Overview
The Academic Council (AC) structure is depicted in the following diagram:
The Academic Council is a body comprising all tenure-track faculty of the University, i.e. all faculty members who are tenured to age 65 and those who are eligible for nomination or re-nomination to be tenured to age 65. The Council provides input on academic matters through its elected Advisory Board and Senate, as well as various committees set up by the Senate. Meetings for the Council are held once a year and at these annual meetings, President, NTU (Chairman of the Academic Council) would deliver the State of the University address. Any head of College, or School, or Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCSoM), or National Institute of Education (NIE) or S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) who is not otherwise a member of the Academic Council will be an ex-officio member of the Council. The other ex-officio members are CEO-NTU Innovation, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resource Officer and Chief Planning Officer/Registrar.
The last Academic Council Meeting was held on 25 August 2011 at the Nanyang Auditorium.
A Senate, which is the core representative body of the Academic Council, is formed by 50 Academic Council members elected from the various Colleges. President, Provost, Chief of Staff, Vice Presidents, College Deans (including Dean Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Dean LKCSoM, Director NIE and Dean RSIS), Associate Provosts, School Chairs, CEO-NTU Innovation, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resource Officer and Chief Planning Officer/Registrar are ex-officio members of the Senate.
The first Senate of the Academic Council was elected from among members of the newly formed Academic Council in May 2008.
Essentially, the Senate acts on behalf of the Academic Council as its elected representative body. Its key role is to receive recommendations from Academic Council standing committees on matters that they review, for further consideration. The Senate, in turn, elects a Senate Steering Committee from among its members to facilitate its work. The President and the Provost are ex-officio members of the Senate Steering Committee. The key role of the Steering Committee is to plan subjects for study and discussion by the Senate, i.e. it sets the meeting agenda for Senate meetings. A Committee on Committees and a Committee of Tellers have also been formed. Senators shall serve a two-year term and may serve up to two consecutive terms. Those who have served two consecutive terms may, after a break of one year, stand for election again.
The Advisory Board comprises nine members from among members of the Academic Council who are tenured full professors. It provides advice on matters that President or Provost may refer to it. Such matters may include faculty appointments, promotions and tenure review, as well as the creation of new academic programmes.
The current Advisory Board was elected on 6 May 2009.
Other committees of the Academic Council may be set up to look into matters in various areas of interest to the faculty.
Enclosed is the Handbook of the Academic Council for information.
