researchers are actively exploring innovative methods to understand how harmful microorganisms in the River Conwy, its nearby coast, and the surrounding areas respond to environmental factors like pollution and climate change.

Supporting access to education

Bangor’s widening access strategy has adopted a holistic approach across the student journey aiming to reach, engage and broaden the aspirations of underrepresented students from a variety of backgrounds, supporting them to achieve and succeed. The Reaching Wider North and Mid Wales partnership of which Bangor University is the lead Institution developed and piloted an ‘All Wales online mentoring programme’, recruiting year 12/13 students from specific colleges and schools to be mentored by undergraduate students from Welsh institutions. Bangor University continued its commitment to work in partnership

Public Benefit statement

with Carers organisations and Reaching Wider to run a 3-day young carers residential during the Easter period, giving the young carers, a taste of university life and showing them the vast opportunities and well-being support Bangor University provides.

M-SParc the University’s science park has been at the heart of the community this year, with #OnTour locations in Colwyn Bay, Caernarfon, Pwllheli and Bangor High St offering workshops ranging from business advice to 3D printing, providing upskilling opportunities to the local community. The Repair Café in Bangor city centre brought life to the high street bringing volunteers together to fix everyday household items and save them from landfill. M-SParc’s Skill-SParc programme has been offering local schools STEM activities designed to teach skills required in industry, which also tie into the new curriculum for Wales, all these initiatives are designed to bridge the region’s skills gap.

International Reach

Over 2,000 international students from 126 countries choose to study at Bangor University. During the course of the year over 50 international students took part in the Internationals GoGreen! Project which brought together students and the local community through environmental activities. In particular, a beach clean at Porth Neigwl (Llŷn Peninsula) with the aim of raising awareness of the problems with plastic but also to contribute to a cleaner Wales, offering a service to the local community and a Marine Wildlife Day (Anglesey) where students joined birdwatching volunteers and Wildlife Trust experts in a unique experience to learn about local fauna (including lots of curious seals) and to discuss climate change and the effect of rising temperatures on marine species on site.

Community

A Community Collaboration Fund, the first of its kind at the University, was established as part of the Civic Engagement Strategy and is supported by HEFCW through the Research Wales and Innovation Fund (RWIF). The fund is designed to pump priming civic engagement activities between University staff and external partners. Staff members applied for awards of up to £1,000 to carry out civic engagement activities that will spark new collaborations or build on existing relationships with external partners. Examples of successful funding ranged from an MSparc partnership with North Wales IT Recycling, students from Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and local secondary schools, to run a series of workshops on how to ‘Build your own PC’ to building on the existing collaboration with Llenyddiaeth Cymru and Llais Dyslecsia, to collate the experiences of children and adults living with dyslexia in the wider community, particularly in the Welsh language. Finally, Pontio, our arts and innovation centre hosted a number of open-door events for our community including ‘Blas’ and Rhythm Aye which invited local children to showcase their talents and join a number of free activities.

Sustainability

Underpinning all our activities is sustainability, which is a core value and guiding principle for the University. In partnership with Undeb Bangor and UMCB, the University has set itself the target of significantly reducing its carbon emissions by the year 2025. Our goal is to inspire our community to create a more sustainable world, this University has a role to play in society, building on our focus on discovery, sustainability, safeguarding the environment and promoting economic, social, bilingual and cultural vibrancy. As a research-led University and as individuals who care deeply about the world we live in.

Public Benefit statement

REMUNERATION REPORT

The Remuneration Committee is responsible for determining and reviewing an overall reward strategy for senior staff of the University (Senior officers being defined as the Vice–Chancellor, members of the Executive and staff in receipt of salaries of £100,000 and above).

Senior Pay Remuneration

The Remuneration Committee ensures that it complies with its Terms of Reference and the Committee of University Chairs (CUC) Higher Education Senior Staff Remuneration Code. In line with its Terms of Reference and the CUC Senior Staff Remuneration Code, senior staff are reviewed using a fair process that reflects the performance of each individual in the context of the University’s performance as well as reviewing equity. The Committee takes into account affordability, proportionality to remuneration of other university staff, performance, comparative external information on remuneration and equality information. Data is drawn from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) Senior Staff Remuneration Survey is used to provide evidence for any market adjustments.

Vice–Chancellor’s Remuneration

The remuneration of the Vice–Chancellor is determined by the Remuneration Committee. In reviewing the salary, the Committee takes into account the breadth of leadership and financial responsibilities and delivery against the University’s strategic objectives. The Committee considers the organisational context, alongside the Vice–Chancellor’s performance, general pay movement for all University staff and any relevant market considerations and is informed by salary benchmarking information with comparator universities. The Vice–Chancellor’s performance is assessed by the Chair of Council after taking some soundings and feedback form members of Council.

Remuneration for other staff groups

The majority of other staff are on the National Framework Agreement (NFA) pay spine and covered by the University’s Grading structure which consist of 9 Grades. Staff on this pay scales gain incremental pay increases annually based on increased skill, knowledge and experience until they reach the top of the grade’s core range. They are also subject to any nationally agreed pay awards.

The clinical pay scale covers clinical staff and replicates the NHS pay ranges. Clinical staff gain incremental pay increases annually based on increased skill, knowledge and experience until they reach the top of the grade’s core range. Clinical consultants also gain commitment awards above the top of the consultant grade range.

The Professorial pay scale comprises of 3 Bands with individuals undertaking their first appointment being appointed to Band 1. Band 2 is normally available for Professors who have a well-established international reputation in their field or have an external presence that places them significantly higher than that expected of Band 1. Professorial Band 3 will normally be available for Professors who have evidence of being a major academic figurehead, internationally renowned and considered to bring considerable prestige to the University through their sustained record of academic achievement at the highest level.

Remuneration report

The Pay Progression and Contribution Related Pay Policy, the Professorial Staff Salary Review and the Senior Staff Salary Review, allows the University to reward and recognise all individuals and groups of staff who make an exceptional (sustained or one–off) contribution that furthers the aims and objectives of the University, College, School or Professional Service, or meets an exceptional shorter-term operational challenge.

Living Wage Employer

The University is an accredited Living Wage employer and as a result all staff receive at least the Living Wage Foundation rate of pay.

Pay ratios

The ratios between the Vice–Chancellor salary and the median pay of staff is disclosed within the financial statement.

National Pay awards

All University staff receive the cost of living increases following annual pay negotiations conduced by UCEA on behalf of Universities.

Remuneration report

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL

The University is incorporated by a Royal Charter, first granted in 1885, and subsequently re-written and revised on several occasions. The Charter, and supporting Statutes and Ordinances, provide a broad framework for the legal structure and governance of the University. Certain elements within the documents are restricted by legislation, including the Higher Education Act 2015, and therefore any changes to Charter and Statutes require Privy Council approval. Ordinances can be changed by the Council. The Charter and Statutes have remained largely untouched for decades and plans to modernise the Charter and Statutes have been in train for a number of years. The University is currently awaiting a new Supplemental Charter from the Privy Council which will modernise the university’s processes and bring it into line with most other higher education institutions who have already gone down this route.

The Council is the governing body of the University and is responsible, as set out in its Charter, for the finance, estates, investments, and general business of the University, and for setting the general strategic direction of the institution. The Council endeavours to conduct its business in accordance with the seven principles identified by the Committee on Standards in Public Life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership).

The University is a charity, and all members of Council are trustees of the University, providing their time freely, contributing to the discussions and decision making of the organisation.

The Council continues to note the requirements of the Committee of University Chairs (CUC) Higher Education Code of Governance (September 2020) and the Camm Review of Governance of the Universities in Wales (December 2019) and keeps these matters under review as part of the business of the Nominations & Governance Committee.

The Council applies an approach of continuous improvements to governance, and regularly reviews its effectiveness. The most recent Governance Effectiveness Review was completed by AdvanceHE in February 2023, which resulted in an assessment that, overall, the governance at the University is effective. Where recommendations and suggestions were made in the Review these have been included in an Action Plan which is being monitored by the Nominations & Governance Committee, and reported to the Council.

Corporate review

The matters specifically reserved to the Council for decision are set out in the Charter and the Ordinances of the University, by custom and under the Financial Management Code with the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

The roles of Chancellor, Chair of Council and Deputy Chair of Council are separated from the role of the University’s Chief Executive, who is the Vice–Chancellor. The Council has a majority of members from outside the University (described as independent members), from whom its Chair and Deputy Chair are drawn. In addition, other members of Council are drawn from members of the Senate, and members of academic and non-academic staff, as well as the Students’ Union.

The Council meets five times a year but much of its detailed work is handled initially by standing committees of the Council. The Council has seven standing Committees (Finance & Strategy, Audit & Risk, Nominations & Governance, People & Culture, Welsh Language Affairs, Honorary Degrees and Fellowships and Remuneration), and all Committees are formally constituted with terms of reference and membership which include independent members of Council. The Nominations & Governance Committee requests annual assurances from each Committee that they have operated under the requirements of their Terms of Reference during the previous academic year. During the year in question the Health and Safety Committee was reviewed, with the business of that committee included in other Council and University level committees.

The membership of the Council and membership of Committees along with the attendance figures for the 2022/23 academic year are noted below.

Attendance at Council
Name and Position Current Committees (5 meetings per calendar year)
Chair of Council Nominations & Governance 5/5
Mrs Marian Wyn Jones Committee (Chair)
(until 8 February 2025) Joint Engagement Forum (Chair)
People & Culture Committee
Finance & Strategy Committee
Remuneration Committee
Honorary Degrees & Fellowships
Committee (Chair)
Pro-Chancellor and Deputy Chair Health & Safety Committee 2/2
Professor Gareth Roberts
(until 31 December 2022)		 (until October 2022) (Chair)
Welsh Language Afairs Committee
(Chair)
Audit & Risk Committee
Nominations & Governance Committee
Ex ofcio Members of Council
Vice–Chancellor Nominations & Governance Committee 5/5
Professor Edmund Burke Finance & Strategy Committee
Joint Engagement Forum
Audit & Risk Committee
People & Culture Committee
Honorary Degrees & Fellowships
Committee
Deputy Vice–Chancellor Nominations & Governance Committee 4/5
Professor Oliver Turnbull Joint Engagement Forum
Finance and Strategy Committee
Honorary Degrees & Fellowships
Committee

Corporate review

Attendance at Council
Name and Position Current Committees (5 meetings per calendar year)
Ex ofcio Members of Council (continued)
President, Students’ Union Finance & Strategy Committee 5/5
Ms Nyah Lowe (from 1 July 2022) Nominations & Governance Committee
Audit & Risk Committee
People & Culture Committee
President, UMCB
Mr Celt John (from 1 July 2022)		 Welsh Language Afairs Committee 4/5
Appointed by the Senate
Dr Llion Jones Nominations & Governance Committee 5/5
(until 31 August 2023) Welsh Language Afairs Committee
Professor Rhiannon People & Culture Committee 4/5
Tudor Edwards
(until 31 July 2025)
Appointed by Staf
Dr Myfanwy Davies Finance & Strategy Committee 4/5
(until 30 September 2023) Nominations & Governance Committee
Mr Paul Wood People & Culture Committee 5/5
(until 11 April 2025) Health and Safety Committee
(until disbanded October 2022)
Independent Members
Ms Julie Perkins Finance & Strategy Committee 5/5
(until 31 October 2024) Nominations & Governance Committee
Remuneration Committee
(Chair, from 1 January 2023)
Honorary Degrees & Fellowships
Committee
Professor Timothy Wheeler Finance & Strategy Committee 4/5
(until 05 May 2026) Remuneration Committee
Honorary Degrees & Fellowships
Committee
Mrs Alison Lea-Wilson MBE Audit & Risk Committee 4/5
(until 31 July 2023) Nominations & Governance Committee
Welsh Language Afairs Committee
Dr. Ian Rees Audit & Risk Committee, 3/5
(until 31 July 2027) Nominations & Governance Committee
Welsh Language Afairs Committee
(Chair, from 01 January 2023)
People & Culture Committee (Chair)
Honorary Degrees & Fellowships
Committee

Corporate review

Attendance at Council (5 meetings per calendar year)

Attendance at Council
Name and Position Current Committees (5 meetings per calendar year)
Independent Members (continued)
Sir Paul Lambert Finance & Strategy Committee 5/5
(until 31 August 2024) (Chair, until March 2023)
People & Culture Committee
Joint Engagement Forum
Remuneration Committee
(until March 2023)
Audit & Risk Committee
(Chair, from March 2023)
Mr Marc P. Jones Finance & Strategy Committee 2/3
(until 10 February 2023) (until 10 February 2023)
Investment Sub-Committee
(Chair, until 10 February 2023)
Mr Eric Hepburn CBE Audit & Risk Committee 5/5
(until 31 October 2024) (Chair, until March 2023)
Health & Safety Committee
(until disbanded October 2022)
Remuneration Committee
(from March 2023)
Finance & Strategy Committee
(Chair, from March 2023)
Honorary Degrees & Fellowships
Committee
Mr Atul Devani Audit & Risk Committee 5/5
(until 31 October 2024)
Mr Kailesh Karavadra People & Culture Committee 1/3
(until 04 May 2023) (now continuing as co-opted member)
Professor Jean White Audit & Risk Committee 4/5
(until 31 October 2025) Health & Safety Committee
(until October 2022)
People & Culture Committee
Ms Elin Wyn
(from 28 November 2022)		 People & Culture Committee
Welsh Language Afairs Committee		 3/3
Professor David Viner Finance & Strategy Committee 2/2
(from 10 February 2023)
University Secretary and Nominations & Governance Committee 5/5
Secretary to the Council:
Mrs Gwenan Hine		 (Secretary)
Welsh Language Afairs Committee
(Secretary)
People & Culture Committee (Secretary)
Joint Engagement Forum (Secretary)
Health and Safety Committee
(until October 2022) (Secretary)

Corporate review

Independent Members of Council / Governing Body Diversity and Inclusivity

The Council is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusivity across all categories of membership. The University’s continued work on equality, diversity and inclusion is overseen, on behalf of the Council, by the People and Culture Committee. The Committee received detailed briefings at its June 2023 meeting on the work being undertaken on both the application for Athena Swan Silver Award, and also the application for Race Equality Charter. The Committee will be kept informed on progress in relation to these applications during 2023/24.

All vacancies for independent members are advertised externally with applications particularly welcome from under-represented groups. Vacancies for Senate, Academic and Non-Academic Members of Staff are advertised to all relevant members of staff.

Applications for independent members are considered by an Appointment Panel convened by the Nominations and Governance Committee and essential skills are matched against the current skills matrix, which was last undertaken in the summer of 2023. None of the independent members receive payment, apart from the reimbursement of expenses, for the work which they do for the University. All independent members of the Council serve for a period of four years in the first instance, and may be reappointed for a second term, with a maximum term of eight years.

Senate, Academic and Non-Academic members of staff are appointed through a nominations process, and a ballot should more than one name be received. Members serve for a period of three years in the first instance, and may be reappointed for a second term, with a maximum term of six years.

Induction of Council Members

New members of Council, in all categories, are required to undertake an in-depth induction session with the Chair of Council and the University Secretary. The induction session includes the history of Bangor University, University values, and the Governance and Regulatory framework. Input is also included from key members of the Executive Board and the Students’ Union. In addition new members are invited to observe a meeting of the Council prior to joining as a member. Work is scheduled for 2023/24 to review the induction process and current and former members of Council asked for their comments on the arrangements in order to inform improvements.

Annual Development Reviews

The Chair of Council works with each member of the Council on individual Annual Development Reviews for continued development and improving effectiveness, as well as identifying additional development requirements and / or opportunities. The outcome of these Reviews are drawn together in an Action Plan which is overseen by the Nominations and Governance Committee.

