Senate | Plymouth Marjon University

What Senate does

The University's Senate, which reports to the Board of Governors, is responsible for overseeing the standards of the University's awards and for the development of its academic activities. Specifically, it is responsible for the following key functions, reporting to and advising the Vice-Chancellor and the Board of Governors accordingly:

To consider the development of the University's academic activities and the resources needed to support them.
To award degrees, diplomas, certificates and other distinctions.
To administer the arrangements for the conferment of its awards on individual students who have satisfied the requirements.
To maintain and enhance the policy, procedural and regulatory framework required to support the University's academic activities.
To maintain academic standards and the approval in principle, validation and review of the University's taught programmes.
To monitor the University's academic performance in the context of key internal and external requirements.
To approve the University's quality assurance procedures.
To maintain the University's academic portfolio and the content of the curriiculum.
To maintain oversight over the University's collaborative provision arrangements and procedures.
To set criteria for the admission of students.
To set the policies and procedures for the assessment and examination of academic performance.
To appoint and remove External Examiners.
To maintain procedures for the award of qualifications and honorary academic titles.
To maintain procedures for the appointment of Professors, Associate Professors, Visiting Professors, Professors Emeritus/Emerita and Visiting Fellows.
To maintain procedures for good conduct and student discipline including the expulsion of students.

This list is not exhaustive and Senate is also responsible for advising on other matters referred to it by the Vice-Chancellor, the Board of Governors or the Senior Management Team.

Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference of Senate outline the constitution, membership, quorum, duties and reporting procedures for the committee. These are available here.

On the record

Confirmed minutes of Senate meetings and of the University's Academic Board, which preceded Senate, are available on request from Norman Jope, Academic Standards Officer (NJope@marjon.ac.uk).

Meet our members

The members of Senate are as follows:

The Vice-Chancellor (Chair)
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Deputy Chair)
The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Success)
The Directors/Deans of School (x4)
The University Secretary and Registrar (Secretary)
The Head of Careers and Employability
The Head of Library
The Head of Student Wellbeing and Support
The Quality and Standards Manager
The President and Deputy President of the Student Union

The membership also includes:

An elected academic staff representative from each School (x4)
One member of the University’s professional services community elected by and from that community.
Up to five additional student representatives, nominated by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) on the recommendation of the Directors/Deans of School, who are not sabbatical officers of the Student Union.
An alumnus of the University, nominated by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic).

In addition, the Chaplain attends meetings of Senate but cannot vote.

The Academic Standards Officer normally serves as Clerk to Senate.

Senate - associated committees

The following committees are associated with Senate:

Honorary Graduate Nominations and Awards Panel (HGNAP)
Professorial Nomination Awards Panel (PNAP)
Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee (RKEC)
Research Degrees Scrutiny Panel (RDSP)
Research Ethics Panel (REP)
Regulations Process and Review Group (RPRG)
Student Engagement and Outcomes Panel (SEOP)
Student Experience Council (SEC), informally via its minutes
Strategic Partnership Boards (SPB)
University Board of Studies (UBoS)

The Terms of Reference of these associated committees are available here.