Academic Council & Sub Committees

Academic Council 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. The functions of Academic Council shall include: 

1.1 to design and develop programmes of study 

1.2 to establish structures to implement those programmes 

1.3 to make recommendations on programmes for the development of research 

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

1.5 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 

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

1.7 to make general arrangements for tutorial or other academic counselling 

1.8 to perform any other functions, not in conflict with the Universities Act, 1997, which may be delegated to it by the Governing Authority, and 

1.9 to implement any statutes and regulations made by the Governing Authority relating to any of the matters referred in this subsection  Academic Council normally meets five times in the academic year.

By decision of the Governing Authority of Dublin City University on 9 June 2005, and subsequent decisions of Academic Council, including the decision made at the meeting of Academic Council of 5 December 2012 and approved at the Governing Authority meeting of 14 February 2013, and including changes which came about as consequence of Incorporation, the membership of Academic Council is determined as follows: 

2.1 Ex officio members: 

• President – Chair
• Vice-President Academic Affairs (Registrar) – Deputy Chair
• Member of Academic Affairs’ Secretariat – Secretary
• Deputy President
• Deputy Registrar     
• Vice-President for Research
• Academic Secretary
• Executive Deans of Faculty (x5)
• Dean of Graduate Studies
• Dean of Strategic Learning Innovation
• Dean of Teaching and Learning
• Chair of Examination Appeals Board
• DCU Chair of Digital Learning
• Representative of Faculty Administration
• Student’s Union Vice-President for Academic Life       

2.2 Members selected from Directors of Units 

• Five members selected from the Directors of Units 

2.3 Members selected by Faculties 

• Fifteen members of academic staff from each Executive Faculty      

2.4 Elected student members:  Seven members, one each from the following: 

• DCU Business School
• DCU Institute of Education
• Faculty of Engineering and Computing
• Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Science and Health
• Postgraduate research students
• Postgraduate taught programme students   

2.5 Co-option 

There is provision for the co-option of a further three members to Academic Council, should the Chair deem this to be necessary. 

2.6 Changes to post titles 

In the event that University structures change, and changes ensue to the titles of the posts above, consequent changes shall be made to the membership of Council, under the direction of the Chair and subject to approval by the Governing Authority. 

2.7 Codicils with respect to membership 

• 2.7.1      Members selected from Directors of Unit: 
  • This group must include:
    • Director of Quality Promotion
    • Director of Registry
    • Director of Student Support and Development

The selection of the remaining two members is a matter for all Directors of Unit in consultation with the Chief Operations Officer. 

• 2.7.2 Members selected by Faculties: 
  • The method of selection of these members is a matter for Faculties subject to the following conditions: 
  • The group of fifteen from each Faculty should be drawn from an appropriate range of levels of academic staff from an appropriate range of academic disciplines, but must include: 
    • The Associate Dean for Research
    • The Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning/Education
    • Each Head of School (or Group in the case of DCUBS)
    • A minimum of four faculty members who have significant responsibility for taught programmes     
  • Academic staff members selected from Faculties normally hold office for three years. 

2.8 Elected student members 

Elections for officers of the Students’ Union take place in Semester 2 of each academic year in accordance with approved procedures. The officers’ term runs for one year, from 1 June to 31 May.     

2.9 Membership Status 

All members of Academic Council are members in their own right and are not on the Council as representatives. 

2.10 Substitution of Representation 

Substitution of representation is not permitted as a matter of course. If, however, a member wishes to speak to an agenda item and cannot be present, a substitute may attend for that item subject to permission from the Chair.  

3.1 Academic Council shall be re-constituted every three years, i.e. 2013, 2016, etc., normally at the end of the academic years 2012/13, 2015/16, etc. Within each three-year period, where an ex officio member steps down from University office, he/she will cease to be a member of Academic Council and will be replaced by the new office-holder. 

3.2 The names of academic staff members selected by Executive Faculties should be notified to the Office of the Vice-President Academic Affairs (Registrar) by the end of August of the relevant academic year. 

3.3 Any vacancy should be filled within one month of it arising and the Office of the Vice President Academic Affairs (Registrar) will update the membership accordingly.    

Meetings of Academic Council shall be conducted in accordance with its Standing Orders in force at the time and as agreed by Academic Council.  

5.1 Academic Council may establish such and so many committees as it thinks necessary to assist it in the performance of its functions. 

5.2 A committee may consist either wholly of members of Academic Council or of such combination of members and non-members as Academic Council thinks fit.  

6.1 Chair, secretariat 

• 6.1.1 The President is Chair of the Council. In the absence of the Chair from a meeting, the VicePresident Academic Affairs (Registrar), as Deputy Chair, or such other person as may be  determined by the President, will chair that meeting. 

• 6.1.2 A member of the Academic Affairs’ Secretariat is Secretary to the Council. 

