Senate
Membership Terms of ReferenceSenate CommitteesSecretariatMeetingsStanding Orders
Membership 2024/25
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Ex-Officio Academic Leadership |
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The Vice-Chancellor (Chair) |
Professor Stuart Croft |
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The Provost (Deputy Chair) |
Professor Emma Flynn |
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The Pro-Vice-Chancellors |
Professor Lorenzo Frigerio (Education) Professor Caroline Meyer (Research) Professor Michael Scott (International) |
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The Vice-Provosts and Chairs of the Boards of the Faculties |
Faculty of Arts: Professor Rachel Moseley Faculty of Science Engineering and Medicine: Professor Mike Ward Faculty of Social Sciences: Professor James Hayton |
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Heads of academic departments delivering degree programmes in the Faculty of Arts (7 members) |
Centre for the Study of the Renaissance: Dr Teresa Grant Classics and Ancient History: Professor David Fearn School of Creative Arts, Performance and Visual Cultures: Professor Stuart Hampton-Reeves Cross Faculty Studies: Dr Jane Webb English and Comparative Literary Studies: Professor Paulo De Sousa Aguiar de Medeiros History: Professor Tim Lockley School of Modern Languages and Cultures: Professor Katherine Astbury |
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Heads of academic departments delivering degree programmes in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine (10 members) |
Chemistry: Professor Pat Unwin Computer Science: Professor Yulia Timofeeva Engineering: Professor John Murphy Life Sciences: Professor Miriam Gifford Mathematics: Professor James Robinson Physics: Professor Mark Newton Psychology: Professor Derrick Watson Statistics: Professor Jon Forster Warwick Manufacturing Group (Dean): Professor Robin Clark Warwick Medical School (Dean): Professor Gavin Perkins |
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Heads of academic departments delivering degree programmes in the Faculty of Social Sciences (7 members) |
Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies: Professor Cagatay Turkay Economics: Professor Ben Lockwood School of Education, Learning and Communication Sciences: Professor Fiona Copland Institute for Employment Research: Professor Chris Warhurst Law: Professor Andrew Williams Philosophy: Professor Guy Longworth Politics and International Studies: Professor Matthew Clayton Sociology: Professor Ulf Liebe Warwick Business School (Dean): Professor Andy Lockett Foundation Studies: Professor Nina-Anne Lawrence |
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The Dean of Students |
Dr David Lees |
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The Chair of the Senate Committee responsible for postgraduate research |
Professor Daniel Branch |
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The Chair of the Academic Freedom Review Committee |
Professor David Davies (interim until new Chair appointed) |
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Ex-officio Professional Services Leadership |
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The Registrar |
Rachel Sandby-Thomas |
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The Academic Registrar |
Adam Child |
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The Director of Research and Impact Services |
Dr Navdeep Bains |
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The Librarian |
Anna O'Neill |
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Staff bringing subject matter expertise |
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Six other members of staff bringing expertise and perspectives relevant to the remit of the Senate, appointed by the Senate Nominations Panel |
TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC |
| Elected staff representatives | |
| Six members appointed by the Assembly of whom: four should be academic staff, and two should be professional services staff. Not more than two of the academic staff members appointed by the Assembly should be Professors, however any serving academic representative of the Assembly promoted to Professor during their term of office will be able to complete their full term. |
Dr Freeha Azmat (2025) Dr Elisabeth Blagrove (2027) Ali Collins (2026) Professor Charlotte Heath-Kelly (2025) Dr Bo Kelestyn (2026) Nuo Xu (2027) |
| Elected student representatives | |
| Students' Union Full Time Officers |
President: Enaya Nihal (2025) Vice-President Education: Muneeba Amjad (2025) Vice-President Postgraduate: Alijah Taha (2025) |
| Three Faculty student representatives, comprising a diversity of level and mode of study between them, appointed by the Senate Nominations Panel upon the recommendation of Students' Union President |
Faculty of Arts: TBC Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine: James Kimmins (UG) (2025) Faculty of Social Sciences: Otto Oldridge (UG) (2025) |
The year after a member’s name indicates that their term of office expires on 31 July of that year.
