Academic Council

Academic Council has a total of 120 members. The membership is reflective of our academic and research community. It includes elected membership on a College basis, with representatives across all the academic grades, including researcher, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Professorial grades, as well as Heads of School and students. In addition, there is an ex officio membership which includes UMT members with portfolios aligned to the work of Academic Council, Directors of Academic Support Units and the Executive Deans of the Colleges.  Academic Council is chaired by the President.

Section 27 of the Irish Universities Act 1997 provides that ‘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’.

Academic Council:

-          designs and develops programmes of study and establishes structures to implement those programmes,

-          provides advice to Údarás na hOllscoile on all Statutes and Regulations, including those which determine the academic governance and management structures of the University

-          makes recommendations on programmes for the development of research

-          makes recommendations relating to the selection, admission, retention and exclusion of students

-          provides academic direction with regard to various strategic opportunities including the University’s response to sector-led Higher Education initiatives, Strategic Planning, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion activities, etc.

-          sets academic policy with regard to all aspects of the University’s research and teaching & learning agendas

-          advises the Governing Authority on the details of various academic promotion and progression schemes and academic grade structures

Academic Council meets five times per year to consider reports from all of the core academic and academic support units, and to make decisions on matters of academic policy, procedures and planning. A number of Sub-Committees support its work. These are: Academic Council Standing Committee (which has three Sub-Committees of its own), Teaching & Learning Committee, Quality Enhancement Committee, Library Strategy Committee, Research and Innovation Committee and International Committee.

The Academic Council Standing Orders (link) describe the role of Academic Council members, how meetings are conducted and how decisions are made. Each of the Sub-Committees has specific responsibilities as set out in their Terms of Reference.