Appointment of Deputy Vice Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellors and Deans

A – Statutory Provisions

I Number, Titles and Duties of Pro Vice-Chancellors

The Charter: Paragraph 9:

There shall be a Deputy Vice-Chancellor and there may be other Pro-Vice-Chancellors not exceeding five in number, with functions and duties as may be prescribed by Council from time to time.

II Appointment of Pro Vice-Chancellors

Statute VI: The Pro Vice-Chancellors:

1. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor shall be appointed by the Council after consideration of a report from a Joint Committee of Council and Senate chaired by the Senior Pro-Chancellor.

2. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor shall hold office for such period and on such terms and conditions and subject to these Statutes shall have such functions as the Council may determine, in addition to exercising and performing all the academic functions of the Vice-Chancellor in the absence of the Vice-Chancellor.

3. Pro-Vice-Chancellors may be appointed by the Council on the recommendation of a Joint Committee of Senate and Council chaired by the Vice-Chancellor. Pro-Vice-Chancellors shall hold office for such periods and on such terms and conditions and shall have such functions as the Council may from time to time determine, after receiving the advice of the Vice-Chancellor.

III Appointment and Terms of Office of Pro Vice-Chancellors

Ordinance VII: The Pro-Vice-Chancellors

1. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellors shall normally be appointed for three years in the first instance. Appointments may be extended by further periods of office. Each period of office shall be up to three years.

2. Pro-Vice-Chancellors shall normally be appointed from among the professors of the University. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor shall normally be chosen from the serving Pro-Vice-Chancellors and Deans.

3. The same procedures will be applied for extension of appointments as pertain for initial appointments.

4. A Pro-Vice-Chancellor shall not be eligible for re-appointment until at least three years have elapsed from the expiry of his/her previous term of office except that a Pro-Vice-Chancellor may be appointed to hold the office of Deputy Vice Chancellor immediately on the completion of a term of office as Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

5. In a case where Council believes that the specific skill requirements and responsibilities of the post cannot be met via the normal route of appointment, it may determine that circumstances warrant the appointment of a Pro-Vice-Chancellor by advertisement. In such cases the requirement for membership of the professoriate may be waived and the period of office and subsequent arrangements for extension shall be set by the Council as appropriate. The number of such appointments shall be limited to a maximum of two at any one time.

6. The rights of speech and voting of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor or any Pro-Vice-Chancellor acting for the Vice-Chancellor shall be the same as those of the Vice-Chancellor acting in that capacity.

IV Appointment and Terms of Office of Deans

Ordinance XXI: Appointment of Deans of Faculties & Tenure of Office:

1. Appointment of Deans of Faculties

Deans of Faculties shall be appointed on the recommendation of a Joint Committee of Senate and Council chaired by the Vice-Chancellor. Deans shall hold office for such periods and on such terms and conditions and shall have such functions as the Council may from time to time determine, after receiving the advice of the Vice-Chancellor.

2. Tenure of Office

(i) The Deans shall be appointed for three years in the first instance. Appointments may be extended by further periods of office. Each period of office shall be up to three years. He/she shall not be eligible for re-appointment to the office of Dean for a period of three years after his/her retirement.

(ii) Deans of Faculties shall normally be appointed from among the professors of the University.

(iii) The same procedures will be applied for extension of appointments as pertain for initial appointments.

B - Procedure for Appointment of Provost and DVC, and PVCs

1. The Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, and Pro Vice-Chancellors are appointed by Council on the recommendation of a joint committee appointed by the Senate and Council. Appointments are made for an initial three-year period with possible re-appointment for periods of three years. Any reappointments would be subject to the normal appointment procedure set out below.

