Regulation III

1. ORDINARY MEETINGS

There shall be three Ordinary Meetings of Senate during the academic year. Provision shall be made for additional meetings if required. At such additional meetings business shall be confined to the subjects for which the meeting was called. Deferment of consideration of any substantive item on the agenda to a subsequent Ordinary or to an Extraordinary Meeting or to a Special Meeting may be effected only by resolution of Senate.

2. EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS

The Secretary of Senate shall convene an Extraordinary Meeting of Senate either by resolution of Senate or at the request of the Vice-Chancellor, or on receipt of a written request by any five members of Senate. In the latter case the Meetings shall be held within seven days of the Secretary receiving the request. At Extraordinary Meetings consideration will be restricted to the subjects for which the Meeting was called.

3. SPECIAL MEETINGS

All matters of detail concerning academic assessment and personal matters relating to members of staff of the University or to students shall be considered only at Special Meetings. The business of a Special Meeting shall be restricted to those matters, and shall be convened as follows:

The Secretary of Senate shall convene a Special Meeting whenever there is business for a Special Meeting and any such Special Meeting shall be held on the same day as an Ordinary Meeting of Senate immediately following the conclusion of the business of the Ordinary Meeting. Deferment of consideration of any substantive item on the agenda to a subsequent Special or to an Extraordinary Meeting or to an Ordinary Meeting may be effected only by resolution of Senate.

4. CHAIR

The Chair at all Meetings of Senate shall be the Vice-Chancellor, or in their absence the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, or in the absence of both, a Member of Senate appointed as Chair for that Meeting by the Members of Senate then present.

5. AGENDA FOR ORDINARY MEETINGS

5.1 The preparation and circulation of the agenda for Ordinary Meetings shall be the responsibility of the Secretary acting in consultation with the Vice-Chancellor. Copies of the agenda and all supporting papers shall normally be circulated to the Members of Senate at least five days before the Meeting.
5.2 The order of business on the agenda shall be:

1. Notice of intention to speak to starred items.
2. Minutes of the previous Ordinary Meeting, Minutes of a previous Extraordinary Meeting, if any, and the Minutes of the previous Special Meeting if such Minutes will not be confirmed and signed at a Special Meeting on the same day.
3. Matters arising from the Minutes which do not appear elsewhere on the agenda.
4. Items, if any, deferred from previous Meetings.
5. Substantive items including matters from Senate committees,  to be accompanied by draft resolutions.
6. Matters for report by the Vice-Chancellor.
7. Items for information.
8. Any other business.

5.3 A substantive motion shall appear on the agenda provided notice of the motion has been lodged with the Secretary in writing by a Member of Senate at least ten days before the date of the Meeting at which the motion is to be proposed. Notice of the motion shall be accompanied by the names of the proposer and seconder and a supporting explanation where appropriate.
5.4 Any member of the General Assembly may submit a substantive item for the agenda presenting it in writing to the Secretary at least ten days before the date of the Meeting. It must take the form of a clear recommendation to the Senate and be accompanied by a supporting explanation. Such items may be included on the agenda at the discretion of the Secretary, acting in consultation with the Vice-Chancellor.
5.5 Information items will include papers tabled at the Meeting and unless the Meeting resolves to the contrary these items will not be debated at the same Meeting.
5.6 A starred item is an item which is intended to be non-controversial. It should not be debated unless a Member of Senate has given notice at the appropriate time that they wish to speak to it. Such notice having been given, the Rules of Debate shall apply to discussion of that item.

6. AGENDA FOR EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS

The agenda for Extraordinary Meetings shall consist solely of the substantive items for which the Meeting is convened. Copies of the agenda with supporting papers shall be circulated to members at least three clear days before the Meeting.

7. AGENDA FOR SPECIAL MEETINGS

The order of business on the agenda shall be:

1. Notice of intention to speak to starred items.
2. Minutes of the previous Special Meeting except as provided in 5(2) (b) above.
3. Matters arising from the Minutes which do not appear elsewhere on the agenda.
4. Substantive items.
5. Items for information.

8. QUORUM

Ordinance XI provides that there shall be a quorum at an Ordinary Meeting or Special Meeting or Extraordinary Meeting of Senate when at least one half of the total members of the Senate are present. If a meeting is adjourned because of the absence of a quorum the Secretary shall summon the adjourned Meeting within fourteen days of the date of the original Meeting and shall give to members at least three clear days' notice of the Meeting.

9. RULES OF DEBATE

9.1 Unless the Meeting shall decide otherwise, the Order of Business will be that shown on the agenda.
9.2 Every member desiring to speak shall signify their wish to the Chair who will determine the order in which members may speak.
9.3 A member who has signified their intention to speak to a starred item of agenda shall be heard first in discussion of that item. The ordinary Rules of Debate shall apply to all discussion on starred items which have thus been open to debate.
9.4 A motion or amendment shall not be discussed unless it has been proposed and seconded.
9.5 The proposer of a motion shall have a right to reply at the close of the debate upon such a motion, immediately before it is put to the vote. If an amendment is proposed they shall be entitled to reply at the close of the debate upon the amendment. A member exercising a right of reply shall not introduce a new matter.
9.6 A member when seconding a motion or amendment may, if they then declare their intention to do so, reserve their speech until a later period of the debate.
9.7 If an amendment be rejected, other amendments may be moved on the original motion. If an amendment be carried, the motion as amended shall take the place of the original motion and shall become the motion upon which any further amendment may be moved.
9.8 A further amendment shall not be moved until the Senate shall have disposed of every amendment previously moved.
9.9 A member shall not speak more than once on any motion except to move a further amendment, or in exercise of the right of reply given under 9 (5), or on a point of order, or by way of a personal explanation, or to move "That the question be now put"
9.10 A member may at the conclusion of a speech of another member move without comment "That the question be now put", or "That the Senate proceed to the next business". If such a motion is seconded it shall be put forthwith without amendment or debate but shall not be deemed to have been carried unless two-thirds of the members present vote for it. If such a motion is successful, the debate shall be brought to a conclusion subject to the right of reply given under 9 (5).
9.11 A member may ask to speak to a point of order or in personal explanation but a personal explanation shall be confined to some material part of a former speech by him/her at the same Meeting which may have been misunderstood. A member so requesting shall be entitled to be heard forthwith.
9.12 The ruling of the Chair on a point of order or on the admissibility of a personal explanation shall not be open to discussion.
9.13 A motion or amendment may be altered or withdrawn by the proposer with the concurrence of the seconder and the consent of the Senate, which shall be signified without discussion.

10. VOTING

Decisions of the Senate shall be reached by general agreement of its members as determined by the Chair, unless a show of hands is requested by any member. In the latter case the vote shall rest upon a simple majority of those present, except as required under 9 (10) above and 11 below. In the event of a tie, the Chair shall have an additional casting vote. The vote shall be recorded if, immediately following it, any member requests that this be done.

11. RESCISSION OF DECISIONS OF THE SENATE

Decisions of the Senate shall normally remain in force for twelve months and may thereafter be rescinded or otherwise amended by the vote of a simple majority of members present but a decision of the Senate may be rescinded at any time if the motion of rescission is circulated with the agenda, and if two-thirds of the members present vote in favour of rescission.

12. INVITATION TO ATTEND A MEETING

The Senate may invite whomsoever it wishes to attend any Ordinary and Extraordinary Meeting and to speak, but not to vote.