Universities Act, 1997

Chairperson of governing authority.

17.—(1) The first meeting of a governing authority of a university shall be chaired by the chief officer and, subject to this section, at that meeting and from time to time as the governing authority determines, the governing authority shall decide whether—

(a) the holder of the office of chief officer should be or continue to be the chairperson, or

(b) a person other than the holder of the office of chief officer should be appointed as chairperson.

(2) Where the governing authority decides that the holder of the office of chief officer should be the chairperson then, subject to this section, the chief officer shall, ex officio, be the chairperson on and from the passing of the resolution to that effect.

(3) Where the governing authority decides at a meeting that a person other than the chief officer should be the chairperson, it shall, as soon as practicable at that or a subsequent meeting, by a majority vote of not less than two-thirds of its members, appoint a person who is not an employee of the university or a member of the governing authority to be the chairperson.

(4) Until a person is appointed under subsection (3), but subject to this section, the chief officer shall act as chairperson of all meetings of the governing authority.

(5) Subject to this section, a chairperson appointed under subsection (3) shall hold office on such terms and conditions as the governing authority may, at the date of his or her appointment, determine.

(6) A person holding office as chairperson of a governing authority in accordance with subsection (3) may, at any time for stated reasons, be removed from the office of chairperson by the governing authority and where a person is so removed from office, subsections (1), (2) and (3), with the necessary modifications, shall apply.

(7) In the case of the governing authority of Trinity College or a constituent university, the person holding the office of chief officer (by whatever name known) on the commencement of this Part shall be the chairperson of the governing authority of that university under this Act until his or her term of office as chief officer expires, he or she is sooner removed from the office of chairperson in accordance with subsection (6), or the office otherwise becomes vacant.

(8) Where immediately before the commencement of this Part the chief officer of a university was not the chairperson (by whatever name known) of the governing body (by whatever name known) of the university, then, except for the first meeting of a governing authority of the corresponding university under this Act or in the circumstances referred to in subsection (4), the chief officer shall not be eligible to be the chairperson of the governing authority,

(9) An appointment under subsection (3) shall not be on a full-time basis and the person appointed shall exercise no function in respect of the control and management of the university other than the functions of chairperson of the governing authority.