Skip to main contentCambridge University Reporter

No 6186

Wednesday 28 April 2010

Vol cxl No 27

pp. 757–788

Notices

Calendar

2 May, Sunday. Preacher before the University at 11.15 a.m., Professor Richard Watson, Emeritus Professor of English and Emeritus Public Orator in the University of Durham.

11 May, Tuesday. Discussion at 2 p.m. in the Senate-House (see below).

13 May, Thursday. Ascension Day. Scarlet Day.

14 May, Friday. Easter term divides.

15 May, Saturday. Congregation of the Regent House at 11 a.m.

Discussions at 2 p.m.

Congregations

11 May, Tuesday

15 May, Saturday at 11 a.m.

25 May, Tuesday

21 June, Monday (Honorary Degrees)

8 June, Tuesday

24 June, Thursday

6 July, Tuesday

25 June, Friday

26 June, Saturday

17 July, Saturday at 11 a.m.

Notice of a Discussion on Tuesday, 11 May 2010

The Vice-Chancellor invites those qualified under the regulations for Discussions (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 107) to attend a Discussion in the Senate-House, on Tuesday, 11 May 2010, at 2 p.m., for the discussion of:

1. Report of the General Board, dated 26 April 2010, on the establishment of a Professorship of Demography (Reporter, p. 768).

2. Report of the General Board, dated 26 April 2010, on the establishment of a Professorship of Old Age Psychiatry (Reporter, p. 769).

3. Report of the General Board, dated 26 April 2010, on the establishment of a Professorship of Photonic Systems and Displays (Reporter, p. 770).

4. Report of the General Board, dated 26 April 2010, on the establishment of a Readership in the Department of Land Economy (Reporter, p. 771).

5. Report of the General Board, dated 26 April 2010, on the establishment of a Readership in the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics (Reporter, p. 771).

Notice of a Benefaction

26 April 2010

The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that she has received with gratitude a benefaction of approximately $6m from the Board of Cambridge in America payable over seven years. The benefaction is made possible following a further generous gift from the Genzyme Corporation in support of Neuroimmunology in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences.

The Council is submitting a Grace (Grace 4, p. 779) to amend the regulations for the Genzyme Fund for Clinical Neurosciences (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 801) to take account of the new benefaction.

Leslie Stephen Lecture 2010: Notice

The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that Mr Colm Tóibín has been appointed to deliver the next Leslie Stephen Lecture. Mr Tóibín will lecture in the Senate-House, at 5.30 p.m., on Monday, 1 November 2010, and the title of his Lecture will be The dark sixteenth century.

The Lecture is open to all who are interested. In accordance with the relevant regulations in Ordinances, Senior members of the University attending the Lecture should wear gowns. 1 November 2010 will be a ‘scarlet day’ (All Saints’ Day), so Doctors present are requested to wear their festal gowns and the academical dress of other universities may in general be worn on this occasion.

Annual Reports of the Council and the General Board and Reports and Financial Statements for 2008–09: Notice in reply to Discussion remarks

26 April 2010

The Council has considered the remarks at the Discussion on 19 January 2010 (Reporter, p. 514) about its own Annual Report for 2008–09, the General Board’s Annual Report to the Council, and the Reports and Financial Statements for the financial year ended 31 July 2009.

The Council takes this opportunity to state that it is normal for the substance of reports making major policy proposals to be published at a relatively early point in their consideration. Proper confidentiality must, however, be maintained, especially in relation to personal details. The General Board is following this practice, for example in connection with the review report on social sciences, which makes some significant proposals (Reporter, p. 467).

Annual Report of the Council for the academical year 2008–09

The Council agrees with the remarks made by the Chairman of the Board of Scrutiny about the future financial situation of the University. Complacency would be entirely inappropriate. The Council plans to provide an assessment in the forthcoming budget (or Allocations) Report for 2010–11, to be published in the Easter Term, which will take into account the HEFCE grant for 2010–11, and there may be further information about the prospects for 2011–12 and later years, which are expected to be difficult.

The Chairman of the Board of Scrutiny referred to long-term borrowing. The Council, after considering the advice of the Finance Committee, will announce in due course its proposals for external finance.