Independence of Council Members

In the Review of Governance of Universities in Wales , author Gillian Camm recommended a higher bar for governor independence than existed at the time of the Review (2019); and that guidance on what is meant by independence and those matters which may compromise governor independence be produced and made public. The University has adopted the Guide on Independence for Lay Members developed and agreed upon by the Welsh Secretaries and Clerks in June 2020 as a response to this recommendation. The Guide has been shared with Council members and is kept under review by the Nominations & Governance Committee.

As the governing body of the University, the Council is entrusted with public funds, and therefore has a particular duty to fulfil the highest standards of corporate governance at all times. Universities were included among the public bodies examined by the ‘Committee on Standards in Public Life’ (the Nolan Committee) and consequently Council members must observe the Seven Principles of Public Life drawn up by the Committee, namely selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

Corporate review

Council members must not allow themselves to be unduly influenced by the interests of others associated with the University such as staff, students, alumni, or trade unions. Council members need to be able to challenge effectively and constructively and they cannot do so if they have a vested interest in a matter under discussion.

These principles are discussed with new members of Council during the induction process.

Declaration of Interest

Council members are required to undertake a formal declaration of interest procedure at the start of each academic year, and the register is available online from the Vice–Chancellor’s Office web pages.

In addition, members are asked to declare any conflict of interest in relation to items on the agenda, at the start of each Council meeting, and these are formally noted in the minutes.

Biographical Details: Independent members of Council

Chair of Council - Mrs Marian Wyn Jones

Marian is an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker who had an extensive career at the BBC before developing a career as a Non-Executive Director at the highest NS [ level of public life, including the Snowdonia National Park Authority, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the Arts Council of Wales, where she was Vice-Chair. iy\ She has also served on the governing bodies of several other charities and education establishments. She has previously served as a member of the Council, and as a result has a deep understanding of the University and the challenges facing the higher education sector.

Deputy Chair of Council – Vice-Admiral Sir Paul Lambert

Vice Admiral Sir Paul Lambert has strategic, financial and leadership skills which have been gained in a series of high-profile roles and appointments in Whitehall and the Charitable Sector. He has served as Secretary General of St John International and was previously Deputy Chief Defence Staff (Capability), responsible for equipment and support budget of £14bn and providing independent advice to Ministers. He was Knighted in 2012 and is committed to lifelong learning. He has extensive international experience.

Senior Independent Governor – Dr Ian Rees

Dr Rees is a former Principal of Coleg Menai and Senior Director with responsibility for External Affairs with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai. Prior to this he was Principal/Chief Executive of Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Head of Ysgol y Moelwyn, Blaenau Ffestiniog. Over the years he has also been a director of a number of bodies, including Nant Gwrtheyrn Language Centre, Fforwm and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. He has also been a member of ELWa’s Mid Wales Regional Committee. Between 2006 and 2012 he was a member of the Arts Council of Wales. Between 2012 and 2015 Ian chaired the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Advisory Panel and in 2018 he was appointed as chair of the Commissioner’s Audit and Risk Committee.

Independent Member – Mr Atul Devani

Atul has held a number of senior positions in software technology companies operating in various sectors including finance, mobile, telecoms, food & drink, health and pharmaceuticals. He was founder and chief executive officer of AIM listed United Clearing Plc, which was sold to BSG in 2006. Atul is currently CEO of a UK Healthcare provider and Chairman of a Venture Capital Trust at Maven Capital and an investor in a number of private companies. He is also a mentor of entrepreneurs at the Company of Information Technologists in the City of London. Atul has a First Class Honours Degree in Electronic Engineering from Bangor University.

Corporate review

Independent Member – Mr Eric Hepburn CBE

Eric held the position of Director of Security for Parliament until December 2020, a role that covered the physical, operational and personnel security for both the House of Commons and House of Lords and was a management board member for both Houses, a NonExecutive Director role on Parliament’s cyber security programme and Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for Parliament’s high profile c£5bn Restoration and Renewal Programme. Eric is a Chartered Management Accountant, Chartered Banker, holds a MBA with distinction from Henley management College and is a graduate of Oxford University/HM Treasury Infrastructure & Projects Authority’s ‘Major Projects Leadership Academy’. Eric is also Bangor University’s Prevent Duty Lead Governor.

Independent Member – Ms Julie Perkins

A Bangor alumna and an experienced IT professional with a track record of complex change delivery throughout a long executive career at Lloyds Banking Group. Julie has extensive experience as a motivational leader of large diverse teams across multiple geographies with an ability to embed large scale transformational change. She championed and delivered a new digital workplace solution across a 90k strong organisation creating a transformed colleague and business platform to create deeper engagement, collaboration and efficiency across colleague and client relationships. She has core skills in strategic planning, commercial negotiation and vendor management. Julie has worked across multiple technologies including leading on branch, telephony and workflow solutions and her latest delivery was an operating model to embed sustainability in core business processes, engaging every colleague to deliver on the Group’s target to be Net Zero by 2050 and 50% Net Zero by 2030.

Independent Member – Professor Jean White CBE

Jean was the Welsh Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for Wales between Oct 2010 – April 2021. With a nursing career that spans more than 40 years, she began her professional life as a general nurse in Swansea and has practised in Wales and London. She has held positions in nurse education, at the Welsh National Board (regulatory body), Health Professions Wales and as a civil servant in Welsh Government. Now retired from the civil service, she is a Visiting Professor of Nursing at University of South Wales, is a mentor in the Ethnic Minority Women in Healthcare Wales programme, is an expert nurse advisor to the World Health Organisation European Regional Office and is on the judging panel for the annual St David’s Awards.

Independent Member – Professor Tim Wheeler DL

Tim was appointed as Principal of the then Chester College in 1998 and subsequently the Vice–Chancellor of the University of Chester in 2005. He retired from this role in 2020. During his time there he grew the institution from 4,200 students to 20,700, from one site to nine including University Centre Shrewsbury. He broadened the curriculum from education, nursing, arts and science to offer, law, medicine, business, engineering and saw the turnover grow from £14M to £130M with a surplus of £3M. Tim was Deputy Chair of the Cheshire and Warrington LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) and a member of the Mersey Dee Alliance, a cross border economic think tank. He is a former deputy Chair of Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). He is a Deputy Lieutenant for Cheshire and is actively involved with Chester Cathedral as a Lay Canon. He is a freeman of the Cities of London and Chester. He has been a school governor and FE corporation governor for over 35 years. Tim is Chair of the Board of Coleg Cambria.

Corporate review

Independent Member – Ms Elin Wyn

During a career spanning 24 years as a journalist with BBC Wales, Elin was sub-editor, producer and editor on a number of news, current affairs and political programmes on both radio and television. In 1999, when the National Assembly for Wales was founded, Elin was responsible for establishing the S4C2 channel to broadcast all of the live Assembly’s proceedings. In 2006, Elin founded a consulting and training company specialising in communication. She trained journalists in Nigeria, Ghana, Swaziland (now Eswatini), Pakistan, Kurdistan, and Kuwait. In Wales, she offered media training to a number of organisations including Snowdonia National Park, the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, the National Assembly for Wales, Cymdeithas Cyfieithwyr Cymru, Equal Opportunities Commission, and the Joint Education Committee for Wales and S4C. In terms of voluntary work, Elin was a governor at Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch and Ysgol Treganna, a member of the UNESCO Wales Committee, and one of the founders of the Women in Management Wales network. For 12 years, Elin was a member of the Board and then Chair of the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff.

Independent Member – Professor David Viner

David has over 30 years’ experience working across the globe on climate change and sustainability. From 2007 David was the Principal Specialist for Climate Change at Natural England where he developed the research and approach to landscape scale adaptation. From 2008 David was the Director for Climate Change at the British Council. Here he developed a global programme of engagement to help support the UK and wider support i for climate action, working across science, the arts and education. From 2012 David joined Mott MacDonald, here he provided the evidence base for the establishment of the Climate Resilience Initiative which helped to transform and position the group as a world leader in developing climate resilience solutions. In 2020 David joined the Green Investment Group at Macquarie capital where he oversaw the Green Principles for financial investments across the group. Since 2022 David is Head of the Environmental Science Business for CGG, a global Geoscience Technology company.

Biographical Details: Ex-Officio members of the Council

Vice–Chancellor - Professor Edmund Burke

With a career dedicated to higher education and the pursuit of academic excellence, Professor Burke has held senior positions at the University of Nottingham, University of Stirling, Queen Mary University of London as well as, most recently, at the University of 7 Leicester. He has a distinguished international research profile in Operational Research. His research investigates intelligent decision support methodologies in complex environments and lies at the interface of Computer Science and Mathematics. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and President of the Operational Research Society.

As an institutional leader, he has demonstrated strategic vision and operational effectiveness by driving new initiatives, managing complex programmes of change and generating significant and sustainable growth.

Corporate review

Deputy Vice–Chancellor - Professor Oliver Turnbull

Professor Oliver Turnbull is Deputy Vice–Chancellor of Bangor University and is responsible for the planning process (including resource allocation and capital planning) academic performance through line management of the Deans, the engagement with Campus Trades Unions, the art collection and archives, sustainability, and input into the delivery of the North Wales Medical School. The Deputy Vice–Chancellor also deputises for the Vice– Chancellor when necessary.

As an academic, Professor Turnbull is a neuropsychologist with an interest in emotion and its many consequences for mental life. His interests include: emotion-based learning, and the experience that we describe as ‘intuition’; the role of emotion in false beliefs, especially in neurological patients; and the neuroscience of psychotherapy. He is the author of a number of scientific articles on these topics, and of the popular science text ‘The Brain and the Inner World’. He remains an active researcher and lecturer, and leads the University’s Visceral Mind Summer School, where he specializes in teaching neuroanatomy, particularly through anatomical drawing and brain dissection.

President, Students’ Union - Ms Nyah Lowe

Nyah Lowe has recently studied BSc Marine Biology & Oceanography here at Bangor University. She has been elected to serve as Students’ Union President for this academic year. Previously she was a club committee member, the mental health champion for the Student Council and a halls mentor for the 2021-22 academic year. Nyah grew up in Pembrokeshire before moving to Bangor to begin her studies in 2019. In her spare time, she enjoys competitive sailing and photography. She believes that she can help the Students’ Union make and keep positive changes in the transition period to a post covid world.

President, Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Bangor - Mr Celt John

Celt John graduated from Bangor University following three years of studying a joint honours course in Welsh and Music. Celt was appointed as UMCB President for the 2022/23 academic year in the March elections. Celt was raised in Dolgellau, South Gwynedd, where he received his secondary education at Ysgol y Gader, Dolgellau, before attending the sixth form at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen, Machynlleth. He moved to Bangor in 2019 to begin his university studies and during his time at Bangor, Celt has contributed and benefited from being part of UMCB. Celt led the Aelwyd JMJ mixed choir and won several awards at the Urdd Eisteddfod, Denbighshire 2022. Celt is passionate about UMCB, the Welsh union in Bangor, and looks forward to the year ahead in the hope of continuing the positive work former UMCB presidents have accomplished.

Biographical Details: Senate Representative on Council

Professor Rhiannon Tudor Edwards

Founding Director of health economics research at Bangor University. Co-Director of the Centre for Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation (CHEME) at Bangor University. In a global analysis of bibliometrics in health economics (1975-2022), Rhiannon was listed among the most important authors in health economics. She was ranked in the top 5 most collaborative authors, with Bangor University in the top 10 most collaborative institutions in health economics.

Corporate review

Biographical Details: Academic Staff Representative on Council

Dr Myfanwy Davies

Myfanwy returned to Wales in 2005 as a researcher in health policy and joined Bangor in 2011 as a lecturer with the Coleg Cenedlaethol. Having successfully introduced a range of teaching and learning improvements and QA processes as Moderator for Bangor’s provision in Tashkent and served as Deputy dean (Teaching and learning) for the College of Business, Law, Education and Social Sciences, she was appointed Head of Quality Assurance and Validation at Bangor in late 2018. She is currently involved in introducing a risk-based approach to programme approval. She remains research active. Her current, personal research focuses on mothers’ experiences of being the subject of social policy interventions.

Biographical Details: Non-Academic Staff Representative on Council

Mr Paul Wood

Paul has worked in the University since 1990. He is now deputy director of Digital Services and leads the support teams as Head of Client Services. Originally from the Llyn peninsula he now lives on Anglesey with his wife Sarah. He has two children who recently finished their university studies. His hobbies are travel which is often combined with his other passion of scuba diving – he has completed over 1500 dives in the UK and many other places around the World. Paul was elected as the Professional Services member of council in 2022.

Stakeholder Engagement

The University works closely with the Council on stakeholder engagement, and the University has a Community Board which acts as a platform to bring together a broad range of stakeholders in Bangor and North West Wales. The Board provides a platform for the University to discuss key strategic issues with external stakeholders, to raise urgent matters, to identify areas for cooperation and to deepen and strengthen relationships with partners in the community. The Board is a key part of the University’s civic engagement, helping to improve and promote the well–being of our communities. In May 2023 the Council received a briefing on the University’s Civic Engagement Strategy and the work being undertaken by the civic engagement team.

The University continues to hold a regular Joint Engagement Forum with Campus Trades Unions, prior to each Council meeting. The Forum enables senior independent members of the University Council to engage effectively with the Campus Trades Unions on all aspects of the Council’s remit and responsibilities and to share information and understanding of strategic and operational matters. In addition the Forum provides an opportunity to discuss key strategic issues, to enable Campus Trades Unions representatives to be briefed on matters currently being discussed by the Council, and to allow representatives to present the opinions of their members on such issues before any decisions are made by Council. The minutes of the Forum are shared with the Council.

Council Sub-Committees

A review of Council Sub-Committees was carried out on behalf of the Nominations and Governance Committee during 2022/23 and the changes agreed, to both membership and terms of reference, will be in place for 2023/24.

Corporate review

Audit and Risk Committee

Chair: Mr Eric Hepburn (to March 2023) Sir Paul Lambert (from March 2023)

The Audit and Risk Committee is chaired by an independent member of Council and meets four times a year. The Committee comprises five independent Council members with the University’s internal and external auditors in attendance. The Committee considers reports and recommendations for the improvement of the University’s systems of internal control, together with management responses and implementation plans. Executive team members and other senior staff attend the Audit & Risk Committee, as necessary.

The Committee advises the University Council on risk management and the appointment and remuneration of the internal and external auditors. In accordance with the Risk Management Policy, the University has formal processes in place for evaluating and managing significant risks facing the institution. It receives reports setting out key performance and risk indicators and considers possible control issues brought to their attention by early warning mechanisms embedded within the University’s operational units and reinforced by risk awareness training. The emphasis is on obtaining an appropriate degree of assurance and not merely reporting by exception. The Committee considers documentation from the University’s risk management and internal audit processes and takes account of events since the prior year end.

Risk and Internal Control

The University Council is responsible for the system of internal controls that support achievement of the University’s aims and objectives, whilst safeguarding public and other funds.

The systems of internal control are designed to manage, rather than eliminate, significant risks which threaten the University’s business objectives; it can therefore only provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance against material misstatement or loss.

The Council receives an annual report of the work undertaken by the internal auditor from the Audit & Risk Committee, which provides an assurance on the effectiveness of the University’s system of internal control, risk management and governance processes.

For the year ended 31 July 2023 the report expresses a satisfactory opinion that the University has an adequate and effective framework for risk management, governance, internal control and economy, efficiency and effectiveness, subject to identifying further enhancements to ensure that it remains adequate and effective. The Council is satisfied that this has been in place for the year ended 31 July 2021 and up to the date of approval of the Annual Report, in accordance with HEFCW guidance, and that it is regularly reviewed by the Audit & Risk Committee on behalf of the Council. No significant control weaknesses were identified in the period.

