Academic Council

João Freitas Coroado, President

The Academic Council is an advisory body of the IPT with responsibilities relating to academic life in general, and to technical, scientific and pedagogical matters in particular.

Concept and composition of the Academic Council

1 – The Academic Council is an advisory body of the IPT with responsibilities relating to academic life in general, and to technical, scientific and pedagogical matters in particular.

2 – The Academic Council is comprised of:

a) The President of IPT, who chairs;

b) The Directors of the training units;

c) The Heads of the organisational units;

d) The IPT Administrator, who serves as secretary;

e) The administrator of the Student Welfare Services,

f) The Heads of the Departmental Units;

g) The Presidents of the Technical and Scientific Councils of IPT Schools;

h) The Presidents of the Pedagogical Councils of IPT Schools;

i) The President of the student union representing IPT students;

j) A student representative from each of the IPT Schools elected by their peers;

k)The Student Ombudsman;

l) A representative of IPT non-teaching staff elected by their peers;

3 – The electoral process for the members referred to in subparagraphs (j) and (l) of the preceding paragraph shall be governed, with the necessary adaptations, by the regulations set out in Appendix IV to the Statutes of the Academic Council, which forms an integral part thereof.

4 – In case more than one student union exists, the member under paragraph 2 i) shall be elected by all existing IPT student unions;

5 – The rules applied to the General Council concerning duration of term also apply to the Academic Council.

Powers and Duties of the Academic Council

1 – The powers and duties of the Academic Council include:

a) To deliver opinions, prior to the General Council’s decision, on the dismissal of the President of the Polytechnic of Tomar;

b) To deliver opinions and make proposals on initiatives under the scope of IPT mission as defined in article 3, paragraph 3 d) of the present statutes;

c) To provide opinions on proposals for the IPT’s internal regulations and to propose amendments to the existing ones;

d) To deliver opinions on the drafting and review of internal regulations governing the provision of extension and outreach services;

e) To offer advice on the creation of, and IPT’s participation in, private-law entities, in accordance with Article 17 of the Statutes;

f) To offer advice on IPT’s participation in consortia, in accordance with Article 18 of the Statutes;

g) To offer advice on proposals by the President of IPT concerning the establishment, alteration or closure of organisational units;

h) To make proposals or deliver opinions on academic calendars and assessment periods;

i) To offer advice on the creation of school awards;

j) To offer advice on the functioning of IPT services;

2 – Other duties are assigned to the Academic Council but they are limited to a specific committee or to an executive committee comprising the members under a) to c) and f) to h) of paragraph 2 of the preceding article:

a) To make proposals and advise on IPT’s training strategy for the various areas of expertise and programmes of study;

b) To make proposals or offer advice on IPT’s policies concerning the development and planning of scientific research, technology transfer and knowledge enhancement as well as training and outreach and extension services.

c) To advise on the creation, merging or closure of departmental units;

d) To propose general criteria for the allocation of teaching duties, with a view to ensuring the most effective use of available human resources;

e) Make proposals or advise on general criteria for staff recruitment and selection.

3 – It is the responsibility of the Academic Council’s plenary session to approve the relevant rules of procedure.

4 – The Academic Council is also responsible for exercising the other powers defined in the statutes and for ruling on any matters referred to it by the President of the IPT or by the General Council.