University Court Constitution

The Constitution of the Court of Edinburgh Napier University  is set out by The Napier University (Scotland) Amendment Order of Council 2007, as follows:

The Court

(1) The Court shall be the governing body of the University, and shall administer it
for the objects of providing education, carrying out research, and promoting teaching, research and general scholarship.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the Court shall consist of -

(a) one person to be appointed by the Chancellor who shall act as Assessor to the Chancellor;

(b) the Principal and Vice-Chancellor referred to in article 5;

(c) any Vice-Principal referred to in article 9, subject to the following:-

i) no more than three Vice-Principals may serve on the Court; and

ii) where there are more than three Vice-Principals of the University at any time, the Principal and Vice-Chancellor shall appoint the three Vice-Principals to serve on the Court;

(d) three members of the staff of the University to be appointed or elected as follows-

i) one who shall be appointed by the Academic Board from the members of the academic staff of the University who are members of the Academic Board, and who shall be below the level of Head of Department;

ii) one who shall be elected by and from among the academic staff of the University eligible to participate in elections; and
iii) one who shall be elected by and from among the non-academic staff of the University eligible to participate in elections;

(e) the President of the Students' Association and one other office-bearer of the Students' Association to be selected by that Association in accordance with the scheme referred to in article 7(4); and

(f) persons appointed by the Court reflecting a variety of different interests and experience, including those with experience in the provision of education, local government, industrial, commercial or employment matters or the practice of any profession, being not less than 12 nor more than 15 persons as the Court may from time to time determine.

(3) It shall be competent for the Court (on a two-thirds majority of its whole members) from time to time to vary the number of persons to be appointed or elected under any of paragraph 2(c) to (f), provided that -

(a) no category referred to in paragraph 2(c) to (f) shall cease to be represented on the Court; and

(b) those persons appointed under paragraph 2(f) shall remain in overall majority in the Court.

(4) Other than those members of the staff of the University appointed or elected to the Court under paragraph (2)(b), (c) and (d), no member of staff of the University shall be eligible for appointment to the Court. Those members of staff appointed or elected under paragraph (2)(b), (c) and (d) shall continue to receive payments from the University in terms of their contracts of employment.

(5) In carrying out the University's objects, the Court shall be entitled to carry on any activity of any type, in particular the functions and powers of the Court as set out in Schedule 1, and those activities and functions shall be exercised without prejudice to any person on grounds of gender, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or other belief and in a manner which promotes academic freedom.

(6) No failure or defect in the appointment or election of any member of the Court and no vacancy in the office of a member of the Court shall prevent the Court from acting in the execution of its functions, nor shall any act or proceeding of the Court or of any committee appointed by it be invalidated or be illegal by reason of or in consequence of any such
defect in the appointment or election of any member of the Court or of any such vacancy in the office of a member of the Court.

(7) No person other than an ex officio member shall be appointed or elected to the Court for a term of office of more than 4 years.

(8) Subject to paragraph (9), no person other than an ex officio member shall be appointed or elected to the Court for a term of office that, if aggregated with any previous term of office, whether served consecutively or non-consecutively, would exceed a period of 9 years.

(9) Where a person other than an ex officio member has, at any time during a period of appointment or election to the Court, been elected as Chair of the Court(a), the maximum aggregate period for the purposes of paragraph (8) is 12 years.

(10) For the purposes of paragraphs (7), (8) and (9)-

(a) "ex officio member" is a member referred to in article 3(2)(a), (b) or (c); and

(b) "term of office" shall include any term of office as a member, including any period of office as Chair of the Court whether served before or after the coming into force of this Order.