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Senate Appointments Committee Terms of Reference

The terms of reference for the Senate Appointments Committee, including its primary responsibilities and procedural rules.

Terms Of Reference

Purpose and Responsibilities of the Committee

The Committee is a committee of Senate and should act on Senate’s behalf to do detailed work and thinking in the following relevant areas:

  1. To make recommendations to Senate on the appointment of members of Senate and of the academic staff to the committees of Senate.
  2. To make recommendations to Senate on the appointment of members of Senate and of the academic staff to the joint committees of Senate and Council.
  3. To make decisions on appointments using the following criteria:
    • Issues of equality, diversity and inclusion;
    • The requirement for transparency about the availability of vacant posts;
    • The skills that are necessary or desirable for fulling vacant posts;
    • The requirement to invite and give careful consideration to expressions of interest for all vacant posts within the Committee’s remit; and
    • The distribution of committee workload amongst members of Senate.
  4. To conduct an annual skills audit of members of Senate to enable candidates to be matched to vacant posts on the basis of their skills and expertise; and to inform the process for appointing members to committees of Senate.
  5. To carry out such tasks as may be delegated to it by Senate, and to provide advice to Senate, as appropriate.
  6. To conduct an effectiveness review on at least a biennial basis.

Reporting Relationships

The minutes from each meeting of the Senate Appointments Committee will be submitted to the following Senate meeting.

Procedural Rules

In the absence of any specific rules, the procedure is as set out in the Standing Orders of Senate.

Meeting frequency

The Committee meets once per year.

Quorum

The quorum for meetings shall be 3 of the membership.

Term lengths on sub-committees

Senate members appointed to sub-committees serve terms of three years at a time. Most members can serve two consecutive terms (a total of six years) but in exceptional circumstances may serve a maximum of three consecutive terms (a total of nine years). All terms are subject to renewal. When a member’s term on Senate ends, their terms on any sub-committees of Senate will also end.

Membership

Ex-officio members

Appointed members

  • Professor Alan Hayes, an elected member of Senate, appointed by the Vice-Chancellor for the duration of the remainder of their term on Senate, term 2027

Elected members

  • Vacancy, an elected member of Senate, elected by Senate for the duration of the remainder of their term on Senate

In attendance

The terms of office expire on 31 July in the year stated.

Other members may be co-opted or invited to attend for specific meetings at the discretion of the Committee.

Version Information

Owner: Senate Appointments Committee
Approval Date: 5 November 2025

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