- The General Assembly appoint a College Board to become functional immediately after the 1996 General Assembly.
- The General Assembly declare the membership of The College Board shall be as follows:-
2.1 The College Board will consist of twelve members and will be constituted as follows:
2.1.1 three ministers in pastoral charges, appointed by the General Assembly on a synodical basis and on the basis of Presbytery returns to the Nominations Committee;
2.1.2 three elders, having relevant qualifications or experience in education, preferably tertiary education, or in the administration and promotion of education. These elders shall be appointed by the General Assembly on the basis of Presbytery returns;
2.1.3 the Principal of the College and the President of the Students’ Representative Council ex officio;
2.1.4 two members of the Senatus, other than the Principal, appointed annually by the Senatus;
2.1.5 one of the General Trustees nominated as their representative; and
2.1.6 the Convener and the Vice-Convener of the Training of the Ministry Committee.
2.2 The Chairman of the Board and the Clerk will be appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Nominations Committee from amongst the membership of the Board. Members of the Senatus are excluded from both posts. No honorarium will be payable.
2.3 The normal period of service for members appointed in terms of 3.1 will be four years, renewable for a further four years. Initially, the appointees in these categories will have their99 length of appointment determined by lot by the Nominations Committee so that no more then two fall to be replaced after any one of the first four years.
2.4 Statutory meetings of the Board will be held twice yearly, with a full day being allocated to the business on each occasion. Other meetings may be held as required.
- The General Assembly declare that the College Board will report annually to the General Assembly. This report will include, as an item, the Principal’s report.
- The General Assembly declare that the continuing remit of the Training of the Ministry Committee shall be:
4.1 To receive and process all applications of candidates for the Free Church Ministry.
4.2 To interview all candidates applying for the Free Church Ministry.
4.3 To advise all pre-College recognised students for the Free Church Ministry of the subjects which should be studied during their pre-College course(s).
4.4 To examine and assess students’ College work through the appointment of examiners, responsible to and reporting to, the Training of the Ministry Committee.
4.5 To administer the scheme for the placement of students.
4.6 To administer the applications for, and allocations of, grants/bursaries to students.
4.7 To deal with accusations of heresy or immorality on the part of any of the Professors at the Free Church College.
- The General Assembly, to this end, amend and repeal the following Acts effective from the close of the 1996 General Assembly:-
5.1 Act I – Class I 1936. The General Assembly now declare that the powers under the Training of the Ministry in part III shall hereafter be undertaken by the College Board.
5.2 Act IV – Class II 1894 (amended as cited in Act VI, Class II, 1979, paragraph 6), repeal “The Committee on Training of the Ministry are authorised to undertake the general administration of College property and finances”.
5.3 Act XXI – Class II 1967 (and as cited in Act VI, Class II 1979, paragraphs 10 and 13) for “Training of the Ministry” read “College Board” and for “the Committee” read “the Board”.
5.4 Act XIV – Class II 1974 (as cited in Act VI, Class II 1979, paragraph 22 on page 31) for “Training of the Ministry” read “College Board”.
5.5 Act XV – Class II 1974 (as amended by Act XXXV, Class II 1977, paragraph 18 and its subsections), replace “Training of the Ministry and Admissions Committee” with “The College Board”.
5.6 Act XVII – Class II 1978 (as cited in Act VI, Class II 1979, paragraph 20), amend the sentence “In these circumstances the Training of the Ministry Committee shall ….” to read “In these circumstances, the Senatus shall, with the concurrence of the new Professor and the College Board, invite the retiring Professor to take charge of the senior class for one year only, with the status of Visiting Professor, who shall be associated with the Senatus (with voice but not vote)”.
5.7 Act IV – Class II 1979 IV2, add at close of this section “The Principal is ex officio a member of the College Board”; V3, second sentence, replace “the Committee designated by the Assembly to supervise the training of the Ministry” with “the Training of the Ministry Committee and the College Board”.
5.8 Act VII – Class II 1979 (as amended by Act XX, Class II, 1987), paragraph 2, repeal.
5.9 Act X – Class II 1979, paragraph 1, amend by omitting “and the College”, paragraph 2, amend by omitting “and the library”. Final paragraph – amend by adding between “the Clerks of’ and “the Committee on Sustentation” “the College Board and of”.
5.10 Act XXIX – Class II 1982 (amending Act XXIII, 1970, with regard to the College Library) repealed in toto.
5.11 Act XX – Class II 1985, repeal paragraph II.1 (as amended by Act XVIII, 1988). Amend V.1.3 to read, “To arrange jointly with the College Board for (1) Quinquennial Visitations of the College, (2) special visitation should unusual circumstances render that desirable, and (3) to review, as occasion arises, the adequacy of the number of Chairs and their respective areas of teaching”. Repeal V.1.4. Amend V.1.5 to read, “To administer finances as needed to support Free Church students in their studies at the College and in such other study as the Committee approves of’.
5.12 Act XX – Class II 1986, third sentence, for “Training of the Ministry Committee” substitute “College Board”.
5.13 Act XX – Class II 1987, repealed in toto.
5.14 Act XVIII – Class II 1988, repealed in toto, also see mention above in Act XX, Class II 1985, paragraph II.1.
5.15 Act XXI – Class II 1988, paragraph 1.2.1 for “Training of the Ministry Committee” substitute “College Board”.
5.16 Act IV – Class II 1994, paragraphs 3.3.2; 4.3 and 7, amend to read “College Board” instead of “Training of the Ministry Committee”.