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 curriculum.
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 Executive Leadership 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 are available on request from Laura Daniel, Academic Standards Officer (LDaniel@marjon.ac.uk).

Meet our members

The members of Senate are as follows:

The Vice-Chancellor (Chair)
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost (Deputy Chair)
The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Student Success
The Deans
The University Secretary and Registrar (Secretary)
The Head of Library
The Head of Student Wellbeing and Support
The Head of Quality and Standards
The President and Deputy President of the Student Union

The membership also includes:

An elected academic staff representative from each School
One member of the University’s professional services community elected by and from that community.
Up to five additional student representatives, on the recommendation of the Deans of School, who are not sabbatical officers of the Student Union.

Membership may also include an alumnus of the University, as advised by the Deans of School.

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:

Academic Strategy, Planning and Partnerships Committee (ASPPC)
Honorary Nominations and Awards Panel (HNAP)
Programme Voice Panels (PVP)
Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee (RKEC)
Research Degrees Scrutiny Panel (RDSP)
Research Ethics Panel (REP)
Regulations Process and Review Group (RPRG)
Student Experience Council (SEC), informally via its minutes
Strategic Partnership Boards (SPB)
Teaching, Learning and Academic Quality Committee (TLAQC)

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