RESILIENCE AND SOCIO-EMOTIONAL HEALTH

VER|JONI ELETTRONIKA

L.N. 322 of 2009

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

STATUTE FOR THE EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR EDUCATIONAL

RESILIENCE AND SOCIO-EMOTIONAL HEALTH

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred upon him by articles 74(5) and

75(6) of the Education Act, the Chancellor of the University of Malta has

promulgated the following statute made by the Council of the University

of Malta in virtue of the powers conferred upon it by articles 72(h), 75(2)

and 77(c) of the said Act.

Citation

This statute may be cited as the Statute for the European Centre for Educational

Resilience and Socio-Emotional Health.

STATUTE FOR THE EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR EDUCATIONAL

RESILIENCE AND SOCIO-EMOTIONAL HEALTH

The European Centre for Educational Resilience and Socio-emotional Health

is hereby established as a research institution at the University of Malta.

The aim of the Centre is to develop and promote the science and evidence-

based practice of social and emotional health and resilience in children and

young persons as an integral part of their education, providing a regional

research base for the advancement of children and young people’s education

and healthy development. It follows the establishment of a European network

for researchers and practitioners working in the area of social and emotional

competence (ENSEC) and the Centre will act as a regional base for ENSEC in

Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. The main goals of the Centre include

the following

(a) to establish collaborative partnerships with local, European and

international researchers and practitioners in the promotion of socio-

emotional health and resilience in school children and young persons;

(b) to conduct and publish local, European and international research in the

promotion of social and emotional health and resilience and in the

prevention of social, emotional and behaviour difficulties in school

children and young persons;

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(c) to develop and promote empirically-grounded and theoretically-sound

intervention and prevention strategies in socio-emotional health and

resilience in school children and young persons;

(d) to disseminate knowledge and promote learning and teaching about best

practices and relevant research in socio-emotional health and resilience;

(e) to provide consultation to the local educational authority and engage in

developmental work in schools and other educational settings in the

promotion of socio-emotional health and resilience and the prevention of

social, emotional and behaviour difficulties;

(f) to provide advanced research-based education and training to educators

and other professionals at local and cross-European levels; and

(g) to serve as a local and regional base for the European Network in Social

and Emotional Competence.

The Centre shall be governed by a Board consisting of

(i)

Chairman: Rector or his delegate;

(ii)

Vice-Chairman: Director of the Centre;

(iii)

a person appointed by the Council of the University;

(iv)

a person appointed by the Senate of the University;

(v)

up to two representatives of the academic staff from the Faculty of

Education associated with the Centre’s activities;

(vi)

a person appointed by the Education Directorate;

(vii) up to two representatives of the students registered with the Centre;

(viii) a researcher appointed by the European Network for Socio-Emotional

Competence; and

(ix)

up to two scholars of repute to be recommended by the Board and

approved by Senate.

The Registrar or his delegate shall act as Secretary to the Board.

All the members of the Board, other than those appointed ex officio, shall be

appointed for a period of one year, renewable for up to four years. A retiring

member will be eligible for re-appointment.

The function of the Board shall be

(a) to determine the policy of the Centre with regard to the aims as stated in

this statute, and to supervise its activities and administration, and without

prejudice of the foregoing, the Board may

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(i)

approve business plans and annual estimates of revenue and

expenditure of the Centre for consideration and approval by the

Council;

(ii)

enter into agreements with third parties for funding of the Centre or

of particular activities, with the written approval of Rector;

(iii) ensure collaboration with other institutions, local and foreign,

necessary for achieving the aims of the Centre;

(iv) require from staff members of the Centre the production of reports on

academic matters;

(v)

propose Regulations and Bye-Laws to the Senate;

(vi) recommend to the Council the creation or abolition of academic and

non-academic posts in the Centre;

(vii) propose for approval to the Senate, Board of Studies and Examiners

for academic courses.

The Centre shall have a Director and Staff

(a) the Director shall be appointed from among the academic staff of the

University by the Council for a duration of one year, with the possibility of

renewal annually subject to established performance criteria, the needs of

the Centre and the needs of the University, for a total period not exceeding

four (4) years; and

(b) the staff of the Centre shall be appointed by the University according to the

usual practice.

The duties of the Vice-Chairman/Director shall include

(a) promoting the development and implementation of the Centre’s curricula

and research programmes;

(b) delivering and implementing the strategic plan of the Centre;

(c) administering the Centre in full consultation with the members; monitoring

and approving requests for leave of absence of members of the Centre; the

Director is expected to maintain records of all leave taken by members and

to pass on these records to the Director of Human Resources Management

and Development upon request;

(d) promoting students’ academic and personal welfare, providing first-line

support to students with any difficulties they may encounter during their

studies related to the activities of the Centre;

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(e) encouraging and facilitating co-operation with other universities and other

institutions;

(f) calling and chairing (in lieu of the Rector) meetings of the Board of the

Centre and ensuring that follow-up action is taken;

(g) ensuring and facilitating the further development and training of academic

and non-academic staff;

(h) participating at any meeting of the University congruent with the post;

(i) representing the Centre during official functions of the University;

(j) compiling and submitting to the Secretary of the University by the end of

September of each academic year, an annual report outlining the activities

of the Centre for the outgoing year, which should include amongst other

information that may be requested by the Secretary: a comprehensive list

of recent publications of all members of the Centre; a synopsis of all

projects involving members of the Centre which are wholly or partially

externally funded; a list of all conferences/seminars/meetings attended

abroad by members of the Centre during term time; and an outline of the

Centre’s collaboration with third parties including local industry,

Government or civil society at large;

(k) compiling and submitting to the Director of Finance of the University by

not later than end of May of each academic year budgetary estimates for

the following year including a manpower plan for the Centre, to cover the

projected teaching, research and administration workload of the Centre,

and based on the projected workload for each Resident Academic member

of the Centre and Visiting Teaching Staff;

(l) monitoring the performance of the non-academic staff attached to the

Centre;

(m) authorising the Centre’s procurement of equipment; ensuring that the

resources assigned to the Centre – whether human or other – are utilized

fully and efficiently;

(n) performing other duties which may be assigned by the University from

time to time.

The Director moreover

(a) is to report directly to the Chairman of the Board governing the Centre and

shall collaborate with all senior administrative officers of the University;

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(b) shall normally be a Resident Academic engaged with the University on a

full-time basis for the duration of his tenure as Director. If the Centre is

engaged in normal teaching programmes of study then the Director must be

engaged with the University as a Resident Academic on a full-time basis;

(c) should not be engaged in any other activity outside the University which

may be in conflict with, or distract him from, his duties at the University;

(d) is expected to be present on campus or any designated University of Malta

site at least during normal office hours from Monday to Friday throughout

the year subject to the exigencies of an academic in accordance with the

University’s practices and needs and subject to normal leave entitlement

and public holidays as provided for at law; should his absence be necessary

and justified he must ensure that he is immediately contactable through the

secretarial staff of the Centre;

(e) shall not give access to any information to any third party that is not

associated with the University of Malta, about any work or data that relates

to tasks conducted at the University of Malta without the prior approval of

the University of Malta; all work carried out within the Centre must be

treated according to Maltese data protection legislation;

(f) is to abide with the statutes, regulations and policies of the University of

Malta, which are in force now or will become effective in the duration of

his tenure.

The Director of Finance of the University shall be the Treasurer of the Centre.

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