The Council is satisfied that the University has adequate and effective processes in place in relation to risk management; control and governance; economy, efficiency and effectiveness; and the management and quality assurance of data submitted to statutory bodies – bearing in mind that any system of internal control can provide only reasonable and not absolute assurance against misstatement or loss.

The key elements of the University’s system of internal financial control, which is designed to discharge the responsibilities set out above, include the following:

Corporate review

Finance & Strategy Committee

Chair – Sir Paul Lambert (to March 2023) Mr Eric Hepburn (from March 2023)

The Finance and Strategy Committee (Finance Committee for 2023/24 onwards) is responsible for reviewing, on behalf of the Council, the overall financial health of the institution, and the performance of the University against its planned strategies, and maintaining oversight and making recommendations on the strategic direction and financial strategy for the University.

The Committee is chaired by an Independent Member of Council, and, during 2022/23, also included the Chair of Council, a further three independent members of Council, a member of staff who is a member of Council, the President of the Student’s Union as well as senior members of the University including the Vice–Chancellor and the Chief Financial Officer.

The Investment Sub-Committee reports to the Finance Committee, providing oversight of the University’s investment portfolio.

During the academic year 2022/23 the Committee met on five occasions, with a further two extraordinary meetings, and, in accordance with the Committee’s terms of reference, the following matters were discussed:

Health and Safety Committee

Chair – Professor Gareth Roberts

A decision was taken by the Nominations & Governance Committee in November 2022 to pull the business of the Health and Safety Committee into other University committees, and specifically to widen the remit of the Health, Safety and Emergency Management Committee. The Committee already received and considered the same information as the Council’s Health and Safety Committee, and is chaired by a member of the Executive Board. The Health and Safety Committee met once during 2022/23 where the following matters were discussed:

Corporate review

In addition the Radiation Health and Safety Sub-Committee, and the Chemical and Biological health and Safety Sub-Committee provided reports.

Honorary Degrees and Fellowships Committee

Chair: Mrs Marian Wyn Jones

The Honorary Degrees and Fellowships Committee is chaired by Mrs Marian Wyn Jones, the Chair of Council and, during 2022/23, included an additional four independent members of Council, along with the Vice– Chancellor, Deputy Vice–Chancellor, Pro Vice–Chancellor (Welsh Language, Civic engagement and Strategic Projects), the three Deans of College, the Chief Marketing Officer and the University Secretary.

The Committee, on behalf of the Council considers the nominations received for Honorary Degrees and Fellowships and provides recommendations for the award of honorary degrees and fellowships to the Council.

Nominations and Governance Committee

Chair: Mrs Marian Wyn Jones

The Nominations and Governance Committee is Chaired by Mrs Marian Wyn Jones, the Chair of Council and, during 2022/23, included three independent members of Council, along with the longest-serving Senate member on Council and the academic staff member on Council. The President of the Students’ Union as well as senior University officers are also members.

The Committee, on behalf of the Council oversees University Governance, the membership and terms of reference of the Council and its Sub-Committees, and the effectiveness of governance at the University.

During the 2022/23 academic year the Committee met on three occasions and considered the membership of Council, the attendance at Council meetings, succession planning for senior staff, membership of Council SubCommittees, and progress with action plans at each meeting. In addition, the following items were considered during the year:

Corporate review

People and Culture Committee

Chair – Dr Ian Rees

The People and Culture Committee is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of people and culture themes within the University’s Strategic Plan, receiving assurances on compliance with all relevant legislation, ensuring rigorous and transparent employee policies procedures and systems are in place and kept under review, and monitoring the delivery of University strategy relating to equality, diversity and inclusivity, including race equality and consideration of the Race Equality Action Plan. In addition, the Committee is updated on training on people and culture themes, as well as receiving updates on PDR completion and assessing impact on the student experience. The Committee oversees the process in relation to staff on fixed-term contracts and monitors the implementation of staff surveys and associated action plans.

The Committee is chaired by an Independent Member of Council, and, during 2022/23, also included the Chair of Council, the Chair of Finance & Strategy Committee, the Vice–Chancellor, the Non-academic staff member on Council, the President of the Student’s Union and a further two independent members of Council.

During the academic year 2022/23 the Committee met on three occasions and the following matters were discussed:

In addition the following items were discussed at each meeting:

Remuneration Committee

Chair – Professor Gareth Roberts (until 31 December 2022) Mrs Julie Perkins (from 1 January 2023)

The Remuneration Committee is chaired by an Independent Member of Council, and during 2022/23 its membership consists of the Chair of Council, the President of the Students’ Union, the Chair of the Finance & Strategy Committee, an academic staff representative and three independent members of Council. The Chief People Officer is in attendance. Its Terms of Reference are set in line with the Council of University Chairs (CUC) Code. The Committee determines and reviews the remuneration of the Vice–Chancellor, members of the Executive Board, and staff in receipt of salaries of £100,000 and above. It determines the strategy for severance payments to senior staff of the University.

Corporate review

During the 2022/23 academic year the Committee met on two occasions and considered the following items:

Welsh Language Affairs Committee

Chair – Professor Gareth Roberts (to 31 December 2022) Dr Ian Rees (from 1 January 2023)

The Welsh Language Affairs Committee is responsible for ensuring that bilingualism is promoted within the University, as part of the University’s civic mission and in relation to any of the University’s objectives, on behalf of the Council and the Executive. It also ensures compliance with the Welsh language legislative framework and the University’s Language Policy. The Committee reports to the Council and prepares an Annual Report for the Council.

The Committee is chaired by an Independent Member of Council, and during 2022/23, its membership consists of three independent members of Council, the President of UMCB, as well as other relevant senior officers from the University.

During the academic year 2022/23 the Committee met on three occasions and the following items were discussed:

In addition, the Committee received an update from the Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Bangor (UMCB) President, and received the Minutes of the Welsh Language Strategy Group at each meeting.

Other Key University Committees

The Senate

The Senate is the academic authority of the University and draws its membership entirely from the academic staff and the students of the institution. During the 2022/23 academic year the Senate met on four occasions. The Senate’s membership is set out in Ordinance 12 and is chaired by the Vice–Chancellor. Membership also includes the Deputy Vice–Chancellor, Pro Vice–Chancellors, all Heads of Schools, Heads of Interdisciplinary institutes, two further representatives of each academic School, five student representatives appointed by the Students’ Union, up to five co-opted members and up to ten independent academic members.

The following Sub-Committees report to the Senate: The Senate Appeals Panel, Examinations Boards, the Prizes & Awards Committee, the Regulations and Special Cases Committee, the Research Governance & Ethics Committee, the Senate Nominations Committee and the Board of Discipline.

Corporate review

The Court

The Court is a large, formal body which is somewhat similar to a stakeholder meeting. It offers a means whereby the wider interests served by the University can be associated with the institution and provides a public forum where members of Court can raise any matters about the University. The Court meets once a year to receive the Annual Report and Accounts of the University. A majority of the members of the Court are drawn from outside the University, representing the North Wales community and other designated bodies with an interest in the work of the University, but the membership also includes representatives of the staff of the University (both academic and professional services) and the student body. The membership of the Court is set out in Ordinance 13.

The Executive Board

The Executive Board is the University’s senior management group and is responsible for the overall management and administration of the University. The Executive team is chaired by the Vice–Chancellor and includes the Deputy Vice–Chancellor, Pro Vice–Chancellors, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Transformation Officer, Chief People Officer, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, Chief Marketing Officer and the University Secretary.

Corporate review

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE COUNCIL OF BANGOR UNIVERSITY

Report on the audit of the financial statements

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Bangor University (“the University”) for the year ended 31 July 2023 which comprise the Consolidated and University Statement of Comprehensive Income and Expenditure, Consolidated and University Statement of Changes in Reserves, Consolidated and University Balance Sheets, Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows and related notes, including the Statement of Accounting Policies.

In our opinion the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

We have been appointed as auditor under the Charters and Statutes of the University and in accordance with section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (or its predecessors) and report in accordance with regulations made under section 154 of that Act.

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”) and applicable law. Our responsibilities are described below. We have fulfilled our ethical responsibilities under, and are independent of the Group in accordance with, UK ethical requirements including the FRC Ethical Standard. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is a sufficient and appropriate basis for our opinion.

Going concern

The Council has prepared the financial statements on a going concern basis as it does not intend to liquidate the Group or the University or to cease their operations, and as it has concluded that the Group and the University’s financial position means that this is realistic. It has also concluded that there are no material uncertainties that could have cast significant doubt over their ability to continue as a going concern for at least a year from the date of approval of the financial statements (“the going concern period”).

In our evaluation of the Council’s conclusions, we considered the inherent risks to the Group’s business model and analysed how those risks might affect the Group and University’s financial resources or ability to continue operations over the going concern period.

Our conclusions based on this work:

However, as we cannot predict all future events or conditions and as subsequent events may result in outcomes that are inconsistent with judgements that were reasonable at the time they were made, the above conclusions are not a guarantee that the Group or the University will continue in operation.

Auditor’s report

Fraud and breaches of laws and regulations – ability to detect

To identify risks of material misstatement due to fraud (“fraud risks”) we assessed events or conditions that could indicate an incentive or pressure to commit fraud or provide an opportunity to commit fraud. Our risk assessment procedures included:

We communicated identified fraud risks throughout the audit team and remained alert to any indications of fraud throughout the audit.

As required by auditing standards, and taking into account possible pressures to meet loan covenants, we perform procedures to address the risk of management override of controls, in particular the risk that Group management may be in a position to make inappropriate accounting entries. On this audit we do not believe there is a fraud risk related to revenue recognition because we do not consider there to be sufficient opportunity, possible incentives and reasonable rationale to fraudulently manipulate revenue in the financial statements due to the simple nature of the income streams.

We did not identify any additional fraud risks.

We performed procedures including:

Identifying and responding to risks of material misstatement related to compliance with laws and regulations

We identified areas of laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the financial statements from our general commercial and sector experience, through discussion with the management (as required by auditing standards) and discussed with the management the policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations.

As the University is regulated, our assessment of risks involved gaining an understanding of the control environment including the entity’s procedures for complying with regulatory requirements.

We communicated identified laws and regulations throughout our team and remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit.

The potential effect of these laws and regulations on the financial statements varies considerably.

Firstly, the Group is subject to laws and regulations that directly affect the financial statements including financial reporting legislation, taxation legislation, pensions legislation and specific disclosures required by higher education legislation and regulation / post-16 education and skills legislation and regulation, charities legislation and related legislation and we assessed the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our procedures on the related financial statement items.

Secondly, the Group is subject to many other laws and regulations where the consequences of non-compliance could have a material effect on amounts or disclosures in the financial statements, for instance through the imposition of fines or litigation or the need to include significant provisions. We identified the following areas as those most likely to have such an effect: compliance with Higher Education’s regulatory requirements of HEFCW, recognising the regulated nature of the University’s activities.

Auditor’s report

Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the governors and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any. Therefore, if a breach of operational regulations is not disclosed to us or evident from relevant correspondence, an audit will not detect that breach.

Context of the ability of the audit to detect fraud or breaches of law or regulation

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it.

In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of non-detection of fraud, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls. Our audit procedures are designed to detect material misstatement. We are not responsible for preventing noncompliance or fraud and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

Other information

The Council (the members of which are the Trustees of the University for the purposes of charity law) is responsible for the other information, which comprises the information included in the Annual Report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion or, except as explicitly stated below, any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether, based on our financial statements audit work, the information therein is materially misstated or inconsistent with the financial statements or our audit knowledge. We are required to report to you if:

We have nothing to report in these respects.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

Under the Charities Act 2011 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

We have nothing to report in these respects.

Council responsibilities

As explained more fully in its statement set out on page 80, the Council is responsible for: the preparation of the financial statements which give a true and fair view; such internal control as it determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; assessing the Group and parent University’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern; and using the going concern basis of accounting unless it either intends to liquidate the Group or the parent University or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s report

Auditor’s responsibilities

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue our opinion in an auditor’s report. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but does not guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of the financial statements.

A fuller description of our responsibilities is provided on the FRC’s website at www.frc.org.uk/ auditorsresponsibilities.

Report on other legal and regulatory requirements

We are required to report on the following matters prescribed in the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (“HEFCW”) Audit Code of Practice (effective 1 August 2017) issued under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 and in the Financial Management Code issued under the Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015 and the Accounts Direction to Higher Education Institutions for 2022/23 issued by the HEFCW (“the Accounts Direction”).

In our opinion, in all material respects:

The purpose of our audit work and to whom we owe our responsibilities

This report is made solely to the Council in accordance with Article 12(ii) of the Charters and Statutes of the University and in accordance with the section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (or its predecessors) and regulations made under section 154 of that Act. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Council those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the University and the Council for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Timothy Cutler for and on behalf of KPMG LLP, Statutory Auditor

Chartered Accountants 1 St Peter’s Square Manchester M2 3AE

29 November 2023

Auditor’s report

80

Statement of Council responsibilities in respect of the Annual Report and the Financial Statements Year ended 31 July 2023

The Council is responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Terms and Conditions of Funding 2022/23 issued by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (“HEFCW”), the Accounts Direction to Higher Education Institutions for 2022/23 issued by HEFCW (“the Accounts Direction”), the Financial Management Code issued under the Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015 (“FMC”) and applicable law and regulations.

It is required to prepare the Group and parent University financial statements in accordance with UK accounting standards and applicable law (UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland and the requirements of the Charities Act 2011. The Terms and Conditions of Funding 2022/23 further require the financial statements to be prepared in accordance with the 2019 Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting for Further and Higher Education and in accordance with the requirements of the Accounts Direction.

The Council is required to prepare financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and parent University and of their income and expenditure, gains and losses and changes in reserves, and the of Group’s cash flows, for that period. In preparing each of the Group and parent University financial statements, the directors are required to:

The Council is responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the parent University’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the parent University. It is responsible for such internal control as it determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and has general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to it to safeguard the assets of the Group and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.

Statement of Council responsibilities in respect of the Annual Report and the Financial Statements

81

Statement of Council responsibilities in respect of the Annual Report and the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

The Council is also responsible for ensuring that:

The Council is responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the University’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Statement of Council responsibilities in respect of the Annual Report and the Financial Statements

82

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income and Expenditure Year ended 31 July 2023

Notes
Income
Tuition fees and education contracts
1
Funding body grants
2
Research grants and contracts
3
Other income
4
Investment income
5
Endowments and donations
6
Total income
Expenditure
Staf costs
7
USS pension provision movement
7
Other operating expenses
Depreciation
11
Impairment of fxed assets
11
Interest and other fnance costs
8
Total expenditure
9
Surplus/(Defcit) before other gains/(losses)
and share of operating surplus of joint venture
Gain / (Loss) on disposal of fxed assets
Gain / (Loss) on investments
Share of operating (defcit) / surplus in joint
venture
15
Surplus/(Defcit) before tax
Taxation
10
Surplus/(Defcit) for the year attributable to:
Pension Provision movement
21
Total comprehensive income for the year
Represented by:
Endowment comprehensive income for the year
Restricted comprehensive income for the year
Unrestricted comprehensive income for the year
Surplus/(Defcit) for the year attributable to:
Non controlling interest
University
Total Comprehensive income/(expenditure) for
the year attributable to:
Non controlling interest
University		 2022/23
2021/22
Consolidated
University
Consolidated
University
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
88,651
88,651
80,765
80,765
24,518
24,518
24,750
24,750
33,069
33,069
29,544
29,544
30,008
26,781
27,765
24,273
1,441
1,441
181
181
335
335
244
244
178,022
174,795
163,249
159,757
93,939
91,962
86,508
84,751
(10,468)
(10,468)
34,358
34,358
66,894
65,650
57,548
61,553
15,886
15,453
15,046
14,630
0
0
1,903
1,903
6,040
6,040
4,934
4,934
172,291
168,637
200,297
202,129
5,731
6,158
(37,048)
(42,372)
(19)
(19)
1,583
1,583
(93)
(93)
(24)
(24)
(8)
0
0
0
5,611
6,046
(35,489)
(40,813)
0
0
0
0
5,611
6,046
(35,489)
(40,813)
(7,938)
(7,938)
13,110
13,110
(2,327)
(1,892)
(22,379)
(27,703)
(36)
(36)
(127)
(127)
(2)
(2)
44
44
(2,289)
(1,854)
(22,295)
(27,620)
(2,327)
(1,892)
(22,379)
(27,703)
(8)
0
0
0
5,619
6,046
(35,488)
(40,813)
(8)
0
0
0
(2,319)
(1,892)
(22,379)
(27,703)

All items of total comprehensive income and expenditure relate to continuing activities. The Statement of Accounting Policies and Notes on pages 86 to 121 form part of the financial statements.

