Academic Board

(a) the President and Vice Chancellor;

(b) members of academic staff, as defined by the Articles of Association;

(c) six students always including the General Secretary of the Students’ Union, the Education Officer, a Graduate Teaching Assistant, and three other students, one of whom must be a postgraduate;

(d) such other persons whose presence will contribute positively to the business under consideration, to be co-opted by agreement between the Chair and VCAB.

To the Academic Board are brought all major issues of general policy affecting the academic life of the School and its development. The Academic Board is responsible  for monitoring and upholding the academic standards of the School and for regulating teaching. Specifically, its functions include:  

(a) to make periodic reviews of the scope and content of the array of taught degree programmes and component courses and to guide its future development;

(b) to authorise the award of degrees (other than honorary degrees and honorary fellowships), diplomas, certificates and other distinctions to persons who have satisfied the conditions for the award thereof as prescribed in and pursuant to the Bye-laws;

(c) to prescribe the circumstances in which a student may be required or permitted to withdraw temporarily or permanently and either conditionally or unconditionally from all or any part of his or her programme of study on grounds other than disciplinary grounds;

(d) to appoint, remove or suspend examiners;

(e) to endorse for onward transmission to Council matters affecting the School’s academic governance, management arrangements and academic strategy;

(f) to endorse for onward transmission to Council recommendations from APRC on the organisation of departments and other academic units;

(g) to approve recommendations in relation to academic and pastoral support for students as appropriate;

(h) to promote research within the School and to require reports from time to time on such research;

(i) to approve academic regulations and changes therein;

(j) to recommend changes from time to time to the School’s Bye-laws;

(k) to approve academic policies which have School-wide implications;

(l) to receive annual reports from its Standing Committees

(m) to agree with Council those matters on which it will routinely consult with the Academic Board;

(n) to declare a position on any matter of interest to the Academic Board, and bring it to the attention of Council through a resolution. 

All Academic Board meetings are held in the Shaw Library with hybrid facilities available via Zoom.

Members will recieve papers, as well as instructions for joining via Zoom for those attending online, approximately one week before each meeting. If you have not recieved details on how to access via Zoom, please contact academic.board@lse.ac.uk

Autumn Term

• Wednesday 12 November 2025, 14:00 - 17:00

Winter Term

• Wednesday 11 February 2026, 14:00 - 17:00
• Wednesday 1 April 2026, 14:00 - 17:00

Spring Term

• Wednesday 3 June 2026, 14:00 - 17:00

Questions on School policy should be submitted to the Secretary of Academic Board (academic.board@lse.ac.uk) by noon on the day before the Agenda Committee meets.

Academic Board has five immediate committees:

• Academic Nominations Committee
• Agenda Committee of Academic Board
• Academic Planning and Resources Committee
• Education Committee (formly ASC)
• Research Committee

The full strcuture of academic governance at the School can be found here.