Business Order for the Academic Council at the Faculty of Engineering
This business order has been established within the framework of the standard business order for the collegiate bodies at the University of Southern Denmark, adopted by the board on December 9, 2022. The business order regulates the formal framework for the Academic Council's activities.
Composition and Leadership of the Academic Council
§ 1. The Academic Council at the Faculty of Engineering consists, as of January 1, 2013, of the dean and 12 members, including 5 representatives of the faculty's scientific staff and instructors, as well as three representatives of the students and three representatives of the technical-administrative staff. The program director is elected as an observer. The election of Academic Council members takes place according to the rules established in the election regulations.
Subsection 2. The chairman of the Academic Council is elected from among recognized researchers.
Purpose and Tasks of the Academic Council
§ 2. The purpose of the Academic Council is the involvement of employees and students in significant decisions at the faculty level.
§ 3. The tasks of the Academic Council include awarding Ph.D. and doctoral degrees. Subsection 2. Recommend to the rector the composition of expert committees to assess applicants for scientific positions.
Subsection 3. Express opinions to the rector on:
The internal distribution of funding.
Central strategic research and educational areas and plans for knowledge exchange.
Express opinions on all academic matters of significant importance to the university's activities. The Academic Council has a duty to discuss academic matters presented by the rector.
§ 4. The Academic Council shall discuss and advise the faculty's management on matters relevant to the faculty's development, organization, and finances, including:
The faculty's development work and strategy for research, education, and knowledge exchange.
The faculty's contribution to the university's development contract.
The organization of the faculty.
Quality assurance of the faculty.
Finance and budget.
Employment policy related to education and research.
Physical and social framework for employees and students.
Student environment and well-being.
Management decisions.
Meetings of the Academic Council
§ 5. The Academic Council conducts its activities in meetings, including virtual meetings. Routine matters can be decided by written procedure if all members of the council agree. Meetings are public, but matters can be discussed behind closed doors if deemed necessary or desirable due to their nature or other circumstances.
Subsection 2. Matters containing personal information must be discussed behind closed doors.
Subsection 3. If determined by the Academic Council or its chairman, questions regarding the handling of a matter behind closed doors must be discussed prior to its processing.
Subsection 4. Matters discussed behind closed doors should, as far as possible, be discussed last.
Subsection 5. Anyone has access to observe the public proceedings of the Academic Council while maintaining good order and discipline. If an attendee disrupts the discussions, the chairman may exclude them or, if necessary, all attendees from the meeting.
Subsection 6. Meetings must adhere to the language policy for SDU.
§ 6. The Academic Council must hold meetings at least once per semester. Meeting locations, days, and times are published on the university's website for at least one semester at a time.
Subsection 2. Extraordinary meetings are held when deemed necessary by the chairman. Additionally, the chairman must convene the Academic Council when ¼ of the members request this in writing and provide an agenda. In such cases, the meeting must be held within 14 days of the secretary/chairman receiving the request.
§ 7. If a member is unable to attend a meeting of the Academic Council, this must be communicated to the chairman before the meeting. The minutes of each meeting must specify which members were absent.
Notification of Meetings and Presentation of Matters
§ 8. Notice with an agenda is sent out by the chairman at least five days before the meeting. If special circumstances require it, notice may be given with shorter notice. The agenda must indicate which matters will be addressed at the meeting.
Subsection 2. The agenda is sent to each member of the Academic Council. Additionally, the chairman ensures that relevant material is sent for members' advance review. The open part of the agenda is made available on the university's website.
Subsection 3. The agenda must specify how members and other interested parties can access a virtual meeting, if applicable.
Subsection 4. Individual members of the Academic Council and the rector can request items to be added to the agenda. Agenda items and material for regular meetings must be in the hands of the secretary at least eight days before the meeting.
Conduct of Meetings and Presentation of Matters
§ 9. The chairman, or a member authorized by the chairman in their absence, leads the meetings of the Academic Council. The chairman decides all matters concerning the conduct of discussions and the maintenance of good order during the meeting. Additionally, the chairman formulates proposals for which votes will be taken.
Subsection 2. Members of the Academic Council wishing to speak must address the chairman, who will grant the floor in the order requested. If multiple members request the floor simultaneously, the chairman determines the order.
Subsection 3. During discussions, any proposals must be directed to the chairman. When the chairman deems it necessary, or when requested by at least three members, a vote must be taken on whether a discussion should be concluded.
§ 10. Matters are addressed in the order determined by the chairman, who may deviate from the agenda. However, when at least three members demand it, the Academic Council decides on the order of business.
