the principal
The principal is the chief executive officer (CEO) of the college and the accounting officer, accountable to Parliament and the Public Accounts Committee for the use of public funds. The principal may delegate certain responsibilities to other designated senior post holders, but may not delegate responsibility for the college's financial health.
As a governing board member, the principal is the only executive member. The principal is present at governing board meetings and at meetings of any committee of which he or she is a member – as both board member and education and training adviser to the board.
The principal is responsible for bringing proposals to the governing board on strategic direction, but it is the role of the governing board to determine strategy for management.
Specific responsibilities under the Articles of Government and the Financial Memorandum
The specific responsibilities of the principal are laid down in the Articles of Government as being:
- making proposals to the corporation about the educational character and mission of the institution, and implementing the decisions of the Corporation
- the determination of the institution's academic and other activities
- preparing annual estimates of income and expenditure for consideration and approval by the corporation, and the management of budget and resources within the estimates approved by the corporation
- the organisation, direction and management of the institution, and leadership of the staff
- the appointment, assignment, grading, appraisal, suspension, dismissal and determination, within the framework set by the corporation, of the pay and conditions of service of staff, other than the holders of senior posts or the clerk, where the clerk is also a member of the staff, and
- maintaining student discipline and, within the rules and procedures provided for within these Articles, suspending or expelling students on disciplinary grounds or expelling students for academic reasons.
In addition to the above, the principal is also given responsibilities under the Financial Memorandum (paragraph nos. 13 – 15) issued by the LSC for:
- their role as the college's accounting officer
- to ensure there is compliance with the Financial Memorandum, and
- advising the governing board if any of its actions might be incompatible with the requirements of the Financial Memorandum.
Download a sample role profile of the principal (PDF document)
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