Reporter 22/3/00: Annual Reports of the Council and the General Board: Notice

Annual Reports of the Council and the General Board: Notice

20 March 2000

1. The Council have considered the remarks made at the Discussion of these Reports on 18 January 2000 (Reporter, p. 379). They have invited the response of the General Board to the remarks on the Board's Annual Report.

2. On their own Report, the Council agree (paragraph 9) that it is important that the development of the structures necessary for the effective management of the University should take place within and should respect the University's constitutional arrangements. For that reason they restated (paragraph 36) their commitment to retaining and developing the openness of the University's structures. The Council also agree (paragraph 28) that effective management will be assisted by enhanced staff development for all staff, not only for Heads of Departments and Chairmen of Faculty Boards. The Council expect that support for staff development will be a priority for the Personnel Division that has recently been established in the University Offices.

3. The Council note the remarks made about Continuing Education and its place in the University's affairs (paragraph 13). The Council established a Working Party last year to review the University's role in this area. They expect that the Working Party's report will be available in this academical year and will form the basis of a Report to the University.

4. The Council acknowledge that paragraphs 31 to 33 in their Report about student complaints and appeals procedures are inevitably now out of date. Much further work has been undertaken, notably by a Working Party chaired by the Principal of Newnham, which will form the basis of a joint Report from the Council and the General Board later this academical year.

5. Finally on their Report, the Council note that the remarks about the proposed Cambridge-MIT Project were made before the Joint Report of the Council and the General Board was published (Reporter, p. 491). The Council are clear that the Chancellor of the Exchequer's initiative offers important opportunities for the development of the University.

The General Board have commented as follows on their Report:

6. With regard to the speaker's comments concerning the prosecution following the loss of radioactive material from the Department of Biochemistry, the Board do not consider that a Discussion is the appropriate forum for comments on the role played by individuals; accordingly, they do not intend to comment further. The Board's remaining comments refer, as did the speaker, to the numbered paragraphs of their Report, as follows:

7. Paragraph 3

The Board point out that under Statute C, I, 1(a) they are responsible for the academic and educational policy of the University and, accordingly, that it is self-evidently part of the Board's role to have policy discussions. Under their revised arrangements for the cycle of meetings, the Board continue to receive and approve the Minutes of their standing committees.

8. Paragraph 31

The Board wish to make it clear that whatever grading methodology is introduced in the University, it must be not only robust but also sufficiently flexible to allow for outstanding performance as a factor in shaping the scope and level of responsibility of a job.

9. Paragraph 32

The consultation exercise on the introduction of a University course of training in academic practice and a route to membership of the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILT) was conducted in the full view of the Regent House. The text of the consultation document was published in the Reporter on 3 November 1999 (p. 105) and is available electronically on the Reporter's website. In inviting comments from Departments and Faculty Boards, it was expressly stated that the General Board hoped that Faculties and Departments would take the opportunity to engage in a detailed discussion of the issues raised in the consultation paper.

10. Paragraph 35

All staff on fixed-term contracts, whether the holders of established offices or unestablished posts, are treated similarly with regard to the redundancy waiver clause. It should be noted that it is the policy of the University, determined by the Regent House, that no such clauses be used in the case of academic and academic-related staff who have served continuously for a period of more than five years.

11. Paragraph 40

The point underlying the General Board's approach to stints is that in a collegiate academic environment it is important that teaching, research, examining, and administrative loads are distributed as equitably as possible, without undue prescriptiveness; this is not an unreasonable expectation. Heads of Departments and Chairmen of Faculty Boards must be able to discharge their responsibilities for ensuring that teaching programmes are covered and research ratings are maintained, and that effective arrangements are in place for the proper running of University institutions.

12. Paragraph 42

Dr Evans asserts that there has been preferential treatment for one particular aspect of interdisciplinary studies (Gender Studies). The University has a number of Centres for a wide range of interdisciplinary studies, through which the General Board support collaboration and co-operation between academics working across a range of disciplines. The position of the individual academic engaged in interdisciplinary work is provided for in the personal promotions procedure.

13. Paragraph 50

The funding of the scheme of proleptic appointments, which was the subject of a detailed financial analysis presented to the Planning and Resources Committee, was referred to in the Report of the Council on the financial position of the Chest, 1999-2000. The Board do not regard their Annual Report as a vehicle for revisiting decisions which have already been approved by the University.

14. The Council are submitting a Grace to the Regent House (Grace 7, p. 582) for the approval of their Annual Report.

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