The Senate
Until the early part of the
20th century, the Senate was the principal legislative authority of the
University. In 1926, the key governing body became the Regent House, but
prior to then, the Senate played an important and active role in the governance of the University.
Today, the Senate’s principal
responsibility is to elect the Chancellor of the University, most
recently exercised with the election of Lord Sainsbury of Turville in
2011. The Senate is also responsible for electing the High Steward, and
has the duty to enact Ordinances regulating its own procedure.
The Senate comprises all alumni of the
University who have a Cambridge Masters degree or Doctorate (e.g. MA, MPhil, LLM, PhD, EdD) or Bachelor of Divinity degree, and the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, and all
current members of the Regent House.
More information about the Senate is available in
Statute A and in
Chapter I of Statutes and Ordinances.