Council Standing Orders

Council business shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the University Charter and Statutes (Sections 16 and 17).

Order of Business

1 The Council agenda is divided into Open and Closed (Reserved Areas) sections. Detailed rules for the operation of the Open and Reserved agenda are included below.

2 Agenda items marked with an * (asterisk) are indicated as possible uncontroversial matters, and are referred to as "starred" items. Members who wish to ’un-star’ an item should indicate this to the Secretary 24 hours ahead of the Council meeting. Otherwise such items are not called separately and are deemed to have been approved without discussion.

Council Business

3 All Council business is confidential to the University, and should not be disclosed outside the University except as specifically indicated. Council papers are not confidential within the University unless so marked. University members of Council have a responsibility to disseminate and communicate Council business (before and after the meeting as appropriate) to their schools, faculties, departments and electorates (other than confidential business). It is in order for members to discuss papers relating to the reserved agenda with other senior members of the University, but confidential papers must not be shown or their contents otherwise disclosed to anyone outside the Council without the permission of their originator or, where an originator is not identified, the Secretary to Council.

4 Normally, the agenda and papers for Council are circulated one week and two days before the date of the meeting. At times, the scheduling of committees or the need for urgent action may prevent the customary circulation of papers. In such circumstances the Council may agree to consider papers which are laid on the table or to take minor matters under Any Other Business. While it is recognised that a rigid line on late business would be prejudicial to the efficient functioning of the University, it is generally understood that such business should be kept to a minimum.

Conduct of Council Meetings

5 Responsibility for presenting business to the Council lies primarily with the appropriate committee chair or, in his or her absence, with such other officer or member of the committee who may, at the discretion of the Chair, be delegated to do so. Matters other than committee business may be presented by an appropriate University Officer or member of Council.

The person presenting business to Council is responsible for seeing that it is clearly presented and explained.

6 To save the time of the Council members should, wherever possible, seek any factual information they may need or notify apparent errors in papers prior to or outside the meeting itself.

7 No fixed limits are set to either the length of speeches or the number of times a member may speak, but members are urged to bear constantly in mind the need for brevity and gauge the number and duration of their interventions accordingly.

The Chair is responsible for ensuring that all sides to controversial issues have adequate opportunity to be heard, but may draw the attention of any member to the need for economy in time, or indicate to Council the view that the discussion should be brought to a close. The Chair may also call to order a member whom he or she considers has strayed from the matter under discussion.

Council decisions are normally made on the basis of consensus amongst members, but may be made through a formal vote where requested or if the Chair determines that consensus cannot be reached.

8 Where a committee chair or other member acting on behalf of a Council committee presents business, it is understood thereby to have been duly moved and seconded.

Proposals to Council may be approved (with or without amendment), rejected, transferred to a committee, referred back to the originating committee or officer for further consideration, or be subject to the procedures detailed in Standing Order 9. Amendments shall not negate the original motion.

If the reference back is carried, the mover and seconder of the motion assume responsibility for submitting a memorandum to the next meeting of the appropriate committee or to the relevant officer explaining the reasons for the reference back. The committee or officer may at this stage also receive additional memoranda from those representing other views. After such further investigation and discussion as shall be deemed necessary, the committee or relevant officer will bring back a further recommendation to a subsequent meeting of Council as expeditiously as possible.

Where "rejected" is carried, the matter is regarded as closed as far as that meeting is concerned. This does not preclude the matter being discussed again at a subsequent meeting.

Procedural Motions

9 The following motions are recognised: "that the question be now put"; "that the question be not put"; and "next business". These motions are not debated and take precedence over existing motions. However, the Chair shall allow motions to go to the vote only if he or she is satisfied that there has already been adequate opportunity for discussion. If a motion "that the question be now put" is carried, there is an immediate vote on the question before Council; if it is lost, discussion continues.

Where the motion "that the question be not put" is carried, the Council moves immediately to the next matter in hand; if it is lost, discussion continues. (N.B. Resort to this motion is rare in Keele practice and is by convention reserved for occasions when it is suggested that the Council may wish to avoid the embarrassment or misunderstanding which could arise from a direct vote, or where, without saying "no", there is a feeling that the movers may wish to reconsider their position in some respect before a final decision is taken.)

If "next business" is carried, Council proceeds immediately to its next business (whether this be a further item under the same agendum or the next agenda item) without further discussion. So far as that meeting is concerned, the matter is closed.

Quorum

10 For the transaction of business, not less 13 members must be present (providing that external members are equal to or greater than the number of Ex Officio, University Staff and Students). However, in order to secure representative decisions on important matters, the Chair may vary the announced order of the agenda. In the absence of a quorum, no business shall be transacted other than reports, "starred" items and the adjournment of the meeting, following which the Chair shall appoint a date, time and place at which the meeting shall be reconvened. At least three days’ notice of the calling of the reconvened meeting shall be given.

The Chair

11 The Chair shall be taken by the Pro Chancellor if present, or in his/her absence by the (senior) Deputy Pro Chancellor. In the absence of these officers Council has the power to elect a Vice-Chair for one or more meetings. The Chair of Council has a casting vote only.

12 The ruling of the Chair on the interpretation of these Standing Orders is final. The Chair shall seek the advice of the Secretary to Council on any question of interpretation of these Standing Orders.

13 The Chair has discretion to accept a motion to suspend any of Standing Orders 1-9. A motion to suspend Standing Orders takes precedence over all existing motions, but is itself subject to motions under Standing Order 9.

14 Between ordinary meetings of Council the Chair shall have the authority to act on behalf of the Council on any matter requiring a decision prior to the next scheduled meeting where the business does not merit, in the view of the Chair, the convening of a special meeting. Any action taken by the Chair on behalf of the committee shall be reported as Chair’s Action to the next meeting of the Council.  Prior to taking Chair’s Action the Chair should consider whether it is appropriate to discuss the matter with other members of Council or to circulate details electronically to give Councillors the opportunity to comment on the proposals.

Amendments to Standing Orders

15 Proposed amendments to Council Standing Orders should be submitted to the Secretary to Council for consideration by the Council.

Reserved Areas

16 Reserved Areas of business are defined by Section 34 of the Statutes.

Approved by Council 30.06.2011 (Amended February 2012)