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Statute L.

Universities Act, 1997

University College Cork -- National University of Ireland, Cork

We, the Governing Body of University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (“the University”) under and by virtue of the powers conferred on us by the above Act, do by this present instrument under the Seal of the University make the Statute contained in the Schedule hereof for the general government of the said University.

Given under the Common Seal of the University this Eighteen day of September 2007.

Present when the Common Seal of the University was affixed hereto:

(Signed)
M. Murphy, President.
M. Farrell, Secretary.

SCHEDULE

Statute L

Statutes I. to 178 of University College, Cork and Statutes A to K of University College Cork- National University of Ireland Cork, shall be read and construed with the additions, modifications and amendments hereinafter set forth.

CHAPTER 1
The Colleges

  1. The various academic subjects and disciplines within the University shall be grouped into Colleges, which shall in the first instance be:-
    The College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences
    The College of Business and Law
    The College of Medicine and Health
    The College of Science, Engineering and Food Science.
  2. In the first instance the Governing Body shall assign each subject and discipline to a College by resolution. Subsequently the Governing Body, by rules made under chapter 6 of this Statute, may:-
    - Assign new subjects or disciplines to Colleges
    - Re-assign existing subjects or disciplines to different Colleges
    - Create new Colleges, re-name or close existing Colleges, or amalgamate one College with another.
  3. Each academic unit, and its members and staff, shall be assigned to a single College for budgetary purposes, though an academic unit or member of staff may be a member of more than one College, and there may be joint ownership of academic programmes across Colleges.

CHAPTER 2
Heads of College

  1. The Head of College shall be responsible for the management of the College. S/he shall be the executive officer of the College, shall provide leadership for the College in a collegial manner, and shall work in collaboration with other Heads of College. The primary duties of the headship shall be:-
    - To promote good governance within the College
    - To lead the strategic development of the College in line with the University’s strategic plan
    - To manage the College budget
    - To support the enhancement of teaching and research within and across Colleges
    - To promote the discharge of the College’s social responsibilities
    - To represent the College both within the University and externally.
  2. The Head of College shall be responsible to the President or the President’s nominee for the performance of these duties, and of any additional duties delegated by the President or the President’s nominee.
  3. The Head of College shall report at least annually to the President on the performance and accounts of the College, which report shall be made available to College members. S/he shall also report to other officers and management bodies as directed by the President.
  4. The Head of College shall be appointed by the Governing Body on the advice of the President, under the provisions of Statute C chapter 1 section 2. The term of office shall ordinarily be five years, with eligibility to be re-appointed (ordinarily, once only) by the Governing Body on the advice of the President. In special circumstances, the President may appoint a member of the academic staff as Head of College or Acting Head of College, for a period or periods not exceeding one year in total, save with the consent of Governing Body.
  5. Within each College there shall be an Executive Management Committee. The Committee’s primary function shall be to assist and advise the Head of College in the discharge of his/her responsibilities.

CHAPTER 3
Academic responsibility within Colleges

  1. Each College’s academic responsibilities are owed to the Academic Council.
  2. Within each College there shall be a College Council and a College Assembly. The constitution of each Council and Assembly, its membership (which in the case of the Assembly shall include, amongst others, all permanent or full-time academic staff within the College), and how their Chairs shall be appointed, shall be specified in rules made under chapter 6 of this Statute.
  3. Academic responsibility, including all teaching and research matters, shall initially be in the Faculties as hitherto, though from the date of this Statute the Faculties shall send their reports to the Academic Council via their College Council. The College Council’s function in this case shall be to facilitate the exchange of information, to provide a forum for College-wide issues (generally, and in particular where the Academic Council has requested the view of the College), and to co-ordinate activities within the College.
  4. Where the Governing Body makes rules defining the College framework as described in chapter 4, it may provide that a Faculty be re-named or closed, or its powers or responsibilities reduced. If a Faculty is closed, then on the first meeting of the College Council after those rules come into effect, the Faculty shall cease to exist, the College Council shall inherit its functions and responsibilities and so have responsibility within the College for academic matters within its scope,under this Statute and the rules. If the powers and responsibilities of a Faculty are reduced, these powers and responsibilities removed shall be inherited, under this Statute and the rules, by the College Council on its first meeting after the rules come into effect. However, no provision as described in this section may be made, under any of the powers in this Statute, unless the Faculty affected has passed a resolution expressly approving this.

