Oxford University ICT Forum

ICT Forum Terms of Reference and Constitution

Updated June 2014 and approved by a full ICT Forum meeting on 25 June 2014 held at Rewley House at 2pm with 36 out of 49 voters approving and no absentions or dissent.

ICT Forum mission statement

The ICTF provides a framework that promotes and facilitates excellence incorporating the full involvement of ICT Staff in both the strategic development and day-to-day running of ICT in the Collegiate University.
The ICT Forum shall exist to serve all whose job function includes support of ICT throughout the Collegiate University. It shall be comprised of those it exists to serve.

ICT Forum purposes and functions

ICTF is a body that represents all whose job function includes management, delivery or support of ICT throughout the Collegiate University.

The ICTF:

is a representative group for all ICT Staff;
is a group to communicate and promote the views and interests of ICT Staff in University ICT governance, planning and decision-making;
is a single known point of contact for bodies in the University to consult ICT Staff;
is a professional forum for the exchange of experiences, ideas and best practices;
negotiates system privileges for its members to enable partnership service delivery with service providers such as IT Services;
has a high priority in requesting ICT enhancements with service providers;
is in a position to initiate its own projects deemed appropriate by its members and to seek funding for those projects where necessary;
is a broker in introducing local projects to the wider University;
is a broker in introducing projects from the wider University to ICT Staff;
Facilitates the exchange and trading of skills; together with access to staff development and training schemes.
Contributes to the strategic direction and governance of the IT Support Staff Services (ITS3) section of IT Services in consultation with the Director responsible for ITS3.

ICT Forum constitution

All members of the IT Support Staff Register, as held by IT Services, will be the members of the Forum. The chair and vice-chair of the ICT Forum will be elected by the steering committee at its first meeting following annual steering committee elections.
The ICT Forum will lobby for representation on University IT Committees and shall appoint a member (normally its chair) to represent it at those committees where appropriate opportunities arise. The ICT Forum will appoint representatives to other committees and groups as necessary or requested.
The ICT Forum shall have no executive authority but will make representations through its representatives (as defined above) to the University IT Committee and to other committees and/or bodies as appropriate.
A meeting of the ICT Forum, open to all its members, shall be held at least once each term, normally in week 9 and will be notified at least 10 working days in advance. It is suggested that at least one representative of each University Unit attends at each meeting where possible. IT Support Staff Services will be responsible for organising these meetings, for assembling the agenda (in consultation with ICTFSC) and for taking and producing minutes in a timely manner.

At the meetings of the ICT Forum the following will occur:

Service providers shall report on progress and future plans and receive members' responses to and comments on the services provided and planned. Examples of service providers are bodies such as IT Services, Bodleian Libraries and, but all bodies providing ICT services to the Collegiate University will be encouraged to provide reports.;
The IT Support Staff Services section of IT Services (ITS3) will report;
Any representatives of ICTF on other committees and groups will report;
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) may supply written reports of their activities. Representatives may highlight significant parts of their report and take questions. Notwithstanding the regular reports, it should be clear that the primary purpose of the meetings of the ICT Forum is discussion and not reporting.
Other presentations and/or discussions as deemed appropriate by the ICTF Steering Committee will take place.

The ICTF Steering Committee

The ICTF Steering Committee (ICTFSC) is elected by the whole ICTF and will oversee the operation of the ICTF. Its functions include:

co-ordinating with the University bodies such as the IT Committee, the CIO and deputies, the Head of the Bodleian Libraries, IT Services Directors, UAS departments, etc., to provide members of sub groups when necessary;
organising an annual ICTF conference;
organising and coordinating training, workshops and seminars of relevance to IT Support, in collaboration with ITS3;
Monitoring and advising on the activities of ITS3, particularly the maintenance of the ITSS register.

The ICT Forum Steering Committee shall comprise nine members elected by the whole ICTF (with a ballot, in the case of more nominations than vacancies, normally at the ICTF Conference in the long vacation). Three members will be elected every year and each member will be elected for a three year term so there is continuity and rotation. Members may stand down or re-stand for election at the end of each term. The Head of ITS3 will be an ex-officio member of the Steering Committee but will not be entitled to vote on any decisions. The Head of ITS3 will also act as returning officer in all ICTF elections.
The Steering Committee will meet after the annual ICTF election and before the start of September in each calendar year for the purposes of electing a chair and vice-chair of the ICT Forum from among its number, with its nine members forming the electorate. The chair and the vice-chair will be elected for a term of one year but may continue to re-stand for as long as they are on ICTFSC. At least six of the nine elected members must be present for the election of the chair and vice-chair and the appointment of co-opted members.
At ICTFSC's first meeting after the annual ICTF election it may also co-opt up to an additional three extra members to the Steering Committee for the upcoming academic year. Those co-optees will not, however, have a vote in a ballot for the chair and vice-chair election should one be necessary.
Members may be co-opted to the ICTFSC at any full meeting if vacancies arise during the year. All co-options will end at the next annual ICTF election.
The ICTFSC may at any time require the chair or vice-chair to stand down and leave the steering committee. This clause may only be enacted if at least 50 members of ICTF have signed a petition requesting the action.
The ICTFSC will be led by the chair of the ICTF in combination with the vice-chair and will meet at least once a term, usually just prior to the ICTF termly meeting. Secretarial services for the ICTF and ICFSC will be provided by ITS3 and its staff members will be entitled to attend Steering Committee meetings.

Changing these Terms of Reference and Constitution

These Terms of Reference and Constitution may be amended by any ordinary meeting of the full ICTF. Proposals for such changes must be notified to the ICTF chair or to the Head of ITS3 no later than Monday of the fifth week of term so they may be discussed by the Steering Committee and then circulated by e-mail to the ICT-A (itss-announce) mailing list at least 10 working days before the full ICTF meeting. A two-thirds majority vote (of those present at the meeting) is required for such changes to come into force.

Glossary of Terms/Acronyms

This glossary is not a formal part of the constitution and may be changed at any time deemed convenient.

IT-PRAC: Planning and Resource Allocation sub-Committee of IT Committee
ICTF: The ICT Forum
ICTFSC: ICTF Steering Committee
ITS3: IT Support Staff Services (part of IT Services)
OULS: Oxford University Library Services
ASUC: Academic Services and University Collections Division (the division in which the Bodleian Libraries exists)
UAS: University Administration and Services Division (the division in which IT Services exists)