STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR ENGLISH-LANGUAGE

L.N. 128 of 2013

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR ENGLISH-LANGUAGE

PROFICIENCY

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 Centre for English-Language

Proficiency.

Interpretation

In this Statute, unless the context otherwise requires

“the Board” shall mean the Board of the Centre for English-Language

Proficiency;

“the Centre” shall mean the Centre for English-Language Proficiency.

Establishment

The Centre for English-Language Proficiency is hereby established as an

institution of the University of Malta, operating in synergy with the Department of

English.

Objective and Functions

The aims of the Centre shall be

(a) to support and promote English proficiency among University students by

designing and delivering appropriate courses and tuition at pre-tertiary, undergraduate

and postgraduate levels;

(b) to liaise, as and where appropriate, with Departments, Faculties, Centres

and Institutes of the University of Malta on matters that may have a bearing on the

English-Language Proficiency of the University’s students;

(c) to assess students’ level of proficiency in the English language for the purpose

of offering effective support services, provided that this does not include assessment

for the purpose of admitting students into university courses;

(d) to assist, as and where appropriate, in language policy implementation and

language policy outcomes within the University and in broader contexts;

(e) to develop and deliver to University and also non-University bodies

professional services related to and commensurate with the Centre’s commitment to

the furthering of English-Language Proficiency;

(f) to research English-Language Proficiency in Malta at various levels and in its

diverse aspects and contexts;

(g) to liaise, as and where appropriate, with non-University bodies on matters that

may have a bearing on English-Language Proficiency within broader educational,

professional and national contexts;

(h) to issue publications and reports on English-Language Proficiency in Malta;

and

(i) to convene national and international symposia and similar meetings on

matters of interest to the Centre.

Governance

The Centre shall be governed by a Board that will consist of the following

(i)

Chairman: the Head of Department of English as Rector’s 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 lecturing in the Centre;

(vi)

up to two students representatives from amongst the students

representatives on Senate;

(vii) up to two persons possessing expertise and experience in the field of

English language proficiency, to be recommended by the Board 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; 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 Centre, 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 Centre, 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 Centre 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 Centre or of particular activities;

(iii) publish an annual report; and

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

interests.

Appointment of Director and Staff

The Centre shall have a Director and Staff

(a) the Director of the Centre shall be appointed from amongst the members of

the academic staff of the Department of English in line with 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 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.

Duties of the Director

The duties of the Vice-Chairman/Director shall include

(a) general responsibility for the running of the Centre in terms of the aims listed

in articles 2 (a) to (i) outlined above;

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

research programmes;

(c) compiling and submitting to the Registrar by not later than January of each

academic year, an updated comprehensive prospectus of the content descriptions of all

current and projected study-units and services offered by the Centre as approved by the

Board and as per guidelines established by the Programme Validation Committee;

(d) ensuring that the study-units offered by the staff members of the Centre 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;

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

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

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

records of all leave taken by members and passing on these records to the Director of

Human Resources Management and Development upon request;

(g) 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;

(h) monitoring the running of examinations in the Centre and ensuring that all

assessment and examination results, where applicable in the case of formal study-

units, 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 to the final year degree classification board of the students’ home

faculty 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.

§

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

institutions;

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

Chairman;

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

and non-academic staff;

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

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

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

September of each academic year, an annual report approved by the Board, outlining

the activities of the Centre 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 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;

(o) compiling and submitting to the Director of Finance of the University, by not

later than end of May of each academic year budgetary estimates approved by the

Board 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;

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

Centre;

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

assigned to the Centre – whether human or other – are utilized fully and efficiently;

and

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

to time.

The Director of the Centre 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;

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

time basis for the duration of his tenure as Director;

(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; and

(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 Centre will have Academic Staff detailed by the Council of the

University to participate fully in the teaching, research and other activities of the

Centre. In accordance with the policies, guidelines and regulations of the University

on the Departmental affiliation of academic staff within Institutes and Centres, staff

employed with the Centre will hold membership of the Department of English.

The members of the Centre may also be assigned duties in connection with the

Department’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes with clear relevance to

English-Language Proficiency.

The Treasurer

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

Centre.

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