University Committee Structure, Terminology, Parent and Sub-Committees

The University Committee Structure provides a visual overview of University Committees and their reporting lines. 

Council is the senior governing body of the University, with ultimate responsibility for the Strategy, finance and legal matters. The composition of Council includes staff, students and a majority of external (lay) members.  

Senate is the highest academic body in the University and includes academic staff and student members. 

The majority of other formal University committees have been established by Council and/or Senate to have responsibility for specific business on their behalf or are sub-committees of these committees. Council, Senate and General Assembly are established in the University Statutes. 

Terminology for bodies other than those established by Statute should generally be as follows:

Committees 

• these are the more senior bodies established by Council or Senate or Joint Committees of Council and Senate

Sub-Committees

• bodies established on a long term basis by a higher committee to deal in more detail with an area of the committee’s business.

Working Groups

• these are normally short term bodies established to deal with specific tasks. 

It is important for members of both parent committees and their sub-committees to be clear about the scope of the sub-committee’s operation (this should be covered by the terms of reference but may need interpretation for specific items of business) and how the sub-committee will report to the parent committee.

In particular, clarity is required over the type of decisions which are delegated to the sub-committee and which areas of business will be discussed at the sub-committee but for which formal decisions require approval by the parent committee.

All parent committees are ultimately responsible for decisions taken by the sub-committees so should ensure on a regular basis (at least annually) that the sub-committee is operating effectively.