STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

L.N. 7 of 2013

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

AND RESEARCH

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 Centre for Environmental

Education and Research.

Interpretation

In this Statute, unless the context otherwise requires

“the Board” shall mean the Board of the Centre for Environmental Education

and Research;

“the Centre” shall mean the Centre for Environmental Education and

Research.

Establishment

The Centre for Environmental Education and Research is hereby established

as an institution within the University of Malta.

The Centre seeks to catalyse change towards a sustainable society by providing

opportunities for environmental education that empower citizens, irrespective of age,

gender and socio-economic status, to actively participate in environmental decision-

making fora and in initiatives that promote a good quality of life.

Objectives and Functions

The Centre shall serve as a central repository and diffuser of information

and research in the area of Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable

Development, in the Euro-Mediterranean region. In pursuit of these aims, the Centre

shall

(a)

carry out and co-ordinate initiatives;

(b)

administer and deliver postgraduate courses;

(c)

increase the opportunity for research;

(d)

undertake to render scientific and technological research results more

widespread and accessible; and

(e)

facilitate resource transfer and capacity building in Malta and in the

Euro-Mediterranean region.

The Centre will be structured primarily around the three main sectors of

environmental education: the formal, non-formal and informal sectors thus ensuring

a diverse research pool that is flexible enough to allow its set-up to respond to a wider

range of current and emerging research needs in the community.

Governance

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

(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 lecturing or conducting

research within the Centre;

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

(vii) 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 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;

(iv)

enrol the Centre 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 Centre 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 Centre;

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

for postgraduate courses.

Appointment of Director and Staff

The Centre shall have a Director and Staff as follows

(a) the Director of the Centre 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 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

usual practice.

Duties of the Director

The duties of the Vice-Chairman/Director shall include

(a) promoting the development and implementation of the Centre’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 Centre as per guidelines established by the Programme Validation Committee;

(c) 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;

(d)

delivering and implementing the strategic plan of the Centre;

(e) 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;

(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 Centre;

(g) monitoring the running of examinations in the Centre 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 Centre 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

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;

(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 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;

(o)

monitoring the performance of the non-academic staff attached to the

Centre;

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

resources assigned to the Centre – 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 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. If the Centre 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 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 Treasurer

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

Centre.

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