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income and Expenditure

83

Consolidated and University Statement of Changes in Reserves Year ended 31 July 2023

Consolidated
At 1 August 2021
Surplus from the income and expenditure statement
Other comprehensive income
Release of restricted funds spent in year
Total comprehensive income for the year
At 1 August 2022
Surplus/(defcit) from the income and expenditure
statement
Other comprehensive income
Release of restricted funds spent in year
Total comprehensive income for the year
At 31 July 2023
University
At 1 August 2021
Surplus from the income and expenditure statement
Other comprehensive income
Release of restricted funds spent in year
Total comprehensive income for the year
At 1 August 2022
Surplus/(defcit) from the income and expenditure
statement
Other comprehensive income
Release of restricted funds spent in year
Total comprehensive income for the year
At 31 July 2023		 Income and expenditure account
Endowment
Restricted
Unrestricted
Total
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
8,338
701
225,763
234,802
181
274
(35,944)
(35,489)
0
0
13,110
13,110
(308)
(230)
538
0
(127)
44
(22,296)
(22,379)
8,211
745
203,467
212,423
155
265
5,191
5,611
0
0
(7,938)
(7,938)
(190)
(267)
457
0
(35)
(2)
(2,290)
(2,327)
8,176
743
201,177
210,096
Income and expenditure account
Endowment
Restricted
Unrestricted
Total
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
8,338
701
226,335
235,374
181
274
(41,268)
(40,813)
0
0
13,110
13,110
(308)
(230)
538
0
(127)
44
(27,620)
(27,703)
8,211
745
198,715
207,671
155
265
5,626
6,046
0
0
(7,938)
(7,938)
(190)
(267)
457
0
(35)
(2)
(1,855)
(1,892)
8,176
743
196,860
205,779

The Statement of Accounting Policies and Notes on pages 86 to 121 form part of the financial statements.

Consolidated and University Statement of Changes in Reserves

84

Consolidated and University Statement of Financial Position Year ended 31 July 2023

Consolidated and University Statement of Financial Position
Year ended 31 July 2023		 Consolidated and University Statement of Financial Position Consolidated and University Statement of Financial Position
Notes
Non-current assets
Fixed assets
11
Pension Asset
21
Investments
14
Investment in joint venture
15		 2023
Consolidated
University
£’000
£’000
299,968
295,356
8,812
8,812
6,908
6,958
758
0		 2022
Consolidated
University
£’000
£’000
305,369
300,375
0
0
7,051
7,101
765
0
316,446 311,126 313,185 307,476
Current assets
Stock
16
Trade and other receivables
17
Investments
18
Cash and cash equivalents
25		 87
34,389
15,503
25,963		 74
35,903
15,463
25,384		 78
35,621
0
45,133		 67
37,126
0
44,288
Total expenditure
Less:
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
19		 75,942
(46,738)		 76,824
(46,641)		 80,832
(47,050)		 81,481
(46,742)
Net current assets 29,204 30,183 33,782 34,739
Total assets less current liabilities
Creditors:
amounts falling due after more than one year
20
Provisions
Pension provisions
21
Other provisions
21		 345,650
(88,657)
(46,796)
(101)		 341,309
(88,657)
(46,796)
(77)		 346,967
(93,002)
(39,687)
(1,855)		 342,215
(93,002)
(39,687)
(1,855)
Total net assets 210,096 205,779 212,423 207,671
Restricted Reserves
Endowment reserve
22
Income and expenditure reserve
23
Unrestricted Reserves
Income and expenditure reserve		 8,176
743
201,177		 8,176
743
196,860		 8,211
745
203,467		 8,211
745
198,715
Total Reserves 210,096 205,779 212,423 207,671

The Statement of Accounting Policies and Notes on pages 86 to 121 form part of the financial statements. The financial statements were approved by the Council on 27 November 2023 and were signed on its behalf on 27 November by:

Prof. Edmund Burke Vice-Chancellor

Mrs Marian Wyn Jones Chair of Council

Martyn Riddleston Chief Financial Officer

Consolidated and University Statement of Financial Position

85

Consolidated Cashflow Statement Year ended 31 July 2023

Notes
Cash fow from operating activities
Surplus / (Defcit) for the year
Adjustment for non-cash items
Depreciation
11
Impairment of fxed assets
11
Loss / (Gain) on investments
(Increase) / Decrease in stock
16
(Increase) / Decrease in debtors
Increase / (Decrease) in creditors
Increase / (Decrease) in pension asset / provision
21
Increase / (Decrease) in other provisions
21
Share of operating surplus in joint venture
15
Adjustment for investing or fnancing activities
Capital grant income
Proft on the sale of fxed assets
Investment income
5
Interest payable
8
Endowment income
6
Net cash infow from operating activities
Cash fows from investing activities
Capital grant receipts
Proceeds from sales of fxed assets
Payments made to acquire fxed assets
Investment income
5
New current asset investments
18
New non-current asset investments
Disposal of non-current asset investments
Cash fows from fnancing activities
Interest paid
8
Interest element of fnance lease and service concession payments
8
Endowment cash received
22
Repayment of fnance leases and service concessions
19/20
New unsecured loans
19/20
Repayment of unsecured loans
19/20
(Increase / (Decrease) in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year
25
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year
25		 2022/23
2021/22
£’000
£’000
5,611
(35,489)
15,886
15,046
0
1,903
93
24
(9)
(27)
1,232
(10,877)
(422)
7,304
(9,641)
35,485
(1,754)
1,577
8
(610)
5,392
49,825
(1,504)
(831)
19
(1,583)
(1,441)
(181)
4,755
4,752
(92)
(7)
1,737
2,150
12,740
16,486
1,504
832
207
2,507
(10,711)
(10,084)
1,441
181
(15,503)
0
(2,668)
(3,854)
2,718
3,788
(23,012)
(6,630)
(1,003)
(1,076)
(3,752)
(3,676)
92
7
(1,438)
(1,578)
0
951
(2,797)
(3,673)
(8,898)
(9,045)
(19,170)
811
45,133
44,322
25,963
45,133
(19,170)
811

The Statement of Accounting Policies and Notes on pages 86 to 121 form part of the financial statements.

Consolidated Cashflow Statement

86

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies Year ended 31 July 2023

1. General information

Bangor University is registered with the Charity Commission (number 1141565). The address of the registered office is Bangor University, College Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG.

2. Basis of preparation

The Consolidated and University financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 (FRS 102) and the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP): Accounting for Further and Higher Education issued in 2019. They have also been prepared in accordance with the ‘carried forward’ powers and duties of previous legislation (Further and Higher Education Act 1992 and the Higher Education Act 2004) and the new powers of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 during the transition period to 31 July 2023, the Royal Charter and the Accounts Direction issued by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW).

The University is a public benefit entity and therefore has applied the relevant public benefit requirement of the applicable UK laws and accounting standards.

The Consolidated and University financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention (modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value).

The financial statements are prepared in sterling which is the functional currency of the group and rounded to the nearest £’000.

3. Exemptions under FRS 102

4. Basis of consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the University and all its subsidiaries together with the share of the results of joint ventures and associates for the financial year to 31 July 2023.

The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the period are included in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income from the date of acquisition or up to the date of disposal. Intra-group transactions are eliminated on consolidation.

Gains or losses on any intra-group transactions are eliminated in full. Amounts in relation to debts and claims between undertakings included in the consolidation are also eliminated. Balances between the University and its associates and joint ventures are not eliminated. Normal trading transactions that are not settled by the balance sheet date are included as current assets or liabilities. Any gains or losses are included in the carrying amount of assets of either entity, the part relating to the University’s share is eliminated.

The consolidated financial statements do not include the Students’ Union as the University does not exert control or dominant influence over policy decisions.

Joint ventures are accounted for using the equity method.

5. Going Concern

The Group and University’s activities, together with the factors likely to affect its future development, performance and position, are set out in the Strategic Review which forms part of the Annual Review. The Annual Review also describes the financial position of the institution, its cash flows, liquidity position and borrowing facilities.

The Group and University meets its day to day working capital requirements through existing unrestricted cash balances which are adequate to meet liabilities as and when they fall due for the foreseeable future. The Council has prepared detailed cash flow forecasts for both 2023/24 and 24/25. After reviewing these

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies

87

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

forecasts the Council is of the opinion that, taking account of severe but plausible downside risks, including the potential continued impact of the pandemic the Group will have sufficient funds to meet their liabilities as they fall due over the period of 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements (the going concern assessment period).

The University continued to be impacted both operationally and financially, during the year to 31st July 2023 by the coronavirus pandemic. It is estimated that the University will continue to be affected in future years. In response, the University continues to closely manage its costs and capital expenditure projects.

While the situation evolves frequently making scenario planning difficult, the University assessed a number of scenarios which estimated the various financial impacts of the pandemic through a range of areas, in particular student number and fee income generation together with income from residences and commercial income.

The University has a Budget for 2023/24 based on its student recruitment together with control over capital expenditure to maintain liquidity. The University has no plans to increase its level of funding facilities, other than those linked to government support schemes where appropriate, beyond those in place at 31st July 2023 during the going concern assessment period. No banking covenants have been breached or are estimated to be breached during the going concern assessment period. The University assessed a number of scenarios which estimated the various financial impacts, in particular student number and fee income generation together with income from residences and commercial income.

As a consequence of this review, the Council considers that the Group and the parent University is able to manage its finance and business risks and will continue to meet their liabilities as they fall due for at least 12 months from the date of the approval of the financial statements and therefore have prepared the financial statements on a going concern basis.

6. Income recognition

Income from the sale of goods or services is credited to the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income and Expenditure when the goods or services are supplied to the external customers or the terms of the contract have been satisfied.

Fee income is stated gross of any expenditure which is not a discount and credited to the Consolidated Statement of Income and Comprehensive Expenditure over the period in which students are studying. Where the amount of the tuition fee is reduced, for example, by way of a discount for prompt payment or other form of waiver, income receivable is shown net of such reductions. The actual payment of bursaries and scholarships are accounted for gross as expenditure and not deducted from income.

Investment income is credited to the statement of income and expenditure on a receivable basis.

Funds the University receives and disburses as paying agent on behalf of a funding body are excluded from the income and expenditure of the University where the University is exposed to minimal risk or enjoys minimal economic benefit related to the transaction.

Grant funding

Government revenue grants including funding council block grant and research grants are recognised in income over the periods in which the Institution recognises the related costs for which the grant is intended to compensate. Where part of a government grant is deferred it is recognised as deferred income within creditors and allocated between creditors due within one year and due after more than one year as appropriate.

Grants (including research grants) from non government sources are recognised in income when the Institution is entitled to the income and performance related conditions have been met. Income received in advance of performance related conditions being met is recognised as deferred income within creditors in the Statement of Financial Position and released to income as the conditions are met.

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies

88

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

Donations and endowments

Non exchange transactions without performance related conditions are donations and endowments.

Donations and endowments with donor imposed restrictions are recognised in income when the University is entitled to the funds. Income is retained within the restricted reserve until such time that it is utilised in line with such restrictions at which point the income is released to general reserves through a reserve transfer.

Donations with no restrictions are recognised in income when the University is entitled to the funds.

Investment income and appreciation of endowments is recorded in income in the year in which it arises as either restricted or unrestricted income according to the terms of the individual endowment fund. There are four main types of donations and endowments identified within reserves:

  1. Restricted donations - the donor has specified that the donation must be used for a particular objective. 2. Unrestricted permanent endowments - the donor has specified that the fund is to be permanently invested to generate an income stream for the general benefit of the University.

  2. Restricted expendable endowments - the donor has specified a particular objective other than the purchase or construction of tangible fixed assets, and the University has the power to use the capital.

  3. Restricted permanent endowments - the donor has specified that the fund is to be permanently invested to generate an income stream to be applied to a particular objective.

Capital grants

Capital grants are recognised in income when the University is entitled to the funds subject to any performance related conditions being met.

7. Accounting for retirement benefits

The two principal pension schemes for the University’s staff are the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and the Bangor University Pension and Assurance Scheme 1978 (BUPAS). The schemes are defined benefit schemes which are externally funded and contracted out of the State Second Pension (S2P).

Each fund is valued every three years by professionally qualified independent actuaries.

The USS is a multi-employer defined benefit scheme for which it is not possible to identify the assets and liabilities to University members due to the mutual nature of the scheme and therefore this scheme is accounted for as a defined contribution retirement benefit scheme. A liability is recorded within provisions for any contractual commitment to fund past deficits within the USS scheme.

Defined Contribution Plan

A defined contribution plan is a post-employment benefit plan under which the University pays fixed contributions into a separate entity and will have no legal or constructive obligation to pay further amounts. Obligations for contributions to defined contribution pension plans are recognised as an expense in the income statement in the periods during which services are rendered by employees.

Multi-employer schemes

Where the University is unable to identify its share of the underlying assets and liabilities in a multi employer scheme on a reasonable and consistent basis, it accounts as if the scheme were a defined contribution scheme. Where the University has entered into an agreement with such a multi employer scheme that determines how the University will contribute to a deficit recovery plan, the University recognizes a liability for the contributions payable that arise from the agreement, to the extent that they relate to the deficit, and the resulting expense is recognised in expenditure.

Defined benefit schemes

A defined benefit plan is a post-employment benefit plan other than a defined contribution plan. Under defined benefit plans the University’s obligation is to provide the agreed benefits to current and former

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies

89

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

employees, and actuarial risk (that benefits will cost more or less than expected) and investment risk (that returns on assets set aside to fund the benefits will differ from expectations) are borne in substance by the University.

The net liability is recognised in the balance sheet in respect of each scheme and is the present value of the defined benefit obligation at the reporting date less the fair value of the plan assets at the reporting date. The Group should recognise a liability for its obligations under defined benefit plans net of plan assets. This net defined benefit liability is measured as the estimated amount of benefit that employees have earned in return for their service in the current and prior periods, discounted to determine its present value, less the fair value (at bid price) of plan assets.

The calculation is performed by a qualified actuary using the projected unit credit method. Under section 28.22 (Employee Benefits - Defined benefit plan asset) of FRS 102 the University does not recognise the surplus of the scheme as it is unable to recover the surplus through reduced contributions in the future or through refunds from the plan. The Trust Deed provides for the University to unilaterally wind up the Bangor University Pension and Assurance Scheme, in which event any residual amounts after settling all scheme obligations are repayable to the University. As a result the University has determined that it has an unconditional right to a refund on wind-up. However, the Trust Deed also provides for the Fund Trustees to transfer annuity policies into individual members’ names without requiring the University’s consent. Due to the existence of those Fund Trustees rights, the University considers it appropriate to not recognise the surplus within the financial statements in respect of the Pension Fund.

Annually the University engages independent actuaries to calculate the obligation for each scheme. The present value is determined by discounting the estimated future payments at a discount rate based on market yields on high quality corporate bonds denominated in sterling with terms approximating to the estimated period of the future payments.

