- Agenda
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A meeting of the Senate Business Committee will be held at 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday 11 September 2019 in Court Room, University Office
Rachael Bernard
Acting Academic Registrar
(r.bernard@abdn.ac.uk)AGENDA
FOR DISCUSSION
1. Approval of the minutes of the meeting held on 24 April 2019 SBC19-20:01 2. Remit and Membership SBC19-20:02 3. Draft Agenda for the meeting of the Senate on 9 October 2019 SBC19-20:03
4. Review of the Operation of the Senate in 2018/19 The Committee is asked to reflect on the operation of the Senate in 2018/19 and to consider whether there may be any ways to further enhance the effectiveness of the Senate. 5. Major Topics for Discussion in 2019/20 SBC19-20:04 6. Honorary Degrees Committee Membership Following the responses received to the communications regarding the Senate vacancy on the Honorary Degrees Committee (HDC), the Committee is asked to approve that Kate Gillies (HSRU) is nominated to serve on the on HDC for a period of four years: 7. Senate Minutes The Committee are asked to consider a change in practice regarding the format of Senate minutes. It is suggested that the lengthy written minute is replaced by a clear action log to be viewed alongside an indexed recording of the meeting. The current written minute is, in effect, a straight transcription of the recording. The published recording is removed from the website once the formal minute has been approved at the subsequent meeting. Under this change, recordings would be maintained on the website indefinitely. FOR INFORMATION
8. Senate Elections The Committee is invited to note the outcome of the Senate elections conducted at the end of last academic year as detailed below:
The following have been elected to serve on the Senatus Academicus from 01 October 2019 to 30 September 2022 (except where indicated otherwise):
Business School
Dr A Sim
School of Divinity, History & Philosophy
Dr A Cecolin
School of Language, Literature, Music & Visual Culture
Dr F Jürgensen
Dr SJ Kim
School of Law
Dr RB Taylor
Mr S Styles
School of Social Science
Dr I Xypolia
School of Biological Sciences
Dr M Barker (until 30 September 2020)
Professor P Hallet
Dr G Norton
Dr S Woodin
School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition
Professor G Brown
Professor C de Bari
Professor M Delibegovic
Professor L Erskine
Professor A Lee
Professor I McEwan
Dr S Miller (until 30 September 2020)
Dr F Murray
Dr J Pettit
Dr J Rochford
Dr D Scott (until 30 September 2020)
Dr D Skåtun
Dr D Watts (until 30 September 2020)
School of Engineering
Professor D Pokrajac (until 30 September 2020)
Dr Y Tanino
Professor M Wiercigroch
School of Geosciences
Dr C North
Dr M Spagnolo
School of Natural & Computing Sciences
Dr M da Silva Baptista
Dr P Henderson
Dr R Hepworth
9. Dates of meetings in 2019/20 The Committee is invited to note that the next meetings in 2019/20have been scheduled as follows:
- Thursday 12 September 2019 at 10.00 a.m.
- Wednesday 6 November 2019 at 10.00 a.m.
- Thursday 19 December 2019 at 10.00 a.m.
- Thursday 20 February 2020 at 10.00 a.m.
- Tuesday 14 April 2020 at 10.00 a.m.
- Remit
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Purpose
The Senate Business Committee has a primary role to agree Senate agendas. In order to engage Senate in open debate, the Senate Business Committee also identifies for each meeting of Senate at least one major strategic topic for discussion.
The Committee has delegated responsibility from the Senate to approve the appointment of Senate members or representatives to University Committees and the schedule for Senate elections
Remit
The primary role of the Senate Business Committee is to agree Senate agendas.
In order to engage Senate in open debate and to inform future policy and development by sub-committees for subsequent approval by the Senate, it has been agreed that the Senate Business Committee should identify at least one topic for discussion of a major strategic issue at each Senate meeting. This would not preclude such topics being included on the agenda ad hoc in response to, in particular, national consultations and major issues that emerged during the course of an academic year that the University should address.
The Senate Business Committee, in drafting Senate agendas, should also decide, as deemed appropriate whether an external speaker (e.g. from the Scottish Funding Council, the Scottish Executive, Universities Scotland, the Higher Education Academy) should be invited to address the Senate on a topic of current interest or debate within the HE sector.
The Senate Business Committee is also asked to determine the timing of consideration, by the Senate, of annual reports from the Senior Vice-Principal, the central Vice-Principals and the University Secretary.
- Composition & Membership
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Composition and Quorum
- The Senior Vice-Principal (Convener)
- University Secretary
- The Senate Assessors on the Policy and Resources Committee
- Eight elected members of Senate elected for a two year term of office
- The Conveners of the following Committees:
- University Committee on Teaching and Learning
- Quality Assurance Sub-Committee of UCTL
- Undergraduate Sub-Committee of UCTL
- Postgraduate Sub-Committee of UCTL
- Research Policy Committee
- Dean of Graduate School
- President of the Students' Association
- AUSA Rep (nominated by Student President)
Quorum: 50%
Membership for 2018/19
- Karl Leydecker
- Caroline Inglis
- Vacant – Senate Assessors on Policy and Resources Committee
- Peter McGeorge
- Kath Shennan
- Alison Jenkinson
- Ekaterina Pavlovskaia
- Marion Campbell
- Graeme Nixon
- Joachim Schaper
- Helen Martin
- Scott Styles
- Lindsay Tibbetts
- David Lusseau
- Donna Maccallum
- Neil Vargesson
- Vacant
- Lawson Ogubie
- Donna Connelly
Clerk: Rachael Bernard
- Attendance
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Attendance Records - 2019/20
Membership 11 September 2019 6 November 2019 19 December 2019 20 February 2020 14 April 2020 Senior Vice-Principal and Chair
Karl Leydecker
Present University Secretary Caroline Inglis Apologies President of the Students' Association Cecilia Wallback Apologies AUSA Representative Dariya Koleva Present Convener of the University Committee on Teaching and Learning Peter McGeorge Apologies Convener of the Quality Assurance Committee Kath Shennan Present Convener of the Research Policy Committee Marion Campbell Present Convener of the Undergraduate Committee Alison Jenkinson Present Convener of the Postgraduate (Taught) Committee Ekaterina Pavlovskaia Present Dean of the Graduate School Graeme Nixon Apologies Elected Member of Senate Alfred Akisanya Present Elected Member of Senate Helen Martin Present Elected Member of Senate Scott Styles Apologies Elected Member of Senate Iain McEwan Present Elected Member of Senate Neil Vargesson Present Elected Member of Senate Amy Bryzgel Apologies Elected Member of Senate Allan Sim Present Elected Member of Senate Michelle Pinard Present Senate Assessor on Policy and Resources Committee Mirela Delibegovic Apologies Senate Assessor on Policy and Resources Committee Vacant Clerk Dr Rachael Bernard Present - Minutes
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2018-19 2017-18