CHAPTER 4
The College framework

  1. The various subjects and disciplines within each College shall be allocated to units specified in rules made under chapter 6 of this Statute. These units are referred to in this Statute as ‘Schools’, and their heads as ‘Heads of School’, though the rules may specify different or alternative titles for these units and Heads. The rules shall also specify the assignment of Departments, other academic units and academic programmes to Schools, and the powers of the Heads of School in relation to such programmes.
  2. Each Head of School shall be responsible to their Head of College in management matters, and to their College Council (or Faculty, if responsibility has not passed under chapter 3 section 4) in academic matters. Each Head shall be appointed by the President. The appointment process may, where so directed by the President, involve advertisement and formal procedures under Statute C chapter 1 section 3. The Head’s term of office shall ordinarily be three years, and may not exceed five years. Retiring Heads are eligible for re-appointment on the same terms.
  3. The Departments and other academic units existing at the date of this Statute shall be integrated into the new College structure as directed in rules made under chapter 6 of this Statute. From the time that the first such rules come into force, each Head of Department shall work under the general direction of their Head of School. The rules shall provide for the constitution of any new units created, and their role within the College’s network of reporting relationships. Such rules may also re-deploy the powers, functions, membership and staff of a Department or other academic unit or re-locate it within the College structure, and may re-name, close, or amalgamate any Department or Departmentsor other academic unit(s). On such closure or amalgamation, the rules shall specify under whose general direction all members of the Department’s or other academic unit’s academic staff shall work with respect to their academic and administrative duties.
  4. Rules may also be made under chapter 6 of this Statute to provide for efficient and responsible governance of each of the Colleges. Such rules may provide for the creation, modification or closure of other academic units such as Research Institutes and Academic Centres, and for additional boards, officers, committees, sub-committees, standing orders and governance structures for a College or any sub-unit within it. They may also provide, subject to the terms of this Statute, for the delegation or re-delegation of responsibilities within the College or any sub-unit of the College.

CHAPTER 5
Membership of Academic Council

  1. Statute B chapter 1 (which defines, in accordance with the Universities Act 1997 section 28, the membership of the Academic Council), is amended as follows:-
    1. Section 1(5) is amended by adding ‘, the Heads of College and the Heads of School (as defined in Statute L). Provided that all such persons shall be members of Academic Council only ex officio.’
    2. Section 1(6)-(7) is replaced with ‘six non-professorial members from each of the Colleges (as defined in Statute L), provided that in respect of each College, the members shall include (i) at least two Statutory/Senior lecturers and two College lecturers/lecturers, and (ii) at least two men and two women. Casual vacancies shall be filled on the nomination of the relevant College Council.’.
    3. Section 1(8) is replaced with ‘all Heads of Department (and, where a Department has been closed or re-named, the Head of the unit(s) onto which the Department’s responsibilities have devolved). Provided that all such persons shall be members of Academic Council only ex officio.’.
    4. Section 1(10) is replaced with ‘two undergraduate students and two postgraduate students from each College (as defined in Statute L)’.
  2. Statute B chapter 1 sections 2-5 are revoked save for section 4 insofar as it relates to section 1(9).
  3. Each of those who is, at the date of this Statute, a member of the Academic Council under the provisions hereby modified shall remain in place until his or her replacement as defined above has been ascertained.

CHAPTER 6
Rules implementing this Statute

  1. Rules implementing the College structure and its governance, as described throughout this Statute, may be made by the Governing Body under the following procedure.
    1. Any College Council may propose a draft set of rules relating to any aspect of the College’s activities. Any such proposed rules shall immediately be communicated to the Academic Council and following their advice to Governing Body. Where a College Council has not yet been established, rules establishing the College Council may be proposed under this sub-section with the assent of the Faculty(ies) affected.
    2. Alternatively, a draft set of rules may be proposed by the Governing Body, which shall immediately be communicated to the Academic Council and to affected College Councils and Faculties for comment.
    3. The Governing Body may by resolution amend any proposal made under (a) and (b), so long as either (i) affected Colleges and Faculties have signified their consent to the amendment (such consent to be given either by those bodies themselves or by their officers authorised to do so), or (ii) at least two months’ notice of the text of the amendment has been given to affected College Councils and Faculties.
    4. At a meeting not less than two months and not more than six months from the date of the original proposal, the Governing Body, having considered all representations received on the matter, may approve the proposal, whereupon it shall enter into force.
  2. Where the Governing Body has power to make rules under this chapter it shall also have power, by the same procedure, to amend or revoke such rules, and to enact additional rules.
  3. All responsibilities in management matters within the College are owed (directly or indirectly) to the Head of College. All responsibilities in academic matters within the College are owed (directly or indirectly) as is described in chapter 3 sections 3-4. Any reporting relationships specified in rules under this chapter shall be stated clearly and in accordance with principles of good governance.
  4. Both this Statute and any rules made under it are subject to the right of academic freedom as described in the Universities Act 1997 section 14(2), to the protection of vested rights as described in section 25(8) of that Act, and to any other rights or entitlements created or recognised by that Act.

CHAPTER 7
Repeals, interpretation and citation

  1. If a Faculty ceases to exist as is provided by chapter 3 section 4, the following provisions shall be revoked, in relation to that Faculty, namely:-
    Statute 1 chapter 11
    Statute 73 chapter 11
    Statute 114 chapter 2
    Statute 145 chapter 2
    From that time onwards, any reference to that Faculty in these Statutes shall be understood as a reference to the corresponding College.
  2. Provisions in these Statutes which create, recognise, or regulate particular Departments or groups of Departments or other academic units shall remain in force subject to the powers under chapter 6 of this Statute, and shall be revoked when and insofar as they are inconsistent with rules made under that chapter.
  3. In these Statutes, ‘College’ shall generally continue to carry its traditional meaning (that is, as a reference to University College Cork), in accordance with Statute 1 chapter 38. ‘College’ shall refer to one of the Colleges established in this Statute only where it is referred to expressly or by necessary implication.
  4. This Statute may be cited as Statute L of University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork.
  5. This Statute shall come into operation immediately.

Present when the Common Seal of the University was affixed hereto

(Signed)
M. Murphy, President.
M. Farrell, Secretary.