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Academic Council

About Academic Council

The Academic Council (AC) oversees the University's academic activity. This responsibility is defined by statute and includes directing the educational matters of the University such as curriculum, education provision, academic policy and regulatory oversight through approval of Academic Regulations, Student Code and new academic policies.  Academic Council advises and makes recommendations to the University on academic institutional and sectoral initiatives and strategic priorities such as education strategy, HEA policy and other institutional and national initiatives. Academic Council also oversees the academic governance framework which is made up of a number of subcommittees, and has a key role in setting the annual work programme and reporting requirements for subcommittees.

Committee Support: University Secretariat | (opens in a new window)univsec@ucd.ie

Academic Council Meeting Schedule 2025/2026

Submission Deadline  Meeting Date
Wednesday 1 October 2025

Wednesday 29 October 2025, 2pm
Wednesday 14 January 2026

Wednesday 11 February 2026, 2pm
Wednesday 1 April 2026

Wednesday 29 April 2026, 2pm

Chair
Professor Orla Feely, President

Secretary
Professor Colin Scott, Registrar

Academic Council Membership 2024-2025

Please note: UCD Academic Council membership has changed following the approval of a revised composition (approved Autumn 2020, for effect in September 2021).

The purpose of Academic Council is to:

  1. Direct the educational matters of the University such as curriculum, education provision, academic policy and regulatory oversight through approval of Academic Regulations, Student Code and new academic policies. Oversee and assure the quality and standards of academic matters of Recognised Colleges in general and in particular where programmes and activities lead to the award of degrees and qualifications of the University.

  2. Consider matters of academic governance of the University.

  3. Advise and make recommendations to the University on academic institutional and sectoral initiatives and strategic priorities such as education strategy, HEA policy and other institutional and national initiatives.

  4. Oversee the academic governance framework: constitute, reconstitute and discontinue committees.

  5. Maintain oversight of functions undertaken by subcommittees with a key role in approving an annual work programme for subcommittees and prescribing annual reporting requirements.

Quicklinks

Contact the UCD University Secretariat

Tierney Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 (1) 716 1279 (general enquiries) | E: univsec@ucd.ie