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UACES Committee Job Descriptions

In brief, there are three UACES Officers: a Chair, a Secretary and a Treasurer. There is also an Honorary President and five Patrons. Nominations for a new Secretary and for two new Committee Members were invited from members by 31 January 2008. All Committee Members are Trustees of the Association, and Trustees' responsibilities are listed at the end of this page. Trustees are asked to sign a Code of Conduct on joining the Committee.

Structure of the Committee

The Roles of UACES Committees and Sub-Committees

UACES is governed by its Executive Committee (hereafter, ‘the [full] Committee’), with specific functions delegated to the UACES Officers and other portfolio holders, as set out in their respective job descriptions.

The Full Committee is the main decision-making body of the Association, with issues of constitutional change decided by ballot of the Association’s members at its Annual General Meeting. The principal tasks of the Committee are set out in the UACES Constitution. To facilitate its work, UACES has also established a number of sub-committees. Membership of the UACES sub-committees is open to all members of the full committee, and it is expected that all full committee members will either take on a specific portfolio or join a sub-committee.

The UACES sub-committees currently function as follows.

Officers Committee
Presided by the Chair, this brings together the Association’s elected officers (Chair, Secretary, Treasurer) to drive the Association’s agenda forward. The Officers committee is a strategic agenda-setting body responsible for establishing new initiatives to help the Association meet its objectives. Committee members may suggest such initiatives to the Officers. Initiatives agreed by the Officers Committee are subsequently discussed at full Committee, according to the Constitution.

European Studies Community Sub-committee (ESC)
Presided by the Secretary, the ESC is the forum for debating issues of relevance to the wider European Studies committee, such as responses to government initiatives in HE. It is the forum for the elaboration of strategies for outreach to other ECSAs, learned societies, and disciplines. It is also the forum which judges applications to UACES for event funding, making recommendations to the full committee.

Annual Conference Sub-committee
Presided by the Secretary, this body is responsible for overseeing the organisation of the UACES Annual and Research Conference. It also judges applications from potential host organisations to be the site of future Annual Conferences.

Practitioners Forum
Presided by the Chair, this body reviews the Association’s links with, and work for, its practitioner members. Its core objective is to improve UACES’ profile and standing outside academia.

Student Forum
Presided by the Chair of the Student Forum, this body deals with the concerns of the Student Forum and has primary responsibility for its activities. It is structurally linked to the full UACES committee as the Student Forum Chair is an ex officio member of the UACES full committee.

Patrons Group
This is a ‘virtual’ committee composed of the Association’s patrons. It is occasionally consulted by the Chair and other Officers on matters of strategic importance to the Association.

UACES Honorary President

Overall Purpose

Our figurehead, for a three year period of office.

Main Responsibilities

A source of advice for the Chair and Officers on strategic and funding issues, liaising primarily with the Chair and Executive Director;
An ambassador for UACES in the practitioner communities;
Attendance at any UACES event he/she chooses, but attendance expected at Annual Conference, Student Forum conference, Annual Lecture, reporting on Europe prize;
A member of judging panel for reporting on Europe prize;
An occasional contributor to UACES News and/or other UACES publications as appropriate.

UACES Patrons

Overall Purpose

Patrons promote the Association to other practitioners, academics and funders and act as a Board of Advisers to whom the Officers can turn as appropriate.

Main Responsibilities

There are normally five Patrons at any one time who serve for a renewable three year period of office.
As well as the above overall purpose, they may also help UACES identify potential sources of income.
Patrons also lend their names to the Association, appearing on letterheads etc to act as a further ‘badge of quality’.
There will be some overlap with the role of the Honorary President. However, the Patrons will in all likelihood be called upon less regularly for input into the everyday life of the Association. They also comprise a complementary range of perspectives, with the aim to ensure UACES reaches as many audiences as possible.
Patrons have as their immediate link with the Committee the current Chair of the Association and its Executive Director.
Nominations for Patrons are sought from the Committee on a rolling basis, with approximately five people being Patrons at any one time.

