Navigating University Management Committees and the Meeting Structures

While every university will have different names for the numerous meetings held at
all levels, their composition and remit are likely to be essentially the same across the higher
education sector. It is probably the case for most that, on starting one's first appointment at a university as a member of academic staff, you think that all your time will be taken up with teaching, teaching preparation, dealing with students, various bits of admin and research, the balance of all of these activities varying depending on what time of year it is and what the focus of the role you have been appointed to is (for example teaching or research focused). What goes on behind the scenes at universities, structurally and strategically, may not need to cross the mind
of a newly appointed lecturer at the outset and may seem somewhat of a mystery - however the more senior you get on even a very academically focused career path, the more dealings you will have with meetings on all kinds of topics at all kinds of levels.