Pursuant to subsection 8 (3) of the Regulation of 22 October 2019 “Senate’s Rules of Procedure”, I hereby approve the following Rules of Procedure of the Senate’s standing Committee for Academic Affairs:

§ 1. General provisions

(1) The Committee for Academic Affairs of Tallinn University of Technology is a standing committee of the Senate, the university’s academic decision-making body. The Committee’s purpose is to prepare and formulate positions on matters relating to teaching and learning at the university.

(2) The Committee for Academic Affairs comprises members invited by the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and representatives of structural units or students.

(3) The Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs is the Chair of the Committee. In the absence of the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, a person designated by the Vice-Rector shall serve as his/her substitute.

(4) The Secretary of the Committee for Academic Affairs shall manage the Committee’s administrative affairs.

§ 2. Submission of items for discussion by the Committee for Academic Affairs

(1) For inclusion of an item on the agenda, draft legislation, explanatory memoranda and other necessary materials shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Committee for Academic Affairs no later than eight days before the meeting.

§ 3. Agenda

(1) The Chair of the Committee for Academic Affairs shall decide which items to include on the agenda.

(2) The Committee members shall be informed of the agenda and provided with the submitted materials no later than noon on the Thursday preceding the meeting. A request to add an item for discussion shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Committee for Academic Affairs no later than the day before the meeting or to the Chair of the Committee  before the agenda is approved at the meeting.

(3) The agenda, including the list of additional items, shall be approved at the beginning of the meeting.

§ 4. Meetings of the Committee for Academic Affairs

(1) The Committee for Academic Affairs shall carry out its work through meetings. Regular meetings shall usually be held on the first Tuesday of each month.

(2) The Committee’s meeting schedule shall be drawn up for each academic year in accordance with the dates specified in the work plan of the Senate and its standing committees and published on the intranet. Meetings shall be convened by the Chair of the Committee.

(3) Meetings shall be chaired by the Chair of the Committee. Committee members shall have the right to speak and vote at meetings, and their attendance shall be mandatory. Where justified, a member may participate in a meeting remotely using electronic means. If, for any valid reason, a member of the Committee for Academic Affairs is unable to attend a meeting, will arrive late or has to leave earlier, the member shall inform the Secretary of the Committee thereof before the meeting.

(4) A meeting shall have a quorum if more than half of the Committee’s members are present. Decisions shall be adopted by a majority of votes in favour.

(5) An electronic vote may be held to decide an urgent matter, using the method and deadline communicated to Committee members.

§ 5. Procedure for discussion

(1) To discuss an agenda item, the floor shall first be given to the presenter. Committee members shall then have the opportunity to ask questions or express their views. The floor shall be given in the order in which requests to speak are made.

(2) The Chair of the meeting may set a time limit for statements and questions. If a speaker exceeds the time limit or strays from the topic under discussion, the chair of the meeting may issue a warning or withdraw the speaker’s right to speak.

(3) If the Chair of the meeting finds that a matter has been adequately discussed, he/she shall close the discussion and make a proposal to put the matter to the vote. The presenter of an agenda item shall have the right to make closing remarks before the vote.

(4) If disagreements arise during discussion of an agenda item or substantial amendments to the draft legislation are required, the discussion may be suspended or the draft withdrawn from consideration.

§ 6. Documents of the Committee for Academic Affairs

(1) Minutes shall be taken at Committee meetings. The minutes shall record a summary of each agenda item, the positions and decisions adopted, the recommendations and assessments made, voting results and dissenting opinions. The materials submitted to the Committee shall be appended to the minutes.

(2) The minutes shall be made available to Committee members within one week of the meeting. Committee members shall have the right to make corrections to the minutes within five working days.

(3) The meetings of the Committee shall be recorded and the recordings shall be retained for six months.

§ 7. Entry into force of the order

The order shall enter into force upon signature.