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The GENERAL BOARD beg leave to report to the University as follows:
1. Computing in Cambridge began in the latter part of the 1930s, when the Mathematical Laboratory was established (as a Department in the Faculty of Mathematics) to house the differential analyser which had been acquired at the behest of Professor Sir John Lennard Jones. In 1969, the General Board initiated a review of computing in the University in the light of the rapidly growing demand for computing services and the imminent delivery of a new mainframe computer. The outcome was to separate the academic and service sections of the work of the Mathematical Laboratory. By Grace 4 of 26 November 1969, it was agreed that, with effect from 1 August 1970, a University Computing Service should be established within the Mathematical Laboratory (to be renamed the Computer Laboratory), that the Computer Laboratory should become a Department independent of any Faculty, and that a Computer Syndicate should be established with the dual role of supervising both the University Computing Service and the academic work of the Computer Laboratory.
2. A new office of Director of the University Computing Service was established with the Director responsible to the Syndicate for running the University Computing Service and to the Head of the Computer Laboratory in respect of financial and other matters. These arrangements have remained essentially unchanged since 1970, although since 1 April 1991 the Computer Syndicate has been replaced by separate Computer Science and Information Technology Syndicates (the former responsible for teaching and research and the latter for the University Computing Service), with a common Chairman and a degree of cross-representation. Throughout this period, the teaching and research side of the Laboratory has been part of a School (first Physical Sciences and then Technology) while the University Computing Service, through the Information Technology Syndicate, has come directly under the supervision of the General Board.
3. The close integration of the University Computing Service with the teaching and research side of the Laboratory, which extended to the sharing of some resources, was extremely valuable in the early days, but is now of lesser importance. When the new building for the Computer Laboratory at West Cambridge is completed in the summer of 2001 the teaching and research side will be relocated there, while the University Computing Service will remain on the New Museums Site. In the light of these changed circumstances the General Board now consider it appropriate for the University Computing Service and the Computer Laboratory to be separately constituted institutions.
4. The General Board, on the recommendation of the Computer Science Syndicate and the Information Technology Syndicate, accordingly propose that the University Computing Service be established on a formal basis as an independent institution under the supervision of the Board. The regulations for the management of the University Computing Service and for its staff will be similar to the current regulations but amended to take account of the separation from the Computer Laboratory. Subsequent amendments to the regulations for the Computer Science Syndicate, the Information Technology Syndicate, and the Computer Laboratory, and to the regulations for Senior Computer Officers and Computer Officers are also proposed, as well as minor amendments to the regulations for the School of Technology and for Departments and Heads of Departments.
5. The General Board accordingly recommend:
| I. | That, with effect from 1 January 2001, the University Computing Service be established within the University and governed by the regulations set out in the Annex to this Report. |
| II. | That certain regulations be amended, with effect from the same date, as follows: |
(A) The regulations for the School of Technology (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 537):
Regulation 1.
By deleting the wording in parenthesis which relates to the University Computing Service.
(B) The regulations for Departments and Heads of Departments (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 548):
Computer Laboratory
By amending the regulation so as to read:
A person appointed in accordance with Regulation 2.
(C) The regulations for the Computer Laboratory (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 576):
Regulation 1.
By deleting the words ', including the University Computing Service,'.
Regulation 2.
By amending sub-paragraph (b) so as to read:
(b) the Head of the Department who shall be a member ex officio;
Regulation 3.
By rescinding this regulation.
(D) The regulations for the Information Technology Syndicate (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 576):
Regulation 1.
By amending sub-paragraph (i) so as to read:
(i) two persons elected from among their own number by the University officers in the University Computing Service;
(E) The regulations for the Computer Science Syndicate (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 578):
Regulation 1.
By amending sub-paragraph (e) so as to read:
(e) four persons elected from among their own number by the University officers in the Computer Laboratory;
(F) The regulations for Senior Computer Officers and Computer Officers (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 683):
Regulation 5.
By amending the first two lines so as to read:
Appointments and reappointments of Senior Computer Officers and Computer Officers in institutions under the supervision of the General Board, except for the University Computing Service, shall be made as follows:
Regulation 6.
