Constitution of the SOAS Food Studies Centre
Purpose of the Centre
1. The SOAS Food Studies Centre (hereafter 'the Centre') is an officially constituted centre of the School of Oriental and African Studies.
2. By “Food Studies,” it is meant the study of political, economic, and cultural dimensions of food, historically and in the contemporary moment, from production, to exchange, to preparation, to consumption.
3. The Centre’s principal purposes are:
- to promote research and teaching in the field of Food Studies at SOAS;
- to foster and facilitate links between SOAS and other individuals and institutions with an academic interest in Food Studies.
4. The Centre seeks to promote Food Studies, inter alia
- by gathering and presenting information about food related teaching and research interests among SOAS staff and students;
- by fostering the teaching of food related courses in the school;
- by facilitating the supervision of food related dissertations and theses in the school;
- by organising public lectures and a seminar series on food related topics under the rubric of the SOAS Food Forum;
- by organising and hosting national and international workshops and conferences on food related issues;
- by fostering and facilitating individual and collaborative research on food related issues among SOAS staff and students;
- by developing worldwide contacts with organisations and institutions dedicated to the study of food;
- by raising funds, and assisting Centre members in raising funds, for the above purposes.
5. The Centre is located in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS and, unless otherwise stated, is subject to the regulations and procedures pertaining to all departmental centres at SOAS.
Membership of the Centre
6. Membership of the Centre is open to all academic staff at SOAS. Members are eligible to vote at Centre meetings and be involved in consultation for a new Chair of Centre. Associate Membership is open to students at SOAS with an academic interest in Food Studies. It is also open to individuals outside the School who share an academic interest in Food Studies, subject to the approval of the Centre Chair. Such membership does not confer any voting rights, nor allow the Associate Member to be consulted about the selection of a new Centre Chair. An up-to-date list of the current Members and Associate Members should be maintained by the Centre and deposited with the School's Centres and Conference Office.
Management of the Centre
7. The Centre is responsible to Academic Board (through the Faculty Board) and to the Director for its activities and conduct. The School has the power to close or suspend the Centre's activities should this be deemed necessary.
8. The Centre is headed by a Chair, who must be a member of the SOAS academic staff. He or she should be chosen after consultation among the Members of the Centre, subject to approval by the Director. The Chair is assisted by a Deputy Chair, who must also be a member of SOAS academic staff, chosen after consultation among the Members of the Centre.
9. The Chair is advised by an Advisory Committee, the members of which should be notified to, and approved by, Faculty Board. It should consist of:
- five members of SOAS academic staff, including whenever feasible at least one from each of the three faculties;
- one SOAS postgraduate student
- two external members.
10. The Chair and Deputy Chair will normally serve terms of three years commencing from 1st August. This term may be extended on the recommendation of the Centre's Advisory Committee and with the approval of the Director.
11. The Chair is responsible to the School, through the Centre's Advisory Committee and via the Faculty Board to Academic Board for the administrative business of the Centre and for organising and overseeing its activities. For financial matters the Chair is responsible to the School through the Centre’s Advisory Committee, Faculty Board and Finance and General Purposes Committee.
12. The Chair is authorised to liase on behalf of the Centre with the relevant staff of the School's Centres and Conference Office.
13. The Chair is required to submit a report on the work of the Centre to the Faculty
Board every year and to supply such other reports as may be required by the School.
14. It is for the Advisory Committee to decide whether the Chair of the Centre or another member of the Advisory Committee shall preside over meetings of the Advisory Committee.
15. The Chair and Advisory Committee of the Centre are required to liaise with, and report to, the School's Scholarships Committee with respect to any scholarships that may be awarded by or through the Centre.
Centre Meetings
16. An annual general meeting, open to all Centre members and notified publicly at least three weeks in advance of the meeting, must be held each academic year during term time. It should review the work of the Centre over the previous year and consider future plans for the Centre. It is the responsibility of the Chair to ensure that formal minutes of this meeting are kept and made available for inspection on request to members of the Centre.
17. Subject to public notice no less than ten working days in advance, the Chair (or, alternatively, at least three other members of the Advisory Committee) can convene an extraordinary general meeting to discuss any issues relating to the organisation, purposes and leadership of the Centre.
Amendment of the Constitution
18. The constitution of the Centre is subject to approval and periodic review by the Faculty Board. Amendments to the constitution can be proposed by a majority of members present at a duly notified annual general meeting or at an extraordinary general meeting called for the purpose, but they remain subject to ratification by the Faculty Board.