Committee for Appointment of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor

2. For the appointment of the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor the joint committee appointed by the Senate and Council will be as follows:

Chair of Council (Chair)
Vice-Chancellor
2 lay members of Council appointed by Council
2 members of Senate elected by Senate
1 elected member of Senate elected by Senate

Committee for Appointment of Pro Vice-Chancellors

3. For the appointment of Pro Vice-Chancellors the joint committee appointed by the Senate and Council will be as follows:
Vice-Chancellor (Chair)
Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor
1 lay member of Council nominated by the Chair of Council
2 members of Senate elected by Senate
1 elected member of Senate elected by Senate

Call for Nominations

4. The Secretary to Senate and Councilor his/her nominee should write to members of the Executive Management Group (defined as the core, rather than extended group), the Associate Deans, the Heads of Department, elected staff members of Council and the members of Senate, enclosing a job description and person specification, requesting nominations for the post. Nominations should be proposed and seconded by current members of the academic staff and contain a signed statement by the nominee indicating their willingness to be considered. The nominee should also provide a letter of application indicating what they hope to bring to the post and an up to date curriculum vitae.

Consultation

5. Once nominations have been received, members of the joint committees should undertake formal consultation with members of the Executive Management Group (defined as the core, rather than extended group), the Associate Deans, the members of Senate, elected staff members of Council and the Heads of Department. The consultation would take the form of the Chair of the joint committee writing to the persons noted above inviting them to make comments on the suitability of nominees, such suggestions to be made in writing and treated as strictly confidential to the Committee.

Interview and Recommendation to Council

6. Members of the appointment committee will then consider the applications and comments received and the committee decide on a short list for interview. After interviewing those shortlisted, the committee shall make its recommendation to Council.

Extension of Appointments

7. Ordinance VII states that the same procedures will be applied for extension of appointments as pertain for initial appointments. The consultations and search for possible candidates should therefore be undertaken in the same manner. Where an extension is contemplated it should only be made where it is clearly in the interest of both the University and the appointee, and where all candidates have been considered on an equal basis.

Appointment by External Advertisement

8. Where Council believes that the specific skill requirements and responsibilities of a post of Pro Vice-Chancellor can not be met via the normal route of appointment, it may determine that circumstances warrant the appointment of a Pro Vice-Chancellor by advertisement. In such circumstances the joint committee shall be instructed at the time of its establishment to proceed via external advertisement. The joint committee shall follow the University’s normal procedures for external appointments and not those noted in 6. above.

C - Procedure for Appointment of Deans

1. The Deans are appointed by Council on the recommendation of a joint committee appointed by the Senate and Council. Appointments are made for an initial three-year period with possible re-appointment for periods of three years. Any reappointments would be subject to the normal recruitment procedure set out below.

Committee for Appointment of Deans

2. For the appointment of Deans the joint committee appointed by the Senate and Council will be as follows:
Vice-Chancellor (Chair)
Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor
1 lay member of Council nominated by the Chair of Council
1 member of the Board of the Faculty elected by the Board

Call for Nominations

3. The post shall be advertised within the University and a job description and person specification made available. The advertisement shall specify that candidates must be nominated in the manner described below.
4. The Secretary to Senate and Councilor his/her nominee should also write to members of the Executive Management Group (defined as the core, rather than extended group), the Associate Deans of the Faculty, the Heads of Department of the Faculty, elected staff members of Council from the Faculty and the Faculty members of Senate, enclosing the job description and person specification, requesting nominations for the post.
5. Nominations should be proposed and seconded by current members of the academic staff of the Faculty and contain a signed statement by the nominee indicating their willingness to be considered. The nominee should also provide a letter of application indicating what they hope to bring to the post and an up to date curriculum vitae.

Consultation

6. Once nominations have been received, members of the joint committee should undertake formal consultation with members of the Executive Management Group (defined as the core, rather than extended group), and the academic staff members of the Faculty. The consultation would take the form of the Chair of the joint committee writing to the persons noted above inviting them to make comments on the suitability of nominees, such suggestions to be made in writing and treated as strictly confidential to the Committee. Further arrangements to consult other members of the Faculty may be agreed by the Committee.

Interview and Recommendation to Council

7. Members of the appointment committee will then consider the applications and comments received and the committee decide on a short list for interview. After interviewing those shortlisted, the committee shall make its recommendation to Council.

April 2008

Council – April 2008

Last reviewed: March 2009