Steering Committee Terms of Reference

The role of the steering committee is to provide strategic guidance, oversight, and decision-making support. These responsibilities fall under the following themes: 

1. Strategic Direction: The committee will set the overall strategic direction including decisions about priorities and broad objectives. This could include determining what types of projects are appropriate for the Hub (i.e., scope) and the best balance of core activities including consultations, building, outreach, and fundraising. 

2. Policy Development: The committee will develop and review policies and procedures relating to the use of facilities, allocation of resources, collaboration with other institutions or companies, intellectual property, and ethical considerations of project or research activities. 

3. Budget Oversight: The committee will oversee the budget and financial planning including approving budgets and making decisions about major expenditures. They will also be involved in fundraising and seeking grants or other forms of financial support.

4. Performance Monitoring: The committee will monitor the performance through regular review of progress towards objectives, assessment of research output, and monitoring of key performance indicators. 

5. Risk Management: The committee will identify potential risks to the hub (financial, operational, reputational, etc.) and ensure plans are in place (or developed in real-time) to manage these risks. 

6. Stakeholder Engagement: The committee will ensure that there is good communication and engagement with key stakeholders. This might include students, staff, other departments in the institution, industry partners, funders, and the wider academic community. 

7. Governance: The committee will ensure that governance is effective and transparent and that it is meeting its legal and ethical obligations. This could include establishing sub-committees, assigning roles and responsibilities, and ensuring there is clear reporting and accountability. 

Committee members will meet once per month for a 2-year term. 

Conduct of Committee

The Secretary will coordinate meeting times and disseminate meeting minutes afterward. The Director will provide an agenda one week prior to each meeting. 

*Ad hoc and ex-officio members will receive the agenda and minutes for each meeting. They may be asked to provide feedback on documents prior to them being circulated to the faculty for comment. 

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Performance Review Guidelines