FE Governance

Governors of Further Education (FE) colleges give their time voluntarily. Once they are involved, it is important for the college and for the individual that they stay involved. A range of different factors, including the way they are supported, the workload involved and positions adopted within the board can affect the experience of being a governor and the longevity of the role.

Retention of volunteers has increasingly emerged as a focus for many voluntary and public sector bodies. High volunteer turnover can create significant problems for the organisation and for the individual involved. Many of the same issues are now affecting the governing boards of FE colleges.

The Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR) was commissioned by the Association of Colleges (AoC) and the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) to research the factors that affect governor retention and succession planning within FE colleges. It sought to identify examples of good practice, and in particular identify any trends in retention across different groups of governors.

The research was conducted over eight months. The methods included a literature review and case studies of nine colleges across England. Fifty-five interviews with governors, clerks and principals were completed, and non-participatory observation of board meetings at six of the colleges was carried out.

Click here to download the full report