6.2 Meetings 

• 6.2.1 A schedule of meetings for each academic year is noted by Executive in advance of that year. 

• 6.2.2 Additional meetings can be convened either (i) by the Council at one of its scheduled meetings; (ii) by the Chair; or (iii) by a request to the Chair signed by at least one quarter of the members of the Council and submitted at least ten working days in advance of the proposed date of the meeting. 

• 6.2.3 The normal duration of meetings will be not more than two hours. A motion to extend a meeting beyond this duration must be agreed by at least two-thirds of the members present and voting. 

6.3 Agenda 

• 6.3.1 The agenda is divided into three sections: 
  • A Adoption of the agenda, minutes of the previous meeting and matters arising from these minutes; minutes of subcommittees
  • B Policy and strategy issues
  • C Items for formal approval or noting. 

The members of the Council will, in advance of each meeting and by a specified deadline, be requested to notify the Secretary of any items in Section C that they wish to have discussed at the meeting. All items not so notified will be deemed, at the meeting, to be approved or noted, as appropriate, without discussion. 

• 6.3.2 The first item of business at each meeting will be the adoption of the agenda. 

• 6.3.3 Any member may request to have an item placed on the agenda for a meeting of the Council. The item must be submitted to the Secretary in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. 

6.4 Minutes 

• 6.4.1 The Secretary will keep minutes of every meeting of the Council and will circulate these in draft form to all members in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. 

6.5 Documents 

• 6.5.1 All documents for circulation to the members of the Council will be submitted to the Secretary in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. Documents (or draft agenda items or questions) given to the Chair will be considered to have been given to the Secretary. The Secretary will cause documents for a meeting to be circulated in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. 

• 6.5.2 A document may be tabled at a meeting provided it relates to one of the agenda items for the meeting and provided two-thirds of the members present agree to its being tabled. 

6.6 Quorum and attendance 

• 6.6.1 A meeting will not commence until at least one third of the members are present. If a quorum is not forthcoming, the Chair will set an alternative date for the meeting. 

• 6.6.2 The Chair may invite non-members of the Council to attend for specific items on the agenda. 

6.7 Mode of address 

• 6.7.1 Speakers will always address the Chair. While a member is speaking, other members will be silent. 

6.8 Motions 

• 6.8.1 A motion is a proposal which is put forward. A resolution is the acceptance of a motion by a meeting. 

• 6.8.2 For a motion to be put to a meeting, it requires a proposer and a seconder. A motion from the Chair does not require a seconder. 

• 6.8.3 For an amendment to a motion to be put, it requires a proposer and a seconder. An amendment will be put to a vote before the original motion. 

• 6.8.4 If an amendment is not carried, the Chair will put the motion in its original form to a vote. If an amendment is carried, the Chair will put the amended motion to the meeting. Before a motion or an amendment is put to a vote, the Secretary will read out the text to be voted on. 

6.9 Voting 

• 6.9.1 Where a motion has been put to the meeting, the Chair will ask the Council whether or not it assents, and the decision will normally be by acclamation. Where there appears to be a division, the Chair will call for a vote; such a vote may also be requested by any member. The results of voting will be counted and recorded by the Secretary. 

• 6.9.2 It is open to any member to propose a motion demanding a secret ballot and this motion, if seconded, can be dealt with in the usual way. 

• 6.9.3 The number of votes for and against a motion, and the number of abstentions, will be recorded in the minutes. 

• 6.9.4 If the votes for and against a proposal are equal, the Chair has an additional, casting vote as Chair. 

6.10 Points of order and closure 

• 6.10.1 A member may, at any time and without notice, interrupt debate by raising a ‘point of order’. The Chair will decide whether the point of order is admissible, and his/her ruling will be final. 

• 6.10.2 A motion for closure, if seconded in the usual way, must be put to the vote at once, without being discussed. 

6.11 Emergency items 

• 6.11.1 Any member may seek to add an item to the agenda as an emergency item. An emergency item can only be one which could not have been foreseen in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year and which must be resolved before the next scheduled meeting. A vote must be held on every proposal for an emergency item to be inscribed, and for it to be inscribed, it must get the assenting votes of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting. Members may vote only for or against the inscription of an emergency item; members abstaining will not be considered, for the purposes of the vote, to be ‘present and voting’. 

• 6.11.2 Occasionally, it may be appropriate to deal electronically with an urgent item which needs to be resolved before the next scheduled meeting. The permission of the Chair to do this must be sought in all cases. If permission is granted, the Secretary will cause the documentation relating to the item to be circulated and will request responses by a specified date and time. After the deadline has passed, the Secretary will inform the Council of the outcome of the discussion. The outcome will be noted in the minutes of the next scheduled meeting. 

