• Section 1 - Purpose
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Part A - Committee Membership
• Vice-Chancellor’s Right of Membership
• Presiding officer of Academic Senate - Right of Audience and Debate
• Membership on the Academic Senate and its committees
• Part B -  Role of the secretary
• Appointment of the secretary
• Record of meetings
• Use of action sheets
• Publication of agendas and minutes on the University website
• Part C - Meeting procedures
• Agendas
• Adjournment
• Attendance
• Quorum
• Confidentiality
• Recording of proceedings
• Open meetings
• Voting
• Section 5 - Glossary
• Section 6 - Document Context

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This guideline outlines the convening and conduct of meetings of the Academic Senate and its committees.

Scope

(2) This guideline applies to the convening and conduct of meetings of the Academic Senate and its committees. It is intended to be a descriptive framework in which committees can conduct their business but is not intended to anticipate every possible aspect of meeting procedure. In the event of a dispute concerning any matter not covered by this guideline, a presiding officer may refer to Joske's Law and Procedure at Meetings in Australia by Eilis S Magner, (latest edition).

(3) In the interpretation of this guideline and any subsequent amendments, recognition must be given to the clauses in the Charles Sturt University Act 1989 No 76 and the Charles Sturt University By-law 2005 which relate to meeting procedure and which take precedence over this guideline.

Section 2 - Policy

(4) The following policy documents should be read along with this guideline:

1. Governance (Academic Senate) Rule
2. University Governance Framework

Section 3 - Procedures

(5) Nil.

Section 4 - Guidelines

Part A - Committee Membership

Vice-Chancellor’s Right of Membership

(6) The Vice-Chancellor may, without specific appointment, exercise the right of membership of any committee of the University and may, if they so desire, preside at any meeting of such a committee at which the Chancellor or Deputy Chancellor is not presiding (Clause 17(3) of Part 2, Division 2 of the Charles Sturt University By-law 2005).

Presiding officer of Academic Senate - Right of Audience and Debate

(7) The presiding officer of Academic Senate will have the right of audience and debate at meetings of the Academic Senate sub-committees and their committees.

Membership on the Academic Senate and its committees

(8) Membership on the Academic Senate and its committees is outlined in the Governance (Academic Senate) Rule and the Membership Terms of Reference of the relevant committee.

Part B -  Role of the secretary

Appointment of the secretary

(9) The secretary to any established committee will be appointed by the University Secretary or their delegate in consultation with the presiding officer of the committee.

Record of meetings

(10) The secretary prescribes to faculties and to schools the format of their record keeping so as to ensure that recommendations/decisions flow smoothly between schools, faculties and Academic Senate and its committees.

(11) The secretary is responsible for ensuring that schools and faculties legislate within their authorities and that decisions are appropriately recorded in the official records and publications of the University.

Use of action sheets

(12) Action sheets are issued after each meeting of a committee to ensure that action arising from each meeting is taken by the appropriate officer. A committee member name appearing on an action sheet constitutes a formal request by the secretary on behalf of the committee for that person to take that action.

(13) Action sheets are a more efficient means of advising members of the action they must take, than the issue of individual memoranda. Action sheets also let other members know who is taking action on particular matters.

(14) Memoranda requesting action will only be dispatched to staff who are not members of the committee and who will usually require some background information relating to the action they are required to take.

Publication of agendas and minutes on the University website

(15) The minutes of the Academic Senate and its sub-committees will be published on the University website as soon as they are prepared and approved by the presiding officer.

Part C - Meeting procedures

(16) A notice of meeting for any committee will be given in accordance with clause 95 of the Charles Sturt University By-law 2005 which states that:

Agendas

(17) Agendas will contain the order of business including particulars of business of which notice has been given.

(18) Notices of motion for any meeting will be made in writing and submitted to either the presiding officer or the secretary of a committee, not less than fourteen days before the date of the meeting.

(19) The order of business for meetings will be:

1. Acknowledgement of Country
2. welcome and apologies
3. any declaration of interest
4. confirmation of minutes of previous meeting(s)
5. action sheet from the previous minutes
6. starring of items
7. report from the presiding officer
8. reports from sub-committees
9. new items of business, and
10. date of next meeting.

Adjournment

(20) No business will be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place.

(21) Minutes and agenda will be produced in accordance with the direction of the University Secretary or their delegate.

Attendance

(22) The secretary will record in the minutes the attendance of members at meetings. Such record will be conclusive evidence of attendance.

Quorum

(23) Unless otherwise specified in the membership and terms of reference of the committee, a quorum will be in accordance with clause 8 in Schedule 1 of the Charles Sturt University Act 1989 No 76 which states:

Confidentiality

(24) Confidential matters which are discussed and papers which are considered by the committee are to be done in camera and  will be confidential to the committee.

Recording of proceedings

(25) Recording devices may not be used to record proceedings of any meetings of committees without the express permission of the presiding officer and members.

Open meetings

(26) Meetings will be opened to members of the University; that is: staff, students enrolled in award courses, and university alumni, to attend as observers subject to the following provisions:

1. an observer must seek permission to attend the open meeting by contacting the presiding officer and/or secretary
2. an observer may not vote on any matter at a meeting
3. an observer may not speak on any matter nor communicate with any member of the committee during the meeting, unless invited to speak and to respond to questions from members of the committee at the discretion of the presiding officer
4. the presiding officer of a meeting may exclude from any meeting for the whole or part of its term, all or any observers
5. where a confidential matter arises, the committee may go in camera
6. all observers must be seated separately from the committee and there will be as many seats provided as can be accommodated but the number of seats provided will not exceed twenty-five
7. places will be allocated on a first-come, first-admitted basis, and
8. papers of a non-confidential nature will be delivered to those observers who sought permission to attend the meeting.

Voting

(27) Voting will be in accordance with clause 9 in Schedule 1 of the Charles Sturt University Act 1989 No 76 which states:

(28) The presiding officer will have a casting vote in accordance with clause 96 of the Charles Sturt University By-law 2005 which states:

(29) The manner of voting on any motion will usually be by voice or by a show of hands but may be by another method approved by the committee.

(30) Proxy votes will not be permitted.

Section 5 - Glossary

(31) In this policy:

1. Act - means the Charles Sturt University Act 1989 No 76.
2. By-law - means the Charles Sturt University By-law 2005.
3. Committee – includes the committees of the Academic Senate including faculty boards, as established by the University Governance Framework. Where the Charles Sturt University By-law 2005 or the Charles Sturt University Act 1989 No 76 refer to the Council this includes the Academic Senate of the University and its established committees.
4. In-camera – means where a matter is confidential, it is to be discussed privately, among members only.
5. Presiding officer - means the chairperson, or person acting or appointed as presiding officer for the particular meeting.