On this page

• Responsibilities and terms of reference
• Membership
• Senate Secretary
• Committees of Senate
• Vacancies
• Meeting dates and paper submission deadlines
• Agendas and minutes
• Papers

Responsibilities and terms of reference

Senate provides assurance to the Board of Trustees: 

• for academic quality, standards and governance
• that the University is meeting the Office for Students (OfS) conditions of registration in respect of quality and standards.

The primary responsibilities of Senate are set out in Ordinance 6.

Membership

There are over 100 members of Senate. Members include the Vice-Chancellor and President, Pro Vice-Chancellors, Deans, Heads of School, Chief Operating Officer, Registrar and University Secretary, Chief Financial Officer, Librarian, Bristol Students' Union Sabbatical Officers, and a number of elected staff and student representatives.

Download the Senate membership 2023/24 (PDF, 131kB).

Senate Secretary

• Current post-holder: Helen Cole, Senior Governance Officer
• Email: helen.cole@bristol.ac.uk
• Telephone: +44 (0)117 45 60586

Committees of Senate

Several committees report into Senate: 

• Education Committee
• Research Committee (information for staff only)
• Ethics of Research Committee

Vacancies

Staff, contact your faculty office about possible Senate vacancies. 

Students, contact the Students' Union Impact and Influence directorate to find out if there are any vacancies. Senate has 12 student representatives.

Meeting dates and paper submission deadlines 2024/25

View paper submission guidance. 

Senate meets in accordance with its Standing orders (PDF, 174kB).

• Monday 7 October 2024, 2pm
• Monday 9 December 2024, 2pm
• Monday 3 February 2025, 2pm
• Monday 14 April 2025, 2pm
• Monday 2 June 2025, 2pm

Agendas and minutes

Download agendas and minutes from previous Senate meetings. 

2024/25

• Agenda, 2 June 2025 (TO FOLLOW)
• Minutes, 2 June 2025 (TO FOLLOW)
• Agenda, 14 April 2025 (TO FOLLOW)
• Minutes, 14 April 2025 (TO FOLLOW)
• Agenda, 3 February 2025 (TO FOLLOW)
• Minutes, 3 February 2025 (TO FOLLOW)
• Agenda, 9 December 2024 (TO FOLLOW)
• Minutes, 9 December 2024 (TO FOLLOW)
• Agenda, 7 October 2024 (TO FOLLOW)
• Minutes, 7 October 2024 (TO FOLLOW)

2023/24

• Agenda, 17 June 2024 (PDF, 149kB)
• Item 5 Assessment of Third Party Suitability (Defence Industries) (PDF, 339kB)
• Minutes, 17 June 2024 (PDF, 205kB)
• Agenda, 22 April 2024 (PDF, 123kB)
• Minutes, 22 April 2024 (PDF, 165kB)
• Agenda, 5 February 2024 (PDF, 118kB)
• Minutes, 5 February 2024 (TO FOLLOW)
• Agenda, 4 December 2023 (PDF, 123kB)
• Minutes, 4 December 2023 (PDF, 225kB)
• Agenda, 9 October 2023 (PDF, 703kB)
• Minutes, 9 October 2023 (PDF, 244kB)

2022/23

• Agenda, 19 June 2023 (PDF, 120kB)
• Minutes, 19 June 2023 (PDF, 216kB)
• Minutes, Special meeting of Senate, 19 June 2023 (PDF, 188kB)
• Agenda, 24 April 2023 (PDF, 131kB)
• Minutes, 24 April 2023 (PDF, 180kB)
• Agenda, 6 February 2023 (PDF, 100kB)
• Minutes, 6 February 2023 (PDF, 203kB)
• Agenda, 12 December 2022 (PDF, 115kB)
• Minutes, 12 December 2022 (PDF, 255kB)
• Agenda, 10 October 2022 (PDF, 131kB)
• Minutes, 10 October 2022 (PDF, 264kB)

2021/22

• Agenda, 20 June 2022 (PDF, 121kB)
• Minutes, 20 June 2022 (PDF, 170kB)
• Agenda, 25 April 2022 (PDF, 120kB)
• Minutes, 25 April 2022 (PDF, 139kB)
• Agenda, 24 March 2022 (PDF, 51kB)
• Minutes, 24 March 2022 (PDF, 171kB)
• Agenda, 7 February 2022 (PDF, 59kB)
• Minutes, 7 February 2022 (PDF, 148kB)
• Agenda, 13 December 2021 (PDF, 123kB)
• Minutes, 13 December 2021 (PDF, 155kB)
• Agenda, 11 October 2021 (PDF, 126kB)
• ‌Minutes, 11 October 2021 (PDF, 202kB)

Papers

University staff can download the papers from previous Senate meetings.