6.12 Questions 

• 6.12.1 Any member of staff may submit a question relevant to the work of the Council for reply at the Council. Questions must be e-mailed to the Secretary in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. The Chair will judge if a question is relevant to the work of the Council and, if it is, he/she will circulate it to all members at least five working days in advance of the meeting. If he/she decides that a question is not relevant, he/she must inform the next meeting of Academic Council of the text of the question and why it was judged not to be relevant. Questions may be answered either orally or in writing. The minutes of each meeting will record the text of all questions and replies. 

• 6.12.2 A question may be submitted as an emergency question under the same conditions and following the same procedure as set out in the foregoing paragraph on emergency items.  

6.13 Other business

The rubric ‘other business’ on each agenda will be used only (a) to inform the meeting of agenda items which are proposed for the next meeting or (b) to convey briefly other items of information of a factual nature. 

6.14 Interpretation

Where a dispute arises as to the interpretation of these orders, the decision of the Chair is final.

The Education Committee (EC), established in 2008 by the University’s Executive, is responsible for the shaping of University strategy in relation to academic affairs. It is a subcommittee of Academic Council and makes recommendations to Council on academic affairs, including validation proposals for new programmes, as appropriate and necessary. It also makes recommendations to Executive, as appropriate and necessary, on matters relating to academic affairs that also come within the purview of Executive. 

The EC may delegate some of its functions to its Standing Committee (the Education Committee Standing Committee, or ECSC). 

The minutes of EC meetings, once approved by the EC, are sent to Academic Council for approval.  The minutes of ECSC meetings are appended to the minutes of EC meetings once approved by the EC, and are thereby sent to Academic Council for approval. Validation reports (see Section 2.3 below) are submitted separately to Academic Council for approval.  

​​​​The remit of the EC includes: 

2.1 In the context of, and taking account of developments in, overarching University strategic planning: 

• 2.1.1 engaging in strategic planning in relation to academic affairs

• 2.1.2 determining a list of core strategic matters, relating to academic affairs, for discussion in the course of the year

• 2.1.3 making recommendations in respect of these core strategic matters. 

2.2 Maintaining oversight of the University’s suite of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to: 

• 2.2.1 ascertain trends in terms of student recruitment, retention, progression and graduation (including overall size and balance of (a) undergraduate and postgraduate provision and (b) EU and non-EU student participation

• 2.2.2 identify (a) areas of duplication (within and across Faculties); (b) areas in which no programmes exist though the University has expertise; (c) areas of actual or potential cross-Faculty or cross-institutional co-operation

• 2.2.3 recommend the retirement of programmes as appropriate and necessary

• 2.2.4 stimulate developments and collaboration on the basis of the above.  

2.3 In the context of 2.2 above: 

• 2.3.1 in the case of validation proposals approved by Faculties for new programmes, making recommendations as to whether or not they should be approved for further development (including development towards accreditation, where appropriate)

• 2.3.2 in the case of validation proposals involving one or more proposed partner institutions, ensuring the fulfilment of the University’s obligations with respect to collaborative provision (in conjunction with  the Office of the Executive Director of Engagement, as appropriate and necessary) and making recommendations as to whether or not the proposals should be approved for further development (including development towards accreditation, where appropriate)

• 2.3.3 in the case of proposals for other kinds of collaboration with external partner institutions, and subsequent to and/or in parallel with the University’s approved procedures for ascertaining the appropriateness of external institutions as partners, making recommendations as to whether or not the proposals should be approved

• 2.3.4 making recommendations about proposed revisions to existing programmes following approval of such revisions by Faculties. 

2.4 In conjunction with DCU Research and the Graduate Studies Office, and taking account of national and international developments with respect to graduate research (including initiatives undertaken on a collaborative basis with other institutions), reviewing the University’s position with respect to such research and making recommendations as to its scope, focus and future directions. 

2.5 Ensuring the fulfilment of the University’s obligations under the Quality and Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 2012 with respect to the approval, monitoring and review of the quality assurance procedures of Linked Providers of the University.  

The Education Standing Committee meets in the week following each Education Committee meeting.  The remit of the ECSC includes: 

3.1 Considering any and all matters delegated to it that arise from the remit of the EC as outlined under Section 2 above and making recommendations, as appropriate and necessary, to the EC.  

4.1 The membership is as follows:

• Vice-President Academic Affairs (Registrar) - Chair
• Member of Academic Affairs’ Secretariat – Secretary
• Deputy Registrar
• Dean of Teaching and Learning
• Dean of Graduate Studies
• Dean of Strategic Learning Innovation
• DCU Chair of Digital Learning
• Academic Secretary
• Executive Deans of Faculty
• Vice-President for Research 
• Director of Quality Promotion and Institutional Research
• Director of Student Support and Development
• A representative of the Associate Deans for Teaching & Learning
• Student’s Union Vice-President for Academic Life
• A member elected from Academic Council 

4.2 The Deputy President and the Institutional Analysis and Research Officer are not members of the EC but may attend meetings. 

