Policy information | Policy summary | Applicable to | Not applicable to | Policy details | Related links | Roles and responsibilities

Policy information

Applicable to

• A GSB Director whose first term of office is due to expire.

Not applicable to

• The appointment of a new GSB Director. See Policy on appointment of a new GSB Director.
• Other types of fixed-term contracts. See Policy on fixed-term contract appointments.

Policy details

1. Appointment conditions

   1. 1.1 The initial term of appointment of a GSB Director is for five years, unless there are special circumstances.

   2. 1.2 There is a limit of one contract renewal, subject to performance assessment.

   3. 1.3 Any renewal would normally be for a period of five years, thus limiting the tenure of the Director to no more than ten years. Tenure could be longer if Council decides, particularly where this would take the incumbent to normal retirement age.

   4. 1.4 The GSB Director is accountable to the GSB, the Commerce Faculty for academic matters, and also to the centre (as part of the Senior Leadership Group). For a decision to renew or extend a contract, the Director must enjoy substantial support from these sectors and a process of consultation must determine this.

2. Initiation of re-appointment

   1. 2.1 When the term of office of a GSB Director is due to expire, the Vice-Chancellor (VC) or Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC), with the assistance of Human Resources (HR), initiates the formal re-appointment process, which normally starts twelve months before the end of the contract.

3. Consultation and performance review with the GSB Director

   1. 3.1 The VC or DVC consults the Director about his or her intentions at the end of the first contract. If the Director wishes to step down, the formal recruitment process for appointment of a new GSB director is initiated. See Policy on appointment of a new GSB Director.

   2. 3.2 If the Director wishes a renewal or extension of the contract, the VC or DVC reviews the Director's performance against previously agreed targets and objectives.

4. Further consultations

   1. 4.1 The VC or DVC consults with members of the Senior Leadership Group, Council, the Commerce Dean's Advisory Committee, the GSB's Management Committee, Academic Committee and Advisory Board.

5. VC or DVC's decision
   1. 5.1 Following the process of consultation, the VC or DVC decides to:
      1. put a proposal for renewal or extension of the contract to the GSB's Management Committee, Academic Committee and Advisory Board, or
      2. initiate a full recruitment process.
6. Proposal to GSB Committees and Advisory Board

   1. 6.1 In the event of a proposal to renew or extend the contract, the VC or DVC puts the proposal to the GSB's Management Committee and Academic Committee at a combined meeting, in order to gauge their support. The incumbent Director does not attend the meeting.

   2. 6.2 The combined membership votes on the proposal, and the result of the ballot is made known to the combined committees, the VC or DVC and the GSB Advisory Board. The VC or DVC determines in each case how the ballot is to be taken, whether postal votes are to be allowed, and what quorum requirement is to operate.

7. Process report to the Institutional Forum

   1. 7.1 The VC or DVC submits a report to the Institutional Forum (IF), detailing the process that has been followed.

   2. 7.2 The IF meets and verifies that the approved process was followed, or if not, describes where it differed.

8. Council approval

   1. 8.1 The VC or DVC submits the proposal to Council for a decision, along with the outcome of the GSB Committees' vote and feedback from the IF.

   2. 8.2 Should Council not approve the proposal, a full recruitment process may be instituted. See Policy on appointment of a new GSB Director.

   3. 8.3 In the event of a decision to initiate a full recruitment process, the VC or DVC will give the Director reasons for the decision, and allow him or her to make representations to the Chair and members of Council.

   4. 8.4 Ordinarily voting in Council on the proposal will be by ballot.

Related links

Process flow

Policy on appointment of a new GSB Director

Employment equity policy

Policy on fixed-term contract appointments

Roles and responsibilities

This is a guideline to the internal UCT roles and responsibilities involved in the re-appointment process for an incumbent GSB Director.

Read in conjunction with HR Delegated Authorities.

Page last updated: 8 July 2023