STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR THE LIBERAL ARTS

L.N. 245 of 2014

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR THE LIBERAL ARTS

AND SCIENCES

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 the Liberal Arts

and Sciences.

Applicability

This statute shall be applicable from 8 February 2014 onwards.

Interpretation

In this Statute, unless the context otherwise requires

“the Board” shall mean the Board of the Centre for the Liberal Arts and

Sciences;

“the Centre” shall mean the Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences;

“the Programme” shall mean the Programme in the Liberal Arts and

Sciences.

Establishment

The Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences is hereby established as an

institution of the University of Malta.

Objectives and Functions

The main aim of the Centre shall be to design, organise, coordinate, monitor,

evaluate and promote the University of Malta’s Programme in the Liberal Arts and

Sciences as regulated by the Regulations of 2014 for a Programme in the Liberal Arts

and Sciences. In fulfilment of its aim, the Centre shall inter alia

(a) offer a flexible, top-class programme of studies aimed primarily at adult and

returning learners;

(b) contribute to the University’s ongoing public outreach initiative;

(c) promote further interdisciplinary collaboration within the University and

through its engagement with specialists outside academia;

(d) encourage and sustain innovative approaches in undergraduate curriculum

development and teaching methods; and

(e) provide high-quality, learner-focused administrative assistance to students

enrolled in the Programme.

Governance

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

(i) Chairman: the Rector of the University or his/her delegate;

(ii) Vice-Chairman: the Director of the Centre;

(iii) a person appointed by the Council of the University;

(iv) Two Resident Academics with a background in the Arts and

Humanities appointed by the Senate of the University;

(v) Two Resident Academics with a background in the Sciences appointed

by the Senate of the University;

(vi) up to two representatives elected by and from the students registered

within the Centre; and

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

approved by the Senate of the University.

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

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

elected student representatives 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 functions 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 academic staff members of the Centre and those servicing 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 removal of academic and non-

academic posts in the Centre;

(viii) propose for the Senate’s approval Boards of Examiners for the Centre’s

programme of studies.

(c) to carry out, mutatis mutandis, the functions of a Board of Studies as provided

in regulation 31(d) of the General Regulations for Undergraduate Awards, 2004.

Appointment of Director and Staff

The Centre shall have a Director and Staff

(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 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 objectives

and functions outlined in article 4 above;

(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 Centre are delivered in accordance

with the advertised programme of studies; the Director must ensure that lecturing

staff under his/her remit deliver all lectures, seminars and sessions 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 under the

guidance of the Board;

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

support to students with any difficulties they may encounter during their studies in the

Programme;

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

assessment and examination results are submitted to the Registrar’s Office within

following deadlines

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

§

(g) 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;

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

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 its 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 approved by the Board, outlining

the activities of the Centre for the outgoing year, which should include, inter alia,

information that may be requested by the Secretary, 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 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, Visiting

Teaching Staff and the Administrative 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 be a Resident Academic engaged with the University on a full-time

basis for the duration of his/her tenure as Director;

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

may be in conflict with, or distract him/her 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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