UACES Honorary Chair

Primary Responsibilities

· Provide leadership and direction to the UACES staff, officers and committee, enabling them to fulfil their responsibilities in the governance and strategic direction of the Association;

· Develop the Association’s aims, objectives and goals in accordance with its Constitution and the relevant legal and regulatory guidelines;

· To allocate specific portfolios to members of the Association’s Committee;

· To liaise with the editors and publishers of Association publications;

· To represent the Association externally, to both academic and policy-making communities;

· To manage the UACES staff, with day-to-day staff management responsibility delegated to the Executive Director, and ensure that Committee decisions are realised;

· To ensure the Committee, Staff and Officers fulfil their responsibilities to the Association;

· To support and appraise the work of the UACES staff, in partnership with the Association Secretary;

· To lead appointment and disciplinary committees;

· To act as necessary between meetings of the Committee, either individually or by delegating authority as appropriate to Association Staff or Officers, to discharge Association responsibilities, sign cheques and legal documents etc;

· Together with the Executive Director, to act as a channel of communication between the Officers, Staff and Committee members and the broader membership of the Association.

Subsidiary Responsibilities

· To Chair meetings of the Officers and Committee;

· To liaise with the Executive Director regarding the drafting of agendas for Officers and Committee meetings;

· To convene and chair the Practitioner Committee of the Association;

· To pursue strategic partnerships for the Association with suitable organisations in the academic and practitioner communities;

· To review the work of the Committee on an annual basis.

Person Specification

· High reputation and profile in the academic community;

· Commitment to, and knowledge of, the work of the Association;

· Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort, and to act as a Trustee of the Association;

· Strategic vision;

· Experience of staff management and chairing committees;

· Ability to work effectively as both leader and member of a team, as appropriate;

· Ability to think critically and independently;

· Willingness to make unpopular recommendations to the Committee, if necessary;

· Ability to lead debates in Committee, while ensuring members can make a full contribution;

· Willingness to be available to staff, officers and committee members for advice and enquiries on an ad hoc basis;

· Commitment to Nolan principles of standards in public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership.

UACES Honorary Secretary

Overall Purpose

Responsible for the smooth and efficient running of trustee meetings and subcommittees in collaboration with the Executive Director, providing assistance and support to the chair of the committee of trustees.

Main Responsibilities

To ensure that all meetings comply with the requirements of the UACES Constitution.
To advise and guide the committee of any legal and regulatory implications of the charity’s strategic plan.
To act as the custodian of the Constitution, in keeping with the Executive Director, reviewing its appropriateness and monitoring that the charity’s activities reflect the objectives set out in the Constitution.
To support the committee in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities.
To be an external point of contact for stakeholders and interested parties.
To act as a counter-signatory on charity cheques and any applications for funds.
To ensure, together with the Executive Director, the charity’s stationery, orders, invoices, cheques and other documents include all details required under charity law.

Specific Role

Overseeing the fellowships and scholarships, workshops and study groups funded and organised by UACES. This includes assessing applications and joint decision-making in collaboration with at least another committee member.
Chairing the European Studies Sub-committee (ESC). This involves ensuring the ESC functions appropriately, setting its agenda in keeping with UACES policy, and ensuring there is excellent liaison between the ESC and Officers as well as the full Committee.
Chairing the Annual Conference Subcommittee. In addition to convening the subcommittee, this involves deciding on future venues for the annual conference (the decision is made jointly with the members of the Annual Conference Subcommittee); accompanying Sue Davis to site visits and being involved more or less formally in the drafting of the conference’s programme.
Collating and (when required) drafting UACES’ responses to opinion calls by external institutions.
Liaising closely with the UACES office. Keeping in regular contact with Sue Davis and Luke Foster. The Secretary takes particular responsibility, in partnership with the Executive Director, for matters pertaining to the smooth-running of the UACES Office.

