Nominations to Chair the Academic Freedom Review Committee
Call for Nominations
Nominations are invited for one academic staff member (employed under Teaching & Research, Research-focused or Teaching-focused terms and conditions or Clinical terms and conditions) to serve as Chair of the Academic Freedom Review Committee for a three year term from January 2025
Further details about the Academic Freedom Review Committee can be found below.
Nominations Process
- Nominations should be submitted to by 17:00 on Monday 23 December 2024. Individuals may either self-nominate or nominate someone else (with confirmation that the nominee consents to being nominated). Each nomination must include a statement of up to 500 words, tailored to the role of Chair of the AFRC, demonstrating how the nominee meets the criteria outlined below.
- Upon receipt, nominations will be reviewed by a designated sub-group of the Senate (comprised of the Provost, Registrar and outgoing Chair of AFRC) to ensure that each nominee meets the specified criteria.
- If there is only one suitable nominee, that individual will be recommended to the Senate for appointment. If there are multiple suitable nominees, an election will be conducted among Senate members through an electronic ballot. Note: The Senate retains the final authority to confirm the appointment of the Chair.
Please direct any queries about the nominations process to .
What is the Academic Freedom Review Committee?
The University is committed to ensuring an environment that secures Academic Freedom for its staff, in accordance with the Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom Policy.
As part of our commitment to Academic Freedom in relation to staff employment (as outlined in Statute 11), the Academic Freedom Review Committee was established as a standing committee of the Senate. Its role is to consider matters of Academic Freedom related to potential redundancy and disciplinary cases involving academic staff members.
The Committee consists of all elected academic members of the Senate and is convened on an ad-hoc basis when an academic staff member requests a referral through the Chair of the Senate. Further information on the Committee's procedures and operations can be found in Ordinance 11.
What is the role of the Chair?
The Chair is responsible for leading all meetings of the Academic Freedom Review Committee as they are convened. They are accountable for the integrity of the Committee's processes and the quality of its decision-making, having final discretion over these matters.
At the end of the each academic year, the Chair submits an anonymised report to the Senate and Council summarising the cases reviewed by the Committee.
Work is currently underway to establish mechanisms for sharing knowledge about Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech across the institution. The Chair is expected to play a key leadership role in driving these transformational initiatives and will serve as a champion of Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech. As the remit of the Chair broadens it is anticipated that the demands on their time and leadership will evolve accordingly.
The Chair of the Academic Freedom Review Committee serves as an ex-officio member of both the Senate and Policy Oversight Group and is typically appointed to the Council as a representative of the Senate. The dates of the remaining committee meetings in 2024/25 are provided here, and those interested in the role should ensure that they are available to attend these meetings.
What criteria is expected of the Chair?
The Chair of the Academic Freedom Review Committee is expected to meet the criteria outlined below. Please note that these criteria will be used to evaluate nominees during the nominations process.
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| Experience, Skills and Abilities |
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