STATUTE FOR THE INSTITUTE FOR TOURISM, TRAVEL AND

L.N. 552 of 2010

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

STATUTE FOR THE INSTITUTE FOR TOURISM, TRAVEL AND

CULTURE

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

75(6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), 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 Institute for Tourism, Travel and

Culture.

STATUTE FOR THE INSTITUTE FOR TOURISM, TRAVEL AND

CULTURE

Interpretation

In this Statute, unless the context otherwise requires

“the Board” shall mean the Board of the Institute for Tourism, Travel and

Culture;

“the Institute” shall mean the Institute for Tourism, Travel and Culture.

Establishment

The Institute for Tourism, Travel and Culture is hereby established as an

institution within the University of Malta.

Objectives and Functions

The aims of the Institute shall be

(a) to provide the highest quality education possible to students and offer

undergraduate and postgraduate courses to enable the students to successfully

assume responsible positions within the tourism, travel and culture industries;

(b) to support the Maltese tourism industry through the Institute’s teaching

and research programmes;

(c) to support Maltese cultural entities through the Institute’s teaching and

research programmes;

(d) to carry out and disseminate research which is valuable to the Maltese

tourism, travel and culture sectors and the University of Malta, as well as the

international Tourism community;

(e) to establish professional guidelines and maintain professional status of

tourism, travel and culture industries; and

(f) to attract funded research including establishing the Institute as a Centre

of Excellence in tourism, travel and culture research in the Mediterranean.

Governance

The Institute shall be governed by a Board consisting of

(i)

Chairman: Rector or his delegate;

(ii)

Vice-Chairman: Director of the Institute;

(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 lecturing at the

Institute;

(vi) up to two representatives of the students registered with the Institute;

(vii) one scholar of repute to be recommended by the Board and approved

by Senate;

(viii) one person actively involved in the field of tourism, travel and culture

nominated by the Board and approved by Senate; and

(ix) one person nominated by the Board of Governors of the Institute for

Tourism Studies and approved by Senate.

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

All 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 shall be eligible for re-appointment.

The function of the Board shall be

(a) to govern the affairs of the Institute, subject to the provisions of this

statute and of such regulations, policies or directions as may from time to time be

approved by the Council and the Senate;

(b) to decide the policy of the Institute, to supervise its activities and

administration, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Board

(i)

approve business plans and annual estimates of revenue and expenditure

of the Institute for consideration and approval by the Council;

(ii)

with the written concurrence of the Rector, enter into agreements with

third parties for funding of the Institute or of particular activities;

(iii) publish an annual report;

(iv) enrol the Institute in associations or institutions sharing similar aims and

interests;

(v)

propose Regulations and Bye-Laws to the Senate;

(vi) require from staff members of the Institute the production of reports on

academic matters, including the curricula of courses of study,

qualifications for admission to courses, examinations, and certificates of

attendance or qualification;

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

non-academic posts in the Institute;

(viii) propose for approval to the Senate, Boards of Studies and Examiners for

undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Appointment of Director and Staff

The Institute shall have a Director and Staff as follows

(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 Institute and

the needs of the University, for a total period not exceeding four (4) years; and

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

to usual practice.

Duties of the Director

The duties of the Vice-Chairman/Director shall include

(a) promoting the development and implementation of the Institute’s

curricula and research programmes;

(b) compiling and submitting to the Registrar of the University by not later

than January of each academic year, an updated comprehensive prospectus of the

content descriptions of all current and projected study-units offered by members of

the Institute as per guidelines established by the Programme Validation Committee;

(c) ensuring that the study-units offered by the staff members of the

Institute are delivered in accordance with the advertised programme of studies; the

Director must ensure that lecturing staff under his remit deliver all lectures,

seminars and tutorials assigned to them respectively, at the time and venue

advertised in the official timetable, and that any deviations thereof are formally

registered, and the students duly notified in good time;

(d)

delivering and implementing the strategic plan of the Institute;

(e) administering the Institute in full consultation with the members;

monitoring and approving requests for leave of absence of members of the

Institute; 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;

(f) 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 Institute;

(g) monitoring the running of examinations in the Institute and ensuring

that all assessment and examination results are submitted to the Registrar’s office

as follows

January session – by the end of March;

May/June session – final year results by not later than two working

days prior the final year degree classification board but in any case

not later than end of July, other results as early as possible but not

later than the end of July;

September session – by the end of September.

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

other institutions;

(i) chairing meetings of the Board in the absence and with the permission

of the Chairman;

(j) ensuring and facilitating the further development and training of

academic and non-academic staff;

(k)

participating at any meeting of the University congruent with the post;

(l)

representing the Institute during official functions of the University;

(m) 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

Institute for the outgoing year, which should include, amongst others, information

that may be requested by the Secretary: a comprehensive list of recent publications

of all members of the Institute; a synopsis of all projects involving members of the

Institute which are wholly or partially externally funded; a list of all

conferences/seminars/meetings attended abroad by members of the Institute during

term time; and an outline of the Institute’s collaboration with third parties including

Maltese industry, Government or civil society at large;

(n) 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 Institute, to cover the projected

teaching, research and administration workload of the Institute, and based on the

projected workload for each Resident Academic member of the Institute and

Visiting Teaching Staff;

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

Institute;

(p) authorising the Institute’s procurement of equipment; ensuring that the

resources assigned to the Institute – whether human or other – are utilized fully and

efficiently;

(q) 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 Institute

and shall collaborate with all senior administrative officers of the University;

(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 Institute is engaged

in undergraduate or postgraduate taught 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

Institute;

(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 Institute 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 Treasurer

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

Institute.

€0.56