Faculty Committee

CONTENTS

• Terms of Reference
• Membership
• Quorum
• General
• Faculty Subcommittees

Terms of Reference

A Faculty should contribute to the development of academic policies of the University by advising the Council through the Academic Senate on such policies and in particular:

• provide a general co-ordination of the academic planning and programming of member Departments, Schools, Centres and Boards of Study;
• provide a forum for regular discussion of academic issues by staff and its student members;
• recommend to the Academic Senate on the introduction of new subjects or courses and the modification or elimination of existing subjects or courses as well as the overall structure of courses, including entry requirements, pre-requisites and co-requisites;
• recommend to the Academic Senate on changes in that Faculty's Departmental, School, Centre and Board of Studies composition.

A Faculty shall:

• normally meet once every two months; in addition, meetings may be called at the request of its Dean or one-third of its members;
• supervise the development of inter-departmental activities in teaching and research and, when necessary, nominate members to working parties establised to supervise activities involving member departments from other Faculties;
• co-operate in projects approved by the Acdemic Senate for investigating and suggesting improvements to teaching and research methods;
• advise Academic Senate on any matter of teaching, research or academic work;
• ensure that the University's Affirmative Action Policies are implemented in the Faculty;
• consider any matter raised by a member;
• consider and report on any matter referred to it by the Council, the Acdemic Senate or the Vice-Chancellor.

Membership

A Faculty shall consist of:

• all members of the academic staff of member Departments, Schools and Centres and other members of the academic staff appointed to the Faculty;
• the Deputy Vice-Chancellor;
• the Pro Vice-Chancellor;
• one member of the academic staff of each other Faculty elected by the Faculty;
• student members elected by and from the candidates registered for a degree offered by the Faculty, the number of student members not to exceed a number determined by multiplying the number of member units by two except for Faculties which do not have a Departmental/School structure there shall be six members;
• such members of the Faculty Executive Committee who are not members of the Faculty under any other clause;
• each Faculty may, by resolution, include in its membership other members of the academic staff who hold position identified with the Faculty (e.g. staff appointed to a Centre or Unit which is an Associate Unit of the Faculty and co-ordinators of degrees for which the Faculty is responsible, who are not otherwise members of the Faculty).

The University Librarian or standing nominee shall be in attendance at meetings of a Faculty and shall have full rights of audience and debate.

Quorum

The quorum for any meeting of the Faculty shall be one third or, where one third is not a whole number, the whole number next higher than one third of the total number of members for the time being of the Faculty, unless the Faculty determines otherwise.

General

Minutes of Faculty meetings shall be forwarded to the Academic Senate.

Faculty Sub-Committees

Each Faculty is required to establish the following sub-committees:

• Faculty Executive Committee
• Faculty Education Committee
• Faculty Assessment Committee
• Other Committees may be established as and when required, with terms of reference and membership as determined by Faculty.

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Comments and questions may be directed to the Policy and Governance Unit.

Last reviewed: 29 April, 2008