Membership

The membership of the General Council was last defined by Ordinance 217 in 2025.  Currently the definition of membership of the General Council consists of:

(a) All persons who having successfully met the requirements of an academic award, other than an Honorary Degree, and have graduated from the University of Edinburgh and whose names shall be recorded in the Register of Graduates referred to in Section 3 of this Ordinance, in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance:

(b) All persons on whom the University has conferred an Honorary Degree or on whom it has conferred the title of Honorary Fellow of the University. [Note: this provision does not apply to those appointed or referred to as Honorary Fellows by Colleges or Schools.]

(c) During their tenure of office –

(i) The Chancellor of the University;

(ii) The members of the Court;

(iii) The Chaplain to the University.

(d) During the tenure of their appointment: all staff of the University appointed to roles assigned to University Grade 8 or above and their grade equivalent(s).

(e) Those ‘ex officio’ members in Clause 1(c) who accept the invitation to retain their membership of the General Council on demitting office or completion of their period of appointment;

(f) Former staff (admitted previously as per Clause (d) above) who accept the invitation to retain their membership of the General Council after being employed by the University for a period of at least three years in a role assigned to Grade 8 or above or equivalent and who leave University employment except when dismissed or in other similar categories of case as may be determined by the Registrar.