4.3 Substitution of representation is not permitted as a matter of course. If, however, a member wishes to speak to an agenda item and cannot be present, a substitute may attend for that item subject to permission from the Chair. 

4.4 The representative from the Associate Deans for Teaching and Learning will be agreed among this group, and his/her identity notified by the group to the Secretary. At the end of each academic year, the group of Associate Deans for Teaching and Learning will be asked to nominate their representative for the coming year (who may be the current representative). 

4.5 The member elected by Academic Council will remain a member of the Education Committee for three years from the date of election, at which point a new nomination/election procedure will take place. 

4.6 Elections for officers of the Students’ Union take place in Semester 2 of each academic year in accordance with approved procedures. The officers’ term runs for one year, from 1 June to 31 May. 

4.7 Directors of units of particular relevance to the work of the EC, e.g. the Director of Information Systems and Services or the University Librarian, will not be members but will be invited to make presentations to the EC as and when appropriate. 

4.8 The membership of the ECSC must include, for each meeting, a minimum of two Executive Deans and a minimum of two other members who are not Deans. The Dean(s) of Faculty from which a validation proposal and/or a revised programme is submitted for consideration cannot be a member of an ECSC meeting at which these matters are considered. Such Deans may form part of the group of proposers which speaks to a validation proposal at the request of the ECSC. The same applies to the Associate Dean(s) for Teaching and Learning. Schedules of attendance per meeting may need to be adjusted to take account of this. 

4.9 As and when necessary, a senior member of Finance Office, and/or senior member of the Office of the Chief Operations Officer will be invited to attend ECSC meetings. 

5.1 Chair, secretariat   

• 5.1.1 The Vice-President Academic Affairs (Registrar) is Chair of the Education Committee.   In the absence of the Chair from a meeting, the Deputy Registrar or Dean of Teaching and Learning will chair the meeting. 

• 5.1.2 A member of the Academic Affairs Secretariat is Secretary to the Committee. 

5.2 Meetings 

• 5.2.1 A schedule of meetings for each academic year is noted by Executive in advance of that year. 

• 5.2.2 Additional meetings can be convened either (i) by the Committee at one of its scheduled meetings; (ii) by the Chair; (iii) by a request to the Chair signed by at least one one-third of the members of the Committee and submitted at least ten working days in advance of the proposed date of the meeting. 

• 5.2.3 The normal duration of meetings will be not more than two hours. 

5.3 Agenda 

• 5.3.1 The first item of business at each meeting will be the adoption of the agenda. 

• 5.3.2 The agenda is divided into three sections:  A Adoption of the agenda, minutes of the previous meeting and matters arising from these minutes B Strategic matters  C Programme and module specific matters 

• 5.3.3 Any member may request to have an item placed on the agenda for a meeting of the Committee. The item must be submitted to the Secretary in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. 

5.4 Minutes 

The Secretary will keep minutes of every meeting of the Committee and will circulate these in draft form to all members in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. 

5.5 Documents 

• 5.5.1 All documents for circulation to the members of the Committee must be submitted to the Secretary in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year.  Documents (or draft agenda items or questions) given to the Chair will be considered to have been given to the Secretary. The Secretary will cause documents for a meeting to be circulated in accordance with the schedule of notification/ submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. 5  

• 5.5.2 A document may be tabled at a meeting provided it relates to one of the agenda items for the meeting and provided two-thirds of the members present agree to its being tabled. 

• 5.5.3 Documents will be made available in electronic format only. 

5.6 Quorum and attendance 

• 5.6.1 A meeting will not commence until at least one third of the members are present. If a quorum is not forthcoming, the Chair will set an alternative date for the meeting. 

• 5.6.2 The Chair may invite non-members of the EC to attend for specific items of the agenda. 

5.7 Mode of address  Speakers will always address the Chair. While a member is speaking, other members will be silent. 

5.8 Motions 

• 5.8.1 A motion is a proposal which is put forward.  A resolution is the acceptance of a motion by a meeting. 

• 5.8.2 For a motion to be put to a meeting, it requires a proposer and a seconder.  A motion from the Chair does not require a seconder. 

• 5.8.3 For an amendment to a motion to be put, it requires a proposer and a seconder. An amendment will be put to a vote before the original motion. 

• 5.8.4 If an amendment is not carried, the Chair will put the motion in its original form to a vote. If an amendment is carried, the Chair will put the amended motion to the meeting.  Before a motion or an amendment is put to a vote, the Secretary will read out the text to be voted on. 

5.9 Voting 

• 5.9.1 Where a motion has been put to the meeting, the Chair will ask the Committee whether or not it assents, and the decision will normally be by acclamation. Where there appears to be a division, the Chair will call for a vote; such a vote may also be requested by any member. The results of voting will be counted and recorded by the Secretary. 

