Graduates' Council Regulations

( Note: Regulations made under Ordinance 20.)

1   The Secretary of the University shall maintain a register of members of the Graduates' Council recording their full names, addresses, degrees and year of conferment of their first degree. This duty is disapplied to the extent that (1) such information may be unavailable; (2) any consent required by law or by any code of practice, etc of individuals is not forthcoming for any reason; (3) where compliance with this duty would breach data protection or other legislation, regulations or case-law.

2   The register may be consulted only to the extent, if any, permitted under data protection or other relevant legislation, regulations or case-law.

3   Notices of all meetings of the Council shall be advertised by the Secretary not less than ten weeks before the dates of the meetings. The notices shall call for nominations for any vacancies to be filled by election and for any other competent business for the meeting to reach the Secretary not less than four weeks before the dates of the meetings.

4   The papers for each meeting shall be available to all members of the Graduates' Council not less than two weeks before the date of the meeting.

5   Twenty members of the Graduates' Council shall form a quorum.

6   The Chairman shall have a deliberative vote and in the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall also have a casting vote, provided that this Regulation shall not apply to votes for elections.

7   Every matter of business except where otherwise specially provided shall be determined by the majority of members present and voting on the matter.

8   The Chairman shall determine all matters of competence and relevancy. When a point of order is raised the Chairman shall rule at once. When the Chairman's ruling is challenged, he shall ascertain the mind of the Council by a vote taken without debate.

9   The Chairman shall have power to adjourn a meeting, provided that only unfinished business shall be transacted at an adjourned meeting.

10  The Graduates' Council shall appoint a Business Committee with the following membership:

The Principal or his/her nominee selected from the Vice Principals (ex officio)
The Chairman of the University Court (ex officio)
The Graduates' Council Assessors on the University Court (ex officio)
The Convener of the Business Committee (ex officio)
Six members of the Council to be elected at the annual meeting of the Council.
President of DUSA or his/her nominee
Such other persons, not exceeding three in number, as may be co-opted from time to time by the Business Committee.

11  (1) The period of office of the elected members of the Business Committee shall be three years at the end of which they shall not be eligible for re-election until the lapse of one year. The retiring Convener, however, shall be eligible for immediate re-election.

     (2) The period of office of members co-opted in terms of Regulation 10 shall be two years. Such co-opted members retiring shall be eligible for further co-option provided that no co-opted members shall serve continuously for more than four years in that capacity.

12  (1) The Business Committee shall at the meeting next before the annual meeting of the Council elect a Convener from its own membership, the period of whose office shall be one year from the date of the annual meeting of the Council. The Convener shall be eligible for re-election provided that no Convener shall serve continuously for more than four years.

     (2) If the member elected Convener would otherwise not be due to retire from the Business Committee at the next annual meeting of the Council, his or her election shall be deemed to create a vacancy, which may be filled by co-option.

     (3) The Business Committee may at any time appoint a Vice-Convener from among its members. The period of office of the Vice-Convener shall be fixed by the Business Committee but shall not exceed the period for which the person appointed would otherwise have served as a member of the Committee.

     (4) In the absence of the Convener and the Vice-Convener, if any, from any meeting a Chairman for the time being shall be elected by the meeting.

13  Two new members of the Committee shall be elected each year. A casual vacancy may be filled by co-option at any meeting of the Business Committee and the person co-opted shall be a member for the unexpired period of office of his or her predecessor.

14  Elections for the Business Committee shall be held at the annual meeting of the Council. The Secretary shall invite nominations for the annual meeting in the papers issued therefor. Nominations may be made by a proposer and seconder in writing accompanied by the candidate's consent in writing and shall reach the Secretary before the hour of the annual meeting. Nominations duly proposed and seconded of persons present may also be made at the meeting. The election shall be by ballot on voting papers provided at the meeting. In the event of a tie the elections shall be decided by the drawing of lots.

15  Five members of the Business Committee shall form a quorum.

16  The Secretary of the Graduates' Council shall be responsible for providing secretarial services to the Business Committee.

17  The Business Committee shall deal with any matters on behalf of the Council and may act on behalf of the Council and report thereon to the Council. The Committee shall frame the programmes of business to be submitted to Council subject to the addition of items received in terms of Regulation 3. The Business Committee shall have the power to establish an Executive Sub-Committee or other Sub- Committees to act on its behalf.

18  The Business Committee shall define the limits of the powers of the Sub-Committee which shall report on the exercise of the powers to the Committee.

19  When a vacancy is due to occur in the office of the Council's Assessor on Court the Secretary shall intimate this in the business paper for the annual meeting immediately preceding the annual meeting at which the election will take place.  Nominations shall be made by the proposer and seconder in writing accompanied by the candidate's consent in writing to the nomination, and shall reach the Secretary by the 31st December preceding the annual meeting at which the election will take place.  An electronic ballot form, containing the names and designations of nominees, proposers and seconders will be available, for two months prior to the annual meeting, by accessing University of Dundee Alumni Online Community, by means of which voting will take place.  For those without internet access, a postal vote will be available, on request.  In this event, online voting will no longer be available as an option.  Voting will close at 12 noon on the last working day preceding the date of the Annual Meeting and ballots will not be accepted after that deadline, nor at the Annual Meeting itself.

20  The Secretary shall act as Returning Officer and a report of votes obtained through electronic voting will be made available to the meeting.  Any additional votes obtained through postal ballot will be counted at the meeting and added to the total of electronic votes.  The person receiving the highest number of votes will be declared elected.  In the event of an equality of votes the Assessor shall be chosen by lot from among those persons receiving the same number of votes.

21  In any year in which no nomination for Council’s Assessor on Court comes forward by the deadline of 31^st December preceding the annual meeting at which the election will take place, following consultation with the Secretary of the University, the Business Committee shall nominate a candidate who shall be appointed, subject to ratification by the University Court.

22  In the event of a casual vacancy for a Graduates' Council Assessor occurring, following consultation with the Secretary of the University, the Business Committee shall nominate a candidate who shall be appointed as Assessor, subject to ratification by the University Court, for the remainder of the term falling vacant.

23  These Regulations may be suspended (except insofar as doing so would result in a breach of data protection or other legislation, regulations or case-law) by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.

Amendments agreed by Court :  17 December 2007 & 18 February 2008