Section 20, The Universities Act, 2021

(1) A Vice-Chancellor and Principal shall by virtue of hisoffice, be a member of every Committee appointed by the Court or Senate, unless otherwise explicitly provided. (2) A Vice-Chancellor and Principal may, unless otherwise precluded by the Act, assign or delegate any of his duties to a Committee or to a member of the University staff and may withdraw any such assignment or delegation at any time. Vice- Chancellor to be member of Court and Senate Committees. (a) the person concerned shall be given the amount of notice specified in his contract and he shall also be entitled to all arrears of emoluments, the University's contribution to any pension scheme other than the social security scheme and all leave entitlement which will have accrued to him at the date on which he ceases to be employed by the University; and (b) in the case of dismissal, which may be summary, no notice shall be given and the person concerned ceases to be employed by the University from the date of the dismissal. (3) A person shall not be suspended or removed by the Court, during the period of the contract, unless he has been given a reasonable opportunity to defend himself. (4) A reasonable opportunity to defend oneself means that the laws of natural justice and equity shall be observed and the person concerned shall be entitled to be legally represented, to call witnesses in his own defence and to cross-examine any adverse witness and to adduce such evidence as he deems necessary for his defence; and if the decision of the Court is to suspend or remove him, he may appeal to the Chancellor who, after examining the evidence, may request the Court to constitute a new panel to review the case. (5) Where the Court takes proceedings against any senior member of staff in terms of this paragraph, the Court and the senior member of staff concerned may require members of staff to give evidence or produce documents and may conduct such inquiries as they may severally deem necessary. (6) Subject to the terms of his contract, a person who is a senior member of staff of the University or holder of another post specified by the Court for the purposes of subparagraph (l), shall not be removed from office in the University, except on good cause shown. (k) appoint committees comprising members and non-members of the Senate and delegate powers and business to determine the membership and quorum of such committees; (l) appointing members of the Senate as its representatives on joint committees of the Court and Senate and delegate to such joint committee any power or function of the Senate; (m) establish a Staff-Student Committee comprising members of the Senate and representatives of the student body; (n) delegate powers and business to other or all of the faculties including reviewing, amending, referring back, controlling or disallowing any act of any Faculty Board and to give directions to any such Board; (m) to do such other acts and things as the Court may authorise. 19. (1) A Senate shall have power to - (a) determine the minimum matriculation requirements for admission to the University of students pursuing degree courses and to approve the proposals of the Campuses with regard to the entry requirements of other students; (b) present to the Chancellor candidates for degrees, diplomas, certificates and other academic awards of the University; Powers of Senate. (7) A senior member of staff or holder of any post specified in these Statutes, shall be required to retire from the thirtieth day of September following the date on which he attains the age of 65 years, unless the Court decides otherwise. 16. A University shall have a Senate which shall be the highest authority of the University on all academic matters, and shall consist of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal who shall be the Chairman and the following members, at least four of whom shall be women - (a) Pro Vice-Chancellor; (b) Deputy Vice-Chancellors; (c) Directors of institutes and schools established by the University; (d) Deans of faculties; (e) Heads of departments; (f) all members of professorial status in the (g) all Librarians of the Campuses; (h) one academic staff member selected by each Faculty of the University. (3) Elected members of the Senate shall hold office for a period of 2 years and shall be eligible for re-election, but no elected member shall hold office for more than 3 consecutive periods. 17. (1) The Senate shall meet at least once a term or semester, and at any other time, at the request of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, or of one-fourth of its members. Senate. Meetings of Senate. (iii) instituting new degrees, diplomas, certificates and other academic awards, prescribing the regulations thereof and for adding to or otherwise amending regulations for existing degrees, diplomas, certificates and other academic awards; (iv) establishing new courses of study, and regulating and altering existing courses of study, the manner of teaching, the length of the academic session or sessions and the manner of conducting examinations; (v) regulating the appointment and number of external examiners; (vi) regulating and altering the constitution and location of faculties, institutes and schools of the University and for discontinuing existing and creating new faculties, institutes and schools of the University; subject to the Tertiary Education Commission Act, 2001 (Act No. 8 of 2001); (vii) reporting its decisions or recommendations to the Court on academic matters, or any other matter referred to it by the Court and on any matter whatsoever relating to the University; (viii) the academic dresses to be worn by officers and members of the University and the occasions on which they shall be worn; (e) promote research in the University and to require from time to time reports on such research; (f) be generally responsible for the administration of the College or campus libraries; (g) promote and administer the extension or extramural work of the University; (h) make Rules - (i) to regulate and superintend the discipline of students; (ii) to refuse, assigning reasons, to admit a person as a student of the University; (iii) for the supervision of organizations of students; (iv) to receive reports of faculties and academic matters, including physical facilities and student members; (i) receive reports on the annual accounts of the faculties; (j) make recommendations to the Court for - (i) the funding of new and abolition of existing professorships; (ii) the establishment, suspension or abolition of an academic or other posts in the University other than a post created by the Act and these Statutes; (2) Minutes shall be kept of all resolutions passed and of all business done at each meeting of the Senate. (3) One-third of the membership of the Senate shall form a quorum. (4) The Vice-Chancellor and Principal or, in his absence, the Pro Vice-Chancellor shall preside at meetings of the Senate. (5) Where at the meeting of the Senate, the Vice- Chancellor and Principal and Pro Vice-Chancellor are absent, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor shall preside. (6) Where at the meeting of the Senate the Vice- Chancellor and Principal, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice- Chancellor are absent, the members shall appoint a Chairman from among themselves, not below the rank of associate professor. 18. A Senate shall, subject to this Act - (a) regulate and superintend instruction and teaching within the University and the examinations pertaining thereto; (b) regulate the admission of persons to the University and to courses of study in the University, through Centralised Admission System; (c) regulate and control the conditions qualifying students for matriculation and for admission to the various degrees and other a w a r d s offered by the University; (d) authorise the granting of degrees (except honorary degrees), diplomas, certificates and other academic awards offered by the University to persons who satisfy the prescribed conditions for awards; Functions of Senate.