***Amendments to Ordinance 11 were last approved by the University Council at the meeting on 18 October 2017, with changes taking immediate effect.***

Ordinance on the Appointment of Heads of Departments

 Committee on the Appointment of Heads of Department

(1) The Vice-Chancellor shall establish a Committee on the Appointment of Head of Department which shall determine the appointment of the Head of Department.

(2) The membership of the Committee on the Appointment of Head of Department shall be:

The Vice Chancellor (Chair) or Provost (Vice-Chair);

A senior member of the University from outside the Department, normally a Chair of Faculty, who shall be appointed by the Vice-Chancellor to act as iIndependent Chair for the consultation process;

The Registrar;

Three members of the Department, nominated by the Independent Chair and appointed by the Vice Chancellor, who are not themselves nominees for appointment to Head of the Department.

Role of the Independent Chair

(3) The role of the Independent Chair shall be to undertake consultation with members of the Department.

Term of Office of Heads of Department

(4) The term of office of a Head of Department shall normally be three years with the expectation of reappointment for a further two years, subject to there being no weight of objection from the membership of the Department to such an extension. A Head of Department will be eligible to be considered for appointment for a second consecutive term of up to five years.,subject to a nomination and appointment process. Reappointment for a third or further term will not normally be permitted.

Nomination and Appointment Process

(5) The Independent Chair shall consult with members of the Department, and shall take account of views expressed, in determining the appointment of a Head of Department. The Independent Chair shall facilitate such consultation.

(6) The process for the nomination and appointment of Heads of Department shall be conducted in accordance with such University Regulations and procedures as shall be determined by the Senate, subject to the provisions of this Ordinance, from time to time, and with such legislative requirements and good practice guidance as may be in force from time to time.

(7) The Vice-Chancellor shall call a meeting of the Committee on the Appointment of Head of Department in order to determine the appointment of the Head of Department.

(8) Where either no nominations are forthcoming or the Committee on the Appointment of Head of Department is unable to make an appointment, the Committee shall canvass further opinions within the Department on the basis of which the Committee shall

either

appoint a new Head of Department,

or

extend the appointment of the current Head of Department for a further twelve month period,

or

appoint an Acting Head of Department for no longer than twelve months after which time the process for appointing a substantive Head of Department shall have been completed.

Casual Vacancies

(9) In the case of a casual vacancy the Vice-Chancellor shall consult with the Provost and appoint an Acting Head of Department, except that no Acting Head of Department shall hold continuous office for more than twelve months.