Council

The University's governing body is the Council, a mixture of elected staff, students, graduates and outside appointees. The Vice-Chancellor, the University's chief academic and administrative officer, is also a member. Council is chaired by the Chancellor who is a lay member of the Council.

The Education Act 1989 specifies the Council's functions, duties and powers. These include:

• Appoint a Chief Executive
• Prepare and negotiate the University Charter
• Approve the Statement of Objectives
• Ensure that the institution is managed in accordance with the Charter and the Statement of Profile
• Determine the policies of the institution in relation to the implementation of its charter, the carrying out of the statement of objectives and, subject to the State Sector Act 1988, the management of its affairs
• Ensure that the University attains the highest standards of excellence in education, training and research
• Acknowledge the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
• Ensure that the University does not discriminate unfairly against any person
• Encourage participation, especially by under-represented groups
• Ensure proper standards of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest and the well-being of students
• Ensure that systems are in place for the responsible use of public resources
• The quorum for this Committee is not less than one-half of the members presently appointed to the Committee.*

• Vice-Chancellor
• A Deputy Vice-Chancellor appointed by Council on the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor
• Four Members appointed by the Minister of Education
• Three Members elected by the Court of Convocation
• Up to three Members co-opted by the Council
• Two members elected by the Students
• A member elected by the Academic Staff
• A member elected by the General Staff
• A member elected by the Lecturers
• A Professor elected by Senate

The following committees report to Council:

• Animal Ethics
• Audit and Risk
• Biological Safety
• Capital Expenditure
• Discipline
• Finance
• Human Participants Ethics
• Library Review Authority
• Student Appeals
• University Honours
• Vice Chancellor Review

The quorum for each Committee reporting to Council, other than Senate, is not less than one-half of the members presently appointed to the Committee.*

*  In case there is no quorum reached, there are the following options:

   1. The Chair and the Committee Secretary should discuss whether the meeting can be postponed; or

   2. If there is urgent business to be resolved, a meeting of those available members can take place and,  while no decisions can be taken, this meeting may make recommendations as to how the matters on the Agenda (or some of them) should be handled, i.e.:
(a) If the matters need to be urgently resolved, the recommendations from those who met can be sent to all members of the Committee to see if they support those recommendations, and then the recommendations can be approved at the next meeting. If all members do not support the recommendations, it should be kept pending for the next meeting and discussed as in (b) below:
(b) If the matters are not urgent, the recommendations can then be held over for the next meeting and confirmed at that time, if the Committee agrees.