1. Chancellor or Deputy Chancellor to preside at ceremonial occasions

2. Powers of Chancellor in relation to University committees

3. Presiding member

4. Ordinary meetings of Council

5. Special meetings of Council

6. Notice of meeting of Council

7. Business at meetings

8. Meeting may be adjourned

9. Failure to give, or receive, notice of meeting

10. Out of pocket expenses

11. Vice-Chancellor

12. Powers of Vice-Chancellor in relation to Council committees and boards

13. Acting Vice-Chancellor

14. Powers and authorities of Acting Vice-Chancellor

These Rules are made pursuant to s28(1)(c), (d), (e), (f) and (j) and s29(1) of the Act.

1. Chancellor or Deputy Chancellor to preside at ceremonial occasions

(1) The Chancellor when present is to preside at ceremonial occasions.

(2) In the absence of the Chancellor, the Deputy Chancellor when present is to preside at ceremonial occasions.

(3) In the absence of both the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor, a member of Council (being a member who is not a member of the staff of the University or a student) appointed by the Council, is to preside at ceremonial occasions (see footnote 1).

(4) In the absence of the Chancellor, Deputy Chancellor and the member appointed in accordance with subclause (3), the Vice-Chancellor is to preside at ceremonial occasions.

2. Powers of Chancellor in relation to University committees

(1) The Chancellor may without specific appointment exercise the right of membership of any committee or board of the University.

(2) The Chancellor may preside at any meeting of any such committee or board and has all the functions of the presiding member of any such committee.

(3) If the Chancellor is absent or is unable to act, or if the office of Chancellor is vacant, the Deputy Chancellor may preside at any such meeting and is to have the like functions.

3. Presiding member

The Chancellor, or any other person presiding at any meeting of the Council in accordance with this Rule, has a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equality of votes, a casting vote.

4. Ordinary meetings of Council

The Council is to meet in ordinary session not less than six times in each year and at such other times as the Council decides.

5. Special meetings of Council

(1) A special meeting of the Council:

(a) may be convened by:

(i) the Chancellor or, in the absence of the Chancellor, the Deputy Chancellor; or

(ii) the Vice-Chancellor; or

(b) is to be convened by the Registrar if the Registrar receives a written request of not less than five members of the Council setting forth the purpose for which the meeting is required to be convened.

(2) A special meeting required to be convened under subclause (1)(b) is to be held within 14 days after the receipt of the request for that special meeting.

6. Notice of meeting of Council

Notice of the date, time and place of a meeting of the Council and a copy of the agenda and, in the case of a special meeting, advice as to the purpose for which the meeting is to be convened, are to be posted or delivered by the Registrar to each member of the Council at least seven days before the date of the meeting.

In circumstances where the governance of the University would otherwise be compromised, the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Registrar, as the Executive Committee of Council, may suspend the requirements of the previous paragraph by directing the Registrar to take action with respect to any of the following:

• advise members of a Council meeting with shorter notice than prescribed in the paragraph above;
• advise only Council members and other required attendees of the meeting place;
• advise Council members that a meeting will be held in closed session.

7. Business at meetings

A member of the Council must not initiate any matter for discussion, or move any motion in respect of any matter initiated, at a meeting of the Council unless:

(a) notice in writing has been given to the Registrar, in the case of an ordinary meeting, not less than 14 days before the date of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting, not less than 10 days before the date of the meeting, that the matter will be so initiated or a motion moved in respect of the matter; or

(b) the Council or the person presiding at that meeting otherwise permits.

8. Meeting may be adjourned

The person presiding at a meeting of the Council may adjourn that meeting to a later time or date.

9. Failure to give, or receive, notice of meeting

Proceedings of a meeting of the Council are to be taken to have been validly transacted notwithstanding the accidental omission to give notice of the meeting to, or the non-receipt of a notice of the meeting by, a member.

10. Out of pocket expenses

If a member of the Council incurs out of pocket expenses whilst engaged on University business, the Registrar may authorise the payment of the whole or any part of the expenses so incurred to that member.

11. Vice-Chancellor

(1) The Vice-Chancellor, as the chief executive officer of the University, is to be the principal academic and administrative officer of the University and is responsible to the Council for implementing the decisions of the Council.

(2) Subject to the Act, the By-law, the Rules and the resolutions of the Council, the Vice-Chancellor is to be responsible for:

(a) promoting the interests and furthering the development of the University; and

(b) conducting the academic, administrative, financial and other business of the University; and

(c) exercising general supervision and control in relation to the members of the staff of the University and the welfare and discipline of students.

12. Powers of Vice-Chancellor in relation to Council committees and boards

(1) Subject to the By-law, the Rules and any direction by the Council, the Vice-Chancellor is to be ex officio a member of every committee or board of the Council and, in the absence of the presiding member, may preside at any meeting of a committee or board of the Council other than the Finance Committee.

(2) The authority of the Vice-Chancellor to preside at a meeting of a committee does not extend to a meeting at which the Chancellor or Deputy Chancellor is present if the Chancellor or Deputy Chancellor desires to preside.

13. Acting Vice-Chancellor

(1) In the event of the absence on leave of the Vice-Chancellor from the University or the illness or incapacity of the Vice-Chancellor, an Acting Vice-Chancellor is to be appointed:

(a) by the Vice-Chancellor, if the Vice-Chancellor has no reason to believe that the absence, illness or incapacity will exceed four weeks; or

(b) by the Council in any other case or if the Vice-Chancellor does not make an appointment in accordance with paragraph (a).

(2) The Vice-Chancellor may also appoint an Acting Vice-Chancellor where the Vice-Chancellor is absent from the University on official business and believes that such an appointment is necessary for the effective operation of the University.

14. Powers and authorities of Acting Vice-Chancellor

In the exercise of the functions of the Vice-Chancellor, the Acting Vice-Chancellor has such powers and authority as may be necessary or convenient to give effect to the provisions of the By-law, the Rules and the resolutions of the Council.

15. Repealed

15A. Repealed

16. Repealed

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Footnote:

1. In 1999 Council resolved that the following procedures for appointment of a member of Council to preside over graduations and other ceremonial occasions in certain circumstances be adopted:
   1. A Pro-Chancellor will be elected by Council by means of a secret ballot conducted by the Registrar in accordance with the rules on the election of the Chancellor (Rule G2).
   2. All members of Council are eligible to make nominations and to vote, but only members of Council who are not a staff member or a student can stand for election for the position of Pro-Chancellor.
   3. The Pro-Chancellor shall have delegated authority to act for the Chancellor in the context of the University's graduation ceremonies, or, when specifically requested by the Chancellor, to assist with ceremonial or courtesy function in the University.
   4. The appointment shall be for a period of two years, renewable.
   5. The Chancellor shall report to Council at the end of every year on the activities of the Pro-Chancellor during the year.
   6. When presiding at official functions where robes are appropriately worn, the Pro-Chancellor shall wear a robe which is specially designed for the role of Pro-Chancellor in accordance with the instructions of the Chancellor.
   7. That the Registrar conduct an election for Pro-Chancellor as soon as possible.

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