***Amendments to Regulation 2 were last approved by the University Council, with changes taking effect from 15 May 2019.***

Regulations Governing Committee Elections

2.1 Regulations for the Timetable of Establishing Committee Memberships

(1) At the beginning of the Summer term each year the Registrar, or their nominee, shall write to Heads of Departments and joint schools inviting them to nominate, by a date which shall be in the first week of the Summer term, their representatives to serve on the appropriate Faculty Education Committees of the Boards of the Faculties, and the Boards of the Faculties, for the following academic year.

(2) The proposed nominations for membership of the Faculty Education Committees, and the Boards of the Faculties for the following academic year shall be considered at the ordinary meetings of the relevant bodies held in the Summer term.

(3) Concurrently with (1) above the Registrar shall conduct an election among the members of the Assembly for representatives to fill such vacancies as may arise on the first day of August following among the representatives of the Assembly on the Senate. The election shall be held before the ordinary meeting of the Boards of the Faculties held in the Summer term.

(4) At the ordinary meeting of the Faculty Education Committees of the Boards of the Faculties held in the Summer term, the Faculty Education Committees shall elect from among the members of the Faculty Education Committees for the following academic year representatives to serve on the appropriate Boards of the Faculties for the following academic year.

(5) Faculty Board representatives on other Faculty Boards are appointed to serve until the appointment of their successors. The representatives of Boards of the Faculties on other Faculty Boards shall be appointed at the ordinary meeting of the Boards of the Faculties in the Summer term.

(6) Appointments and Recommendations for appointments by the Faculty Boards for membership on other Senate committees shall be made at the ordinary meeting of the Boards of the Faculties held in the Summer Term, to commence at the start of the following academic year.

(7) At the ordinary meeting of the Boards of the Faculties in the Summer term each Board shall elect representatives to fill such vacancies as may arise on the first day of August following among the representatives of the Board on the Senate, as set out in Regulation 2.2 Governing the Election of Representatives on the Boards of the Faculties to Membership of the Senate.

(8) The Vice-Chancellor shall recommend to the Boards of the Faculties the appointment of a candidate to the Chair of the Board. Each Board shall consider the recommendations for approval at the ordinary meeting of the Boards in the Summer term.

(9) At the first ordinary meeting of the Senate in the Summer term the Senate shall be asked to empower its committees for that year to continue in being with such powers as they have previously exercised, until the start of the following academic year.

(10) At the ordinary meeting of the Senate held each year on the first Wednesday of the Autumn term, the Senate shall receive and confirm members of its committees.

2.2 Regulations Governing the Election of Representatives of the Boards of the Faculties to Membership of the Senate

Annual Elections

(1) At the second ordinary meeting of the Boards of the Faculties in the Summer Term the Board of each Faculty shall elect from among the members of the Board for the following academic year representatives to fill such vacancies as may arise on the first day of August following among the representatives of the Board on the Senate under the following procedure.

(2) Notice of vacancies to be filled shall be deemed to have been properly given if the item has been included in the Agenda for the appropriate meeting of the Board of the Faculty.

(3) Any member of the Board of the Faculty for the following year shall be eligible to be appointed to represent the Board on the Senate, provided that, in accordance with the provisions of Statute 7(1), the majority of the representatives appointed by the Board shall be from Professors and Heads of Departments of that Board.

(4) If the number of nominations made at or before the meeting of the Board of the Faculty is equal to the number of vacancies to be filled the person or persons nominated shall be deemed elected, subject to the requirement of Statute 7(1) described in (3) above. Candidates for election must be proposed and seconded by members of the Board. Nominations made before the meeting of the Board must be submitted in writing to the Registrar and must be made with the written consent of the nominee.

(5) If the number of nominations made at or before the meeting of the Board of the Faculty exceeds the number of vacancies to be filled, a secret ballot shall be held among the members present at the meeting, the candidate or candidates receiving the highest number of votes being elected, subject to the requirement of Statute 7(1) described in (3) above. In the event of a tie the candidate to be elected shall be determined by toss of a coin.