The fair value of a scheme’s assets is measured in accordance with the FRS 102 fair value hierarchy and in accordance with the University’s policy for similarly held assets. This includes the use of appropriate valuation techniques.

Actuarial gains and losses arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are charged or credited to other comprehensive income. These amounts together with the return on plan assets, less amounts included in net interest, are disclosed as actuarial gains and losses.

The cost of the defined benefit plan, recognised in expenditure as staff costs, except where included in the cost of an asset, comprises the increase in pension benefit liability arising from employee service during the period and the cost of plan introductions, benefit changes, curtailments, and settlements. The net interest cost is calculated by applying the discount rate to the net liability. This cost is recognised in expenditure as a finance cost.

Further detail is provided on the specific pension schemes in Note 30 to the accounts.

8. Employment benefits

Short term employment benefits such as salaries and compensated absences are recognised as an expense in the year in which the employees render service to the University. Any unused benefits are accrued and measured as the additional amount the University expects to pay as a result of the unused entitlement.

9. Finance leases

Leases in which the University assumes substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the leased asset are classified as finance leases. Leased assets acquired by way of finance lease and the corresponding lease liabilities are initially recognised at an amount equal to the lower of their fair value and the present value of the minimum lease payments at inception of the lease.

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies

90

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

Minimum lease payments are apportioned between the finance charge and the reduction of the outstanding liability. The finance charge is allocated to each period during the lease term so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability.

10. Service Concession Arrangements

Private Finance Initiative (PFI) transactions which meet the definition of a service concession arrangement are accounted for as ‘on Balance Sheet’ by the University. The underlying assets are recognised as Fixed Assets at their fair value as determined in the operators’ model. An equivalent financial liability is recognised in accordance with FRS 102.

The annual contract payments are apportioned between the repayment of the liability, a finance cost and the charges for services. The finance cost is calculated using the implicit interest rate for the scheme

The service charge is recognised in operating expenses and the finance cost is charged to Finance Costs in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.

An element of the annual unitary payment increase due to cumulative indexation is allocated to the finance lease. In accordance with FRS 102, this amount is not included in the minimum lease payments, but is instead treated as contingent rent and is expensed as incurred. In substance, this amount is a finance cost in respect of the liability and the expense is presented as a contingent finance cost in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.

Lifecycle replacement costs are recognised in operating expenses based on the operators’ planned programme of lifecycle replacement.

11. Operating leases

Costs in respect of operating leases are charged on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Any lease premiums or incentives are spread over the minimum lease term.

12. Foreign currency

Transactions in foreign currencies are translated to the respective functional currencies of Group entities at the foreign exchange rate ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at the balance sheet date are translated to the functional currency at the foreign exchange rate ruling at that date. Foreign exchange differences arising on translation are recognised as a Surplus or Deficit.

Non-monetary assets and liabilities that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rate at the date of the transaction. Non-monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies that are stated at fair value are retranslated to the functional currency at foreign exchange rates ruling at the dates the fair value was determined.

13. Property, Plant and Equipment

Land and buildings

Land and buildings are capitalised at cost on initial recognition.

After initial recognition land and buildings are subsequently measured at deemed cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses.

Certain land and buildings have been revalued to fair value at the date of transition to the 2015 FE HE SORP, and are measured on the basis of deemed cost, being the revalued amount at the date of that revaluation. The valuation was undertaken by a professionally qualified firm of Chartered Surveyors. Some assets were excluded from the valuation where they were considered for disposal, demolition or major refurbishment.

Costs incurred in relation to land and buildings after initial purchase or construction are capitalised to the extent that they increase the expected future benefits to the University.

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies

91

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

Freehold land is not depreciated as it is considered to have an indefinite useful life. Unless they are componentised, freehold buildings are depreciated on a straight line basis over their expected useful lives as follows:

Buildings 50 years Building refurbishments 15 years

Where appropriate, buildings are componentised into three parts: building structure, fit out and mechanical & engineering. These are accounted for as separate items of fixed assets and each part is depreciated on a straight line basis over their respective useful lives:

Buildings structure Up to 50 years Fit out Up to 20 years Mechanical and engineering Up to 20 years

Where an item of land and buildings comprise two or more major components with substantially different useful economic lives (UELs), each component is accounted for separately and depreciated over its individual UEL. Expenditure relating to subsequent replacement of components is capitalised as incurred.

Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the life of the lease.

No depreciation is charged on assets in the course of construction.

Depreciation methods, useful lives and residual values are reviewed at the date of preparation of each Statement of Financial Position.

Equipment

Equipment is capitalised at cost on initial recognition and then subsequently at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses.

Equipment, including computers and software, costing less than the de-minimis of £10,000 per individual item, or group of related items, is recognised as expenditure. All other equipment is capitalised.

Capitalised equipment is stated at cost and depreciated over its expected useful life as follows:

Computer Equipment
5 years
Equipment acquired for specifc research projects 5 years
Other Equipment
Up to 10 years
Motor Vehicles
5 years

Depreciation methods, useful lives and residual values are reviewed at the date of preparation of each Statement of Financial Position.

Impairment

A review for impairment of property, plant and equipment is carried out if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the property, plant and equipment may not be recoverable.

Borrowing costs

Borrowing costs are recognised as expenditure in the period in which they are incurred.

14. Heritage assets

The University owns an extensive collection of works of art, and other museum collections including ceramics, musical instruments, natural history items, geological artefacts and manuscripts, which have been mostly donated or bequeathed to the University during the last 130 years. These items are not included in the financial statements, as the University considers that in most cases, due to their unique nature, it would not be practical to obtain a meaningful valuation. Very few heritage assets could be sold

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies

92

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

by the University due to the restrictive nature of their acquisition. Further information is provided in Note 12. The cost of conservation and restoration of the heritage collection is reported in the Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year it is incurred.

15. Investments

Non-current asset investments in unlisted securities are held on the Statement of Financial Position at cost less impairment.

Investments in jointly controlled entities, associates and subsidiaries are carried at cost less impairment in the University’s Financial Statements.

Investments are held in the Statement of Financial Position as basic financial assets and are measured in accordance with accounting policy Note 18.

16. Stock

Stock is held at the lower of cost and net realisable value, and is measured using an average cost formula.

17. Cash and cash equivalents

Cash includes cash in hand and deposits repayable on demand. Deposits are repayable on demand if they are in practice available within 24 hours without penalty.

Cash equivalents are short term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash with insignificant risk of change in value.

18. Provisions, contingent liabilities and contingent assets

Provisions are recognised in the financial statements when:

The amount recognised as a provision is determined by discounting the expected future cash flows at a pretax rate that reflects risks specific to the liability.

A contingent liability arises from a past event that gives the University a possible obligation whose existence will only be confirmed by the occurrence or otherwise of uncertain future events not wholly within the control of the University. Contingent liabilities also arise in circumstances where a provision would otherwise be made but either it is not probable that an outflow of resources will be required or the amount of the obligation cannot be measured reliably.

A contingent asset arises where an event has taken place that gives the University a possible asset whose existence will only be confirmed by the occurrence or otherwise of uncertain future events not wholly within the control of the University.

Contingent assets and liabilities are not recognised in the Balance Sheet but are disclosed in the Notes.

19. Accounting for Joint Operations, Jointly Controlled Assets and Jointly Controlled Operations

The University accounts for its share of joint ventures using the equity method.

The University accounts for its share of transactions from joint operations and jointly controlled assets in the Consolidated Statement of Income and Expenditure.

20. Taxation

Current tax, including UK corporation tax and foreign tax, is provided at amounts expected to be paid (or recovered) using the tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date.

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies

93

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

The University is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 of Schedule 6 to the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the University is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by section 478-488 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 (CTA 2010) or section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied to exclusively charitable purposes.

21. Financial Instruments

The University has elected to adopt Sections 11 and 12 of FRS 102 in respect of the recognition, measurement, and disclosure of financial instruments.

Financial assets and liabilities are recognised when the University becomes party to the contractual provision of the instrument, and they are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into.

A financial asset and a financial liability are offset only when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and an intention either to settle on a net basis, or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Financial assets

Basic financial assets include trade and other receivables, cash and cash equivalents, and investments in commercial paper (i.e. deposits and bonds). These assets are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Such assets are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method. Financial assets are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting date. If there is objective evidence of impairment, an impairment loss is recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.

For financial assets carried at amortised cost the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount of the asset and the present value of the estimated future cash flows, discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate.

Other financial assets, including investments in equity instruments which are not subsidiaries, associates, or joint ventures are initially measured at fair value, which is typically the transaction price. These assets are subsequently carried at fair value and changes in fair value at the reporting date are recognised in the statement of comprehensive income. Where the investment in equity instruments are not publicly traded and where the fair value cannot be reliably measured the assets are measured at cost less impairment.

Financial assets are de recognised when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled or substantially all of the risks and rewards of the ownership of the asset are transferred to another party.

Financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities include trade and other payables, bank loans, and intra group loans. These liabilities are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method.

Fees paid on the establishment of loan facilities are recognised as transaction costs of the loan to the extent that it is probable that some or all of the facility will be drawn down.

Trade payables are obligations to pay for goods and services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Accounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non current liabilities. Trade payables are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method.

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies

94

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

Derivatives, including forward foreign exchange contracts, are not basic financial instruments. Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date the derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value at the reporting date. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income in finance costs or finance income as appropriate, unless they are included in a hedging arrangement.

To the extent that the University enters into forward foreign exchange contracts which remain unsettled at the reporting date the fair value of the contracts is reviewed at that date. The initial fair value is measured as the transaction price on the date of inception of the contracts. Subsequent valuations are considered on the basis of the forward rates for those unsettled contracts at the reporting date. The University does not apply hedge accounting in respect of forward foreign exchange contracts held to manage cash flow exposures of forecast transactions denominated in foreign currencies.

Financial liabilities are de recognised when the liability is discharged, cancelled, or expires.

22. Reserves

Reserves are classified as restricted or unrestricted. Restricted endowment reserves include certain balances which, through endowment to the University, are held as a permanently restricted fund which the University must hold in perpetuity.

Other restricted reserves include balances where the donor has designated a specific purpose and

therefore the University is restricted in the use of these funds.

23. Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

The preparation of the University’s financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates, and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and reported amounts of assets and liabilities, income, and expenses. These judgements, estimates, and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The resulting accounting estimates will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual results.

Management consider the areas set out below to be those where critical accounting judgements have been applied and the resulting estimates and assumptions may lead to adjustments to the future carrying amounts of assets and liabilities:

Income recognition

Judgement is applied in determining the value and timing of certain income items to be recognised in the financial statements. This includes determining when performance related conditions have been met, and determining the revenues associated with partially delivered courses and training where the activities have not been fully completed at the reporting date.

Useful lives of property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment represent a significant proportion of the University’s total assets. Therefore, the estimated useful lives can have a significant impact on the depreciation charged and the University’s reported performance. Useful lives are determine at the time the asset is acquired and reviewed regularly for appropriateness. The lives are based on historical experience with similar assets as well as anticipation of future events. Details of the carrying values of property, plant and equipment are shown in Note 11.

Recoverability of debtors

The provision for doubtful debts is based on our estimate of the expected recoverability of those debts. The provision is based on the current situation of the customer, the age profile of the debt and the nature of the amount due.

The University’s Trade Receivables balance, Note 17, discloses the amount due to the University and the Group after deducting the bad debt provision of £4,108k (2022: £3,225k) and £4,108k (2022: £3,225k) respectively. The bad debt provision mainly relates to residential and tuition fees owed by students.

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies

95

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

Management have reviewed individual debts and assessed recoverability having regard to age, status of the debtor, and any other relevant information relating to the delay in payment.

Service concession agreements

The University has two service concession agreements on its Balance Sheet, the Ffriddoedd Road and St Mary’s schemes (Note 13). The associated finance obligations have been derived using a modelling tool for service concession agreements under guidance from the University’s professional advisors, with inputs derived from the operator models which underpinned the contracts concluded with the private sector partners. The asset values are based on costs taken from the same operator models, and these are subject to an annual impairment review. No impairment arose in 2022/23 (2021/22 - Nil).

It has been assumed that any lifecycle expenditure is revenue in nature based on the information in the operator models.

Retirement benefit obligations

USS pension provision

The cost of defined benefit pension plans are determined using actuarial valuations. The actuarial valuation involves making assumptions about discount rates, future salary increases, mortality rates and future pension increases. Due to the complexity of the valuation, the underlying assumptions and the long term nature of these plans, such estimates are subject to significant uncertainty. Further details are given in Note 30.

Management are satisfied that Universities Superannuation Scheme meets the definition of a multi-employer scheme and has therefore recognised the discounted fair value of the contractual contributions under the funding plan in existence at the date of approving the financial statements.

As the University is contractually bound to make deficit recovery payments to USS, this is recognised as a liability on the balance sheet. The provision is currently based on the USS deficit recovery plan agreed after the 2017 actuarial valuation, which defines the deficit payment required as a percentage of future salaries until 2034. These contributions will be reassessed within each triennial valuation of the scheme.

The provision is based on management’s estimate of expected future salary inflations, changes in staff numbers and the prevailing rate of discount. Further details are set out in Note 30A.

Retirement benefits (BUPAS)

The pension liability position, as contained within the accounts, is based on a number of complex assessments and judgements relating to discount rates, projected salary increases, changes in retirement ages, mortality rates and expected returns on scheme assets. A professional firm of consulting actuaries is engaged by the University to provide expert advice on the assumptions to be applied and the calculation of the scheme liability.

Assumptions used in the current year are detailed in Note 30B.

Statement of Principal Accounting Policies

96

Notes to the Financial Statements Year ended 31 July 2023

1 Tuition fees and education contracts
Full-time home and EU students
Full-time international students
Part-time students
Research training support grants
Short course fees
Education contracts
2
Funding body grants
Recurrent grant
Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
Specifc grants
Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
Research Wales Innovation Fund
Welsh Medium Initiatives
Research Capital
Capital Grants
PGT Masters
Mentoring Project
Degree Apprenticeships
Reaching Higher Reaching Wider
Welsh Innovation Network
Better Mental Health
Student Well-Being & Health Initiatives
Higher Education Investment & Recovery
Main Funding
Other
Welsh Government
Welsh for Adults Language Centre
National Practitioners
HEI Collaborative Working
North Wales Medical Education Hub
MSP Capital Grant
Other		 2022/23
2021/22
Consolidated
University
Consolidated
University
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
43,534
43,534
44,347
44,347
28,852
28,852
19,396
19,396
4,467
4,467
2,912
2,912
1,094
1,094
1,046
1,046
459
459
620
620
10,245
10,245
12,444
12,444
88,651
88,651
80,765
80,765
13,557
13,557
14,637
14,637
2,950
2,950
1,566
1,566
930
930
921
921
754
754
597
597
750
750
831
831
702
702
307
307
515
515
0
0
411
411
20
20
401
401
332
332
253
253
0
0
184
184
229
229
171
171
319
319
91
91
2,279
2,279
416
416
250
250
1,473
1,473
1,478
1,478
340
340
203
203
296
296
0
0
68
68
61
61
0
0
328
328
256
256
392
392
24,518
24,518
24,750
24,750

The Research grants and contract totals include fully recognised income of £3.9m (2021/22 - £1.4m) received for capital grants where performance conditions have been met. The associated equipment purchased will be depreciated over 5 years in accordance with the University’s Accounting Policies.

