Structure of the University

The University’s governing body is the Council, a mixture of elected staff, students and graduates, and outside appointees. The Vice-Chancellor, the University’s chief academic and administrative officer, is also a member. Council is chaired by the Chancellor who is a lay member of the Council.

On academic matters, Council is bound to consult the Senate which the Vice-Chancellor chairs. This body includes all the professors, some non-professorial staff and student representatives. The Senate takes advice from the Education and Research Committees, and from specialist committees, dealing for example with the Library, Information Technology, and the Faculties.

Each faculty is a sub-committee of Senate and is headed by a Dean who is usually supported by Associate Deans, a Faculty Registrar and other administrative staff. The Dean is responsible for coordinating the academic and research activities of individual departments and liaises with both the Registry and the Senate committees on regulations, staff appointments, buildings, research funding, library facilities, timetabling etc. The faculty and departmental offices provide assistance to students who are encouraged to contact the relevant staff for information and advice. Information is available on faculty websites; handbooks are available from both faculty and departmental offices.

Day-to-day central administration and service provision is performed by the Vice-Chancellor’s Office and Academic Services, Campus Life, Centre for Academic Development, Centre for Continuing Education, Communications, Equity Office, External Relations and Development, Financial Services, Human Resources, International Office, IT Services, Property Services, Shared Services, School of Graduate Studies, Schools Partnership Office, Student Information and Marketing Services and University Library.