General Board

Overall responsibility for the supervision of the University's educational policies and provision rests with the General Board of the Faculties, which is accountable to the Council and, through it, to the Regent House. This body, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, comprises twelve members of the Regent House (of which eight are appointed by the Councils of the Schools and four appointed by the Council) and two student members (one undergraduate and one graduate).

The General Board's statutory responsibilities include a requirement to ensure that adequate facilities for teaching are available, that appropriate courses of study are provided, and that teaching is of the highest standard. The Board also: approve the University's teaching programmes, keep under review the regulations for the majority of the University's examinations, and ensure the proper observance of those regulations.

The Board's overall remit and membership enables itto set educational developments in the context of the resources available, within both individual institutions and across the University. By allowing its standing committees (all of which include members of the Board) delegated responsibility for more straightforward business, the Board is better able to focus on strategic issues.

General Board's Education Committee

The principal standing committee for the consideration of educational matters is the General Board's Education Committee (GBEC). The Education Committee is the main central authority with operational responsibility for teaching quality assurance and standards. It meets three times a term and reports to the General Board.

The Committee is chaired by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) and its membership includes: between five and seven academic staff appointed by the General Board chosen to represent a range of academic disciplines, of whom a number are members of the General Board; two representatives of the Senior Tutors' Committee; one member of the Postgraduate Committee; the Cambridge Student Union (CSU) Undergraduate and Postgraduate Access, Education, and Participation Officers, and representatives of other key sub-committees. The formal representation of the Colleges and the student body, and the inclusion of a range of academic disciplines, help to ensure both objective scrutiny of proposals and a variety of perspectives.

Its main duties are to advise the General Board on general matters of educational strategy and maintain oversight of the student experience, in particular:

• the quality and standards of teaching and provision of appropriate courses of study and instruction; 
• matters of student health and wellbeing;
• equality and diversity matters in education; 
• student employment and careers provision; 
• the Student Complaints Procedure; and
• student disciplinary procedures and structures.

Members of the University can access the Education Committee's website (Raven access only) to access the Committee's Terms of Reference, full membership, and Minutes.

GBEC Sub-committees

The General Board's Education Committee (GBEC) has established a series of sub-committees, to which it delegates some areas of business.  Responsibility for the actions of these sub-committees remains with the Education Committee on behalf of the General Board.  

The sub-committees are: 

• Academic Standards and Enhancement Committee
• Access and Participation Plan Steering Group
• Doctoral Training Programmes Committee
• Examination and Assessment Committee (and its sub-committee on Examination Access and Mitigation)
• Postgraduate Committee
• Postgraduate Admissions Committee
• Student Mobility Committee
• Technology-Enabled Learning, Teaching and Assessment Working Group (TELTA)

Details of each of these sub-committees, including membership, Terms of Reference and meeting dates, can be found in the Education Hub.  Access to the Hub is for University members only (cam-only authentication); some pages may be restricted access.