Notes to the Financial Statements

97

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

3 Research grants and contracts
Research councils
UK charities
UK government
UK industry & commerce
EU government
EU other
Other overseas
Other sources
4
Other income
Residences, catering and conferences
Other services rendered by the University
Other income
Subsidiary Companies
NWWMDC Ltd
Menai Science Park Ltd
5
Investment income
Investment income on endowments
Investment income on restricted reserves
Other investment income
6
Donations and endowment income
New endowments
Donations with restrictions
Unrestricted donations
7
Staf costs
Salaries
Social security costs
Movement on USS provision
Movement on BUPAS provision
Other pension costs
Total		 2022/23
2021/22
Consolidated
University
Consolidated
University
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
5,115
5,115
5,469
5,469
1,160
1,160
913
913
12,653
12,653
9,970
9,970
1,721
1,721
1,575
1,575
11,349
11,349
10,685
10,685
276
276
113
113
593
593
556
556
202
202
263
263
33,069
33,069
29,544
29,544
13,273
13,273
11,764
11,764
5,099
5,099
4,861
4,861
7,956
8,409
7,226
7,648
1,426
0
1,732
0
2,254
0
2,182
0
30,008
26,781
27,765
24,273
250
250
200
200
21
21
0
0
1,170
1,170
(19)
(19)
1,441
1,441
181
181
92
92
7
7
137
137
125
125
106
106
112
112
335
335
244
244
73,694
72,092
66,752
65,347
7,233
6,945
6,640
6,372
(10,468)
(10,468)
34,358
34,358
(457)
(457)
996
996
13,469
13,382
12,120
12,036
83,471
81,494
120,866
119,109

Notes to the Financial Statements

98

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

Emoluments of the Vice-Chancellor 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023 :

Salary
Total remuneration
Vice-Chancellor remuneration as a pay multiple
of all other employees on an FTE basis
Pay median of basic salary
Pay median of total remuneration		 Prof. E Burke
1/9/22 to
Prof. I Davies
1/8/22 to
Prof. I Davies
2021/22
31/7/23
31/8/22
£’000
£’000
£’000
222
19
223
222
19
223
2022/23
2022/23
2021/22
1 : 6.50
1 : 6.17
1 : 6.51
1 : 6.50
1 : 6.17
1 : 6.51

The University appointed Professor Edmund Burke as Vice-Chancellor with effect from 1 September 2022. His initial remuneration for the post was set by the appointing panel with the same benefits as those received by other members of staff.

In setting the salary of the Vice-Chancellor the appointing panel took into consideration benchmarking data from the UCEA Senior Staff Remuneration Survey, a paper on remuneration consideration produced by the Executive Search Agents, and the CUC Survey of VC’s salaries. The Vice-Chancellor is enrolled in the enhanced opt out arrangement within the Universities’ Superannuation Scheme.

The performance of the Vice-Chancellor is monitored throughout the year. This includes regular 1:1 meetings with the Chair of Council and an annual performance appraisal using the same process as for other staff. Through the appraisal process the Chair of Council sets the Vice-Chancellor’s annual objectives.

After initial appointment, the Remuneration Committee determines and reviews the remuneration of the Vice-Chancellor. They consider affordability, comparative information on remuneration within the sector or elsewhere and relevant metrics and performance data. The Remuneration Committee is chaired by an independent lay member of Council.

Remuneration of higher paid staff (excluding the Vice Chancellor and excluding employer’s pension contributions)


£100,000 to £104,999
£105,000 to £109,999
£110,000 to £114,999
£115,000 to £119,999
£120,000 to £124,999
£125,000 to £129,999
£130,000 to £134,999
£135,000 to £139,999
£140,000 to £144,999
£145,000 to £149,999
Average staf numbers by major category :
Academic & related and research
Clerical
Technical
Other
2022/23
2021/22
No.
No.
4
3
3
1
3
2
2
2
2
1
2
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
18
12
No.
No.
1,004
966
360
349
111
97
228
229
1,703
1,641

Staff numbers are expressed as full-time equivalents.

Compensation for loss of office was paid to one former higher paid employee under the terms of the University’s standard voluntary severance scheme, the amount paid was £29,375 (2021/22 2 - £0).

Notes to the Financial Statements

99

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

Key management personnel

Key management personnel are those persons having authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the University. Staff costs include both employers’ pension and NI contributions.

2022/23 2021/22
£’000 £’000
Key management personnel staf cost 1,640 1,392
No. No.
FTE Equivalent number of key management personnel during 2022/23 11.77 9
At the 31 July 2023 there were 13 (20/21 – 9) key management personnel.

Council Members

No lay council members received remuneration from the group during the year (2022 - none).

The total expenses paid to or on behalf of 9 lay council members was £5,120 (2022 - £2,335). This represents travel expenses incurred in attending Council, Committee meetings and other events in their official capacity.

Related party transactions

Due to the nature of the Institution’s operations and the composition of its Council (being drawn from local public and private sector organisations) and Senior Leadership Team, it is inevitable that transactions will take place with organisations in which a member of Council or the Senior Leadership Team may have an interest.

All such transactions are conducted at arm’s length and in accordance with the University’s financial regulations and normal procurement procedures. The University has taken advantage of the exemption within FRS 102 Section 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’ and has not disclosed transactions with other wholly owned group entities. The value of these transactions reflected in the accounts for the year ended 31 July 2023 are set out below :

Organisation Name Position Income Expenditure Due from/(to)
at
31 July 2023
£000 £000 £000
Betsi Cadwaladr
University Health Board		 Prof. Nichola Callow
(to 27/2/23)		 Board Member 940 612 52
Coleg Cambria Prof.Timothy Wheeler / Chair of Governing
Ms Lorraine Westwood Body/ Board Member 7 42 3
(to 30/4/23)
Ofce of the
Independent		 Dr. Kevin Mundy Director 0 38 0
Adjudicator
BUPAS Mr Michael Wilson
(to 1/3/23)		 Chair of Trustees 48 333 (0)

Notes to the Financial Statements

100

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

Note
8 Interest and other fnance costs
Loan interest
Finance lease interest (including service
concession fnance charge)
Net charge on pension scheme
21
Other
9
Analysis of total expenditure by activity
Academic departments
Academic services
Central administration and services
General educational
Staf and student facilities
Premises
Residences and catering operations
Research grants and contracts
Services rendered
Movement on USS provision
Other
Other operating expenses include:
External auditors remuneration (excl VAT) :
Audit related assurance services
Other assurance services
Taxation / Non-audit services
Operating lease rentals
Land and buildings
Other		 2022/23
2021/22
Consolidated
University
Consolidated
University
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
1,003
1,003
1,076
1,076
3,747
3,747
3,676
3,676
1,285
1,285
182
182
5
5
0
0
6,040
6,040
4,934
4,934
52,562
52,656
47,344
47,480
12,101
12,168
11,102
11,181
12,709
12,724
11,313
16,473
21,318
21,321
12,505
12,509
7,415
7,415
7,089
7,104
22,863
23,558
27,884
28,569
16,537
16,537
15,552
15,552
27,159
27,330
24,995
25,038
8,315
3,616
7,548
3,258
(10,468)
(10,468)
34,358
34,358
1,780
1,780
607
607
172,291
168,637
200,297
202,129
273
249
130
100
33
33
36
36
18
13
58
53
385
385
377
377
1,066
1,066
1,041
1,041

Notes to the Financial Statements

101

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

2021/22 2021/22 2021/22 2021/22 2021/22 2021/22
Consolidated University Consolidated University
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
10 Taxation
Current tax
UK corporation tax of 19% (2022: 19%) on
defcit for the year
Total tax charge		 0
0		 0
0		 0
0		 0
0
Factors afecting the tax charge
The tax assessed for the year is lower than the
The diference is explained below.		 standard rate of corporation tax in the UK.
(Defcit)/Surplus before taxation 5,611 6,046 (35,489) (40,813)
Defcit)/Surplus multiplied by the standard
rate of corporation tax in the UK of 19%		 1,066 1,149 (6,743) (7,754)
(2022: 19%)
Surplus/(Defcit) within charitable exemption
Impact of change in corporation tax rate		 (1,066)
0		 (1,149)
0		 6,743
0		 7,754
0
Current tax charge 0 0 0 0

Notes to the Financial Statements

102

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

11 Property, Plant and
Equipment
Consolidated
Cost
At 1 August 2022
Additions
Transfers
Disposals
At 31 July 2023
Depreciation
At 1 August 2022
Charge for the year
Disposals
At 31 July 2023
Net book value
At 31 July 2023
At 1 August 2022
University
Cost
At 1 August 2022
Additions
Transfers
Disposals
At 31 July 2023
Depreciation
At 1 August 2022
Charge for the year
Disposals
At 31 July 2023
Net book value
At 31 July 2023
At 1 August 2022		 Freehold Land
and Buildings
(Restated)
Leasehold
Improvements
Service
concession
arrangement
Land and
Buildings
Fixtures,
Fittings and
Equipment
Assets in the
Course of
Construction
Total
(Restated)
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
293,770
11,095
68,653
40,570
6,307
420,395
0
0
0
5,107
5,604
10,711
7,956
0
0
780
(8,736)
0
0
0
0
(1,222)
(193)
(1,415)
301,726
11,095
68,653
45,235
2,982
429,691
66,981
6,210
11,025
30,810
0
115,026
9,577
374
1,420
4,515
0
15,886
0
0
0
(1,189)
0
(1,189)
76,558
6,584
12,445
34,136
0
129,723
225,168
4,511
56,208
11,099
2,982
299,968
226,789
4,885
57,628
9,760
6,307
305,369
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
293,770
58
68,653
38,445
6,307
407,233
0
0
0
5,056
5,604
10,660
7,956
0
0
780
(8,736)
0
0
0
0
(1,222)
(193)
(1,415)
301,726
58
68,653
43,059
2,982
416,478
66,981
12
11,025
28,840
0
106,858
9,577
1
1,420
4,455
0
15,453
0
0
0
(1,189)
0
(1,189)
76,558
13
12,445
32,106
0
121,122
225,168
45
56,208
10,953
2,982
295,356
226,789
46
57,628
9,605
6,307
300,375

At 31 July 2023, freehold land and buildings included £38.7m (2022 - £38.7m) in respect of freehold land and is not depreciated.

Leased assets included above:
Net Book Value:
At 31 July 2022
At 31 July 2023		 £’000
664
505

Notes to the Financial Statements

103

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

12 Heritage assets

The University holds a number of collections of Heritage Assets, including: Arts Collection - approximately 600 oil paintings, watercolours, prints, and drawings, plus 9 sculptures, dating from the 17th to the 21st centuries; Ceramics Collection - contains around 500 pieces on display and in store; Music Collection - approximately 600 ethnographic musical instruments, together with 325 pre-Columbian clay instruments; Geology Collection – around 8,000 rocks and 6,000 fossils from all over the world; Natural History Collection - composed of around 40,000 specimens (of which around 500 are on display); Welsh Antiquities Collection – and other antiquities are held on display in the Gwynedd Museum & Art Gallery; and a Manuscripts Collection – the Library has around 16,500 books of rare or special significance and the Archives Department holds around 80 collections, mostly of estate and family papers from the counties of North Wales, together with private papers of prominent individuals and a miscellaneous collection of literary, historical and antiquarian records.

The University’s Heritage Assets are documented and were valued at £14.6m (21/22 £12.3m) for insurance purposes only. This value is not reflected in the University’s Financial Statements.

13 Service concession arrangements

The University has two on Balance Sheet service concession arrangements, the St Mary’s and Ffriddoedd Road sites, where service delivery has commenced.

Movement in service concession arrangement assets

The asset value of the service concessions included on the Balance Sheet as at 31 July 2023 is £56,208k (1 August 2022 £57,628). The decrease of £1,420k results from depreciation charges during the year.

Movement in service concession arrangement liabilities

The total liabilities relating to the service concessions included on the Balance Sheet as at 31 July 2023 were £59,186k (1 August 2022 £60,466k). The decrease of £1,280k results from repayments during the year.

Future commitments

The following table analyses the University’s future commitments in relation to service concession arrangements..

Liability repayments
Finance charge
Service charge		 Payable
in 1 year
Payable in
2-5 years
Payable in
6 years or
more
Total
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
1,350
7,281
50,555
59,186
3,204
11,821
26,321
41,346
3,345
12,902
79,900
96,147
7,899
32,004
156,776
196,679

The notes below give more information on the University’s current on Balance Sheet service concession arrangements:

a) Friddoedd Road scheme

On 6 October 2006 the University entered into a 29 year contract with a third party provider for the provision and maintenance of accommodation to 1,136 students.

The assets and liabilities relating to this scheme are recognised on the University’s Balance Sheet. The service commenced on 1 October 2009 and the contract will finish on 30 September 2038.

b) St Mary’s scheme

On 23 July 2014 the University entered into a 40 year contract with a third party provider for the provision and maintenance of accommodation to 602 students.

The assets and liabilities relating to this scheme are recognised on the University’s Balance Sheet. The service commenced on 25 September 2015 and the contract will finish on 24 September 2055.

Notes to the Financial Statements

104

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023


Year ended 31 July 2023
14 Non-Current Investments
Consolidated
At 1 August 2022
Release in Year
Revaluation
At 31 July 2023
University
At 1 August 2022
Release in Year
Revaluation
At 31 July 2023		 Subsidiary
companies
(Note 28)
Associate
companies
(Note 28)
Joint
venture
(Note 15)
Other
non-current
investments
Total
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
0
50
0
7,001
7,051
0
0
0
(45)
(45)
0
0
0
(98)
(98)
0
50
0
6,858
6,908
0
50
50
7,001
7,101
0
0
0
(45)
(45)
0
0
0
(98)
(98)
0
50
50
6,858
6,958

Non-current investments are stated at cost with the exception of the University’s managed funds which are stated at market value.


market value.
Other non-current investments consist of :
CVCP Properties plc
Laser Micromachining Ltd
Managed funds in equities and fxed interest securities		 University
£’000
33
80
6,745
6,858

Managed funds are held with UBS Asset Management (UK) Limited who are licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Notes to the Financial Statements

105

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

15 Investment in joint venture

The University holds a 50% share (50,000 £1 Ordinary shares) of P.Madog Offshore Services Limited, a company registered in England, which undertakes the chartering of a research vessel. This is a joint venture company owned equally by the University and O.S. Energy (UK) Limited. The arrangement is treated as a joint venture and is accounted for using the equity method, such that 50% of the company’s gross assets and liabilities are incorporated into the consolidated balance sheet of the University and 50% of its net income is reported in the University’s consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income.

