AARHUS UNIVERSITY                    

Standard Rules of Procedure for Boards of Studies

Standard Rules of Procedure of 1 June 2014 for Boards of Studies

File number: 60354

R U L E S  O F  P R O C E D U R E

for

Boards of Studies

Prepared within the framework of the Standard Rules of Procedure for Boards of Studies as laid down by the rector, see Article 32(5) of the Aarhus University By-laws.

Membership, constitution of the board etc.

1.                  The board of studies consists of ….(a maximum of 18).... members, with an equal representation of academic staff and students. The number of members is determined by the dean, taking into account the academic breadth covered by the board of studies.

(2)               Boards of studies may be established which cover one or more degree programmes, and boards of studies may also be established at different levels. If boards of studies are established at different levels, the dean determines the distribution of tasks among them.

(3)               The board of studies may invite non-members to participate, to a specified extent, as observers in board of studies meetings. Observers have a right to speak, but have no voting rights.

2.                  The academic staff on the board of studies are elected for a period of three years. The students on the board of studies are elected for a period of one year.

(2)               The board of studies must hold its first meeting no later than one week before newly elected student members join the board. The resigning chairman convenes the meeting. At the meeting, the resigning chairman briefs the board of studies on the board's work, and the board of studies schedules its future meetings.

(3)               At the first meeting of the board of studies, the board of studies elects a chairman from among the full-time academic staff elected to the board.

(4)               At its first meeting, the board of studies furthermore elects a deputy chairman from among its student members. The deputy chairman participates in the organisation of the work of the board of studies.

(5)               The election of the chairman is headed by the resigning chairman. As soon as the election of a chairman has taken place, the new chairman becomes chairman of the meeting, and a deputy chairman and alternate, if any, are elected according to the rules set out in Subarticle (3). No one may be elected chairman, deputy chairman or alternate against their will.

(6)               At the first meeting of the board of studies in years when both academic staff and student members are newly elected, the board of studies recommends a director of studies to the dean. The director of studies is appointed by the dean for a period of three years. The board of studies may recommend to the dean, however, that a director of studies be removed during his term of office.

(7)               The dean must approve the chairman and deputy chairman elected.

Tasks

3.                  The board of studies is responsible for ensuring the organisation, performance and development of degree programmes and teaching activities, including:

1)      quality assurance and development of degree programmes and teaching activities and follow-up on evaluations of degree programmes and teaching activities;

2)      preparation of draft academic regulations and amendments thereto;

3)      approval of the organisation of teaching, tests and other forms of assessment which form part of examinations;

4)      processing applications for credit transfers, including credits transferred in advance, as well as for exemptions; and

5)      issuing statements on all matters of importance to degree programmes and teaching activities within its scope and discussing issues related to degree programmes and teaching activities presented to it by the rector.

(2)       In cooperation with the board of studies, the director of studies is responsible for the practical organisation of teaching, tests and other forms assessment which form part of examinations.

Delegation

4.                  The board of studies may delegate tasks and the authority to make decisions to committees having the same proportionate composition as the board of studies. The committee's members must also be members of the board of studies.

(2)       Decisions of major importance and decisions on establishment/change of practice may not be delegated. In addition, decisions may not be delegated to such an extent that the board of studies in reality becomes superfluous.

5.                  The board of studies may delegate the authority to make decisions to the chairman in urgent cases where it is impossible to convene the board of studies. The chairman may reject requests to reconsider cases if no new relevant information is presented, and may, in accordance with a practice established by the board of studies, approve applications for credit transfers and exemptions.

6.                  The board of studies may delegate decision-making competence in connection with the consideration of routine cases for which a standard practice exits.

7.                  The board of studies may also appoint advisory committees; however, such committees cannot be assigned any authority to make decisions.

Ordinary and extraordinary meetings, written consideration

8.                  The board performs its activities at meetings, see, however, Article 8. Ordinary meetings are held at the university ............; however, not in the period 1 July - 15 August.

(2)               The chairman distributes an agenda or a notice cancelling the meeting to the members no later than four working days prior to each ordinary meeting. The deputy chairman participates in the organisation of the work of the board of studies, including in the preparation of proposals for the agenda. The agenda or the cancellation must also be published on the university's website or in another suitable manner. A supplementary agenda with additional cases may be distributed no later than two days before the meeting.

(3)               If, no later than one week prior to an ordinary meeting, a member requests that a case be considered, the chairman must include the case as an item on the agenda for the meeting in question.

(4)               The chairman must ensure that the information required to assess cases is presented to the members. If such information has not been sent to the members along with the agenda for an ordinary meeting, it must be stated when submitting the agenda when such material can be expected to be distributed or handed out.

9.                  Extraordinary meetings must be held as and when deemed necessary by the chairman. Extraordinary meetings must furthermore be held if so requested by one-third of the members of the board of studies. The meeting must be held no later than one week after such request being made.

(1)               Extraordinary meetings must be convened subject to a notice of no less than 24 hours. The notice must specify the items on the agenda and must contain the information required to assess the cases.

10.              If all members agree thereon, routine cases may be decided through written consideration without holding a meeting. A proposal for a decision along with the information required to assess the case must be distributed and must form the basis for the consideration. The members must indicate whether they can accept the procedure for the consideration and, in the affirmative, whether they can approve the decision proposed for the case. Where a member is unable to accept that the case is determined through written consideration, the case must be included on the agenda for the next meeting of the board of studies.

