Corporate Information

1, Wakefield College Corporation aims to uphold the highest standards in conducting its business and seeks to demonstrate the seven principles of public life which includes openness about its decisions and actions.

2, The Corporation does recognise, however, that, from time to time, some items may need to be considered confidentially. Paragraph 17(2) of the Instrument of Government upholds this action and states:

“There may be excluded from any item required to be made available in pursuance of paragraph 1 (publication of minutes and papers)any material relating to:

• a named person employed at or proposed to be employed at the institution;
• a Governor or applicant for Governor of the institution;
• a named student at, or candidate for admission to, the institution; and
• any matter which, by reason of its nature, the Corporation is satisfied should be dealt with on a confidential basis.”

3, Items which the Corporation, and its committees, will consider as confidential are those containing:

• personal information relating to individual employees or potential employees;
• personal information relating to a Governor or applicant for Governor;
• personal information relating to individual students or potential students;
• information relating to the financial and business affairs of people or companies who are providing, or seeking to provide, goods or services to the College or Corporation;
• information furnished to the College or Corporation by a recognised authority (e.g. Government department) on terms which forbid the disclosure of the information to the public;
• commercially sensitive information;
• information on action likely to lead to a prosecution.

4, When the timing of the release of information is sensitive, the item will be issued with an embargo on discussion prior to the meeting. The decision to release the item or require it to remain confidential will be taken by the Committee or Board at the meeting.

5, The Corporation, and its committees, may also consider an item as confidential for reasons not listed in paragraph 3 or 4 above should the Chair, in consultation with the Principal, determine that it is confidential due to its specific nature.

6, Papers submitted as confidential to the Corporation or its committees should clearly state the reasons for confidentiality.

7, Where, following consideration of an item, the Corporation and its committees decide to classify an item as confidential; the confidentiality criteria will be clearly recorded on the item.

8, Confidential items will be reviewed on an annual basis to determine whether the information should now be released into the public domain. This review will be undertaken by the Clerk to the Corporation on an annual basis with the Chair of the Corporation.