Income and expenditure account
Share of income
Share of expenditure
Share of surplus for year
Balance sheet
Fixed assets
Current assets
Creditors: amounts due within one year
Creditors: amounts due after more than one year
Share of net assets		 2022/23
2021/22
£’000
£’000
730
454
(738)
(454)
(8)
0
2022
2022
£'000
£'000
759
753
278
214
1,037
967
(137)
(60)
(142)
(142)
(279)
(202)
758
765

Notes to the Financial Statements

106

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

16 Stock 2023
Consolidated
University		 2023
Consolidated
University		 2022
Consolidated
University		 2022
Consolidated
University		 2022
Consolidated
University
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Catering and retail stocks 87 74 78 67
87 74 78 67
17 Trade and other receivables 2023
Consolidated
University		 2022
Consolidated
University
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Amounts falling due within one year:
Trade receivables		 20,065 19,853 17,345 17,298
Prepayments and accrued income 14,324 13,890 18,276 17,910
Amounts due from subsidiary companies 0 646 0 267
34,389 34,389 35,621 35,475
Amounts falling due after one year:
Prepayment to subsidiary undertaking		 0 1,514 0 1,651
34,389 35,903 35,621 37,126
18 Current investments 2023
Consolidated
University		 2022
Consolidated
University
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Short term deposits £15,503 £15,463 0 0
£15,503
£15,463		 0 0
19 Creditors : amounts falling due within one year 2023
Consolidated
University		 2022 (Reclassifed)
Consolidated
University
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Obligations under fnance leases
Service concession arrangements (Note 13)		 159
1,350		 159
1,350		 159
1,351		 159
1,351
Unsecured loans 2,875 2,875 2,798 2,798
Bank Overdraft 0 0 444 444
Creditors 9,745 9,452 7,564 7,220
Social security and other taxation payable 2,057 2,010 1,992 1,956
Accruals and deferred income 30,552 30,365 32,742 32,524
Amounts due to joint venture 0 78 0 0
Amounts due to subsidiary undertakings 0 352 0 290
46,738 46,641 47,050 46,742
Deferred income
Included within accruals and deferred income are the following items of income which have been deferred until
specifc performance related conditions have been met.
Tuition Fees
8,821
8,821
10,454
10,454
Research grants received on account 3,705 3,705 7,018 7,018
Funding Body grants 2,339 2,339 4,868 4,868
Other 5,775 5,754 2,610 2,564
20,640 20,619 24,950 24,904

Notes to the Financial Statements

107

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

20 Creditors : amounts falling due after more than one year

Deferred income
Obligations under fnance lease
Service concession liabilities due after one year
Unsecured loans
Analysis of secured and unsecured loans:
Due within one year or on demand
Due between one and two years
Due between two and fve years
Due in fve years or more
Due after more than one year
Total secured and unsecured loans
Unsecured loans repayable by 2033
Included in loans are the following:
Borrower
University
University
University
University
Total University		 2023
2022
Consolidated
University
Consolidated
University
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
0
0
34
34
347
347
505
505
57,836
57,836
59,115
59,115
30,474
30,474
33,348
33,348		 2023
2022
Consolidated
University
Consolidated
University
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
0
0
34
34
347
347
505
505
57,836
57,836
59,115
59,115
30,474
30,474
33,348
33,348		 2023
2022
Consolidated
University
Consolidated
University
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
0
0
34
34
347
347
505
505
57,836
57,836
59,115
59,115
30,474
30,474
33,348
33,348		 2023
2022
Consolidated
University
Consolidated
University
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
0
0
34
34
347
347
505
505
57,836
57,836
59,115
59,115
30,474
30,474
33,348
33,348
88,657
88,657
93,002
93,002
2,875
2,875
2,798
2,798
2,954
2,954
2,875
2,875
9,280
9,280
9,111
9,111
18,240
18,240
21,362
21,362
30,474
30,474
33,348
33,348
33,349
33,349
36,146
36,146
33,349
33,349
36,146
36,146
33,349
33,349
36,146
36,146
Amount
Maturity
£'000
1,830
2030
17,434
2033
13,238
2033
847
2031
33,349		 Interest rate
%
0%
Fixed 3.913%
Fixed 2.135%
Fixed 0.55%		 Lender
Salix Energy
Efciency
Loans
European
Investment
Bank
European
Investment
Bank
Sustaining
University
Research
Expertise
(SURE)

Notes to the Financial Statements

108

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

21 Provisions for liabilities

----- Start of picture text -----
||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Local|Total Pensions|Other|Total| |USS deficit|scheme|Provisions|Provisions|Other| |Consolidated and University|£’000|£’000|£’000|£’000|£’000| |At 1 August 2022|55,429|(15,742)|39,687|1,855|1,855| |0|(457)|(457)|0|0| |Staff cost| |(3,161)|0|(3,161)|0|0| |Deficit Contribution| |Finance cost|1,835|(550)|1,285|0|0| |Movement on Pension Scheme|(7,307)|7,937|630|0| |Additions / (Usage)|0|0|0|(1,754)|(1,754)| |At 31 July 2023|46,796|(8,812)|37,984|101|101|

----- End of picture text -----

Local scheme

Defined benefit obligations at 1 August 2022 related to the liabilities under the University’s BUPAS pension scheme. Further details are given in Note 30B.

USS deficit

The obligation to fund the past deficit on the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) arises from the contractual obligation with the USS to fund deficit payments in accordance with the deficit recovery plan. In calculating this provision, management have estimated future staff levels within the USS scheme for the duration of the contractual obligation and salary inflation.

Following the completion of the 2020 actuarial valuation, a new deficit recovery plan has been agreed of which more detail is given in Note 30A. This new plan requires deficit payments of 6.2% of salaries over the period 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024 at which point the rate will increase to 6.3%.

Key assumptions to calculate the obligation are set out below and further information is provided in Note 30A.

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |2023|2022| |Discount rate|5.52%|3.31%| |Salary growth|4.50%|4.50%|

----- End of picture text -----

Sensitivity analysis

As set out in the accounting policies, there are some critical judgements made in estimating the obligation to fund the USS deficit. The sensitivity of the principal assumptions used to measure the USS deficit provision are set out below:

----- Start of picture text -----
||| |---|---| |Change in assumptions at 31 July 2023|Approximate impact £m| |0.5% pa decrease in discount rate|1.8| |1.8| |0.5% pa increase in salary inflation over duration| |0.2| |0.5% pa increase in salary inflation year 1 only| |1.7| |0.5% increase in staff changes over duration| |0.2| |0.5% increase in staff changes year 1 only| |3.7| |1% increase in deficit contributions|

----- End of picture text -----

Notes to the Financial Statements

109

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

**22 ** Endowment reserves Restricted Restricted
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Restricted
Restricted
2023
2023
2022
permanent
permanent
expendable
Total		 Total
endowments endowments endowments
Consolidated and University £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
At 1 August
Capital 5,111 229 1,428 6,768 7,005
Accumulated income 1,271 0 173 1,443 1,333
6,382 229 1,601 8,212 8,338
New endowments 1 0 1 2 7
Investment income 195 7 48 250 200
Expenditure (31) (7) (152) (190) (308)
Increase in market value of
investments		 (74) (3) (21)
(98)
(26)
Total endowment comprehensive
income/(expenditure) for the year		 91 (3) (124) (36) (127)
At 31 July 6,473 226 1,477 8,176 8,211
Represented by:
Capital 5,038 226 1,290 6,554 6,768
Accumulated income 1,435 0 187 1,622 1,443
6,473 226 1,477 8,176 8,211
Analysis by asset
Non-current asset investments 6,745 6,888
Cash & cash equivalents 1,431 1,323
8,176 8,211
**23 ** Other restricted reserves
Reserves with restrictions are as follows: 2023 2022
Donations
Donations
Consolidated and University £'000 £'000
At 1 August 745 701
New donations 231 274
Investment income 21 0
Expenditure (267) (230)
Transfer between reserves 13 0
Total restricted comprehensive income / (expenditure) for the year (2) 44
At 31 July 743 745

Notes to the Financial Statements

110

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

24 Consolidated reconciliation of net debt
Net debt 1 August 2022
Movement in cash and cash equivalents
Other non-cash changes
Net debt 31 July 2023
Change in net debt
Analysis of net debt:
Cash and cash equivalents
Borrowings: amounts falling due within one year
Unsecured loans
Bank overdraft
Obligations under fnance leases
Service concession arrangements (Note 13)
Borrowings: amounts falling due after more than one year
Service concession liabilities due after one year
Obligations under fnance lease
Unsecured loans
Net debt		 31 July 2023
31 July 2022
£'000
£'000
52,587
(19,170)
33,661
67,078
14,491
25,963
45,133
2,875
2,798
0
444
159
159
1,350
1,351
4,384
4,752
57,836
59,115
347
505
30,474
33,348
88,657
92,968
67,078
52,587

25 Cash and cash equivalents

Net debt
25 Cash and cash equivalents		 67,078
52,587		 67,078
52,587		 67,078
52,587
At 1 August
Cashfows
At 31 July		 2023
Consolidated
University
£'000
£'000
45,133
44,288
(19,170)
(18,904)
25,963
25,384		 2022
Consolidated
University
£'000
£'000
44,322
43,083
811
1,205
45,133
44,288
26 Capital and other commitments
Provision has not been made for the following capital commitments at 31 July 2023:
At 1 August
2023
Consolidated
University
£'000
£'000
Commitments contracted for
955
955		 2022
Consolidated
University
£'000
£'000
1,067
1,067
955 955 1,067 1,067
27 Lease obligations
Total rentals payable under operating leases:
Consolidated and University
Payable during the year		 Land and
buildings
£'000
385
Other
leases
£'000
1,066
2023
Total
£'000
1,451
2022
Total
£'000
1,367
Future minimum lease payments due:
Not later than 1 year
Later than 1 year and not later than 5 years
Later than 5 years		 323
1,008
13,685		 998
2,021
0		 1,321
3,029
13,685		 1,364
4,013
13,727
Total lease payments due: 15,016 3,019 18,035 19,104

Notes to the Financial Statements

111

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

28 Events after the reporting period

There are no post balance sheet events to report.

29 Subsidiary and associate company undertakings

Status Share Capital Country of Principal Activity
Held Registration
North West Wales Management 100% 1 £1 Ordinary Wales Management courses,
Development Centre Limited share conferencing and
accommodation
Menai Science Park Limited 100% 1 £1 Ordinary Wales Development of a science park
share
The Shellfsh Centre - Limited by
guarantee		 Wales Shellfsh processing and
research
Naturiol Bangor Limited 20% 20 £1 Ordinary Wales Natural materials research
shares
Holdingacquired at a cost of £50,000

The financial statements do not incorporate Naturiol Bangor Limited or The Shellfish Centre as the results and assets and liabilities of these companies are not considered material.

30 Pension Schemes

Different categories of staff were eligible to join one of the following schemes:

A small number of staff remain in other schemes that are not open to new members.

30A The Universities Superannuation Scheme

The institution participates in Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) which is the main scheme covering most academic and academic-related staff. The Scheme is a hybrid pension scheme, providing defined benefits (for all members), as well as defined contribution benefits. The assets of the scheme are held in a separate trusteeadministered fund.

USS is a multi-employer scheme and is accounted for as set out in the accounting policies.

The total cost charged to the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income is £11.013m (2022: £10.034m). Deficit recovery contributions due within one year for the Institution are £3.1m (2022 - £1.1m).

The latest available complete actuarial valuation of the Retirement Income Builder section of the Scheme is at 31 March 2020 (“the valuation date”), which was carried out using the projected unit method.

The 2020 valuation was the sixth valuation for USS under the scheme-specific funding regime introduced by the Pensions Act 2004, which requires schemes to adopt a statutory funding objective, which is to have sufficient and appropriate assets to cover their technical provisions. At the valuation date, the value of the assets of the scheme was £66.5 billion and the value of the scheme’s technical provisions was £80.6 billion indicating a shortfall of £14.1 billion and a funding ratio of 83%.

Since the institution cannot identify its share of Retirement Income Builder Section of the Scheme assets and liabilities, the following disclosures reflect those relevant for the section as a whole. The key financial assumptions used in the 2020 valuation are described below. More detail is set out in the Statement of Funding Principles.

Notes to the Financial Statements

112

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

30A The Universities Superannuation Scheme (continued)

----- Start of picture text -----
||| |---|---| |CPI assumption plus 0.05%| |Pension increases (subject to a floor of 0%)| |Term dependent rates in line with the difference between| |the Fixed Interest and Index Linked yield curves less:| |Pension increases (CPI)| |1.1% p.a. to 2030, reducing linearly by 0.1% p.a. to a long term| |difference of 0.1% p.a. from 2040| |Discount rate (forward rates)|Fixed interest gilt yield curve plus:| |Pre-retirement: 2.75% p.a.| |Post retirement: 1.00% p.a.|

----- End of picture text -----

The main demographic assumption used relates to the mortality assumptions. These assumptions are based on analysis of the scheme’s experience carried out as part of the 2020 actuarial valuation. The mortality assumptions used in these figures are as follows:

2020 valuation

Mortality Base Table 101% of S2PMA "AMC00 (duration 0) for males and 112% of AFC00 (duration 0) for females. Future Improvements to mortality CMI_2019 with a smoothing parameter of 7.5, an initial addition of 0.5% pa and a long term improvement rate of 1.8% pa for males and 1.6% pa for females.

The current life expectancies on retirement at age 65 are:

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |2023|2022| |Males currently aged 65 (years)|24.0|23.9| |Females currently aged 65 (years)|25.6|25.5| |Males currently aged 45 (years)|26.0|25.9| |Females currently aged 45 (years)|27.4|27.3|

----- End of picture text -----

The funding position of the scheme has since been updated on an FRS102 basis. A new deficit recovery plan was put in place as part of the 2020 valuation, which requires payment of 6.2% of salaries over the period 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024 at which point the rate will increase to 6.3%. The 2023 deficit recovery liability reflects this plan. The liability figures have been produced using the following assumptions:

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |2023|2022| |Discount rate|5.52%|3.31%| |Pensionable salary growth|4.50%|4.50%| |The employers’ contribution rates are as follows:| |Rate| |Effective date| |1 October 2019 to 30 September 2021|21.10%| |1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022|21.40%| |1 April 2022 to 31 March 2024|21.60%| |1 April 2024 to 30 April 2038|21.40%|

----- End of picture text -----

Notes to the Financial Statements

113

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

30B Bangor University Pension and Assurance Scheme 1978 (BUPAS)

The University operates a defined benefit pension scheme for ancillary and support staff, the Bangor University Pension and Assurance Scheme 1978 (BUPAS). The scheme is externally funded and was contracted out of the State Second Pension (S2P) until 31 March 2016.

The latest actuarial valuation was carried out as at 1 August 2020 and was updated for the purpose of FRS102 Section 28, Employee Benefits, to 31 July 2023 by a professionally qualified actuary.

During the year, the University paid contributions to the pension scheme at the rate of 23.5% (2022: 21.5%). The total cost of contributions paid by the University was £3,360k (2022: £3,013k).

Accounting standard FRS102 requires that, as the University does not have an automatic right to a refund of surplus, the scheme’s current surplus to be recognised to the extent that the University is able to derive economic value from the surplus in the form of potential future reduced contributions. The economic value the University can derive from the surplus is calculated as the difference between the present value of the future contributions the University is committed to paying under the documentation in force at the reporting date and the present value of the future benefits expected to accrue in the future (over the working lifetime of active members) as measured on the accounting basis at the reporting date. On this basis the 2022/23 surplus of £8,812k (21/22 : £15,742k) was fully recognised.

Assumptions

Since Mercer have been engaged to derive the assumptions this year, the curves used to derive the discount rate and RPI inflation at the Year-end are Mercer curves rather than the XPS curves. Both methodologies take similar approaches but will result in different assumptions. For example for the discount rate, differences may be due to differences in the underlying bonds included and the extrapolation approach.

In addition, the inflation risk premium (IRP) deducted from market implied inflation has been applied to both pre and post 2030 RPI. Last year it was deducted from post 2030 RPI only.

The methodology used to set the pension increases assumption has changed from Black-Scholes to the Jarrow Yilidirim model in line with Mercer’s in-house view.

One of the private credit funds is based on a lagged valuation as at 30th June 2023 since it is valued on a quarterly basis, hence the latest valuation was as at 30/06/2023. We have rolled-forward this valuation to 31 July 2023 using the cashflows that occurred in July 2023.

The financial assumptions used to calculate scheme liabilities under FRS102 at the year ended 31 July are:

2023 2022
Price infation (RPI) Pre / Post 2030
Price infation (CPI) Pre / Post 2030
Rate of increase in salaries Pre / Post 2030		 % p.a.
3.1% / 3.1%
2.1% / 3.0%
3.4% / 3.4%		 % p.a.
3.4% / 3.1%
2.4% / 3.0%
3.7% / 3.4%
Rate of increase of pensions in payment for BUPAS members Pre / Post 2030 1.8% / 2.2% 2.2% / 2.6%
Increases to deferred pensions before retirement Pre / Post 2030 2.3% / 3.1% 2.4% / 3.0%
Discount rate 5.15% 3.45%

The most significant non-financial assumption is the assumed level of longevity. The table below shows the life expectancy assumptions used in the accounting assessments at the year ended 31 July based on the life expectancy of male and female members at age 65.