Public access to meetings

11.              The meetings of the board of studies are public. The board of studies may decide, however, that meetings must be held behind closed doors during the consideration of individual items on the agenda if deemed necessary due to the nature of the case or otherwise required by the circumstances.

(2)               Where the board of studies finds that its deliberations are being disrupted, the board may exclude one or more members of the audience from the meeting in question. If necessary, the rest of the meeting may be held behind closed doors.

(3)               Meetings must be held behind closed doors when considering cases involving information that must be kept confidential to safeguard public and private interests. This means that the following cases, among others, must be considered behind closed doors:

1)    Exemption cases to the extent that such cases concern persons mentioned by name.

2)    Cases presented to the board for an opinion or for information which concern the personal or financial circumstances of individuals.

(4)               Any uncertainty as to whether a case warrants consideration behind closed doors must be settled behind closed doors in advance as decided by the chairman or a majority of the members.

(5)               The board of studies may grant permission for observers to be present during the consideration of cases conducted behind closed doors.

(6)               Members and observers must observe confidentiality in cases considered behind closed doors in accordance with Subarticle (3).

12.              To the extent that the board of studies has delegated the authority to make decisions to committees in accordance with Article 4, the provisions set out in Article 11 also apply to such committees.

Quorum, the chair and consideration of cases

13.              The board of studies forms a quorum when at least half of its tenured members are present.

(2)               The chairman presides over the meetings of the board of studies. The chairman of the meeting decides in all matters relating to the conducting of the meetings.

(3)               Cases are considered at meetings in the order in which they are listed on the agenda.

(4)               The board of studies may decide to include new items on the agenda, and it may decide to deviate from the original order set out in the agenda and consider cases in another order.

(5)               Decisions in cases which were not included as individual items on the agenda distributed prior to an ordinary meeting may be made only when none of the members present at the meeting object to this.

(6)               Decisions in cases which were not included as individual items on the agenda distributed prior to an extraordinary meeting may be made only when all the members are present and none of the members object to this.

14.              The board of studies' decisions are carried by a simple majority of votes.

Compulsory attendance, competence to act and calling in substitutes

15.              The members must attend the board's meetings.

(2)               Members who are unable to attend a meeting must notify the chairman thereof before the meeting. The resolution minutes for each meeting must state which members were absent.

(3)               Members may only vote at meetings of the board of studies if they are personally present at such meetings, see, however, Article 9.

16.              A member must notify the chairman of any circumstances which may give rise to doubts about the member's competence to act. Such notification must as far as possible be given before the meeting.

(2)               In cases of doubt, the board of studies determines whether the member may participate in the consideration of the case in question. Where the member cannot participate in the consideration of the case and a substitute has been elected for the member, the chairman calls in the substitute to participate in the consideration.

17.              Where a member is absent due to illness, a study trip etc. for a period of more than two months and therefore unable to participate in the work of the board of studies, the chairman calls in the substitute to take the member's place on the board during the period of absence. The chairman decides whether the conditions for calling in the substitute are satisfied. Decisions concerning the calling in of substitutes must be announced to the Elections Secretariat.

(2)               Where a member is no longer eligible, such member must resign from the board of studies. In case of leave, the member resigns during the leave period only.

18.              In the event of vacancies on the board of studies and where a sufficient number of substitutes have not been elected or appointed to ensure that the board of studies is made up of the required number of members, the board submits a recommendation to the rector (through the Elections Secretariat) indicating whether the vacant seat(s) should be filled through supplementary elections or whether the seat(s) should remain vacant until the next ordinary elections.

Resolution minutes and execution of the board of studies' decisions

19.              The board of studies' decisions are recorded in resolution minutes, which must be distributed no later than 14 days after the meeting, if possible. The minutes must be sent to the board for approval or must be submitted for approval at the next meeting. All members are entitled to have a minority viewpoint recorded in the minutes.

(2)               The chairman must execute the board of studies' decisions.

(3)               Approved minutes of meetings of the board of studies must be published on the university's website to the extent that such decisions are not subject to confidentiality. The minutes must be sent to the dean, the head of department and the director of studies.

(4)               The chairman of the board of studies is responsible for ensuring that the board of studies actively communicates information about its work.

20.              Any questions concerning the interpretation of the Rules of Procedure are settled by the board of studies.

(2)               Any questions concerning the interpretation of the Standard Rules of Procedure or concerning the compliance of the Rules of Procedure with the Standard Rules of Procedure, however, must be submitted to the rector.

Amendments to the Rules of Procedure and the Standard Rules of Procedure

21.              These Rules of Procedure enter into force on 1 June 2014. Any decisions to amend the Rules of Procedure may be carried by a simple majority of votes in the board of studies where such proposed amendment has been submitted no later than fourteen days prior to the meeting at which it is to be considered.

(2)               Any amendments adopted to the Standard Rules of Procedure for Boards of Studies, as laid down by the rector, also amend these Rules of Procedure.

(3)               In exceptional cases and within the framework of the Aarhus University By-laws, the rector may grant an exemption from the provisions of these Rules of Procedure.

Aarhus University, 1 June 2014

Brian Bech Nielsen

Rector