Council Appointments Procedures

These procedures apply to Council members and those eligible for appointment or election to Council.

This document provides further explanation and detailed mandatory procedures for implementing the Council Appointments Statute 2022.  

Appointments on members by expressions of interest

1. Prior to calling for expressions of interest, the Council is to identify the relevant skills and experiences it is seeking from members to be so appointed, which are to be collated in a statement of skills and experiences sought relevant to the position.

2. The  Pro Vice-Chancellor (Māori) is to maintain a list, which is to be submitted to the Council for approval before expressions of interest are invited, of iwi and other Māori individuals or groups who may have an interest in the appointment (under section 3(b) of the constitution) of one person, being Māori and able to advise Council on issues relevant to Māori.

3. Following approval of the list, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Māori) is to distribute to the interested parties the notice provided by the Returning Officer inviting expressions of interest.

4. Expressions of interest are to be invited as follows:

• on the University website Home page for a period of one month
• in the four national daily newspapers, on two separate occasions during the month
• for the alumnus vacancy, by email to those alumni currently listed on the Alumni Database.

5.   Interested parties identified are to be notified of:

• the vacancy; and
• the skills and experiences sought (through the Statement of Skills and Experiences Sought Relevant to the Position); and
• the closing date for expressions of interest, which will be no less than four weeks after the date of the notification.

6.   The notification is to be in the format attached (Call for Expressions of Interest for an Appointment to Council).

7.   Expressions of interest of no more than 1,000 words must be submitted on the form attached (Expression of Interest for an Appointment to Council) and are to be received by the University
Committee Executive.

8. The Vice-Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor’s Review and Executive Remuneration Committee (VCRERC) will consider the expressions of interest and shortlist the candidates.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Māori) is to be a member of the VCRERC when the appointment of the Māori member of Council is being considered.

9. The Vice-Chancellor together with the VCRERC may interview candidates should it wish to do so.

10. Council is to be provided with the names of the long list of candidates and copies of the Expressions of Interest of the short-listed candidates, which should accompany the Report of the short-listing sub-committee.

11. The Vice-Chancellor’s Review and Executive Remuneration Committee (VCRERC) will provide advice to Council regarding the Council skills matrix. In the case of sitting Māori, Alumni and skills-based members, the VCRERC will also advise Council on the merit of running a full expression of interest appointment process at the end of the member’s term (noting the requirements of the Constitution) or not. If Council decides not to seek expressions of interest, Council may vote to reappoint the sitting Council member.  

Election of staff representatives

12. Before notices of candidacy are called for, the Council is to identify the skills and experiences it is seeking from members to be appointed by election, which are to be collated in a Statement of Skills and Experiences Sought Relevant to the Position.

13. Notice of the election is to be given as follows:

• in an all-staff communication from the Vice-Chancellor, and
• on the University intranet Home page, for a period of three weeks from the date of the Vice-Chancellor’s initial notification.

14. The notice of election will inform staff of:

• the vacancy, and the skills and experiences sought (through the Statement of Skills and Experiences Sought Relevant to the Position); and
• the closing date for Notices of Candidacy, which will be three weeks from the date of the Vice-Chancellor’s initial notification.

Election of a student representative

15. This election will be run through an appropriate electronic voting system. 

16. Notice of the election is to be given by email to all enrolled students.

17. The notice of election will inform students of:

• the vacancy; and
• the opening and closing date of the nomination period.    

Results

18. The results of the election(s) will be publicised on the University intranet after Council has been advised.

The following definitions apply to this document:

Council refers to the Council, the governing body of the University of Auckland.

Student means an enrolled student of the University of Auckland.

University means Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland and includes all subsidiaries.

Include the following:

• Education and Training Act 2020
• Council Appointments Statute 2022   

Owner: Vice Chancellor
Content manager: Registrar
Approved by: Council
Date approved: 12 December 2022
Review date: 12 December 2027