STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR ACADEMIC LITERACIES AND ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.447

STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR ACADEMIC

LITERACIES AND ENGLISH COMMUNICATION

SKILLS

23rd April, 2013

LEGAL NOTICE 128 of 2013, as amended by Legal Notice 423 of 2015,

258 of 2019 and 29 of 2026.

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

Academic Literacies and English Communication Skills.

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.

The Centre for English Language Proficiency is hereby

established as an institution of the University of Malta.

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

STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR ACADEMIC LITERA-

CIES AND ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS

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.

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 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 Dean of

the Faculty of Arts in consultation with the Head

of the Department of English.

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 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 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 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;

(vii)

recommend to the Council the creation or

abolition of academic and non-academic posts in

the Centre; and

(viii) propose for approval the Senate, Boards of

Studies and Board of Examiners for the Centre’s

programmes of studies.

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.

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 article 4(a) to (i);

(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 in

accordance with 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

STATUTE FOR THE CENTRE FOR ACADEMIC LITERA-

CIES AND ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS

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.

The Director of Finance of the University shall be the

Treasurer of the Centre.