UACES Honorary Treasurer

Overall role

· Maintain an overview of the organisation's affairs

· Ensuring its financial viability

· Ensuring that proper financial records and procedures are maintained.

As a small Charity, the Treasurer, in conjunction with the Executive Director, may take a greater role in the day-to-day finances of the organisation. These may include:

· Overseeing, approving and presenting budgets, accounts and financial statements

· Being assured that the financial resources of the organisation meet its present and future needs

· Ensuring that the charity has an appropriate reserves policy

· The preparation and presentation of financial reports to the officers group, the committee, and the Annual General Meeting

· Ensuring that appropriate accounting procedures and controls are in place

· Liaising with any paid staff and volunteers about financial matters

· Advising on the financial implications of the organisation's strategic plans

· Ensuring that the charity has an appropriate investment policy

· Ensuring that there is no conflict between any investment held and the aims and objects of the charity

· Monitoring the organisation's investment activity and ensuring its consistency with the organisation's policies and legal responsibilities

· Ensuring the organisation's compliance with legislation

· Ensuring equipment and assets are adequately maintained and insured

· Ensuring that the accounts are prepared and disclosed in the form required by funders and the relevant statutory bodies, e.g. the charity commission

· If external scrutiny of accounts is required, ensuring that the accounts are scrutinised in the manner required (independent examination or audit) and any recommendations are implemented

· Keeping the committee informed about its financial duties and responsibilities

· Contributing to the fundraising strategy of the organisation

· Making a formal presentation of the accounts at the annual general meeting and drawing attention to important points in a coherent and easily understandable way

· Sitting on appraisal, recruitment and disciplinary panels as required

Treasurer specification

· Commitment to the organisation

· Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort

· Strategic vision

· Good, independent judgement

· Ability to think creatively

· Willingness to speak their mind

· Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship

· Ability to work effectively as a member of a team

· Nolan's seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership

· Financial qualifications and experience

· Some experience of charity finance, fundraising and pension schemes

· The skills to analyse proposals and examine their financial consequences

· Preparedness to make unpopular recommendations to the committee

· Willingness to be available to staff for advice and enquiries on an ad hoc basis

UACES Committee Members

Main Responsibilities

Attendance at each meeting of the full committee, except in exceptional circumstances;
Participation in consultation and deliberation processes, as requested by the Officers and/or Executive Director;
Holding a particular Committee portfolio, or membership of a sub-committee of the Association, as appropriate and in agreement with the Chair;
3b) Attendance at all meetings of the relevant sub-committee(s), except in exceptional circumstances;
Active contribution to Committee discussions regarding the activities and ongoing development of the Association;
If requested, cooperation with the Chair and other Officers in undertaking a particular task for the development of the Association, in keeping with both policy agreed by the Committee and in proportion to the committee member’s other UACES activities;
Contribution to ongoing improvement in relations between the Association and the practitioner communities, in keeping with the Association’s practitioner strategy;
Supporting measures accepted by the Committee when these are put before the AGM
Undertaking the general responsibilities as a Trustee of the Association, as set out by the Charity Commission

Responsibilities of all Trustees

To ensure the Association complies with its Constitution and relevant law;

To ensure the Association spends its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects, as set out in its Constitution;

To safeguard the good name of the Association;

To ensure the effective and efficient administration of the Association;

To ensure the financial stability of the Association;

To protect and manage the property of the Association, and to ensure proper investment of the Association’s funds;

To accept the financial liabilities inherent in being a charity Trustee (which due to the good internal procedures are rated as extremely low)

To use one’s further skills, abilities and experience for the benefit of the Association as appropriate.

UACES Honorary President

UACES Patrons

Patrons promote the Association to other practitioners, academics and funders and act as a Board of Advisers to whom the Officers can turn as appropriate.

UACES Honorary Chair

UACES Honorary Secretary

UACES Honorary Treasurer

Treasurer specification

UACES Committee Members