26.1. The Nominations Committee shall consist of:
(1) a person appointed by Council from among current or former external members of Council;
(2) a person appointed by Council from among current external members of Council;
(3) a person appointed by Council from among the members of Council;
(4) one of the Proctors or the Assessor ex officio as may be agreed between them;
(5) a person appointed by Council from among the members of Council elected by Congregation who is a member of a faculty within the divisions of Humanities or Social Sciences;
(6) a person appointed by Council from among the members of Council elected by Congregation who is a member of a faculty within the divisions of Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences or Medical Sciences;
(7)–(10) four members of Congregation elected by Congregation.
26.2. The committee shall appoint a chair from among the members of the committee in categories (1) and (2) above.
26.3.(1) The term of office of the members of the committee appointed by Council shall be determined by Council in each case up to a maximum of three years and may extend beyond the term of each individual's membership of Council. Members of the committee appointed by Council shall be eligible for reappointment but shall not serve for more than six years in total. Members of the committee elected by Congregation shall serve for three years and shall be eligible for re-election for one further and final period of office.
(2) No external member of Council serving on the committee shall attend meeting(s) when the nomination of his/her successor to Council is being considered or have any part in the consideration of his or her successor.
26.4. The committee shall:
(1) establish (in consultation with Council), publish, and keep under review criteria for the selection or election of members of Council;
(2) in the event of expiry of term of a serving external member of Council appointed under section 4 (7)-(10) of Statute VI:
(a) the General Purposes Committee shall consider the renomination and, if the serving external member is willing to be renominated, shall make a recommendation to Council at its first meeting in the term before the vacancy is due to occur;
(b) (i) Council shall consider the recommendation and shall either propose the candidate put forward under sub-paragraph (a) above for approval by Congregation or shall refer the matter to the Nominations Committee;
(ii) when referring the matter to the Nominations Committee or when considering the steps to be taken in the event that the candidate is rejected by Congregation, Council may ask the committee to identify a different candidate from among candidates considered for another external vacancy on Council, to instigate a new search for candidates in accordance with paragraph (3) below or to exercise its own discretion in making a decision between these two courses of action;
(c) in the absence of directions from Council to the contrary, if the candidate is rejected by Congregation, the Nominations Committee shall exercise its own discretion in making a decision between the two courses of action under sub-paragraph (b)(ii);
(3) in the event of a vacancy in Council under section 4 (7)-(10) of Statute VI for an external member of Council to be nominated by Council and approved by Congregation other than a renomination considered under paragraph (2) above:
(a) the committee shall by advertisement in the University Gazette invite written nominations of candidates from any member of Congregation. The notice shall be published to allow a period of at least twenty-one days in Full Term between the date of the invitation in the Gazette and the closing date by which nominations must be received;
(b) after the closing date the committee shall consider all the nominations it has received and those candidates proposed by its own members, select from them having due regard to the principles of equality and diversity and agreed selection criteria, and make recommendations to Council;
(c) Council shall consider all recommendations received from the Nominations Committee and shall either propose one candidate for each vacancy for approval by Congregation or shall ask the committee to submit further names for its consideration;
(d) if a candidate is rejected by Congregation the committee shall propose a further candidate or candidates to be put to Council in accordance with sub-paragraph (b) above, or, if necessary, by readvertising the vacancy in the University Gazette in accordance with sub- paragraph (a) above, until each vacancy is filled;
(4) advise Council on such other aspects of the membership of Council as may be requested by Council from time to time.
26.5. The committee shall make reports to Council and to Congregation as appropriate on the matters set out in 26.4.
