Senate of Serampore College (University)
Senate of Serampore College is the creation of the Serampore College Act-1918. The Senate is assigned the duty to ‘frame courses of studies and make rules for the conduct of examinations and shall subject to the control of Council determine the qualifications for degrees and diplomas, and do and perform all other matters and things necessary or proper for or relating to the determination of the eligibility of candidates for degrees, diplomas and certificates to be conferred by the Council’ (Article 11). In exercising its rights, and functioning as a University, it now confers its own diplomas and degrees, namely, Doctor of Theology (D.Th.), Doctor of Ministry (D.Min), Master of Theology (M.Th.), Master of Christian Studies (M.C.S), Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy (M.C.P.), Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.), Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.), Bachelor of Missiology (B.Miss.), Bachelor of Bible Translation Studies (BBTS), Bachelor of Christian Studies (B.C.S), Diploma in Worship and Music (DWM), Diploma in Clinical Pastoral Counseling (DCPC), Diploma in Christian Studies (Dip.C.S.), Diploma in Bible Translation (Dip.B.T.), Diploma in Christian Education (Dip.C.E) and Diploma in Contextual Theology (Dip. C.T.).
Senate of Serampore College is to be understood as the unit of Serampore College (University) in this sense and has reference to the interests, concerns and activities of the Serampore College as a University. It is in the administration of the University functions of the College, the Senate of Serampore College operates. Article 12 of the Act empowers the Senate to make rules and regulations for the convening of it’s meetings and for the proper conduct of it’s business.
The actual mode of conferring distinctions, under the Charter and the Act, remains wholly within the discretion of the Council. Though the College is authorized to grant degrees in theology, the Article 13 of the Act has limited this provision to theology only. There is, however, a provision for the College to grant degrees in any branch or branches of knowledge provided it fulfills certain conditions and satisfies the State Government. This privilege the College did not utilized so far.
Senate meets annually, normally at the time of convocation, to transact it’s business. It’s normal academic and administrative works are undertaken by different committees, appointed for a period of three years. The Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Academic Council, Committee for Research and Ecumenical Relations and Church Ministries are some of the important committees of the Senate. Eleven Boards of Studies are formed to guide the academic programmes of the Senate.
Authority to issue degrees and accreditation
King Frederick VI of Denmark originally granted a Royal Charter giving the Senate of Serampore College the status of a degree granting university. Serampore College was the first institution to be given the status of a university through Danish Charter. It confers it’s own degrees in Theology under the power vested by the Charter and Act of Serampore College.
Serampore College (Teaching) & Serampore College (University)
Since 1910, the teaching activities of Serampore College were organized in two Departments Arts,Science, Commerce department and Theology Department. The ASC department of the College as a teaching institution is affiliated to the University of Calcutta. Calcutta University was the first among the universities which accepted Serampore degrees from it’s inception and recognized BD degree equivalent to it’s BA degree; other universities soon followed the suit.
Theology Department functions on it’s own right as a teaching institution in theology. The College in it’s teaching aspect is referred to as Serampore College (Teaching). Theology Department of the College is not an affiliated college to the Senate of Serampore College (University), but is an integral part of the Serampore System.