Chair of the University Council

The UM University Council seeks to appoint an independent Chair for a period of 2 years with the possibility of extension for 2 years. The Chair fulfils an important leadership role in the Council and is a current student or staff member at Maastricht University.

The University Council is composed of 6 academic staff members, 4 support staff members and 10 student members (20 total). Plenary meetings are held once a month. The Council has three committees: the Research and Education Committee, the Strategy Committee and the Operations Committee (chaired by an academic staff member, a student and a support staff member). These committees also meet once a month. The Presidium, consisting of the chair and vice-chair of the Council and chairs of the committees, meets every week to prepare the committee meetings and the plenary meeting. The Council also has a Confidential Committee with 2 student members and 2 staff members, which meets when necessary. With the exception of the confidential committee meetings, the chair is invited to all the meetings mentioned above, which usually take place in English. The Chair is furthermore expected to have a regular meeting with the Council or a delegation from the Council to discuss the Chair´s performance.

The University Council receives administrative support from the registry, which consists of a registrar and a secretary.

One of the Chair’s core tasks is to manage the registry of the University Council, initiating and chairing a weekly meeting to evaluate and plan the work. Another important part of the job is to coach and support current and new Council members.

Job description

The Chair of the University Council represents the Council within and outside UM. The primary responsibility of the technical Chair is to prepare and lead the plenary meetings of the University Council and the Presidium. The Chair also coordinates the work of the Council committees and, in an advisory capacity, attends the committee meetings.

The Chair consults regularly with the Executive Board and facilitates collaboration between the Executive Board and the University Council. The Chair also serves as a bridge between the Council and the Faculty Councils and service councils. The Chair can therefore be asked to initiate regular meetings with the chairs of these councils.