Academic Council

Responsibility for the academic affairs of the University lies with the Academic Council, subject to review by the Governing Body. Members of the Academic Council include officers of theU niversity, senior academic staff and heads of department. The Academic Council has thefollowing responsibilities: 

•  to manage and carry out the curriculum, instruction and education afforded by the University;

•  to make recommendations for scholarships and other prizes;

• to carry out the regulations made by the Governing Body on the above matters;

• to regulate and carry out the discipline of the students of the University;

• to transact such other matters as may be committed to the Academic Council by the Governing Body.

The Universities Act states [1]:

Academic Council

27. (1) Each university shall have an academic council which shall, subject to the financial constraints determined by the governing authority and to review by that authority, control the academic affairs of the university, including  the curriculum of, and instruction and education provided by, the university. 

(2) Without limiting the generality of subsection(1), the functions of theacademic council shall include, within those constraints and consistent with the functions of the university and those applying to its academic council immediately before the commencement of this Part – 

• to design and develop programmes of study,

• to establish structures to implement those programmes,

• to make recommendations on programmes for the development of research,

• to make recommendations relating to the selection, admission, retention and exclusion of students generally,

• to propose the form and contents of statutes to be made relating to the academic affairs of the university, including the conduct of examinations, the determination of examination results, the procedures for appeals by students relating to the results of such examinations and the evaluation of academic progress,

• to make recommendations for the awarding of fellowships, scholarships, bursaries, prizes or other awards,

• to make general arrangements for tutorial or other academic counselling,

• to perform any other functions, not in conflict with this Act, which may be delegated to it by the governing authority, and

• to implement any statutes and regulations made by the governing authority relating to any of the matters referred to in this subsection.

28.  (1) The majority of members of the academic council shall be members of the academic staff of the university and, subject to subsection (2), the numbers, composition, selection, appointment and terms of office of members shall be provided for in a statute, which statute shall contain provisions for the inclusion on the academic council of –

• the senior member of staff having responsibility to the chief officer for each academic discipline, school or department as the governing authority determines or, in the case of Trinity College, the senior member of staff having responsibility to the chief officer for each faculty,

• members from what, in the opinion of the governing authority, is an appropriate range of levels of other academic staff from an appropriate range of academic disciplines, and

• an appropriate number of students.

(2) The composition and terms of office of members of an academic council to be first appointed under this Act shall be determined in consultation with the members of the academic council of the relevant, constituent college or recognised College holding office immediately before the commencement of this Part or, in the case of an educational institution established under section 9 as a university after that commencement, with the members of the academic council (by whatever name known) of that institution holding office immediately before the date on which the educational institution was so established  as a university.

 (3)The chief officer and the senior officer of the university responsible to the chief officer for academic affairs shall be, ex officio, members of the academic council.

29. (1) Subject to this Act and any directions of the governing authority, an academic council shall hold such meetings as it thinks necessary to perform its functions and may regulate its own procedure.

(2) The chief officer shall be entitled to preside at all meetings of the academic council or a committee of the council at which he or she is present, but if the chief officer at any time chooses not to so preside, he or she shall nominate a person to preside in his or her place.

(3) An academic council may establish such and so many committees as it thinks necessary to assist it in the performance of its functions.

(4) A committee may consist either wholly of members of the academic council or such combination of members and non-members as the academic council thinks fit.

30. (1) An academic council (by whatever name known) of a university, constituent college or recognised College holding office immediately before the commencement of this Part shall, after that commencement and notwithstanding the repeal of any provision of an enactment under which it was constituted, continue to exist as if that provision had never been repealed.

(2) An academic council continued in existence under subsection (1), shall be the academic council for the university, with all the powers of an academic council under this Act, until an academic council for the university is established in accordance with this Chapter or the day which is one year from the date of commencement of this Part, whichever is earlier.”