Reporter 18/2/04: Report of the General Board on the Directorship of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning

REPORT

Report of the General Board on the Directorship of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning

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

1. The office of Director of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning arose out of a report of a Review Committee, established by the Council and chaired by the President of New Hall, on continuing education and lifelong learning. The Review Committee's principal conclusions and recommendations were set out in the Appendix to a Joint Report of the Council and the General Board on continuing education and lifelong learning, and the Cambridge Programme for Industry (Reporter, 2000-01, p. 1004). The Review Committee's Report emphasized both the importance of continuing education as a core element in the University's mission and the need to develop a University-wide strategy for future development in this area. The Council for Lifelong Learning, as the body responsible for that strategy, are principally advised in this regard by the Director. The office thus has a two-fold role: to provide academic leadership in the oversight and strategic development of all continuing education provision across the University; and the headship of the Institute of Continuing Education. The office is, accordingly, critical to the maintenance and future development of the University's contribution to lifelong learning, at regional, national, and (increasingly) international levels; and requires an individual of considerable academic status as well as managerial abilities.

2. Appointments to the Directorship are made by the General Board on the advice of a specially constituted advisory committee. The Directorship is currently vacant, following the retirement of Dr Michael Richardson in September 2003.

3. The General Board consider that the prospects for attracting a strong field of candidates for the Directorship would be enhanced if provision were also made for the Board to recommend the establishment of a single-tenure Professorship for a Director of the appropriate academic standing. They take the view that such provision is consistent with the thrust of the Review Committee's recommendations. The Council for Lifelong Learning and the Management Board of the Institute of Continuing Education concur with these views. Such provision would offer the possibility of enhancing the research base in continuing education and lifelong learning.

4. Accordingly the Board propose that if, following advertisement and in the light of advice from their advisory committee, with reference to the criteria for promotion to a personal Professorship, they consider it appropriate for the Director to be appointed to a Professorship, they would report again to the University, recommending the establishment of a single-tenure Professorship for a named person. The regulations for the Professorship would require the Professor to hold the office of Director of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning during his or her tenure.

5. The Board's proposal is comparable to the arrangements in place for certain other Directorships, for example of the Cambridge Endowment for Research in Finance (CERF) and of the Centre for Commonwealth Education.

6. The General Board recommend:

I. That approval be given to the procedure described in this Report for the establishment of a single-tenure Professorship, to be held concurrently with the office of Director of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning.

II. That Regulations 3-9 for the Institute of Continuing Education (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 612) be renumbered as 4-10 and that a new Regulation 3 be inserted so as to read:

3. The office of Director may be held concurrently with another University office.

16 February 2004 ALISON RICHARD, Vice-Chancellor N. O. A. BULLOCK D. W. B. MACDONALD

SARAH AIREY H. A. CHASE ROGER PARKER

JOHN BELL JESSICA CHILDS KEITH PETERS

TOM BLUNDELL M. J. DAUNTON S. J. YOUNG

WILLIAM BROWN PETER LANDSHOFF

Table of Contents

16 February 2004	ALISON RICHARD, Vice-Chancellor	N. O. A. BULLOCK	D. W. B. MACDONALD
	SARAH AIREY	H. A. CHASE	ROGER PARKER
	JOHN BELL	JESSICA CHILDS	KEITH PETERS
	TOM BLUNDELL	M. J. DAUNTON	S. J. YOUNG
	WILLIAM BROWN	PETER LANDSHOFF