Background

The Senate plays a key role in the governance of The University of Manchester. Subject to the authority of the Board, it acts as the University’s principal academic authority. It is responsible to the Board of Governors for the promotion of research, the regulation and monitoring of standards in teaching, and the regulation of discipline of students of the University.

Powers of the Senate

The Senate’s main powers, as designated by Statute, are:

• to formulate and keep under review, in consultation with Faculties, the academic strategy of the University;
• to promote research, scholarship, learning and teaching;
• to superintend and regulate the recruitment, selection, admission, education and assessment of the students of the University; to award degrees or other academic distinctions and to regulate the conduct, discipline and academic progress of the students;
• to monitor and maintain academic standards, to monitor and enhance the quality of academic provision, and to approve new programmes of study;
• to appoint the internal examiners of the University, and to recommend to the Board of Governors the appointment of the external examiners of the University;
• to establish, modify or revise schemes for the academic structure and organisation of the University.

Further details of the powers of the Senate

• Full details of the powers of Senate are contained in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances of the University
• Download the full details of the Standing Orders of Senate.
• Other useful background details.

Benefits of being a member of Senate

By becoming a member of Senate you have the opportunity to:

• be part of high-level University policy discussions and decisions
• challenge and question issues as part of a constructive debate
• help shape the future of the University - its academic strategy and organisation, and in turn shape our Faculty and Schools
• highlight important issues or new ideas on behalf your School
• provide timely feedback about what is discussed at Senate to your School Board, so your colleagues are kept up-to-date on current developments across the University
• work with, and build relationships with, staff from different areas of the University in pursuit of common objectives

Membership of the Senate

The Senate has 100 members (PDF document, 365KB). A third of these are designated ex officio and reserved for those with academic management responsibilities centrally and in the Faculties. The remaining two-thirds are elected academic members (professorial and non-professorial) and student representatives.

• The role profile for Senate members.

Senate meeting dates and archived minutes

Senate meetings take place approximately six times per academic year. Meeting dates and archived minutes are available at:

• Senate meeting dates
• The template for papers to be submitted to Senate.

Professor Steve Jones, School of Environment, Education and Development

Steve is Head of Manchester Institute of Education.

"Senate gave me opportunity to speak up on behalf of myself and my academic  colleagues. I spent three years as an elected member, and it's something I'd definitely recommend to others. It's an eye-opener in terms of learning how the university operates, and a chance to gain insights into institutional decision-making processes. I welcomed the opportunity to see first-hand how senior leaders strategise about academic issues, and to ask question directly about policies with which I had concerns. 

"Once on Senate, I was elected as an academic representative to the Board of Governors, and I now also sit on the UoM's Finance Committee. Challenging institutional narratives around budgetary priorities isn't easy, and my arguments are sometimes shot down, but I think it's vital that academic (and student) voices are heard at all level within the university." 

Professor Silvia Massini, Alliance Manchester Business School

Silvia is Professor of Economics and Management of Innovation.

"Being a Senate member has allowed me to develop a clearer understanding of the governance of the University, how decisions are made, why it can take so long to change procedures and policies, and to contribute to the discussions.

"If you are thinking of putting yourself forward for nomination, I would recommend you talk to a couple of past Senate members. The experience is probably quite personal and it would be helpful to talk to different people about it to get more than one point of view.

"At the first Senate meeting immediately after the Brexit Referendum most of the concerns by the University Senior Leadership Team (SLT) were about losing EU students. As a European member of staff I asked whether the University had looked at how many EU staff were employed and thought about the impact on them. They hadn’t done that yet, and the President asked the Director of HR to follow up. I noticed that soon after that the discussion was about EU staff and students, not just students, and the university put in place a number of initiatives to support EU staff. This made me realise that Senate members are listened to and can contribute to issues. Afterward, I felt more comfortable to ask questions and share my views. 

"I met many colleagues from different Schools and Faculties, and they bring different local knowledge to Senate meetings. I developed better understanding and knowledge about our organisation."

Dr Ina Berg, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

Ina is a Senior Lecturer in Archaeology

"Becoming a member of Senate was a natural progression for me. I had previously been a member of the General Assembly – a body that is predominantly outwards/community facing – and felt that I was not gaining a sufficient understanding of the inner workings of the University. I therefore became a member of Senate. Being on Senate allowed me to gain invaluable insights into policies, procedures, future plans and the SLT’s overall vision for the University.  

"Senate meetings are formal and rather strictly timetabled, but allow time for questions, though actual discussions are rarer. The innovation I liked best was the opportunity for members to pose questions ahead of each meeting on any issue they wanted. I frequently got helpful responses directly from the relevant managers. Just don’t forget to request to ‘unstar’ these items or they will not actually be discussed in the meeting! The most valuable aspect of being a Senate member is the ability to question those in charge and ask them to explain/review their decisions. Actually changing views and outcomes, however, requires a concerted effort, and it is therefore vitally important that Senate members are willing to speak up, ask questions and get involved. If you want to ensure that this University is following your vision for the future – make sure you join Senate!" 

Professor Jackie Carter, School of Social Sciences

Jackie is a Professor in Statistical Literacy 

"Sitting on Senate is a way to show your support for your University colleagues, and ensure matters that affect the lives of academic staff, and students, are represented. I was elected by my peers and it was important that I embraced the position to represent their, as well as my own, views.  

"Essentially the position enables elected members to call the SLT to account. One of the outcomes of my being on Senate was to ensure that at our School meetings we (that is to say our School elected members) reported back on discussions at Senate meetings, and that we brought the agenda for Senate meetings to staff in the School, so that they could feed in via us. This was a small change, but enabled those we represent to comment on, and input into, SLT matters.  

"My experience was mixed. On the one hand it was useful, to connect with others who are striving to ensure our University is an open, transparent and welcoming place to work. On the other it illuminated where the power and influence lies, and just how difficult it is to challenge this to seek genuine positive change that makes our University a better place. That said, I think it is a valuable opportunity, and I would be happy to talk to anyone who might consider putting themselves forward for this role."