• 5.9.2 It is open to any member to propose a motion demanding a secret ballot and this motion, if seconded, can be dealt with in the usual way. 

• 5.9.3 The number of votes for and against a motion, and the number of abstentions, will be recorded in the minutes. 

• 5.9.4 If the votes for and against a proposal are equal, the Chair has an additional, casting, vote as Chair.  

5.10 Points of order and closure 

• 5.10.1 A member may, at any time and without notice, interrupt debate by raising a ‘point of order’. The Chair will decide whether the point of order is admissible, and his/her ruling will be final. 

• 5.10.2 A motion for closure, if seconded in the usual way, must be put to the vote at once, without being discussed. 

5.11 Emergency items 

• 5.11.1 Any member may seek to add an item to the agenda as an emergency item. An emergency item can only be one which could not have been foreseen in accordance with the schedule of notification/circulation/submission of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year and which must be resolved before the next scheduled meeting. A vote must be held on every proposal for an emergency item to be inscribed, and for it to be inscribed it must get the assenting votes of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting. Members may vote only for or against the inscription of an emergency item; members abstaining will not be considered, for the purposes of the vote, to be ‘present and voting’. 

• 5.11.2 Occasionally, it may be appropriate to deal electronically with an urgent item which needs to be resolved before the next scheduled meeting. In such an instance, the Secretary will cause the documentation relating to the item to be circulated and will request responses by a specified date and time. After the deadline has passed, the Secretary will inform the Committee of the outcome of the discussion. The outcome will be noted in the minutes of the next scheduled meeting. 

5.12 Other business 

The rubric ‘other business’ on each agenda will be used only (a) to inform the meeting of agenda items which are proposed for the next following meeting or (b) to convey briefly other items of information of a factual nature. 

5.13 Interpretation 

Where a dispute arises as to the interpretation of these orders, the decision of the Chair is final. 

The University Standards Committee was established by a decision of Executive on 6 April 2006.

The minutes of USC meetings, once approved by the USC, are sent to Academic Council for approval.

The University Standards Committee is responsible to Academic Council for development, maintenance and review of University academic regulations and guidelines.

The remit of the USC includes:

• (i)           Oversight of the development and operation of University regulations and guidelines in relation to academic affairs, to include responsibility for University-level regulatory issues, such as examination regulations and derogations to Marks and Standards.

• (ii)          Oversight of academic affairs with a view to maintaining good practice.

• (iii)         Oversight of developments to the University’s academic framework (e.g. changes to the existing modular system).

• (iv)         Consideration of relevant matters arising from minutes of Faculty Teaching/ Education Committees, to include:
  • requests for derogations from Marks and Standards
  • requests for changes to examination regulations
  • requests for approval of nominations/ changes to duties of external examiners for taught programmes
  • requests for readmission to programmes of study of candidates who have exceeded the maximum registration period
  • regulatory issues as highlighted in external examiners’ reports and also relevant matters from quality reviews.

• (v)          Periodically reviewing and making recommendations in relation to the University’s policies on admissions, including CAO, non-traditional, access and international admissions.

• (vi)         Considering, and where appropriate making recommendations on, relevant issues submitted by the Students’ Union.

Consideration of the above matters may, on occasion, involve consideration and approval of the regulatory aspects of decisions taken by other committees such as the Education Committee and the Graduate Research Studies Board.

The USC normally meets six times in the academic year.

3.1      The Membership List

• Dean of Teaching and Learning - Chair
• Member of Academic Affairs’ Secretariat - Secretary
• Associate Deans for Teaching and Learning/Education
• Representative from the Associate Deans for Research
• Director of Registry
• Head of the Teaching Enhancement Unit
•  Student’s Union Vice President for Academic Life
• Representative of Faculty Administration
• One representative of the Director of the Library and the Director of Information

• Systems and Services, normally on a rotating basis per academic year

• One Head of School, who may be a Group Head or the Deputy Dean in the case of DCUBS
• Dean of Graduate Studies
• Such other members as may be co-opted from time to time

3.2      Substitution of representation

Substitution of representation is not permitted as a matter of course.  If, however, a member wishes to speak to an agenda item and cannot be present, a substitute may attend for that item subject to permission from the Chair.

3.3      Representative from the Associate Deans for Research

The representative from the Associate Deans for Research will be agreed among this group, and his/her identity notified by the group to the Secretary.  At the end of each academic year, the group of Associate Deans for Research will be asked to nominate their representative for the coming year (who may be the current representative).

3.4      Representative from Faculty Administration

The representative from Faculty Administration will be agreed by the Faculty Administration Peer Group, and his/her identity notified by the Group to the Secretary.  At the end of each academic year, the FAPG will be asked to nominate their representative for the coming year (who may be the current representative).

3.5      Head of School

The Head of School is nominated by the Deans of Faculty.  At the end of each academic year, the Deans of Faculty will be asked to nominate the representative Head for the coming year (who may be the current representative).

3.6      Students Union

Elections for officers of the Students’ Union take place in Semester 2 of each academic year in accordance with approved procedures.  The officers’ term runs for one year, from 15 June to 14 June.

4.1      Chair, secretariat

• 4.1.1      The Dean of Teaching and Learning is Chair of the USC.  In the absence of the Chair from a meeting, another person as may be determined by the Dean of Teaching and Learning will chair the meeting.

• 4.1.2      A member of the Academic Affairs’ Secretariat is Secretary to the Committee.

4.2      Meetings

• 4.2.1      A schedule of meetings for each academic year is noted by Executive in advance of that year.

• 4.2.2      Additional meetings can be convened either (i) by the Committee at one of its scheduled meetings; (ii) by the Chair; (iii) by a request to the Chair signed by at least one one-third of the members of the Committee and submitted at least ten working days in advance of the proposed date of the meeting.

• 4.2.3      The normal duration of meetings will be not more than two hours.

4.3      Agenda

• 4.3.1      The first item of business at each meeting will be the adoption of the agenda.

• 4.3.2      The agenda is divided into three sections:
  • A             Adoption of the agenda, minutes of the previous meeting and matters arising from these minutes
  • B            External examiner nominations, and issues submitted by Faculty Teaching and Learning/Education Committees (see 2 (iv) above)
  • C            Other issues (non-Faculty specific).  The first item in this section is always ‘Marks and Standards’.

• 4.3.3      Any member may request to have an item placed on the agenda for a meeting of the Committee.  Notification must be made to the Secretary in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year.

4.4      Minutes

The Secretary will keep minutes of every meeting of the Committee and will circulate these in draft form to all members in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year.

4.5      Documents

• 4.5.1      All documents for circulation to the members of the Committee must be submitted to the Secretary in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. Documents (or draft agenda items or questions) given to the Chair will be considered to have been given to the Secretary.  The Secretary will cause documents for a meeting to be circulated in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year.

• 4.5.2      A document may be tabled at a meeting provided it relates to one of the agenda items for the meeting and provided two-thirds of the members present agree to its being tabled.

• 4.5.3      Documents will normally be made available in electronic format only.

4.6      Quorum and attendance

• 4.6.1      A meeting will not commence until at least one third of the members are present.  If a quorum is not forthcoming, the Chair will set an alternative date for the meeting.

• 4.6.2      The Chair may invite non-members of the Committee to attend for specific items of the agenda.

4.7      Mode of address

Speakers will always address the Chair. While a member is speaking, other members will be silent.

4.8      Motions

• 4.8.1      A motion is a proposal which is put forward.  A resolution is the acceptance of a motion by a meeting.

• 4.8.2      For a motion to be put to a meeting, it requires a proposer and a seconder. A motion from the Chair does not require a seconder.

• 4.8.3      For an amendment to a motion to be put, it requires a proposer and a seconder.  An amendment will be put to a vote before the original motion.

• 4.8.4      If an amendment is not carried, the Chair will put the motion in its original form to a vote.  If an amendment is carried, the Chair will put the amended motion to the meeting.  Before a motion or an amendment is put to a vote, the Secretary will read out the text to be voted on.

4.9      Voting

• 4.9.1      Where a motion has been put to the meeting, the Chair will ask the Committee whether or not it assents, and the decision will normally be by acclamation.  Where there appears to be a division, the Chair will call for a vote; such a vote may also be requested by any member.  The results of voting will be counted and recorded by the Secretary.

• 4.9.2      It is open to any member to propose a motion demanding a secret ballot and this motion, if seconded, can be dealt with in the usual way.

• 4.9.3      The number of votes for and against a motion, and the number of abstentions, will be recorded in the minutes.

• 4.9.4      If the votes for and against a proposal are equal, the Chair has an additional, casting, vote as Chair.

4.10      Points of order and closure

• 4.10.1   A member may, at any time and without notice, interrupt debate by raising a ‘point of order’.  The Chair will decide whether the point of order is admissible, and his/her ruling will be final.

• 4.10.2   A motion for closure, if seconded in the usual way, must be put to the vote at once, without being discussed.

4.11      Emergency items

• 4.11.1   Any member may seek to add an item to the agenda as an emergency item.  An emergency item can only be one which could not have been foreseen in accordance with the schedule of notification/circulation/submission of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year and which must be resolved before the next scheduled meeting.   A vote  must be held on every proposal for an emergency item to be inscribed, and for it to be inscribed it must get the  assenting  votes  of  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  members  present  and  voting. Members may vote only for or against the inscription of an emergency item; members abstaining will not be considered, for the purposes of the vote, to be ‘present and voting’.