By renumbering this regulation as 7, replacing the words 'in Regulation 5' in the first line by the words 'in Regulations 5 and 6', and inserting the following new Regulation 6:
6. Appointments and reappointments of Senior Computer Officers and Computer Officers in the University Computing Service shall be made as follows:
| (a) | in the case of Senior Computer Officers and Computer Officers in Grade I and II, by a committee consisting of |
| (i) | the Vice-Chancellor (or a duly appointed deputy) as Chairman; | |
| (ii) | the Director of the University Computing Service; | |
| (iii) | three persons appointed by the Information Technology Syndicate; | |
| (iv) | two persons appointed by the General Board. |
Members shall be appointed in the Michaelmas Term to serve for four years from 1 January following their appointment.
| (b) | in the case of Computer Officers in Grade III and IV, by a committee consisting of |
| (i) | the Director of the University Computing Service as Chairman; | |
| (ii) | one person appointed by the Information Technology Syndicate to serve for four years from 1 January next following; | |
| (iii) | the two persons appointed by the General Board under Regulation 5(a). |
Appointments and reappointments to such an office shall be made with the concurrence of the votes (which shall be given in person at a meeting) of not fewer than three members of the committee. The person serving in class (ii) shall act as Secretary of the committee.
4 October 2000
| ALEC N. BROERS, Vice-Chancellor P. J. BAYLEY KEITH GLOVER MALCOLM GRANT |
BRIAN F. G. JOHNSON JOHN A. LEAKE PETER LIPTON N. J. MACKINTOSH |
ADRIAN POOLE KATE PRETTY M. SCHOFIELD |
The University Computing Service shall be an institution independent of any Faculty or Department, under the supervision of the General Board.
(The regulations for the Information Technology Syndicate (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 576 as amended above and the rules made by the Syndicate will be inserted here.)
1. There shall be a University office of Director of the University Computing Service.
2. Appointments and reappointments to the University office of Director of the University Computing Service shall be made by an Appointments Committee consisting of the Vice-Chancellor and ten other persons, of whom four shall be appointed by the General Board, four by the Information Technology Syndicate, and two by the Senior Tutors' Committee. Five of these persons shall be appointed in the Michaelmas Term of every second year to serve for the four calendar years ensuing, two being appointed by the General Board, two by the Information Technology Syndicate, and one by the Senior Tutors' Committee. One at least of the four persons appointed by the General Board, and one at least of the four persons appointed by the Information Technology Syndicate, shall be persons who are not resident in the University nor officially connected with it.
3. The Director shall be entitled to hold office until the retiring age, so long as he or she satisfactorily performs the duties of the office; provided that the General Board, either of their own motion or on the recommendation of the Appointments Committee, may determine that the Director shall be appointed for a definite term of years.
4. The duties and responsibilities of the Director of the University Computing Service shall be as follows:
| (a) | The Director shall be responsible to the Information Technology Syndicate for all aspects of the work of the University Computing Service including the maintenance and operating of the equipment in the accommodation occupied by the University Computing Service, and of such other equipment accommodated elsewhere in the University and associated with the University Computing Service as the General Board may from time to time determine. He or she shall act as Secretary to the Information Technology Syndicate and shall also act as the executive officer of the Syndicate in respect of their responsibilities for the University Computing Service. |
| (b) | The Director shall perform, in relation to the University Computing Service, the duties assigned to the Head of a Department by Statute C, V, 3(b) and (c). |
| (c) | Such teaching as the Director may give on behalf of the University, other than the supervision of Graduate Students, shall be given without additional remuneration as part of the duties of the office. |
5. The Director shall conform to such conditions of residence as may be determined by the Information Technology Syndicate with the approval of the General Board.
6. The Director shall not, without the consent of the General Board, give instruction on behalf of a College.
7. There shall be such number of offices of Deputy Director of the University Computing Service as the General Board may from time to time determine.
8. Appointments and reappointments to a University office of Deputy Director of the University Computing Service shall be made by the relevant Appointments Committee for Senior Computer Officers and Computer Officers. A Deputy Director shall be appointed in the first instance for three years, provided that the General Board may waive this requirement on the recommendation of the Appointments Committee. On reappointment, or on first appointment if this requirement is waived, a Deputy Director shall hold office until the retiring age, so long as he or she satisfactorily performs the duties of the office.
9. The duties of a Deputy Director shall be determined by the General Board after consultation with the Information Technology Syndicate.
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Cambridge University Reporter, 25 October 2000