Senate Business Committee

A meeting of the Senate Business Committee will be held at 9.35 a.m. on Thursday 22 April 2021 via Teams

Rachael Bernard
Academic Registrar
(r.bernard@abdn.ac.uk)

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 and Quorum

• The Senior Vice-Principal (Chair)
• 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 Chairs of the following Committees:
  • University Committee on Teaching and Learning
  • Quality Assurance Sub-Committee of UCTL
  • Undergraduate Sub-Committee of UCTL
  • Postgraduate (Taught) 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 2020/21

• Karl Leydecker
• Tracey Slaven
• Neil Vargesson
• Ruth Taylor
• Kath Shennan
• Abbe Brown
• Kirsty Kiezebrink
• Marion Campbell
• Graeme Nixon
• Ondrej Kucerak
• Javier González Cuervos
• Iain McEwan (until September2021)
• Amy Bryzgel (until September 2021)
• Scott Styles (until September 2021)
• Allan Sim (until September 2021)
• Cheryl Dowie (until September 2022)
• Georgios Leontidis (until September 2022)
• 2 vacancies
• Ondrej Kucerak
• Clerk: Rachael Bernard

Attendance Records - 2020/21