Guide for Committee Members
Summary
This guide has been prepared as an introduction for new members of University
Committees to their role.
Contact for further information:
Mrs Morag Horner
Manager, Governance and Compliance
(Tel: 5579, email: m.horner@hull.ac.uk)
Approved by:
Quality Director, University Registrar and Secretary
Originator:
Committee Section
Date for Review:
July 2010
Version:
5 September 2009
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Committee Section
Version: 5 – September 2009
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Guidelines For Committee Members
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Introduction
1.1
Committees are a vital part of the fabric of the University. They provide the
fora in which academics and administrators come together to conduct the
various types of business which are necessary to enable the University to
facilitate teaching, research and other associated activities.
1.2
Committees are expensive, particularly in terms of staff time, and hence it is
important that they conduct their business as effectively and efficiently as
possible, without compromising the quality of the decisions which emerge.
1.3
The University has a mission and, through a combination of management
and committee decisions, policies and procedures are determined and
strategic and operational decisions are made. The University is a large and
complex body and this is reflected in its committee structure. The
committee system is important for enabling staff to engage with the
decision-making process and for enhancing the quality of decisions. It is
important that well-advised decisions are made properly and in the right
forum.
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What is a Committee?
2.1
A committee is a body to which a particular task is assigned as specified in
its terms of reference. It is a mechanism for making decisions. A structure
chart of the University’s formal committees is available on
www2.hull.ac.uk/Administration/committee/universitycalendar/
universitycommittees.aspx. As will be seen from the chart, committees are
arranged on different “levels” and usually report to higher (parent)
committees or to Senate and/or Council. Committees will be empowered to
resolve certain matters and to make recommendations to higher committees
concerning others in accordance with their terms of reference, which are
available on the web.
2.2
Each committee should have a programme of work which should be set and
reviewed annually. This should be in accordance with the University’s
strategic objectives and should be agreed by the higher committee.
2.3
Whatever its aim, a committee works better if established procedures or
rules are followed. Once such rules are adopted, they help to govern the
conduct of meetings and the records made of them. Some of the rules are
set out in the University’s Standing Orders
(www2.hull.ac.uk/Administration/committee/committeesecretaries/
guidanceforsecretaries.aspx). If a member at a meeting believes the rules
are not being followed, s/he can challenge what is being said or done on a
“point of order”.
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Role of the Chair
3.1
The chair regulates the conduct of a meeting. S/he determines the order of
business; the amount of time spent on each item and is responsible for
achieving the completion of the committee’s tasks within the overall time
available. At the end of each item the chair must enable the committee to
reach a decision. Although the chair may have the casting vote, s/he should
not use the position to override the views of the committee. The chair
should ideally maintain an objective standpoint.
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Role of the Secretary
4.1
The Committee Secretary is usually the most accessible and permanent
reference point for committee members. The secretary is responsible for
advising the chair on the rules and on the committee’s relationship with
other bodies. S/he is there to ensure that the committee meets in a suitable
place at a suitable time and has before it good and well-focused papers
containing the best information available on the subjects to be discussed,
that it observes its rules and that decisions made are reported and carried
out promptly. The secretary is also responsible for liaising with the chair and
members between meetings to conduct any business which cannot or need
not await the next meeting.
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Role of Members
5.1
Members can belong to a number of categories. For example, ex-officio
members attend by virtue of their post, appointed members (who may be
nominated or elected) serve for a fixed period and are eligible for reappointment, co-opted members are normally appointed for their expertise
in an area within the remit of the committee.
5.2
Members should attend all meetings where possible and prepare in advance
of the meeting. They should make an appropriate level of contribution to
discussions at meetings and take action in the interests of the University as
a whole rather than as a representative of any body. Members are expected
to act in a personal capacity and not to be mandated by others. Members
should conduct themselves in accordance with accepted standards of
behaviour in public life – selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability,
openness, honesty and leadership.