In Attendance
Secretary to Council
Terms of Reference
The Senate is the Principal Academic Body, established in Charter and Statutes.
Statement of Primary Responsibilities of the Senate
The Senate is the principal academic authority of the University and responsible for the academic work of the University. The Senate and its committees will govern education, research, and student matters sustainably, inclusively, and transparently, in support of the values, strategy, and regulatory compliance of the University as a whole. The Senate provides assurance to the Council on academic matters.
Terms of Reference of the Senate
Subject to the Charter and Statutes, the Senate has the following powers, duties and functions:
To provide assurance to Council, through reports from its relevant Subcommittees, on:
1. Implementation of the education and student experience, research and other academic strategies.
2. Academic assurance, regulatory and external compliance.
To recommend to Council:
3. Education and student experience, research, and other academic strategies, in support of the University strategy.
4. Matters relating to student welfare/wellbeing, student support and the student experience.
5. Matters affecting the appointment, duties, promotion, and conditions of service of all members of the Academic Staff.
6. New and revised academic and related University Ordinances.
7. The establishment of Faculties and Departments.
8. The establishment of degrees.
9. In partnership with the Council, to promote, maintain and protect the principles of academic freedom and freedom of speech.
10. Any other matter of interest to the University.
To approve:
11. Changes to the Academic Governance Framework.
12. New and revised regulations and policies (which for good reason cannot be delegated to one of the Senate's Subcommittees), including, in particular, those relating to the student lifecycle from admission to graduation, and those relating to academic standards, quality assurance and student outcomes; student discipline and complaints; partnerships, collaborative provision, credit transfer and academic equivalency; the conduct of research and ethics. Subject to approval by the Council where appropriate.
13. Granting of degrees, diplomas, licences, certificates, and other academic distinctions whether by recommendation from a nominated body or by delegated authority.
14. Granting of Honorary Degrees (joint with Council) or other University distinctions.
15. The revocation of any degrees or other distinctions conferred by the University, and all privileges connected with them for good cause.
To appoint:
16. Members of the Senate to be members of the Council as provided for under Statute 5.
17. Jointly with the Council, the Chancellor as provided for in Ordinance 3.
To receive:
18. Regular reports from its Subcommittees, reviewing the discharge of its responsibilities through these Subcommittees on a regular basis and no less often than every five years.
Other:
19. To express an opinion on any academic matter pertinent to the University and its affairs.
20. Generally, to exercise all such powers as are or may be conferred on the Senate by the Charter and Statutes and the Ordinances including the power to make Regulations, in the exercise of those powers of the Senate.
Authority
The responsibilities of the Senate (and the Vice-Chancellor as Chair of Senate and the Accountable Officer on behalf of the University) are set out in the University’s Scheme of Delegation.
Members of the Senate have collective responsibility, working in the interests of the University as a whole and within the scope of their powers.
Senate has no direct budgetary control or financial decision-making authority. The Academic Resourcing Committee, which provides regular reports to Senate, makes resourcing recommendation via the Financial Plan Committee to the Finance and General Purposes Committee.
Reporting Structure
Reports to: The Council.
The Senate receives reports from the University Executive Board, which provides active and visible leadership, and strategic direction for the allocation of resources.
Subcommittees:
Education and Student Experience Committee
Senate Awarding Panel (previously known as the Senate Sub-Group)
Joint Council and Senate Committees:
Research Governance and Ethics Committee
> Diagrammatic representation of the Committee Structure.
Secretariat
Secretary: Dan Derricott, Director of Education Policy and Quality
Assistant Secretary: Emma Tew, Assistant Registrar (Governance)
Please use senate@warwick.ac.uk in the first instance to make contact with the Senate Secretariat.
Timetable for Submission and Report Templates
The Secretary should be notified of items of business for the Senate three and a half weeks in advance of a meeting.
Timetable for submission of papers to the Senate in 2024-25
Templates for reports should be requested from the email above.
Meetings
Dates of meetings of the Senate can be found within the University Committee Timetable.
Click here to access minutes of previous meetings.
Standing Orders
The Standing Orders
of the Senate were approved at the meeting of the Senate held on 30 October 2024.