What else do I need to know about being on VN Council?
Term lengths, meeting frequency and financial loss allowance.
- Each elected member serves a three-year term, although some VN Council members may decide to retire early for personal reasons. There is a maximum limit of three consecutive terms on VN Council with a mandatory two-year break being required before a person may stand again. Under the Code of Conduct for Council and Committee Members a mechanism is in place so that Council members may be investigated and potentially removed for issues relating to poor conduct/behaviour.
- How much time a VN Council member spends on VN Council business during their term depends on the committees and working parties on which they are asked to sit. VN Council generally sits four times a year, as do most RCVS committees.
- You may also be asked to join a working party on a particular issue, and there may be other College events and activities that you can attend on a voluntary basis. On average, therefore, successful candidates might expect to spend around eight-to-ten days a year on VN Council business in terms of formal meetings during their first year on VN Council. Additional time will be required to keep on top of emails, read paperwork etc.
- As your VN Council career develops, you may be required to take a more active role meaning that you may be expected to spend more than the average days a year on VN Council business, for example, if you become a Committee member or are asked to attend VN graduation ceremonies to lead newly-qualified veterinary nurses through their professional declarations.
- In 2027, VN Council meetings are scheduled for February, May, September and November. VN Council members are also invited to attend the RCVS Annual General Meeting in July. VN Education Committee meets six times a year. Subcommittees and working parties meet on a more ad hoc basis.
- The RCVS tries its utmost to be a family-friendly environment, both for staff and VN Council members. Council and committee meetings are planned at least a year in advance, although additional meetings may be added at shorter notice. For example, the recent Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) work had required a number of extra-ordinary Council meetings beyond those scheduled throughout the year. Generally, there are fewer meetings during the holiday periods because we follow an academic calendar.
- VN Council members are not paid directly for the work they do. However, we do have a financial loss allowance which is intended to compensate for lost earnings as a result of attending to RCVS business. For Council and committee members attending in-person meetings, the claim rate takes into consideration commuting time. Financial loss allowance rates are reviewed annually and updated on Royal College Day - our Annual General Meeting – every July.
- Additional reading/administration time can be claimed at the end of the College year if the meetings have been attended:
- VN Council members – one day
- VN Education Committee members – one day
- Chairs of VN Council and VN Education Committee – two days (in total per committee, not in addition to being a member of the same committee)
- Other RCVS Council Committees (as VN Council representatives) – one day
- Reasonable expenses are covered for VN Council and committee work, including an overnight stays if that is required.