Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act No. 101 of 1997)NoticesStandard Institutional Statute16. Council meeting procedures |
| (1) | The council members must participate in the deliberations of the council in the best interest of the institution. |
| (2) | Except where otherwise provided in this Statute, all acts or matters authorised or required to be done or decided by the council or its committees and all questions that may come before it are done or decided by the majority of the members present at any meeting, provided that the number present at any meeting is at least one half plus one of the total number of members of the council or its committees holding office on the date of such meeting. |
| (3) | In the absence of the chairperson and the vice-chairperson of the council, the members present elect one of their members to preside at such meeting. |
| (4) | The first act of an ordinary meeting, after being constituted, is to read and confirm by the signature of the chairperson the minutes of the last preceding ordinary meeting and of any special meeting subsequently held, provided that the meeting may consider the minutes as read if a copy thereof was previously sent to every member of the council, provided further that objections to the minutes of a meeting are raised and decided before confirmation of the minutes. |
| (5) | A member of the council may not, without the consent of the meeting, speak more than once to a motion or to any amendment and the mover of any motion or any amendment has the right of reply. |
| (6) | Every motion or an amendment must be seconded and, if so directed by the chairperson, must be in writing. |
| (7) | A motion or an amendment seconded as contemplated in subparagraph (6), may not be withdrawn except with the consent of the meeting. |
| (8) | The chairperson has, on any matter, a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equality of votes, also a casting vote. |
| (9) | If so decided by the meeting, the number of members voting for or against any motion must be recorded in the minutes, and at the request of any member the chairperson must direct that the vote of such member be likewise recorded. |
| (10) | When a majority of the members of the council reaches agreement on a matter referred to them by letter or electronic means by the chairperson, without convening a meeting, and conveys such resolution by letter or electronic means, such resolution is equivalent to a resolution of the council and must be recorded in the minutes of the next succeeding ordinary meeting. |
| (11) | The views of a member of the council who is unable to attend a meeting may be submitted to the meeting in writing but may not count as a vote of such member. |
| (12) | The ruling of the chairperson on a point of order or procedure is binding unless immediately challenged by a member, in which event such ruling must be submitted without discussion to the meeting whose decision is final. |