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:

• to design and develop programmes of study;
• to establish structures to implement those programmes;
• to make recommendations on programmes for the development of research;
• to make recommendations relating to the selection, admission, retention and exclusion of students;
• 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;
• to make recommendations for the awarding of fellowships, scholarships, bursaries, prizes or other awards;
• to make general arrangements for tutorial or other academic counselling;
• to perform any other functions, not in conflict with the Universities Act 1997, which may be delegated to it by Governing Authority; and
• to implement any statutes and regulations made by the Governing Authority relating to any of the matters referred to in this subsection.

By decision of the Governing Authority of Dublin City University on 19 October 2022, and subsequent decisions of Academic Council, 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 of Research
• Academic Secretary
• Executive Deans of Faculty (x5)
• Dean of Graduate Studies
• Dean of Strategic Learning Innovation
• Dean of Teaching and Learning
• Chair of Examinations Appeals Board
• DCU Chair of Digital Learning
• Representative of Faculty Administration
• Students’ Union Vice-President for Academic Life

2.2 Members selected from Directors of Unit

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 & Computing
• Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
• Faculty of Science & Health
• Postgraduate research students
• Postgraduate taught programme students

2.5 ​​​​​​Co-Option

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

2.6 Change of Officer 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 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 & Development

The selection of the remaining two members is a matter for all the Directors 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 & Learning/Education
• Each Head of School (or Group in the case of DCUBS)
• a minimum of 4 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. Student members hold office 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.

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 Council and will be replaced by the new office-holder.

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

​​​​​​​Elections for student members take place in Semester 2 of each academic year in accordance with approved procedures.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Any vacancy should be filled within one month of the Vice-President Academic Affairs (Registrar) being notified of the occurrence of the vacancy

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

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

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​A Committee may consist either wholly of members of the Academic Council or of such combination of members and non-members as Academic Council thinks fit.

​​​​​​This Statute may be cited as Statute number 6 of 2022, Dublin City University.

This Statute shall come into operation on 19^th day of October 2022.

Present when the seal of Dublin City University was affixed hereto: