| Description | Minutes of a sub-committee of the Finance and General Purposes committee, initially known as the Halls of Residence and Catering sub-committee until 1981, when it was renamed the Financial sub-committee for Student Residences.
The committee was initially established as a Working Party, and minutes of the first meeting, on 26 January 1972, set out its terms of reference to examine all the catering arrangements in the University with particular emphasis on finance and organisation, following the University Grants Commission statement on the limited elements of residence and catering where costs would be met by recurrent grants. The notes of this first meeting include papers on the organisation of catering facilities, a summary of finances including the Halls of Residence account, reports by the Catering Officer to Birmingham Regional Hospital Board and the University Centre committee to the Finance and General Purposes committee on catering, and a copy of a letter from National Union of Students on University catering and residence charges.
The broader remit of the committee seems to have been consider whether to develop a single integrated catering service at the University, to explore ways of making the University Centre financially viable, and whether and how to make the Guild of Students and University Centre catering more closely co-ordinated. It discussed the problem of the Refectory in the University Centre taking profits from catering in the Guild of Students building, how to respond to changes in eating habits, and whether to introduce centralised buying and handling and preparation of food. The committee expressed concerns about large increases in wages and salaries and in the cost of food, which were thought to be partly responsible for the Halls of Residence deficit.
Minutes of the meeting held on 28 February 1972 include reports by the Halls Administrator, the Steward of the Vale halls of residence, and representatives from Staff House and Staff House committee giving views about University catering, highlighting areas where profits made, and where costs were high or aspects of catering which were unpopular. Minutes of the meeting held on 16 March 1972 include views on future development of catering on campus from Birmingham City Council representative, and from representatives from University House. Minutes of the meeting held on 27 April 1972 include a report to the Finance and General Purposes committee of the sub-committee on University Catering, with recommendations.
There were no further meetings until December 1972, when the committee was re-named the Halls and Catering sub-committee. Membership of the committee consisted of the Vice-Chancellor, Mr C. Beale, and the Treasurer of Guild of Students. Others in attendance included additional Guild of Students representatives. Membership was extended in December 1974 by including the chairman of the Halls of Residence committee, a Senior Common Room President elected by peers, a Junior Common Room President elected by peers, and chairman of University Centre committee. The committee's terms of reference were now to be responsible for recommending to the Finance and General Purposes committee the financial policies to be followed by the Halls of Residence and the catering units and any changes in the organisation required to implement and monitor these policies.
The main business of the halls of residence function of the committee was stated in the annual report dated 22 March 1978 to consider the accounts and estimates for the halls of residence, for Griffin Close, and for Maple Bank and to recommend to the Finance and General Purposes committee the level of hall fees and self-catering accommodation fees, bearing in mind delicate balance between the constraints imposed by economic pressures and the need to maintain acceptable standards both for student residents and in order to attract conferences, and to maintain the 'essential character' of the halls. The main business of the catering function of the committee was to consider ways to improve catering operations and to avoid financial loss
Minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 1972 include a copy of a report of the special committee of Council on Halls of Residence with emphasis on finance, management accounting procedures, policy for costing conferences in university vacations, the management of halls of residence as units, committee structure and the internal management of halls of residence. The committee discussed draft estimates for individual halls of residence, halls of residence maintenance and hall fees, received reports of University Centre committee and Staff House committee and received accounts for University Centre, the Guild of Students building, and Staff House and made recommendations about service and costs during the early and mid 1970s.
Minutes include copies of income and expenditure accounts, financial operating statements, summaries of trading accounts, and the committee received reports from the Guild of Students concerning reorganisation and improvements in catering, bar and shop facilities.
The concentration of catering services and centralising food preparation at University Centre kitchens was discussed at the meeting held on 23 June 1976. Halls of Residence accounts and report on accounts, Griffin Close and Maple Bank accounts and report on accounts are included with minutes from the late 1970s, and the committee was primarily dealing with the financial management of student accommodation by the 1980s. The committee usually met three times a year until its re-naming and re-structure as the Financial sub-committee for Student Residences in March 1982 when it began meeting once a year. The re-naming reflected the fact that the committee no longer dealt directly with issues relating to University catering. Its terms of reference were now to be responsible for recommending to the Finance and General Purposes committee the financial policies to be followed for student residential accommodation owned and administered by the University, and any changes in the organisation required to implement and monitor these policies. Minutes of meetings of the committee from this point onwards include copies of revised forecasts, annual accounts, and fee structures for halls and hall-related flats, and for self-catering flats. Reports of the Student Accommodation committee are included from March 1983 onwards
It is not clear whether the committee continued to meet after April 1987 |