STATUTE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN INSTITUTE

L.N. 404 of 2012

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

STATUTE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN INSTITUTE

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 Mediterranean Institute.

Interpretation

In this Statute, unless the context otherwise requires

“the Board” shall mean the Board of the Mediterranean Institute;

“the Institute” shall mean the Mediterranean Institute.

Establishment

The Mediterranean Institute is hereby established as an institution within the

University of Malta.

Objectives and Functions

The Institute shall serve as a central diffuser of information and research on

the Mediterranean. The Institute shall

(a)

offer postgraduate degree programmes at masters and doctoral level

which are multidisciplinary in nature and which do not adversely effect ongoing

activities related to Mediterranean Studies of respective faculties;

(b)

develop the study and research on the Mediterranean as a network of

communication, paying particular attention to intercultural exchanges throughout its

history and intercultural dialogue in the present day;

(c)

promote an inter-faculty and a multidisciplinary approach to the

Mediterranean, through a holistic understanding of this region, its cultures and its

people;

(d)

publish a journal of Mediterranean Studies as well as other relevant

scholarly journals to disseminate both research and popularisation studies dealing

with amongst others the history, culture, environment, economy, politics and societies

of the Mediterranean; and

(e)

act as a resource centre for the provision of experts and expertise on

Mediterranean issues, and to offer services to the government as well as to other

institutions, private organisations and individuals as the Board may from time to time

determine.

Governance

The Institute shall be governed by a Board that shall consist of the

following

(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 or conducting

research within the Institute;

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

and

(vii) up to two scholars of repute to be recommended by the Board and approved

by Senate.

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

All members of the Board, other than those appointed ex officio; the two

representatives of the academic staff and the two representatives of the students 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 govern the affairs of the Institute, subject to the provisions of these

statutes 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

may

(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 postgraduate degree programmes.

Appointment of Director and Staff

The Institute shall have a Director and Staff as follows

(a) the Director of the Institute shall be appointed according to the procedure

for the appointment of Directors of Institutes and Centres as approved by the Council

of the University, 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 local 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.

Repeal

The Statute I07 for the Mediterranean Institute published as Legal Notice

54 of 1990 is hereby repealed.

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