• 4.11.2   Occasionally, it may be appropriate to deal electronically with an urgent item which needs to be resolved before the next scheduled meeting.  In such an instance, the Secretary will cause the documentation relating to the item to be circulated and will request responses by a specified date and time.  After the deadline has passed, the Secretary will inform the Committee of the outcome of the discussion.  The outcome will be noted in the minutes of the next scheduled meeting.

4.12      Delegated authority/Chair's action

The Chair shall have delegated authority to act between scheduled meetings on:

• Matters relating to the implementation of decisions which have already been approved at previous meetings
• Items which in the view of the Chair are too urgent and important for consideration to be deferred until the next scheduled meeting, especially where any lack of timely action could damage the interest of the student or the university.

The outcomes of such actions shall be reported by the Chair to the next meeting.

4.13      Other business

• 4.13.1   The rubric ‘other business’ on each agenda  will be used only (a) to inform the meeting of agenda items which are proposed for the next following meeting or (b) to convey briefly other items of information of a factual nature.

4.14      Interpretation

• 4.14.1   Where a dispute arises as to the interpretation of these orders, the decision of the Chair is final

At its meeting of 13 June 2007, Academic Council approved the creation of the University’s Graduate Studies Board (renamed ‘Graduate Research Studies Board’ following a decision by the GSB at its meeting of 7 March 2013 and subsequent approvals). The remit of the Graduate Research Studies Board (GRSB) is to develop guidelines and good practice in the structure and delivery of postgraduate research at Master's and Doctoral level. Good practice in the structure and delivery of professional doctoral programmes falls within this remit. The GRSB oversees and helps to enhance postgraduate research studies and the postgraduate research student experience across the University, and links with Research and Innovation Support in this regard. 

The minutes of GRSB meetings, once approved by the GRSB, are sent to Academic Council for approval.  

The GRSB is responsible to Academic Council for the development, maintenance and review of postgraduate research regulations, guidelines and good practice. Good practice in the structure and delivery of professional doctoral programmes falls within this remit. 

The remit of the GRSB includes: 

1. Formulation of policy in relation to postgraduate research. 
2. Oversight of the development and operation of University regulations and guidelines in relation to postgraduate research. 
3. Consideration of matters arising from Faculty Research Committees, Faculty Awards Boards for Research Degrees and quality reviews in relation to postgraduate research. 
4. Consideration of graduate training elements submitted by Faculties for approval.
5. Consideration of, and making recommendations on, matters relating to individual students (including external examiner nominations).  

The GRSB normally meets eight times in the academic year.  

 3.1 Membership list 

• Dean of Graduate Studies - Chair
• Member of Academic Affairs’ Secretariat - Secretary
• Director of Research and Innovation Support
• Associate Deans for Research (x5)
• Representative from the Associate Deans for Teaching and Learning/Education
• Senior Administrator, Registry
• Assistant Awards Officer, Student Awards, Registry
• Representative of the Graduate Studies Office
• Representative of the postgraduate research student body
• Representative of Faculty Administration
• Head of Research, Dundalk Institute of Technology
• Two additional members who may be co-opted from time to time. 

3.2 Substitution of representation 

Substitution of representation is not permitted as a matter of course. If, however, a member wishes to speak to an agenda item and cannot be present, a substitute may attend for that item subject to permission from the Chair. 

3.3 Representative from the Associate Deans for Teaching and Learning/Education 

The representative from the Associate Deans for Teaching and Learning/Education will be agreed among this group, and his/her identity notified by the group to the Secretary. At the end of each academic year, the group of Associate Deans for Teaching and Learning/Education will be asked to nominate their representative for the coming year (who may be the current representative). 

3.4 Representative of Faculty Administration 

The representative from Faculty Administration will be agreed by the Faculty Administration Peer Group (FAPG), and his/her identity notified by the Group to the Secretary. At the end of each academic year, the FAPG will be asked to nominate their representative for the coming year (who may be the current representative). 

3.5 Representative of the postgraduate research student body 

The representative of the postgraduate research student body will normally be the Postgraduate Officer in DCU Students’ Union, once an individual has been elected to this position and that individual is a postgraduate research student. In the case of this  position being empty by the first meeting of the new academic year or the elected individual being a postgraduate taught student, the Secretary will ask the faculty postgraduate research student representatives to nominate a representative from their group for the coming year. The representative for the coming year may be the current representative.   

4.1 Chair, secretariat 

• 4.1.1 The Dean of Graduate Studies is Chair of the Board. In the absence of the Chair from a meeting, another person as may be determined by the Dean will chair the meeting. 

• 4.1.2 A member of the Academic Affairs’ Secretariat is Secretary to the Board. 

4.2 Meetings 

• 4.2.1 A schedule of meetings for each academic year is adopted by Executive in advance of that year. 

• 4.2.2 Additional meetings can be convened either (i) by the Board at one of its scheduled meetings; (ii) by the Chair; or (iii) by a request to the Chair signed by at least one one- third of the members of the Board and submitted at least ten working days in advance of the proposed date of the meeting. 

