STATUTE FOR ISLANDS AND SMALL STATES INSTITUTE

STATUTE FOR ISLANDS AND SMALL STATES INSTITUTE

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.357

STATUTE FOR ISLANDS

AND SMALL STATES INSTITUTE

3rd November, 2009

LEGAL NOTICE 325 of 2009, as amended by Legal Notice 140 of 2012.

The title of this Statute is the Statute for Islands and Small

States Institute.

STATUTE FOR ISLANDS AND SMALL STATES INSTITUTE

The Islands and Small States Institute is hereby established

as an institution within the University of Malta.

The aims of the Institute shall be

(a) to promote a multidisciplinary and integrated approach

to issues pertaining to islands and small states;

(b) to promote research and training on global, regional

and local matters of interest to islands and small states

and to publish the findings from such research;

(c) to train target groups on administrative, economic,

sociological, geographical, ecological and other issues

of interest to islands and small states;

(d) to gather and disseminate information

and

documentation on islands and small states;

(e) to implement projects and consultancy assignments,

falling within areas of concern to the Institute;

(f)

to run diploma and degree courses in collaboration

with the University of Malta and other institutions;

(g) to hold international conferences, seminars and similar

meetings on topics in the area of interest of the

Institute,

The Institute shall be governed by a Board consisting of

the following

(i)

Chairman: the Rector of the University or his delegate;

(ii)

Vice-Chairman: the Director of the Institute;

(iii)

a person appointed by the Council of the University;

(iv)

a person appointed by 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; and

(vii)

up to four scholars of repute to be recommended by the

Board and approved by Senate.

STATUTE FOR ISLANDS AND SMALL STATES INSTITUTE

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 functions 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 formulate 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) request staff members of the Institute to produce

reports on academic matters, including the

curricula of courses of study, qualifications for

admission to courses, examinations and

certificates of attendance or qualification, as

well as project proposals for external funding,

and scientific publications;

(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, Board of

Studies and Examiners for degree and diploma

courses.

The Institute shall have a Director and staff

(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.

STATUTE FOR ISLANDS AND SMALL STATES INSTITUTE

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, tutorials and laboratory sessions

assigned to them respectively, at the time and venue

advertised in the official time-table, 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 tests and 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 to 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)

calling and chairing (in lieu of the Rector) meetings of

the Board of the Institute and ensuring that follow-up

action is taken;

(j)

ensuring and facilitating the further development and

training of academic and non-academic staff;

STATUTE FOR ISLANDS AND SMALL STATES INSTITUTE

(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 other 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

STATUTE FOR ISLANDS AND SMALL STATES INSTITUTE

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 Director of Finance of the University shall be the

Treasurer of the Institute.

There shall be an International Scientific Advisory

Committee composed of scholars of repute appointed by the Board.