2023 2022
Male Female Male Female
Member aged 65 retiring today 20.3 23.4 20.8 23.8
Member aged 45 retiring in 20 years 21.6 25.0 22.1 25.3

Notes to the Financial Statements

114

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

30B Bangor University Pension and Assurance Scheme 1978 (continued)

The major categories of scheme assets were as follows:
Equities
Liability driven investments
Property
Cash
Total market value of assets
The scheme has no investments in the University
or in any property occupied by the University.
Net fnance income / interest recognised within fnance cost and income:
Interest income
Interest expense
Total
The actual return on pension scheme assets was a gain of £33.4m (2022: £14.43m)
The amounts recognised in comprehensive income are:
Service cost:
Current service cost (net of employee contributions)
Administration expenses
Loss/(gain) on plan introductions, changes, curtailments and settlements
Net interest expense/(credit)
Charge recognised in the comprehensive income
The amounts recognised in comprehensive income are :
Remeasurements of the net liability:
Return on scheme assets (excluding amount included in net interest expense)
Actuarial (gains)/losses
Charge/(credit) recorded in other comprehensive income
Analysis of the amount shown in the Statement of Financial Position:
Reconciliation of Assets
At 1 August
Benefts paid
Administration expenses
Employer contributions
Employee contributions
Interest income
Actuarial gain/(loss) on assets
At 31 July
Reconciliation of Liabilities
At 1 August
Benefts paid
Service cost
Employee contributions
Interest expense
Actuarial gain/(loss) on liabilities
Loss on plan introductions and changes
At 31 July
Surplus / (Defcit) at end of year		 2022/23
2021/22
£'000
£'000
58,655
87,733
34,134
27,717
6,579
7,894
17,025
26,369
116,393
149,713
£'000
£'000
5,146
2,993
(4,595)
(2,942)
551
51
£'000
£'000
2,570
3,609
333
400
0
0
(551)
(51)
2,352
3,958
£'000
£'000
37,374
33,439
(29,436)
(46,549)
7,938
(13,110)
£'000
£'000
149,713
182,650
(4,165)
(5,148)
(333)
(400)
3,360
3,013
45
45
5,146
2,993
(37,374)
(33,440)
116,392
149,713
£'000
£'000
(133,971)
(179,072)
4,165
5,148
(2,570)
(3,609)
(45)
(45)
(4,595)
(2,942)
29,436
46,549
0
0
(107,580)
(133,971)
8,812
15,742

Notes to the Financial Statements

115

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

31 Related party transactions

Included within the financial statements are financial transactions with the following related parties in which the University does not have a controlling interest. All transactions are conducted at arm’s length and in accordance with the University’s Financial Regulations and usual procurement procedures. The value of these transactions reflected in the accounts for the year ended 31 July 2023 are set out below.

Organisation Note Income Expenditure Due from / (to)
at 31 July 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000
Bangor University Students’ Union
P.Madog Ofshore Services Limited		 154
0		 1,537
1,467		 4
(78)

Other transactions with related parties involving members of the University’s Council are disclosed under Note 7.

32 Bursaries

The University is the paying agent on behalf of the National Health Service and the Welsh Government in respect of bursaries and expenses made available for students studying nursing and teacher training. The sums paid are:

Nursing
Teacher Training		 2022/23
2021/22
£'000
£'000
5,251
4,790
179
609
5,430
5,399

The bursaries and related disbursements are excluded from the Statement of Comprehensive Income.

33 Financial Instruments

Financial Instruments
2023 2022
Consolidated University Consolidated University
Note £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Financial assets
Financial assets measured at cost:
Cash and cash equivalents 24 25,963 25,384 45,133 44,288
Financial assets measured at fair value:
Non-current investments 14 6,745 6,745 6,888 6,888
Financial assets measured at cost less impairment:
Non-current investments 14 83 213 83 213
Trade receivables 17 20,065 19,853 17,345 17,298
Other receivables 17 14,324 16,050 18,276 19,828
67,180 68,245 87,725 88,515
Financial liabilities
Financial liabilities measured at cost:
Trade and other payables 18/19 42,354 42,257 42,776 42,468
Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost:
Loans 18/19 33,349 33,349 36,146 36,146
Service concession arrangements 18/19 59,186 59,186 60,466 60,466
Finance leases 18/19 506 506 664 664
135,395 135,298 140,052 139,744

Notes to the Financial Statements

116

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

33 Financial Instruments (continued)

The income and expenditure in respect of the financial instruments is summarised below:

----- Start of picture text -----
||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |2023|2022| |Consolidated|University|Consolidated|University| |Note|£’000|£’000|£’000|£’000| |Total investment income for financial assets at cost|5|1,170|1,170|(19)|(19)| |Total investment income for financial assets at fair value|5|271|271|200|200| |Total interest expenditure for financial liabilities at amortised cost|8|4,755|4,755|4,752|4,752|

----- End of picture text -----

The University enters into predominantly non-complex or short term transactions resulting in basic financial instruments. As such the risk associated with the assets and liabilities outlined above is deemed by the University to be relatively low. The financial assets measured at cost are mainly in the form of cash or cash equivalents held with financial institutions on deposit. Financial assets measured at market value are exposed to the risk of changes in market prices. These are actively managed by professional fund managers according to an investment strategy set by the University.

For further details on terms and conditions associated with loans refer to Note 20.

Notes to the Financial Statements

117

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

34 US Department of Education Financial Responsibility Supplemental Schedule

In satisfaction of its obligations to facilitate students’ access to US federal financial aid, Bangor University is required, by the US Department of Education, to present the following Supplemental Schedule in a prescribed format.

The amounts presented within the schedules have been:

The schedules set out how each amount disclosed has been extracted from the financial statements. As set out above, the accounting policies used in determining the amounts disclosed are not intended to and do not comply with the requirements of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Primary Reserve Ratio Calculation

Expendable Net Assets: Expendable Net Assets: Year ended 31 July
2023		 Year ended 31 July
2023		 Year ended 31 July
2022		 Year ended 31 July
2022
Account lines Description Notes £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
SoFP - Income & Statement of Financial Net assets without
Expenditure Reserve Position - Net assets
without donor		 donor restrictions 201,275 205,322
restrictions
Notes 22 & 23 Statement of Financial Net Assets with donor
Position – Net assets restrictions 8,921 8,956
with donor restrictions
Note 17 - Lines from Statement of Financial Secured and Unsecured
unconsolidated Joint
Venture		 Position - Related party
receivable and Related		 related party receivable 0 0 0
party note disclosure
Note 17 - Lines from Statement of Financial Unsecured related party
unconsolidated Joint
Venture		 Position - Related party
receivable and Related		 receivable 0 0
party note disclosure
SoFP - Fixed Assets less Statement of Financial Property, plant and
Service Concessions
and Leasehold in Note		 Position - Property, plant
and equipment, net		 equipment, net (includes
Construction in		 239,248 242,854
11 progress)
Opening Balance - Note Note of the Financial Property, plant and
11 Fixed Asset less Statements -Statement equipment – pre-
Service Concessions
and Leasehold		 of Financial Position
-Property, Plant and		 implementation (242,856) (248,816)
Improvements Equipment - pre-
implementation
Closing Balance less Note of the Financial Property, plant and
Opening Balance - Note Statements -Statement equipment- post-
11 Fixed Asset less of Financial Position implementation with
Service Concessions
and Leasehold		 -Property, Plant and
Equipment - post-		 outstanding debt for
original purchase		 6,588 12,267
Improvements less implementation with
Assets in course of outstanding debt for
construction original purchase
Note of the Financial Property, plant and
Statements -Statement equipment -post
of Financial Position implementation without
-Property, Plant and
Equipment - post-		 outstanding debt for
original purchase		 0 0
implementation without
outstanding debt for
originalpurchase

Notes to the Financial Statements

118

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

34 US Department of Education Financial Responsibility Supplemental Schedule (continued) Primary Reserve Ratio Calculation (continued)

Expendable Net Assets (continued):
Year ended 31 July
2023
Year ended 31 July
2022
Account lines
Description
Notes
£'000
£'000
£'000
£'000
Note 11 - Assets in
Course of Construction
Not of the Financial
Statements- Statement
of Financial Position - CIP
(2,980)
(6,305)
Note 11 Service
Concessions
and Leasehold
Improvements
Statement of Financial
Position - Lease right-of-
use assets, net
Lease right-of-use
asset, net
60,719
62,513
Note 11 Opening
Balance - Service
Concessions
and Leasehold
Improvements
Note of Financial
Statements - Statement
of Financial Position -
Lease right-of-use asset
pre-implementation
Lease right-of-use asset
pre-implementation
(62,513)
(64,352)
Note 11 Closing balance
less Opening Balance
- Service Concessions
and Leasehold
Improvements
Note of Financial
Statements - Statement
of Financial Position -
Lease right-of-use asset
post-implementation
Lease right-of-use asset
post-implementation
1,794
1,839
Statement of Financial
Position - Goodwill
Intangible assets
0
0
Note 21 USS + BUPAS
Statement of Financial
Position - Post-
employment and
pension liabilities
Post-employment and
pension liabilities
37,985
39,687
Note 20 less Service
Concessions and
Finance Leases
Statement of Financial
Position - Note Payable
and Line of Credit for
long-term purposes
(both current and long
term) and Line of Credit
for CIP
Long-term debt - for
long term purposes
30,474
33,348
Note 20 - Opening
Balances - LT
Unsecured & Secured
loans
Statement of Financial
Position - Note Payable
and Line of Credit for
long-term purposes (both
current and long term)
and Line of Credit for CIP
Long-term debt - for
long term purposes pre-
implementation
33,348
36,146
Note 20 - Closing
Balances less
Opening Balances - LT
Unsecured & Secured
loans
Statement of Financial
Position - Note Payable
and Line of Credit for
long-term purposes
(both current and long
term) and Line of Credit
for CIP
Long-term debt - for
long term purposes
post-implementation
(2,874)
(2,798)
Statement of Financial
Position - Note Payable
and Line of Credit for
long-term purposes
(both current and long
term) and Line of Credit
for CIP
Line of Credit for CIP
0
0
Note 19 & Note 20
Service Concession +
Finance Lease
Statement of Financial
Position - Lease right-of-
use of asset liability
Lease right-of-use asset
liability
58,183
59,620
Opening Balances Note
19 & Note 20 for Service
Concession + Finance
Lease
Statement of Financial
Position - Lease right-
of-use of asset liability
pre-implementation
Pre-implementation
right-of-use leases
60,625
62,044

Notes to the Financial Statements

119

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

34 US Department of Education Financial Responsibility Supplemental Schedule (continued) Primary Reserve Ratio Calculation (continued)

Expendable Net Assets (continued): Expendable Net Assets (continued): Year ended 31 July
2023		 Year ended 31 July
2023		 Year ended 31 July
2022		 Year ended 31 July
2022
Account lines Description Notes £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
Closing less Opening Statement of Financial Post-implementation
Balances Note 19 & Position - Lease right- right-of-use leases
Note 20 for Service of-use of asset liability (1,439) (1,578)
Concession + Finance post-implementation
Lease
Statement of Financial
Position - Annuities		 Annuities with donor
restrictions		 0 0
Statement of Financial Term endowments with
Position - Term donor restrictions 0 0
Endowments
Statement of Financial Life income funds with
Positions - Life Income donor restrictions 0 0
Funds
Note 22 Restricted Statement of Financial Net assets with donor
Permanent Position - Perpetual restrictions: restricted in (6,474) (6,382)
Endowments Funds perpetuity
Expendable Net Assets 31,400 36,031
Total Expenses and Losses:
SoCIE Total Expenditure Statement of Activities Total expenses without
-, Total Operating donor restrictions
Expenses, -(Total from –taken directly from 172,291 200,296
Statement of Activities Statement of Activities
prior to adjustments)
SoCIE - Loss on Statement of Activities Non-Operating and Net
Investments + Share _ Non-Operating Investment (loss)
of operating surplus in (Investment return
joint venture + Pension appropriated for
Provision Movement spending), Investments,
less Note 5 Investment net of annual spending
Income gain (loss), Other
components of net
periodic pension costs, (9,480) 12,905
Pension-related changes
other than net periodic
pension, Change in
value of split-interest
agreements and Other
gains (loss)-(Total from
Statement of Activities
prior to adjustments)
Note 5 Investment Statement of Net investment losses
Income less SoCIE - Activities - (Investment
Loss on Investments return appropriated
for spending) and 1,349 157
Investments, net of
annual spending, gain
(loss)
SoCIE - Pension Statement of Activities - Pension -related
Provision movement Pension-related changes
other than periodic		 changes other than net
periodic costs		 7,938 (13,110)
pension
Total Expenses and Losses 172,097 200,247

Notes to the Financial Statements

120

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

34 US Department of Education Financial Responsibility Supplemental Schedule (continued) Equity Ratio Calculation

Modifed Net Assets:
Year ended 31 July
2023
Year ended 31 July
2033
Account lines
Description
Notes
£'000
£'000
£'000
£'000
SoFP - Income &
Expenditure Reserve
Statement of Financial
Position - Net Assets
without Donor
Restrictions
Net assets without
donor restrictions
201,275
205,322
SoFP - Restricted
Reserves
Statement of Financial
Position - Total Net
Assets with Donor
Restriction
Net assets with donor
restrictions
8,921
8,956
Statement of Financial
Position - Goodwill
Intangible assets
0
0
Note 17 - Lines from
unconsolidated Joint
Venture
Statement of Financial
Position - Related party
receivable and Related
party note disclosure
Secured and Unsecured
related party receivable
0
0
Note 17 - Lines from
unconsolidated Joint
Venture
Statement of Financial
Position - Related party
receivable and Related
party note disclosure
Unsecured related party
receivables
0
0
Modifed Net Assets:
210,196
214,278
Modifed Assets:
SoFP Non-Current
Assets + Current Assets
Statement of Financial
Position - Total assets
Total assets
383,575
394,017
Opening Balance (b/f
less depn b/f) - Note 11
Service Concession +
Leashold Improvements
Note of Financial
Statements - Statement
of Financial Position -
Lease right-of-use asset
pre-implementation
Lease right-of-use asset
pre-implementation
(62,513)
(64,352)
Opening Balances -
Note 19 & 20 for Finance
Leases and Service
Concession
Statement of Financial
Position - Lease right-
of-use of asset liability
pre-implementation
Pre-implementation
right-of-use leases
60,625
62,044
Statement of Financial
Position – Goodwill
Intangible assets
0
0
Note 17 - Lines from
unconsolidated Joint
Venture
Statement of Financial
Position - Related party
receivable and Related
partynote disclosure
Secured and Unsecured
related party receivable
0
0
Note 17 - Lines from
unconsolidated Joint
Venture
Statement of Financial
Position - Related party
receivables and Related
partynote disclosure
Unsecured related party
receivables
0
0
Modifed Assets:
383,575
394,709

Notes to the Financial Statements

121

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 July 2023

34 US Department of Education Financial Responsibility Supplemental Schedule (continued) Equity Ratio Calculation (continued)


Equity Ratio Calculation (continued)
Equity Ratio Calculation (continued)
Net Income Ratio Calculation Year ended 31 July
2023		 Year ended 31 July
2022
Account lines Description Notes £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
SoCIE - Total Statement of Activities Change in Net Assets
Comprehensive - Change in Net Without Donor
Income less Note 6
New Endowments		 Assets Without Donor
Restrictions		 Restrictions (2,557) (22,508)
& Donations with
Restrictions
SoCIE - Total Statement of Activities Total Revenues and
Income less Note 6 - (Net assets released Gains
New Endowments from restriction), Total
& Donations with Operating Revenue and 176,331 164,521
Restrictions plus Sale of Other Additions and Sale
Fixed Assets less Note 5 of Fixed Assets, gains
Investment Income (losses)

Notes to the Financial Statements

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