What is SUMS?
Southern Universities Management Services (SUMS) is a specialist management consultancy which works exclusively in Higher Education; it is a company limited by guarantee and is a registered charity. SUMS was established by a group of universities who saw benefit in working with management consultants who understood the HE sector and who could therefore quickly grasp their needs. SUMS is owned by its member universities.
SUMS has two divisions, the Consulting Division and the Purchasing Division, which is known as Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium (SUPC). This website deals solely with the consulting activities of SUMS; further information on SUPC can be found at www.supc.procureweb.ac.uk/
SUMS Philosophy
SUMS philosophy is one of openness with clients and client staff.
SUMS operates as a partnership for the development and sharing of good practice in HE management. Members share fully and freely the outcomes of work undertaken by SUMS. Each member has the right to equal benefits from membership.
SUMS exists to support its members and believes that members. interests are best served by SUMS offering independent advice. Advice on sensitive issues is given in confidence.
If a client decides to decline to accept SUMS findings, SUMS having understood the reasons will work constructively to support the client.
SUMS Members
SUMS membership has grown over the years and member institutions now number around thirty. Membership is open to like-minded institutions.
Application by a higher education institution (HEI) for membership to SUMS is made to the Managing Consultants. The Management Committee of SUMS approves membership applications. Upon acceptance into membership the HEI is asked to nominate a Member Representative who will then be the principal point of contact and who should be empowered by their institution to attend and vote at general meetings of the Company and to elect directors.
Once elected as a member a HEI has full and equal rights with all others. A member may resign by giving 12 months written notice at 31 July in any year.
SUMS Governance
The Management Committee of SUMS comprises six elected directors, one of whom is the Chair of the SUPC Board of Management (an advisory committee of the SUMS Management Committee), plus up to two further directors co-opted to provide specialist contributions in the areas of HR and Finance (where required).
The directors of SUMS (who each may serve for four years and retire in rotation) provide strategic direction and support for the Managing Consultant and Chief Executive.
Details of SUMS members, Member Representatives and Management Committee can be found here and in our Annual Report.
SUMS Staff
SUMS staff are well-qualified professional people drawn from varied professional and commercial backgrounds including: Information Systems and Technology, Marketing, Business Processes, Engineering and Management Accounting. All have an understanding of and an empathy with HE. Their work experience in HE extends across the administrative and business processes and ranges from policy through strategy development to tactical and operational management.
Short staff curriculum vitae are available here.