Records of the Universities Funding Council

Division within UGC

1988-1998

Records of the Universities Funding Council.

The Council's minutes and papers are in UGC 16 with its annual reports in UGC 13. Circular letters issued by the Council are in UGC 15.

Registered files are in UGC 30 and distributed material is in UGC 24.

Minutes and papers of the Informations Systems Committee are in UGC 32.

Public Record(s)

English

6 series

The Universities Funding Council was established on 1 November 1988 under the Education Reform Act 1988, and took over its full responsibilities on 1 April 1989 on the abolition of the University Grants Committee, continuing until April 1993 when it itself was abolished.

The Council was responsible for the distribution of funds made available by the Secretary of State for Education and Science for the provision of education and the undertaking of research by universities in Great Britain. It was responsible also for advising the Secretary of State and the Department of Education for Northern Ireland on the financial requirements for education. Its general aim was to ensure that universities were cost-effective and provided high quality education.

The Council made grants to universities for teaching, research, continuing education, special initiatives such as the establishment of computerised information systems, and to take account of special factors such as above-average unavoidable costs affecting certain universities.

The Council was advised by five committees: one each for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland concerning universities in those countries; an Information Systems Committee, responsible for networking and advising on computer matters other than supercomputing; and a Medical Committee, responsible for medical and dental education and related subjects. It worked through an Executive, which was located from 1991 in Bristol with the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council.