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Senate - Standing Orders
Senate business shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the University Charter and Statutes (Sections 22 and 23).
Order of Business
1 The Senate agenda is divided into Open and Closed (Reserved Areas) sections. Student members do not attend for Reserved items. Detailed rules for the operation of the Open and Reserved agenda are annexed below.
2 Agenda items marked with an * (asterisk) are indicated as possible uncontroversial matters, and are referred to as "starred items". On opening consideration of each section of the agenda the Chair will ask whether any member wishes to discuss any of the asterisked items. Members who wish to do so should indicate this at this point in the proceedings and the item will then be discussed in the normal sequence indicated by the agenda. Otherwise such items are not called separately and are deemed to have been approved without discussion. (Where such Open agenda items which contain references to individuals are cleared for discussion, the person raising the matter should be asked whether it is necessary to move the item to the Reserved agenda, e.g. appointments, awards, titles.)
3 Senate papers are not confidential unless so marked. Senators have a responsibility to disseminate and communicate Senate business (before and after the meeting as appropriate) to their Schools, Departments and Faculties (other than confidential business). It is in order for Senators 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 Senate without the permission of their originator or, where an originator is not identified, the Secretary and Registrar.
4 Normally, the agenda and papers for Senate are circulated one week before 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 Senate 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 Senate Meetings
5 Responsibility for presenting business to the Senate 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 Senate.
The person presenting business to Senate is responsible for seeing that it is clearly presented and explained.
6 To save the time of the Senate members should, wherever possible, seek any factual information they may need or notify apparent errors in papers 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 Senate 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. [See Standing Order 12.]
8 Where a committee chair or other member acting on behalf of a Senate committee presents business, it is understood thereby to have been duly moved and seconded. Proposals to Senate may normally be approved (with or without amendment), rejected, transferred to a committee, referred back to the originating committee for further consideration, or be subject to the procedures detailed in Standing Order 9. However, recommendations from the Learning and Teaching Committee, Research Committee, Academic Audit Committee and the Graduate School Board are not susceptible of substantive amendment, although minor alterations may, exceptionally, be allowed where they do not materially alter the original intentions of the committee.
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 explaining the reasons for the reference back. The committee may at this stage also receive additional memoranda from those representing other views. After such further investigation and discussion as it shall deem necessary, the committee will bring back a further recommendation to a subsequent meeting of Senate 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 Senate; if it is lost, discussion continues.
Where the motion "that the question be not put" is carried, the Senate 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 Senate 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, Senate 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 40 per cent of the voting membership of the Senate must be present. 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 of Senate shall be taken by the Vice-Chancellor if present, or in his/her absence by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor or a Pro Vice-Chancellor. The Chair of Senate 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 University Secretary and Registrar on any question of interpretation of these Standing Orders.
13 The Chair has discretion to accept a motion to suspend any of Standing Orders 1-10. A motion to suspend Standing Orders takes precedence over all existing motions, but is itself subject to motions under Standing Order 9.
Amendments to Standing Orders
14 Proposed amendments to Senate Standing Orders should be submitted to the Secretary and Registrar for consideration by the Senate.
Reserved Areas
15 Reserved Areas of business are defined by Section 38 of the Statutes.
SMOKING
Senate and Council have resolved that there should be no smoking at Senate, Council, or any of their Committees. This is in accordance with University policy on smoking. Revised and adopted by Senate 24 February 1999.
