A recommendation to Senate should be made by a committee consisting of the Vice-Chancellor (Chair), the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and the Dean of the Faculty concerned. The group would be expected to take soundings within the university and, if appropriate, outside. The departmental consultation should take the form of the Dean writing individually to all members of the General Assembly in the Department to invite them to make their views known in confidence. The Dean would also send out the document approved by Council on the duties and responsibilities of a Head of Department. Views received which might be in writing or oral and which could be communicated in a meeting with the Dean or otherwise would then be taken into account by the group making the selection.

 

It is suggested that all Heads of academic departments should be appointed for a period of three years in the first instance with a possible extension of not more than three further years. At the end of the first three-year period, the full selection procedure should be repeated. It is further proposed that a former Head of Department shall not normally be eligible for a further term of office beyond the six years until at least three years have elapsed from the expiry of his/her previous term of office.

Approved October 1996

Author: HR   Last reviewed: January 2008