By-Elections

(6) Any casual vacancy shall be filled by by-election by means of a postal ballot (subject to the provision of paragraph (10) below) within three weeks, provided that:

(a) if the vacancy occurs not less than one week in advance of an ordinary meeting of the Board of the Faculty, the by-election shall be held in accordance with the procedure set out in paragraphs (2)-(5) above; and

(b) if the vacancy occurs less than one week before the end of a term or during a vacation the by-election shall not be held until the beginning of the term following.

(7) Notice of a by-election shall be given by the Registrar to all members of the Board of the Faculty not less than two weeks in advance of the date of the by-election.

(8) Nominations must be received by the Registrar not less than ten days in advance of the date of the by-election and must be made with the written consent of the nominee. Candidates for election must be proposed and seconded by members of the Board of the Faculty.

(9) The full list of nominations received will be sent by the Registrar to each person nominated with a request that any withdrawals reach them not less than seven days in advance of the by-election.

(10) If the number of nominations is equal to the number of vacancies to be filled, the person or persons nominated shall be deemed elected, subject to the requirement of Statute 7(1) described in (3) above.

(11) If the number of nominations exceeds the number of vacancies to be filled a by-election shall be conducted by means of a postal ballot. Ballot papers listing the names of all the candidates validly nominated, together with the names of their proposers and seconders, shall be circulated by the Registrar to all the members of the Board not less than six days in advance of the by-election.

(12) The Registrar, or their appointed deputy, shall act as Returning Officer in the by-election. The candidate or candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be deemed elected, subject to the requirement of Statute 7(1) described in (3) above. In the event of a tie the candidate to be elected shall be determined by toss of a coin.

2.3 Regulations Governing the Election of Representatives of the Assembly to Membership of the Senate

Annual Elections

(1) Each year the Assembly shall elect, via a fair and free nomination and election, for a period of three years from among the members of the Assembly for the following academic year representatives to fill such vacancies as may arise on the first day of August following among the representatives of the Assembly on the Senate under the following procedure, in accordance with the provisions of membership detailed in the University's Statute and Ordinances.

(2) At the beginning of the Summer term each year the Registrar shall conduct an election among the members of the Assembly for representatives to fill such vacancies as may arise on the first day of August following among the representatives of the Assembly on Senate.

(3) Notice of the election shall be given by the Registrar to all members of the Assembly not less than three weeks in advance of the starting date of the election.

(4) Nominations must be received by the Registrar not less than two weeks in advance of the date of the election and must be made with the written consent of the nominee. Candidates for election must be proposed and seconded by members of the Assembly. Should the number of eligible nominations match the number of vacancies, noting the membership criteria for the Senate, the nominees are deemed to have been elected. Where there are more eligible nominees than vacancies, an election will be held.

(5) The full list of nominations received shall be sent by the Registrar to each person nominated with a request that any withdrawals reach them not less than five University working days in advance of the election.

(6) The election shall be conducted by means of an electronic ballot using the single transferable vote system over a period of 10 University working days. A web voting form, listing all the names of candidates validly nominated, together with the names of their proposers and seconders, shall be made available.

The Registrar, or their appointed deputy, shall collate each of the candidate’s profiles onto a web page.

(7) The Registrar, or their appointed deputy, shall act as Returning Officer in the election. Direct canvassing for votes by candidates, or third parties, is not permitted. The Returning Officer will alert the Vice-Chancellor to any irregularities drawn to their attention, and candidates should be aware that sanctions may be applied.

(8) In the event of a tie the candidate to be elected shall be determined by drawing lots in the presence of a witness.

(9) The Registrar shall publish the result of the election on the University’s web pages as soon as the counting of the votes has been completed. The number of votes polled by each candidate shall also be published.

(10) Any casual vacancy shall be filled by by-election within four weeks, or in the first four weeks of the following term should the vacancy occur less than four weeks before the end of a term or during a vacation, under the procedure set out in paragraphs (3)-(9) above.

(11) Should there be an insufficient number of nominations submitted for appointment following the notice of an election, a Committee of the Assembly will be convened, comprising a Pro-Vice-Chancellor and the remaining six representatives of the Assembly appointed to the Senate, to consider possible appointees. The Committee will bring forward a nomination for consideration and approval by the Vice-Chancellor as Chair of the Assembly. The membership of the Committee on each occasion will be established by the Steering Committee.