THE CONSTITUTION OF THE EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY
Category: Educational SystemThe Chancellor
The Chancellor is elected by the General Council for life. He confers degrees, nominates an Assessor in the University Courts and presides over the General Council.
The Vice-Chancellor
The only powers of the Vice-Chancellor are to confer degrees in the absence of the Chancellor, and to act as Returning Officer at elections.
The Rector
The Rector is President of the University Court, and holds office for three years. He is elected by the matriculated students of the year in which the election takes place. No Principal or Professor of any Scottish University is eligible. He appoints an Assessor in the University Court, and, before nominating anyone for this office, Rectors have followed the. precedent, sanctioned by the Universities (Scotland) Act7 1889, of conferring with the Students’ Representative Council.
The University Court
This consists of: President — The Rector. The Principal — The Lord Provost of Edinburgh. Assessor nominated by the Chancellor; Assessor nominated by the Rector; Assessor nominated by the Town Council; Assessors elected by the General Council; Assessors elected by the Senatus; Secretary to the University.
Meetings are held once a monj,h, except in the months of August and September. The Court is the governing and directing body of the University.’ Its duties briefly are: to form a Court of appeal from the Senatus; to found new Chairs; and to elect the occupants of certain Chairs; to appoint Lecturers, Assistants and Examiners; to see that Professors and Lecturers perform the duties incumbent on them; to manage all the revenue and property of the University. It elects a Representative to the General Medical Council and to numerous other outside bodies.
The Principal
The Principal is elected for life (subject to age-limit of 75) by the Curators of Patronage. He is Chairman of the Senatus, and (in the absence of the Chancellor and Rector) of the General Council and (in the absence of the Rector) of the University Court.
The Senatus Academicus
The Senatus consists of the Principal, the Professors, and a certain number of Readers and Senior Lecturers. Its powers extend to matters affecting the teaching and discipline of the University, and to election of representatives to certain Commitees, Trusts, Boards of Hospitals, etc.
Three of the Curators of Patronage are chosen by the University Court, and four by the Town Council. They make the appointment of Professors in the case of all those Chairs which previous to 1858, were in the gift of the Town Council,
The General Council
The General Council comprises (a) The Chancellor, (b) Members of the University Court, (c) Professors, (d) certain Lecturers, (e) Graduates, and consists of over 23,500 members. It meets twice a year to consider matters concerning the welfare of the University, and may submit its resolutions thereupon to the University Court. It elects (in conjunction with the General Councils of the other three Scottish Universities) three representatives to Parliament.
Students’ Representative Council
At a general meeting of the students of the University, held on 17th January 1884, the first Students’ Representative Council — the prototype of similar bodies throughout the world — was constituted. Its aims were “(a) to represent the students in matters affecting their interests; (b) to afford a recognized means of communication between the students and the University authorities; and (c) to promote social life and academical unity among students”. These three aims still express the function of the S. R. C. Council was given legal recognition.
(From Edinburgh University: Students’ Handbook)