Committees and Representation

Research degrees are governed by a number of committees and departments. Find out how decisions are made and how your voice is heard.

Structure

The Doctoral College is made up of Doctoral College Operations and Graduate Schools.  

The Dean of the Doctoral College is Professor Luke Windsor. Luke is Dean of the Leeds Doctoral College and a Professor of Music Psychology. Although he still spends part of his time supervising postgraduate researchers and carrying out research, the majority of his time is dedicated to coordinating and assuring the quality of postgraduate research across the seven Faculty Graduate Schools of the Leeds Doctoral College. As Chair of Graduate Board he represents postgraduate research in the University Senate and he works in partnership both academic and professional service colleagues across the University, as well as with Leeds University Union. 

Doctoral College Operations

Like the Graduate Schools, Doctoral College Operations (DCO) comes under the umbrella of Leeds Doctoral College. DCO is responsible for managing PGR records for processes such as registration, extensions and suspensions of study, progression and examination.

Graduate Schools

Your Graduate School is your main point of contact for any questions about your programme, or anything relating to your studies. For more information, including how to contact your Graduate School, see the Contact your Graduate School page of the For Students website.

Management and Decision Making

Graduate Board

Graduate Board formulates policies and procedures for all research degrees. It also monitors and reviews all arrangements for research degrees. The Board is chaired by the Dean of the Doctoral College and is responsible for implementing policy and regulations via Doctoral College Operations (DCO), the Admissions Service, Faculty Graduate School Committees and Directors of Postgraduate Research Studies.  

Admission, progress, examination, and decisions regarding the award of research degrees also fall within the remit of the Graduate Board. PGRs are represented on the Board and on Faculty Graduate School Committees by PGR reps. 

DCO has responsibility for providing the Graduate Board with the information which the Board requires both in a routine way and for any exceptional circumstances that may develop.   

Faculty Graduate School Committees

Faculty Graduate School Committees oversee faculty-level strategy and operations on all matters relating to postgraduate research. Their common core terms of reference gives all faculties a clear route of communication to Graduate Board.

Schools and Institutes

All PGRs belong to an academic school or institute, each school and institute is part of a faculty. As part of the Code of Practice for Research Degrees, each faculty has its own supplementary protocol which provides details of how the code is implemented within a local context and individual faculty organisational structures. 

Representation, feedback and channels of communication 

PGR Reps

Postgraduate researchers are represented on faculty Graduate School Committees by representatives recruited within their faculty or school. These PGR reps participate in discussions and meetings to enhance the postgraduate research experience and are encouraged to consult fellow PGRs. They also make sure a wide variety of opinions are represented at the committee meetings. Representatives ensure that PGRs have a platform to raise and discuss issues affecting them, and to influence future University policy for research degree programmes. You can contact your Graduate School to find out who your PGR reps are. 

Leeds University Union (LUU)

Leeds University Union provides additional training and support for the PGR reps. PGRs are also represented on the Graduate Board and other relevant groups of the Board by the LUU Education Officer and a PGR representative appointed by LUU. To find out more about these and other opportunities to have your voice heard, please contact LUU’s Postgraduate Engagement Officer. 

LUU also consults with PGRs about their satisfaction levels throughout the year. PGRs are able to mandate the Student Executive Officers by submitting ideas that can then become policy at the Better Forums. 

Student Advice Centre

The Student Advice Centre at Leeds University Union provides confidential and independent information, support and advice to postgraduate researchers contemplating appeals, complaints or other difficulties associated with their research degree. They also offer independent advice on a range of issues including academic and money issues.

Postgraduate Research Experience Survey

The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) runs once every two years and is carried out by institutions across the country and the results are used nationally, to help inform policy and improve the postgraduate research experience across the sector. The survey is your chance to tell us about your experience of your programme. Your feedback is really important and will help us to know what’s working well and what’s not. 

The PRES survey is next due to run in 2025.