From at least 1969 to early 1973 the Department of Botany held regular staff meetings; these were formal meetings with agendas and minutes which discussed a wide range of issues. They were superseded by the Departmental Board of the Department of Botany created in 1973 according to the terms of the revised charter of the University of Manchester. All full -time academic members of the Department were members of the Board. The Board discussed matters of common interest to members of the Department including teaching and research activities, buildings, performance of students and had advisory powers of allocation of staff duties, finance and equipment, including the annual departmental estimates. The Botany Board first met on 21 March 1973. The Board met several times each academic session, and papers of other related committee such as the staff-student committee and the health and safety committee would be issued to members.
Minutes of the staff meetings exist from 1969 onwards, although it appears that the meetings took place at an earlier date than this. The Board minutes are loose leaf and include correspondence and papers relating to the Board's work as well as minutes and agenda. The papers were maintained by the secretary of the Board. The work of the Board ceased with the abolition of the Department in 1986.