An artist's impression of the new building on the College of West Anglia Isle Campus.

THE College of West Anglia has pledged to boost its falling governor attendance by making agenda reports “shorter and more focused”.

There will now be more of an “interactive element” to its half day planning meetings as part of a bid to raise attendance to 85 per cent in two years.

The college, which is soon be announce former Cambridgeshire County Council Leader Jill Tuck as the authority’s governor nominee, has sites in Wisbech, Milton near Cambridge and Kings Lynn.

Recent reports from the college show that on average board members only turn up 77 per cent of the time.

“The overall average was below the level of the previous year and slightly below the sector average of 79 per cent,” the college recorded in reports published on its website.

It has now set itself a target of achieving 80 per cent attendance for the 2011-12 academic year.

The report says that “governors referred to the recent planning half day where attendance had been discussed, and determined that some of the suggested structural changes might have a positive influence on future attendance figures.”

These include setting a “nominal meeting length” and “shorter and more focused reporting, with clearly identified recommendations”.

And it has been accepted that governors will “read reports and not re-deliver the information during a meeting”.

“The inclusion of an interactive element in planning half days was also seen as a positive way in which Governors could better understand the work of the college,” the report notes.

The college’s Guidance for Addressing Poor Performance document says members can be removed if they are absent from meetings for longer than six months without permission.