Ordinance on the Procedure for the Appointment of Lay Members of the Council

(1) The Council may appoint up to twelve persons to membership of the Council who may not be members of the academic staff or salaried officers of the University.

(2) The maximum term of office for lay membership of the Council (except where provided for by another appointing criterion) is a maximum of nine years (on a pattern of three plus three years, with the potential thereafter for reappointment on an annual basis for up to three further years, at the Council’s discretion, and with no presumption of an extension of appointment beyond six years).

(3) All members of the Senate, the Council and Heads of academic departments will be invited to suggest names of lay persons for consideration for appointment to membership of the Council. In addition any member of the University may suggest names of persons for consideration for appointment to membership of the Council. Such suggestions should be submitted in writing to the Registrar for transmission to the Nominations Committee of the Council.

(4) The Nominations Committee which shall be appointed annually by the Council shall comprise the Pro-Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor and President, the Provost, two Pro-Vice-Chancellors appointed by the Vice-Chancellor and three lay members of the Council appointed by the Council. It shall have the following functions:

(a) to keep under review the periods of membership of persons co-opted to membership of the Council.

(b) to keep under review the extent to which the membership of the Council is broadly representative of the public and appropriate to the interests of the University.

(c) to receive suggestions from any member of the University as to the names of persons who might be considered for appointment to lay membership of the Council.

(d) to take pro-active steps to attract nominations and suggestions for appointment to lay membership of the Council from within and without the University.

(e) to make such nominations as the Committee considers appropriate for appointment to lay membership of the Council.

(f) to keep under review and to recommend to the Council the appointment of lay members of the Council and individuals external to the University to membership of Council Committees.

(g) to receive suggestions from non-academic members of University staff as to the names of non-academic members of staff who might be considered for appointment to membership of the Council.

(h) to make such nominations as the Committee considers appropriate for appointment of a non-academic member of University staff to membership of the Council for consideration by the Senate.

(5) The Nominations Committee shall consider all the names transmitted to it by the Registrar and shall recommend a list of names to the Council for appointment to lay membership of the Council. No person shall be included in this list unless they shall have indicated in writing their willingness to serve.

(6) The recommendations of the Nominations Committee concerning the appointment of lay members of the Council shall be communicated in writing to members of the Council by the Registrar.

(7) Members of the Council may within two weeks of the date of the Registrar's written communication submit in writing to the Registrar additional nominations for appointment to lay membership of the Council seconded by another member of the Council and accompanied by:

(a) a written statement from the proposer outlining the suitability of the nominee for appointment

(b) a written statement from the nominee indicating their willingness to serve.

(8) The Nominations Committee will consider the re-appointment of a lay member after the first three year period, with an expectation that reappointment would normally be made for a further three years, noting that the appointment during each term of office would be subject to the caveat that “in the event that the member was unable to perform their duties or that there was a need to rebalance the skills or diversity of the Council during the term of appointment, the Council could require the member to stand down.”

(9) If the total number of nominations for appointment to lay membership of the Council does not exceed the number of vacancies the full list of nominations shall be put to the vote at the ordinary meeting of the Council in the Summer term.

(10) If the number of nominations for appointment to lay membership of the Council exceeds the number of vacancies an election by postal ballot shall be held, the ballot papers being circulated at least two weeks before the ordinary meeting of the Council in the Summer term.

(11) The ballot paper shall list the candidates nominated for appointment to lay membership of the Council and members of the Council shall each have one vote in respect of each vacancy. No member may vote more than once for any candidate. The vacancies shall be filled by the candidates receiving the most votes providing that every such candidate receives a vote from more than half of the members participating in the election. For this purpose the submission of a blank ballot paper shall be regarded as participation in the election.

(12) The whole proceedings in the appointment of lay members to the Council shall be held to be strictly private and no communication regarding the proceedings shall be made, without the authority of the Council, to any person who is not a member of the Council.