Subsection 2. Any member of the Academic Council may request the floor at the beginning of the meeting regarding the agenda, including raising questions about transferring matters from closed-door discussions to public discussion and vice versa.
§ 11. Routine matters, which according to § 3 can be decided by written procedure, are sent by the chairman to each of the members with a deadline for feedback. Any member may, by endorsing the matter, demand it be referred to a meeting. In such cases, the chairman ensures it is included on the agenda for the next regular meeting.
Conducting the Meeting
§ 12. At the beginning of each meeting, the chairman confirms whether the Academic Council has been convened with proper notice.
Subsection 2. The Academic Council is quorate when at least half of the members are present.
Subsection 3. Decisions can only be made on matters listed as separate items on the agenda.
Subsection 4. In cases where it is important for the handling of a matter, the chairman may invite outsiders to attend the meeting to provide statements or participate in discussions without voting rights.
§ 13. Voting is conducted at the discretion of the chairman, by show of hands, roll call, or, if deemed desirable, by written ballot distributed by the chairman. If the chairman considers the outcome of a vote predetermined, they may simply state their opinion on the matter's outcome. If no member requests a vote thereafter, the chairman may declare the matter decided in accordance with their stated opinion.
Subsection 2. Decisions are made by a simple majority vote of the members present, unless otherwise specified. In case of a tie, the chairman's vote is decisive.
Subsection 3. Proposals receiving more than half of the votes cast are adopted. If more than two main proposals have been made, the chairman decides whether the vote should be conducted with relative majority, so that the proposal receiving the most votes is adopted, or whether the vote should be conducted in multiple rounds, so that the most comprehensive proposal is voted on first. The latter approach is used if the proposals submitted include main proposals, amendments thereto, and any sub-amendments. The chairman determines the sequence of votes on amendments, ensuring that the vote on them is always concluded before the vote on the main proposal.
Subsection 4. If at least 1/3 of the Academic Council's members request it, the chairman must allow the Academic Council to decide on the questions regarding the voting method and the sequence of votes mentioned in subsection 3.
Committees / Working Groups
§ 14. Prior to the establishment of a committee/working group, the Academic Council, by majority decision, decides on the committee's/working group's terms of reference and size, as well as the invitation to its inaugural meeting.
Subsection 2. Unless otherwise determined by the Academic Council, the committee/working group shall - elect its own chairman and submit a written report.
Subsection 3. The committee/working group is considered dissolved when its terms of reference have been fulfilled.
Members' Participation in Discussions and Voting
§ 15. Members of the university's Academic Council are obliged to attend these meetings.
Subsection 2. If a member of the Academic Council loses eligibility, resigns during the term of office, or is declared ineligible according to the general rules on ineligibility, or if a member is absent due to illness, study trips, or similar, making them unable to attend, the council will call in a substitute. The Academic Council itself decides whether the conditions for the substitute's entry are met.
§ 16. A member of the Academic Council is excluded from participating in discussions and voting on matters in which they have a personal interest, according to the general rules on ineligibility.
Subsection 2. The member must inform the Academic Council of circumstances that may indicate or give rise to suspicion of ineligibility. Notification should, as far as possible, be given to the chairman before the meeting. The Academic Council then decides whether the member in question should vacate the seat, according to § 13, subsection 2. A member is not precluded from voting on their eligibility.
Minutes and Handling of Processed Matters
§ 17. Decisions of the Academic Council are recorded in a decision record. The record must include information about which members were present at the beginning of the meeting and the handling of each item, as well as the result of any vote, indicating the voting of each member.
Subsection 2. Any of the members, as well as those called according to § 10, subsection 4, may request that dissenting views be recorded in the minutes. In cases where matters are to be forwarded to another authority, they may also request that this authority be made aware of the content of the minutes, as they have the opportunity to accompany this with an explanation of their position upon submission of the matter.
Subsection 3. The record is submitted for approval at the Academic Council's next meeting or through a written consultation of the members and then posted as soon as possible in the manner specified in § 8, subsection 2.
§ 18. The handling of matters processed by the Academic Council is the responsibility of the chairman. All inquiries to authorities outside the institution are forwarded by the rector.
Questions regarding the interpretation of the business order
§ 19. The chairman interprets the provisions of the business order, and every member is obliged to comply with the chairman's decision regarding the interpretation of the provisions of the business order. If three members disagree with the chairman's decision, the decision must be put to a vote. Questions regarding the interpretation of the standard business order, however, must be submitted to the rector.
Subsection 2. The chairman may have the Academic Council decide on questions that, according to the business order, should be decided by the chairman.
Processed at the Academic Council meeting on May 16, 2023
Approved on behalf of the rector, The Rectorate Secretariat on December 21, 2023
Rules of Procedure
