STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR BIOMEDIAL CYBERNETICS

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.417

STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE

FOR BIOMEDIAL CYBERNETICS

9th December, 2011

LEGAL NOTICE 474 of 2011, as amended by Legal Notice 58 of 2012.

The title of this Statute is the Statute for the Centre for

Biomedical Cybernetics.

STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR

BIOMEDICAL CYBERNETICS

In this Statute, unless the context otherwise requires

"Biomedical Cybernetics" shall refer to the classical definition of

cybernetics as applied to biological and biomedical systems, that is,

the technology-abstracted study of biological and biomedical

systems and signals, and concepts such as the following, as applied

to biological and biomedical systems and signals: systems theory,

analysis, modelling, behaviour and control; data, signal and image

acquisition, analysis and processing; study and extraction of

information, pattern and intelligence; understanding of knowledge-

directed processes; decision-making processes; and the design and

development of devices to achieve the above. The term shall also

refer to the application of digital technologies to medicine, health-

care and wellbeing;

"the Board" shall mean the Board of the Centre;

"the Centre" shall mean the Centre for Biomedical Cybernetics.

The Centre for Biomedical Cybernetics is hereby

established as an institution within the University of Malta.

The aims of the Centre shall be

(a) to promote and organise multidisciplinary and

interdisciplinary research, development and services

in the field of biomedical cybernetics;

(b) to organise and run training programmes, study-units,

undergraduate and postgraduate courses as well as

public lectures and professional courses related to

biomedical cybernetics, in collaboration with other

University institutions, as necessary;

(c) to collaborate with other University institutions and

with

Governmental

and

Non-Governmental

organisations in projects and services of mutual

benefit and interest;

(d) to network and liaise with centres and organisations

related to biomedical cybernetics and technologies,

both local and overseas; and

STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR BIOMEDICAL CYBERNETICS

(e) to serve as a resource centre and offer consultative

services in the field of biomedical cybernetics to

stakeholders, such as health-care providers and policy

makers.

The Centre shall be governed by a Board that shall consist

of the following

(i)

Chairman: the Rector of the University or his

delegate;

(ii) Vice-Chairman: the 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 functions of the Board shall be

(a) to govern the affairs of the Centre, 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 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 its aims and interests;

(v) propose Regulations and Bye-Laws to the

Senate;

(vi) require staff members of the Centre 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 Centre; and

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

Studies and Boards of Examiners for

undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

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.

The duties of the Vice-Chairman/Director of the Centre

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

of the Centre 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 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 of

the Centre 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;

STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR BIOMEDICAL CYBERNETICS

(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 tests and 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 to the final year

degree classification board but in any case not

later than the 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 Institute; 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 the 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; and

(q) 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 of the Centre. If the Centre is

engaged in undergraduate or postgraduate taught

programmes of study then the Director of the Centre

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; 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 Director of Finance of the University shall be the

Treasurer of the Centre.