Standing Committee of Senate

Terms of Reference

The terms of reference for the Senate Standing Committee are:

To preview the business for each meeting of Senate to enable Senate most effectively to focus on key strategic and policy issues.
To add to the agenda for future routine meetings of Senate such items of business as are deemed appropriate by the Standing Committee, proposed either a) by a member of the Standing Committee; or b) by any other member of the University.
To serve as Senate’s nominations committee.
To report formally to each meeting of Senate.

Method of Working

The Standing Committee shall:

Meet approximately two weeks before each routine meeting of Senate to receive and review the papers submitted for the forthcoming Senate meeting.
Agree the Senate agenda, including items within top level reports for listing and starring for discussion. The Committee may refer back to the originating body any item which, on presentational as distinct from substantive grounds, is deemed not fit for purpose. The Committee may also ask for any corrections of a technical or grammatical nature to be made before papers are submitted to Senate.
Consider any other items proposed either from within or without the Committee for addition to Senate’s agenda for a future meeting.
Prepare a report for submission to each meeting of Senate. It will be the presumption that notice will have been given to the Clerk to Senate prior to Senate’s meeting of any unstarred item to which members of Senate would like attention to be drawn. However, in presenting the report, the Chair of the Standing Committee will give members of Senate, exceptionally, the opportunity to give notice of any unstarred items which they would like to be discussed or particularly noted. The report will identify any proposed item of business referred back by the Standing Committee to the originating body as unfit for purpose. Senate will be invited to note, approve or adopt as appropriate all other non-starred items without further discussion.
Consider at each of its meetings whether any of the decisions reached at that meeting has Equal Opportunities implications.
Consider at each of its meetings whether any policy or procedure being submitted to Senate requires Equality Risk Assessment, and recommend accordingly to Senate.

Membership

Chair
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (ex officio)

2 Deans (1 from the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law; 1 from the other four Faculties)

Arts Professor M Basker

Engineering Professor Nishan Canagarajah

1 academic staff member of Senate from each faculty (appointed from within and among each Faculty’s 12 members on Senate, at a meeting of the Faculty’s Representatives on Senate convened by the Dean for this purpose)

Faculty	Representative	Terms of Office
Arts	Professor R Vilain	2012/13 - 2014/15
Social Sciences & Law	Dr S Lyne	2012/13 - 2014/15
Engineering	Professor D Simeonidou	2013/14 - 2015/16
Medical & Veterinary Sciences	Professor B Lumb	2011/12 - 2013/14
Medicine & Dentistry	Mr F Smith	2011/12 - 2013/14
Science	Dr L H Walling	2011/12 - 2013/14

1 Student Member

Vice-President (Education) of the Students’ Union (ex officio)

Clerk

Head of Governance

Meeting dates 2013/14

8 October 2013, 10:00
19 December 2013, 10:00
11 February 2014, 10:00
8 April 2014, 10:00
3 June 2014, 10:00

Secretariat

The Standing Committee of Senate is serviced by: