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Joint Report of the Council and the General Board on the relaxation of the restrictions on the holding of certain College offices and on the amount of College teaching that may be undertaken by Professors and Readers and academic-related officers

The COUNCIL and the GENERAL BOARD beg leave to report to the University as follows:

1. The increase in the annual number of promotions to personal Professorships and Readerships over the last decade has resulted in a reduction of the number of University officers on whom the Colleges can call to undertake Tutorships and other College duties and of the capacity to provide supervision. The problems experienced by the Colleges in recruiting individuals to undertake College teaching and administration emanate from the restrictions laid down in the Statutes and Ordinances (Statute D, XIV, 10 (Professors) and Regulation 5 of the regulations for Readers and Readerships (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 680)). These prohibit Professors from giving more than four hours and Readers more than six hours of College teaching a week, and further prohibit Professors and Readers from being Tutors, Assistant Tutors, Stewards, Bursars, or Assistant Bursars (although the General Board may, in a particular case, allow a Reader to be a Tutor or an Assistant Tutor). By comparison, University Assistant Lecturers, University Lecturers, and University Senior Lecturers may give up to twelve hours of College teaching a week - reduced to eight hours if a University officer is a Tutor or Bursar - and the General Board may ease the restriction in particular cases.

2. These restrictions, and other issues, have been the subject of recent discussion by a group comprising representatives appointed by the Personnel Committee and by the Colleges' Committee. Following the group's report to the two Committees, this particular issue has been discussed in detail by the Personnel Committee. The General Board, on the advice of the Personnel Committee, have agreed proposals which, in their view, would, if approved, restore a reasonable balance between the interests of the University, Colleges, and individuals concerned. These proposals are:

3. In their Report of 5 June 1996 (Reporter, 1995-96, p. 835) concerning the restrictions on the holding of College offices by Readers, the General Board set out their concern that the position of Readers should not be undermined, and that they should be protected against possible encroachments on the time they devote to research. The Board believe that there is now a case for easing the current restrictions and that this should not undermine the position of Professors or Readers.

4. Faculties and Departments and the Colleges have been consulted on this matter. A substantial majority of Faculties and Departments and all but a few Colleges replied to the consultation. The great majority of the Faculties and Departments who replied agreed with the proposals. Of those who did not agree, or who preferred the status quo, no common concern emerged from the consultation. All the Colleges who replied supported the proposals.

5. The Council and the General Board take this opportunity to propose a corresponding relaxation of Regulation 1(e)(ii) of the general regulations for University Officers (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 634) which precludes an officer whose duties consist mainly of work other than teaching and research from holding specified College administrative offices. The Council and the Board consider that there may be circumstances in which it would be in the interests of such an officer, the University, and the College concerned, for the competent authority to allow exemption from this provision.

6. The Council and the General Board accordingly recommend:

I. That, subject to the approval of her Majesty in Council, the Statutes of the University be amended as set out below, and that this amendment be submitted under the Common Seal of the University to Her Majesty in Council for approval.

Statute D

Chapter XIV

THE PROFESSORS

Section 10.

By amending the section so as to read:

10. The University may from time to time by Ordinance impose restrictions on the nature of College offices that may be held by Professors and on the teaching which Professors may give otherwise than on behalf of the University.

II. That, subject to the approval of Recommendation I, the regulations for Professors and Professorships (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 652) be amended, with effect from the date on which the amendment of Statute contained in Recommendation I takes effect, by inserting the following general regulation:

A Professor shall not undertake for remuneration during Full Term without the consent of the General Board any teaching other than teaching given on behalf of the University or a College or Colleges or the delivery of occasional lectures. The amount of teaching given by a Professor on behalf of a College or Colleges shall not, except with the consent of the General Board, exceed six hours a week, or if the Professor is also a Tutor or Bursar or an Assistant Tutor or Assistant Bursar or Steward, two hours a week.

III. That the regulations for Readers and Readerships (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 680) be amended, with effect from 1 January 2002, as follows:

Regulation 5.

By amending the regulation so as to read:

5. The amount of instruction given by a Reader on behalf of a College or Colleges shall not, except with the consent of the General Board, exceed eight hours a week, or if the Reader is also a Tutor or Bursar or an Assistant Tutor or Assistant Bursar or Steward, four hours a week.

IV. That the general regulations for University Officers (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 634) be amended, with effect from 1 January 2001, as follows:

Regulation 1(e)(ii).

By amending the regulation so as to read:

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Cambridge University Reporter, 25 July 2001
Copyright © 2001 The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge.