Previously, all faculty and a number of elected students were members of Council which held two regular meetings each year to oversee the university s academic affairs. In the 1995 Act, Council is constituted as a representative elected body of some 116 faculty and students. All faculty and a number of elected students are members of the General Academic Assembly which is given the power to require Council to reconsider certain major decisions and the power to dissolve Council. The Chair and Vice-Chair of Council are elected by the members. Council regularly meets once each month, except in July and August.
Meetings are open to all members of the university community.
Council has the responsibility to oversee and direct all of the academic affairs of the university. Council distributes its work among 14 standing committees. The committees which most frequently review proposals for programs and other initiatives, and bring these to Council for approval, are Planning, Academic Programs, Budget, Research, Capital Planning, and Bylaws.