Governance/Governing body management, University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow

Governance

Governing body management

Chancellor

Rector

Principal

Masters

Comitia

Faculty

Senate

Court

General Council

The University was closely associated with the Church for much of its early history. Indeed, until 1692, the University's most senior officer and the titular head of the University, the Chancellor, was the Bishop or Archbishop of Glasgow. It is possible, therefore, that the Church had some say in the governing of the University, although the Chancellor's normal business appears to have been to reign rather than to govern. Effective power lay in the hands of the masters and the Rector, who was originally the active head of the University and exercised jurisdiction over all its members. The Rector summoned and presided over meetings of the masters, and it was only at these meetings that University statutes and resolutions could be made. During the 1600s, three distinct bodies, namely the Comitia, the Faculty and the Senate, emerged, which, between them, handled the entire business of the University. The laws, or leges, of the University were promulgated in meetings of the Comitia. By the mid nineteenth century, the members of the Faculty, namely the holders of the twelve chairs founded before 1760 and the Principal, had become responsible for the administration of the whole revenue and property of the University. They alone constituted the governing body of the University. The holders of the new chairs created in the late 18th and early 19th centuries were not entitled to manage the college revenues.

The Universities (Scotland) Act, 1858 created a new system of government. It abolished the Faculty and granted the Senate, which comprised all the holders of chairs, the power to regulate teaching and discipline and to administer the University's property and revenue. Henceforth, therefore, all the professors were of equal standing in the government of the University. The act also created two new supervisory bodies: the University Court and the General Council. The function of the Court was to supervise and review the decisions of the Senate and to make sure that it was carrying out its duties. The function of the General Council, which comprised all graduates of the University, was to take an interest in all matters affecting the well-being of the University and to make representations to the Court.

The Universities (Scotland) Act, 1889 reduced the powers of the Senate and increased the powers of the Court. The Senate was now charged with the government of academic matters and the Court with matters of finance and general administration. Overall the Court had ultimate responsibility for the deployment of resources in the University and for the strategic plans of the institution and was, in effect, the governing body of the University. This remains the case today.

From 1858 until 1887, the Court appointed a Secretary from its own members to take the minutes and provide administrative support. This continued until 1887 when the first stipendiary Secretary was appointed. In 1888, the senior partner of the Glasgow law firm, Cowan, Clapperton and Barclay, was appointed to hold the post part-time. From this date, all Court business was transacted in the firm's city offices and the Court letter books were kept there. It was not until 1944 that the Secretary of Court became a full-time member of the University staff when the post was combined with that of Registrar. The two posts were separated in 1983.

Annales Collegii Facultatis Artium in Universitate Glasguensi 1451-c 1580 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26614 (Clerk's Press 2)
Includes minutes of meetings of Faculty of Arts.

Faculty meeting minutes 1640-1669, 1701-1859 ref: GB 0248 GUA 26621, 26626, 26631-26632, 26634-26635, 26647-26650, 26690-26703
 

Principal's memorandum book 1684-1702 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26630 (Clerk's Press 18)
 

Principal's meeting minutes 1690-1694 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26622 (Clerk's Press 10)
 

Rector's meeting minutes 1701-1719 ref: GB 0248 GUA 26633, 26637
 

University meeting minutes 1730-1770 ref: GB 0248 GUA 26639-26644
 

Senate minutes 1730 to date Ref: GB 0248 GUA SEN 1/1
 

Senate scroll minutes 1771-1839 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 74018
 

Senate meeting papers c 18th century-1998 Ref: GB 0248 GUA Senate papers
 

General Council reports 1858-1986 Ref: GB 0248 GUA DC 183/3
 

General Council minutes 1859-1951 Ref: GB 0248 GUA DC 183/1
 

Court minutes 1860-1997 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/1
 

Court papers 1861-1964 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/4
 

Indexes to Senate minutes 1873-1919 Ref: GB 0248 GUA SEN 1/2
 

Clerk of Senate's letter books 1876-1911 ref: GB 0248 GUA 17069-17098
 

General Council papers and correspondence 1889-1981 Ref: GB 0248 GUA DC 183/6
 

Court letters (in and out) 1890-1973 ref: To be confirmed
 

Court agendas 1894-1925 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/3
 

Principal's papers 1896-1995 Ref: GB 0248 GUA PR
 

Papers of Robert Herbert Story, Principal, 1898-1907 1898-1907 Ref: GB 0248 DC 021
 

Court camera minutes 1900-1944 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/2
 

Court camera papers 1906-1944 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/5
 

Senate out letter books 1913-1947 ref: GB 0248 GUA 58533-58571
 

Papers of Sir Hector James Wright Hetherington, Principal 1936-1961 1936-1961 Ref: GB 0248 DC 008
 

General Council agendas 1951-1964 Ref: GB 0248 GUA DC 183/2
 

Papers of Sir Charles Haynes Wilson, Principal, 1961-1977 1961-1977 Ref: GB 0248 DC 191
 

Papers of Sir Alwyn Williams, Principal, 1977-1988 1977-1988 Ref: GB 0248 DC 223
 

Title of function/activity taken from Elizabeth Parker's Function Activity Model (report compiled for JISC). Function and activity description compiled according to GASHE's Standard for Creating Function and Activity Descriptions.