127. The Act of 1971 is amended by the insertion of the following sections after section 20:

“Academic council of College

20A. (1) The College shall have an academic council.

(2) Subject to this section, An Bord shall make regulations which shall provide, in relation to the academic council, for—

(a) the number of members,

(b) procedures for selection and appointment of members,

(c) term of office of members,

(d) eligibility for re-appointment of members, and

(e) the number of consecutive periods for which members may hold office.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2)—

(a) the majority of members of the academic council shall be members of the academic staff of the College,

(b) the regulations of An Bord under subsection (2) shall provide for the following persons to be members referred to in paragraph (a)—

(i) the senior member of staff having responsibility to the Director for each academic discipline, school or department as An Bord determines,

(ii) members from what, in the opinion of An Bord, is an appropriate range of levels of other academic staff from an appropriate range of academic disciplines, and

(iii) an appropriate number of students,

and

(c) in making regulations under subsection (2), An Bord shall have regard to the objective that at least 40 per cent of members of the academic council shall be women and at least 40 per cent of them shall be men.

(4) The Director shall be—

(a) an ex officio member of the academic council, and

(b) entitled to preside at all meetings of the academic council or a committee of the Council at which he or she is present, but if he or she at any time chooses not to so preside, he or she shall nominate a person to preside in his or her place.

(5) The academic council shall hold such and so many meetings as may be necessary for the performance of its functions under this Act and, subject to any regulations of An Bord as relate to the academic council, may regulate its own procedure.

(6) The academic council may establish such and so many committees as it considers necessary to assist it in the performance of its functions under this Act.

(7) Persons who are members of the academic council or other members of the staff of the College may be members of a committee established under subsection (6).

Functions of academic council

20B. (1) Subject to this section, the academic council shall control the academic affairs of the College, including the curriculum of, and instruction and education provided by, the College.

(2) In the performance of its functions, the academic council shall—

(a) have regard to the resources available to the College, and

(b) be subject to review by the College, in a form and at such frequency as may be required by the College.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the functions of the academic council shall include—

(a) designing and developing programmes for the College,

(b) making recommendations on programmes for the undertaking of research,

(c) supporting the implementation of the programmes referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b),

(d) making recommendations to the College relating to the selection, admission, retention and exclusion of students,

(e) making recommendations to An Bord regarding the form and content of regulations of the College relating to the academic affairs of the College including—

(i) the assessment of students and determination of the results of that assessment, and

(ii) procedures for appeals by students relating to the results of assessments,

(f) making recommendations to the College for the awarding of fellowships, scholarships, bursaries, prizes or other awards,

(g) making general arrangements for academic counselling including tutorials,

(h) performing any other functions delegated to it by An Bord, and

(i) implementing any regulations of the College relating to the functions of the academic council.”.