The remit and terms of reference for the Business Committee are approved by the Council on the recommendation of the Committee.
Business Committee - Terms of Reference
1. The
Business Committee is a standing committee of the Council. Subject to advance
circulation of the agenda papers to all members of the Council, the Council
delegates to the Business Committee under Statute A IV 7 (b), the following
powers:
(a) approval
of Graces for submission to the Regent House;
(b) approval
of Reports of other University bodies for publication and Discussion;
(c) approval
of circulation to Council members of straightforward draft Council Reports
received from Council committees (e.g. for construction of University
buildings) for signature by email and subsequent publication;
(d) final
editing of draft Reports of the Council, which have been considered by the
Council at a full meeting, and approval of circulation for signature by email and subsequent publication;
(e) approval
of Notices in reply to remarks made at Discussions;
(f) approval
for publication of straightforward administrative Notices which require the
approval of the Council;
(g) approval for the use of bond proceeds under Special Ordinance A (ix) 3 where individual requests are for up to and including £2m;
(h) approval of requests to resign membership of the University and renounce degrees.
The Committee shall also receive Graces and amendments initiated by members of the Regent House and make a recommendation to the Council about whether to authorise their submission or refer them to the Finance Committee under Special Ordinance A (ii) 7.
The Council expects the Committee normally to
deal with most such business, but this delegation does not prevent the full
Council from itself exercising any of the above powers. Any member of the
Council may request that a matter should be referred to the full Council.
2. The
Committee shall consist of:
(a) no fewer
than four and no more than five persons appointed by the Council chosen from
among the members of the council in classes (a), (b) and (c);
(b) one
student member of the Council (member of the Council in class (d)) for
unreserved business;
The Advisory
Committee on Committee Membership and External Nominations will, when agreeing
the membership of the Business Committee, identify one of the members as its
Chair. The Business Committee may, from time
to time, invite other persons to attend for particular items of business.
3. The
Secretary of the Committee shall be the Senior Assistant Registrary (University
Draftsman). The Director of Governance and Compliance, as Assistant Secretary to the Council, shall have a right to attend all meetings.
4. The Committee shall meet weekly
on Thursdays if there is business to be considered. The agenda and papers shall normally be
circulated to all members of the Council by the Monday prior
to the meeting and also made available on the Council website. If there is no
business for consideration, confirmation that a meeting will not take place
shall be circulated to all members by the same date.
5. A meeting shall be quorate if three members are present. Where a meeting is inquorate, those present may make recommendations concerning the business, for approval by the members by circulation.
6. The Secretary of the Business Committee may propose that items which seem so straightforward as
not to require consideration at a meeting of the Committee may be submitted for approval by circulation to the Council. The circulation wil follow same timetable as applies to business considered by the Business Committee at a meeting. Examples include
uncontroversial Graces, including Graces for the B II 2 M.A. and degrees by
incorporation; Graces for the approval of recommendations in Reports where no
comments were made in Discussion. Any
member of the Committee or the Council may request that such items be considered at a
meeting.
7. Members of the Committee are
requested to declare any items of business in which they have a personal or prejudicial interest.
8. Any member of the Council who
wishes to comment on business before the Committee or to request that a matter
should be referred to the full Council, shall email the Secretary of
the Committee and the Head of the Governance and Compliance Division before the Committee
meeting.
9. In addition to the powers
delegated to the Committee under 1 above the Committee shall also:
(a) where appropriate, advise on draft joint Reports of the
Council and the General Board;
(b) advise the Council on any other
matters about which it considers the Council ought to be informed;
(c) ensure that the drafting of materials for
submission to the Regent House is clear, accurate and presents a complete
picture;
(d) refer back to the initiating body material
which does not meet the criteria in (c);
(e) consider any relevant
business referred to it by the Council;
(f) where the Chair of the Committee agrees that it is appropriate, consider business referred to it by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary to the Council, including but not limited to those items for initial review prior to submission to the Council.
10. The Committee shall report to the Council,
either through the minutes of its meetings or by such other means as the
Council shall determine.
Approved by the Council on 14 August 2023.