5.3
It is important that members should be perceived to act impartially. Good
practice requires that where a member has a pecuniary, family or other
personal interest in any matter under discussion at a meeting, s/he should
disclose that interest. The University maintains a register of interests of all
members of Council and senior officers. The register is kept by the Quality
Director, University Registrar and Secretary and is updated annually.
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5.4
It is useful if new committee members become familiar with the general
context within which the committee operates and its position within the
committee hierarchy, the committee’s terms of reference, its membership,
and the nature of the business conducted. It is often helpful to study past
agendas and minutes in order to get the “feel” of the committee (these are
available on the portal under Services and Support - Committee Section)
and to contact the committee secretary for information on what the
committee has been doing lately and what are its current tasks and
objectives.
5.5
Committee members are expected to familiarise themselves with their
committee’s meeting dates. For formal University committees this
information is normally available from the Easter preceding an academic
year, in the University Almanac which is on the web (www.hull.ac.uk/
committee).
5.6
Committee members may be asked to sign an attendance sheet at the start
of a meeting. This enables the committee secretary to accurately record
attendance in the minutes.
5.7
The committee secretary will send an agenda and papers to members not
less that one week before the date of the meeting. Normally, all of the
papers will be sent with the agenda. In exceptional circumstances,
members may receive a second circulation of papers two days before the
meeting or a paper may be tabled.
5.8
The agenda will list the items of business which need to be transacted.
Long agendas are often divided into two groups; items for discussion and
decision, and items for information. In which case, the chair may ask
committee members to take the items for information, or starred items, “as
read”, which means that there will be no discussion of the item. If a member
wishes to move an item from one group to another, this should be agreed
with the chair prior to the start of the meeting.
5.9
Committee members may receive a separate agenda called “Part B –
Reserved Business”. These are items for which any student members do
not attend and will normally be taken last. They usually include issues
concerning individual members of staff or students or commercially sensitive
material. Reserved Business is defined in the University Ordinances and in
the University’s Standing Orders. Part B Business will normally be kept to a
minimum because of the general need for transparency and openness.
5.10
The committee secretary will aim to draft the minutes of a committee
meeting, seek the Chair’s approval and circulate them to committee
members within five days of the meeting. For formal committee meetings,
the minutes will follow the University House Style. Any amendments to the
draft minutes should be notified to the committee secretary as soon as
possible. The minutes should be unambiguous, with enough detail to make
it clear to the reader what the item was, what the issues were and what was
decided. Minutes will not normally attribute remarks to individual members.
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Since the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act, Committee
members are entitled to ask for their names to be removed entirely from the
minutes, including from the list of those present, if they feel that inclusion of
their personal data in this way could cause them harm.
5.11
If a committee member is required to take any action following the meeting,
the committee secretary will write to the member normally in the form of an
action sheet confirming the date by which the action should be taken.
5.12
When minutes (Part A) of the Court, Council, Senate, Academic Board and
main committees of Academic Board have been approved in draft by the
chair they will be posted on the portal by Committee Section.
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Standing Orders
6.1
It is not intended that the procedures laid down in Standing Orders should
be rigidly followed at meetings. Standing Orders are used as a guide and a
set of rules which members can refer to. They cover such points as the
quorum for any committee, the Chair’s casting vote, how to vote at a
meeting, how to propose items for an agenda, the conduct of meetings, and
include a definition of reserved business. A copy of the University’s
Standing Orders is available from Committee Section and is on the web
(www2.hull.ac.uk/Administration/committee/committeesecretaries/
guidanceforsecretaries.aspx).
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Further Information
7.1
Further information and advice is available from the Committee Section or
the University’s website (www2.hull.ac.uk/Administration/committee).
Acknowledgements
CUC Guide for Members of Higher Education Governing Bodies in the UK
City University – Committee Book 2004/05
University of Hull – Guide for Committee Secretaries
Committee Servicing and the Freedom of Information Acts - Jean Grier
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