• 4.2.3 The normal duration of meetings will be not more than two hours. 

4.3 Agenda 

• 4.3.1 The agenda is divided into three sections:  A Adoption of the agenda, minutes of the previous meeting and matters arising from these minutes B Policy and strategy issues C Individual student issues 

• 4.3.2 Any member may request to have an item placed on the agenda for a meeting of the Board. Notification must be made to the Secretary in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year.

4.4 Minutes 

The Secretary will keep minutes of every meeting of the Board and will circulate these in draft form to all members in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. 

4.5 Documents 

• 4.5.1 All documents for circulation to the members of the Board must be submitted to the Secretary in accordance with the schedule of notification/submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. Documents (or draft agenda items or questions) given to the Chair will be considered to have been given to the Secretary. The Secretary will cause documents for a meeting to be circulated in accordance with the schedule of notification/ submission/circulation of items made available to relevant staff members before the beginning of each academic year. 

• 4.5.2 A document may be tabled at a meeting provided it relates to one of the agenda items for the meeting and provided two-thirds of the members present agree to its being tabled. Documents will normally be made available in electronic and hard copy format, with the exception of student-specific forms which will be made available in hard copy only. 

4.6 Quorum and attendance 

• 4.6.1 A meeting will not commence until at least one third of the members are present. If a quorum is not forthcoming, the Chair will set an alternative date for the meeting. 

• 4.6.2 The Chair may invite non-members of the Board to attend for specific items of the agenda. 

4.7 Mode of address 

Speakers will always address the Chair. While a member is speaking, other members will be silent. 

4.8 Motions 

• 4.8.1 A motion is a proposal which is put forward. A resolution is the acceptance of a motion by a meeting. 

• 4.8.2 For a motion to be put to a meeting, it requires a proposer and a seconder. A motion from the Chair does not require a seconder. 

• 4.8.3 For an amendment to a motion to be put, it requires a proposer and a seconder. An amendment will be put to a vote before the original motion. 

• 4.8.4 If an amendment is not carried, the Chair will put the motion in its original form to a vote. If an amendment is carried, the Chair will put the amended motion to the meeting. Before a motion or an amendment is put to a vote, the Secretary will read out the text to be voted on. 

4.9 Voting 

• 4.9.1 Where a motion has been put to the meeting, the Chair will ask the Board whether or not it assents, and the decision will normally be by acclamation. Where there appears to be a division, the Chair will call for a vote; such a vote may also be requested by any member. The results of voting will be counted and recorded by the Secretary. 

• 4.9.2 It is open to any member to propose a motion demanding a secret ballot and this motion, if seconded, can be dealt with in the usual way.

• 4.9.3 The number of votes for and against a motion, and the number of abstentions, will be recorded in the minutes. 

• 4.9.4  If the votes for and against a proposal are equal, the Chair has an additional, casting, vote as Chair. 

4.10 Points of order and closure 

• 4.10.1 A member may, at any time and without notice, interrupt debate by raising a ‘point of order’. The Chair will decide whether the point of order is admissible, and his/her ruling will be final. 

• 4.10.2 A motion for closure, if seconded in the usual way, must be put to the vote at once, without being discussed. 

4.11 Emergency items 

• 4.11.1 Any member may seek to add an item to the agenda as an emergency item. An emergency item can only be one which could not have been foreseen on the basis of the schedule of notification/submission of items made available to relevant staff members at the beginning of each academic year and which must be resolved before the next scheduled meeting. A vote must be held on every proposal for an emergency item to be inscribed, and for it to be inscribed it must get the assenting votes of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting. Members may vote only for or against the inscription of an emergency item; members abstaining will not be considered, for the purposes of the vote, to be ‘present and voting’. 

• 4.11.2 Occasionally, it may be appropriate to deal electronically with an urgent item which needs to be resolved before the next scheduled meeting. If permission is granted, the Secretary will cause the documentation relating to the item to be circulated and will request responses by a specified date and time.  After the deadline has passed, the Secretary will inform the Board of the outcome of the discussion. The outcome will be noted in the minutes of the next scheduled meeting. 

4.12 Delegated authority/Chair’s Action 

The Chair shall have delegated authority to act between scheduled meetings on: 

• Matters relating to the implementation of decisions which have already been approved at previous meetings
• Items which in the view of the Chair are too urgent and important for consideration to be deferred until the next scheduled meeting, especially where any lack of timely action could damage the interest of the student or the university.  The outcomes of such actions shall be reported by the Chair to the next meeting. 

4.13 Other business 

The rubric ‘other business’ on each agenda will be used only (a) to inform the meeting of agenda items which are proposed for the next following meeting or (b) to convey briefly other items of information of a factual nature.

4.14 Interpretation 

Where a dispute arises as to the interpretation of these orders, the decision of the Chair is final.