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Compliance Committee Policy - External Members Allowance

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) Charles Sturt University (the University) is required by legislation to operate certain compliance committees.

(2) These compliance committees are:

  1. Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC)
  2. Animal Care and Ethics Committee (ACEC)
  3. Radiation Safety Committee (RSC)
  4. Institutional Biosafety Committee
  5. Chemical Safety Committee (CSC)

(3) External members are required to sit on each of the committees to contribute expertise or as specified representatives.

(4) External members of committees incur costs in preparation and attendance at meetings of compliance committees.

(5) This policy provides for an allowance to be paid to external (i.e. non-Charles Sturt University) members of statutory compliance committees of the University.

Scope

(6) The policy applies to external members of the compliance committees listed in clause 2. It does not apply to University staff on these committees, who exercise their roles as part of their employment by the University.

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Section 2 - Glossary

(7) In this policy, unless the contrary intention appears:

  1. Act - means the Charles Sturt University Act 1989 No 76.
  2. Compliance committee - means the:
    1. Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) established under the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992;
    2. Animal Care and Ethics Committee (ACEC) established under the Animal Research Act 1985 No 123;
    3. Radiation Safety Committee (RSC) established under the Protection from Harmful Radiation Regulation 2013;
    4. Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) established under the Gene Technology Act 2000; and
    5. Chemical Safety Committee (CSC) established by Charles Sturt University in 2007.
  3. Council - means the University Council established under section 19 of the Charles Sturt University Act 1989 No 76;
  4. employee - means a full time, part time or casual member of the staff of the University and includes an honorary or adjunct appointment.
  5. external member - means a member of a compliance committee who is appointed to the compliance committee because of specific expertise possessed by the member or as a representative of a particular group or category of membership who is not:
    1. an employee of the University or a controlled entity of the University;
    2. a member of the Council or a committee of the Council;
    3. a current student; or
    4. a person otherwise in receipt of remuneration under the Crown.
  6. Presiding Officer - means the chair of a compliance committee.
  7. Executive Officer - means the secretary to a compliance commitee.
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Section 3 - Policy

Responsibilities

(8) The Vice-Chancellor is responsible for approving eligibility for payment of an allowance under this policy and the allowance payable on recommendation of the Presiding Officer of the compliance committee.

(9) The Presiding Officers of the compliance committee are responsible for recommending the payment of an allowance to an external member to the Vice-Chancellor.

(10) The University Secretary or their delegate has overall responsibility for administration and supervision of the policy.

(11) The Executive Officers of the compliance committees report directly to the University Secretary or their delegate and will administer the policy in relation to their compliance committees.

Principle

(12) To the extent practicable, the allowances set out in this Policy shall be commensurate with the rate of allowance for employees of the University.

Application and Approval

(13) External members must apply in writing to the Presiding Officer to receive the allowance. Presiding Officers will determine when payment is to be made, for example after each meeting or annually.

(14) The Vice-Chancellor will approve eligibility for payment of an allowance, and individual allowance payments to these eligible persons.

Allowance

(15) External members may claim a meeting allowance to the maximum annual amount of $1650, for personal attendance by the eligible member at meetings of the committee for which notice has been given.

(16) Eligible members shall be entitled to claim, and be paid, a pro rata amount of $150 for each meeting of the committee attended by the member in person each year. Attendance in person shall include attendance via electronic means such as teleconference or video conference, where the meeting is to be conducted in that way.

(17) Where the number of meetings per annum is adjusted during the year so that the maximum allowance may be exceeded, the pro rata amount will be adjusted accordingly. Similarly where the funds available to a committee in a given year are insufficient to allow the maximum payment to external members, the pro rata amount will be adjusted according to the maximum amount available in that year.

(18) The meeting allowance is provided to cover costs legitimately incurred by eligible members attending to official Committee business. These costs may include items such as travel, printing, telephone, Internet connection and accommodation, where these are not provided directly by the committee.

(19) The meeting allowance shall be payable to each eligible member where the eligible member's name is recorded in the official minutes of the meeting as being in attendance at that meeting in person.

Motor Vehicles

(20) The allowance available to external members may be used to cover costs associated with the use of a motor vehicle maintained by the eligible member for private purposes, where the vehicle is used for travel to meetings or functions of the Committee.

(21) An eligible member using a motor vehicle for official committee business must have for the vehicle a valid third party insurance policy and a comprehensive motor vehicle insurance policy sufficient to cover replacement costs of the vehicle.

(22) Use of a motor vehicle maintained by the eligible member for private purposes for travel on official committee business shall be at the sole risk of the eligible member.

Records

(23) The Executive Officer of the committee shall keep records of all allowance requests and approvals.

Miscellaneous

Taxation

(24) External members are liable for the payment of any taxation that may be payable on any allowance paid to them, under this policy.

(25) External members are responsible for obtaining such advice as may be appropriate with respect to the taxation or legal obligations of the external member with respect to any claim under this policy.

Payment to External Member Only

(26) Payment of an allowance under this policy shall be made to the external member and not to any other person or corporation.

Disputes

(27) Decisions of Charles Sturt University staff covered by this policy are final.

Acknowledgement

(28) Members claiming an allowance or entitlement under this policy must sign and date a statement acknowledging that they have read and understand this policy and shall comply at all times with the terms and conditions for the payment of the allowance and other entitlements as set out in this policy.

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Section 4 - Procedures

(29) Nil.

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Section 5 - Guidelines

(30) Nil.