National Institute For Higher Education, Dublin, Act, 1980

The Academic Council.

8.—(1) The Governing Body shall appoint a body of persons which shall be known as and is in this Act referred to as “the Academic Council” to assist the Governing Body in the planning, co-ordination, development and overseeing of the educational work of the Institute.

(2) The Governing Body may by regulations made under this section provide for the membership and terms of office of the Academic Council established pursuant to subsection (1) of this section.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this section, the Academic Council shall have the following particular functions, that is to say—

(a) to design, develop and implement appropriate programmes of study,

(b) to make recommendations to the Governing Body for the establishment of appropriate structures to implement the programmes of study referred to in paragraph (a) of this subsection,

(c) to make recommendations to the Governing Body on programmes for the development of research,

(d) to make recommendations to the Governing Body for the selection, admission, retention and exclusion of students generally,

(e) to make, subject to the approval of the Governing Body, and to implement the academic regulations of the Institute,

(f) to propose to the Governing Body the form of regulations to be made by the Governing Body for the conduct of examinations, and for the evaluation of academic progress,

(g) to make recommendations to the Governing Body for the award of fellowships, scholarships, bursaries, prizes or other awards,

(h) to make general arrangements for tutorial or other academic counselling,

(i) to exercise any other functions, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, which may be delegated to it by the Governing Body, and

(j) to implement any regulations which may be made by the Governing Body concerning any of the matters aforesaid.

(4) The Academic Council, with the approval of the Governing Body, may—

(a) establish such and so many committees, consisting either wholly or partly of persons who are not members of the Institute, as it thinks proper to assist the Academic Council in the performance of its functions under this Act, and

(b) determine, subject to the provisions of this Act, the functions of any committee established under paragraph (a) of this subsection.

(5) The acts of a committee established under subsection (4) (a) of this section shall be subject to confirmation by the Governing Body unless the Governing Body dispenses with the necessity for such confirmation.

(6) Subject to the provisions of this Act and to the directions of the Governing Body, the Academic Council may regulate its own procedure.