ORDINANCE 10
THE SENATE
1. In accordance with Article 17 of the Charter, the Senate shall, subject to the general superintendence and control of the Council, be the body responsible for the academic activity of the University.
2. Pursuant to Article 17 of the Charter, the terms of reference of the Senate shall be:
Academic standards
(a) To establish the requirements for degrees and other awards made under the Charter and to put in place procedures and boards for the consideration of such awards.
(b) To approve regulations relating to the admission, assessment and operation of all programmes, modules and awards.
(c) To approve procedures for approval and amendment of programmes and modules leading to awards of the University and the University of London.
(d) To approve procedures for the withdrawal of programmes and modules.
(e) To consider and approve or advise on as applicable strategies and policies designed to ensure the academic quality of programmes, including the teaching, learning and assessment strategy.
(f) To receive reports on procedures that relate to academic standards, academic quality and the quality of the student experience and recommend appropriate action in the light of these reports.
(g) To approve provisions for the operation and award of prizes as applicable.
Academic freedom
(h) To approve policies to support and foster academic freedom in relation to the academic activity of the University and to report to Council on matters of concern in relation to the provision of academic freedom.
Research
(i) To consider and approve or advise on as applicable the research strategy and policies for research.
(j) To approve regulations relating to the admission, supervision, assessment and operation of postgraduate research programmes in addition to those provided for under Academic Standards above.
(k) To approve in place structures and procedures for the consideration of research ethics.
Academic organisation
(l) To advise the President and Principal and the Council on matters related to the academic organisation of Queen Mary.
(m) To approve procedures for establishing, monitoring and disestablishing institutes, centres or units within the academic organisation set out in Ordinance 9 for particular research or education purposes.
Other
(n) To advise the Council on the conferral of Fellowships and Honorary Degrees of the University upon the recommendation of the appropriate committee.
(o) To regulate the conduct of students and receive reports from the Student Disciplinary and Fitness to Practise Committees.
(p) To advise on any other matter referred to it by the Council or other relevant matters that have a bearing on the academic policy of the University.
3. Pursuant to Article 17 of the Charter, the membership of the Senate shall be as follows:
(a) the President and Principal shall be the Chair of the Senate;
(b) the Vice-Principals, the Deans for Education and the Deans for Research shall all be ex-officio members;
(c) the Heads of Schools and Directors of Institutes listed in paragraph 1 of Ordinance 9 shall all be ex officio members;
(d) the President of the Students’ Union and the Vice-Presidents of the Students’ Union for Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Engineering, and Barts and The London shall all be ex officio members;
(e) elected members of academic staff so that there is an overall elected majority and an even number of members from each of the three Faculties listed in paragraph 1 of Ordinance 9 across the elected and ex officio membership.
4. The call for nominations and elections for elected members of the Senate shall be conducted by the Secretary to Council as follows.
(a) All current staff employed in the relevant part of the academic organisation on academic or research staff terms and conditions, apart from the Senior Officers of the University, shall be entitled to stand for election and vote.
(b) Where more than one person stands for election, the Secretary to Council shall conduct an electronic ballot using the single transferable vote method. Elections shall normally be held one semester prior to the end of the term of office of a current elected member of the Senate.
(c) The term of office for an elected member of the Senate shall be four years commencing from the date of his/her appointment to the Senate, following the election, and extendable by one further period of four years, subject to re-election. A new member of the Senate who is elected to fill a casual vacancy shall commence a new term of office of four years and be eligible for re-election in the same way as other members.
(d) An elected member of the Senate may resign by writing to the Chair of Senate or the Secretary to Council. An elected member who does not attend for twelve consecutive calendar months shall be deemed to have resigned unless the Senate decides otherwise.
5. Senate may establish such Boards and Committees with such terms of reference as it considers appropriate for the discharge of its responsibilities.
6. Senate shall make Regulations to regulate its proceedings and those of its Boards and Committees.
7. The Secretary to Council shall be entitled to attend all meetings of the Senate, its Boards and Committees, unless this would result in a conflict of interest that cannot otherwise be resolved. Others may attend at the invitation of the chair.
Approved by the Council with effect from 1 August 2024.