The Chairman of the Board of Scrutiny also referred to the possibility that it may be expected that other University resources would almost automatically be used to finance activities if public funds are withdrawn. This is not endorsed by the Council (and nor is it proposed as a policy by the Board of Scrutiny). Rather, if targeted public funding for particular activities is withdrawn, the relevant University authorities must consider carefully whether or not to continue the activity, on what scale, and supported by what resources.

Several references were made in the Discussion to the future of pensions, including both USS and the Cambridge Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). This is an area of great importance to the University’s future, both in financial terms, and in dealing fairly with pensioners, and present and future employees. Sustainable and affordable pension arrangements are necessary. The Pensions Working Party is currently consulting on proposals for CPS, and national proposals for USS are expected soon.

Reference was made to the scoping study for the possible review of Statutes, and Ordinances. The Council expects to report to the Regent House when it has considered the report of the advisory group on the scoping study (chaired by Professor David Yates).

Reference was made to the status of the Human Resources Committee: this Committee is a joint Committee of the Council and the General Board, and reports to both bodies. The powers which it exercises are by delegation from those two bodies. It has no independent powers.

Professor G. R. Evans stated that ‘the announcement of draconian Higher Education funding cuts is bound to mean redundancies’. That is her own assessment, and is not at present endorsed by the Council and the General Board in relation to this University.

Annual Report of the General Board to the Council for the academical year 2008–09

Professor Evans referred to the Board’s review of teaching and learning support services and, in particular, a consultant’s report on a possible structure for an integrated library system. The consultant’s report is only part of the process of careful deliberation on the recommendations of the review; as important are consultations with the authorities and individuals responsible for Faculty and Departmental libraries, which are currently in progress. The Board’s intention, which they have stated repeatedly, is to publish a Report once they have substantive proposals to put to the University in relation to the recommendations of the review.

The Council is submitting a Grace for the approval of its Annual Report (which includes the General Board’s Report) (Grace 8, p. 779).

Consultative Committee for Safety: Notice

26 April 2010

The Council, on the recommendation of the Consultative Committee for Safety (CCFS), has agreed to revise the membership of the Consultative Committee (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 146) to reflect the Committee’s core function as a consultative body, where all interested parties have access, and to clarify the representatives in each class. Under the revised membership, the Director of the Human Resources Division will be a member, ex officio, the student representatives will be nominated by the Graduate Union and the Cambridge University Students Union (CUSU), each of the Consultative Committee’s Sub-committees will nominate one member, and the Departmental Safety Officers will nominate two members. The Secretary of the Committee is identified as normally being the Director of Health and Safety. The following persons will be in attendance: the Occupational Health Service Manager; the Director of University Biomedical Support Services; the University Security Adviser; the University Fire Safety Manager; and staff of the Health and Safety Office as required.

The Council has also agreed to the Consultative Committee’s recommendation that the Committee’s Sub-committees be reorganized as follows: the Sub-committees for Education and Training and for First Aid Arrangements should be disbanded; the Sub-committees for Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation Hazards and for Chemical Hazards should be renamed as Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiations and Chemical Safety respectively; and a new Sub-committee for Physical Safety should be created. Issues regarding safety education and training will in future be considered by the relevant Sub-committees in conjunction with the newly formed Learning and Development Advisory Group in the Human Resources Division. A First Aid Working Group will be established to consider first aid arrangements to meet when necessary. The Consultative Committee have proposed the following membership for the Sub-committee for Physical Safety:

(a)an academic officer to act at Chairman,

(b)a member of the Health and Safety Office to act as Secretary,

(c)members appointed by the General Board, nominated by the Council of the Schools with interest in this field,

(d)one appointed member of the Joint Union Safety Committee,

(e)appropriate staff of the Health and Safety Office in respect of Physical Safety,

(f)the Occupational Health Manager.

The Council is accordingly submitting a Grace (Grace 7, p. 779) to the Regent House for the approval of the necessary amendments to the regulations for the Consultative Committee for Safety as set out in the Annex to this Notice.

ANNEX

Amendments to the regulations for the Consultative Committee for Safety

Regulation 1.

By amending the regulation so as to read:

1. The Consultative Committee for Safety shall consist of:

(a)the Vice-Chancellor (or duly appointed deputy), as Chairman;

(b)one person appointed by the Council in respect of the non-School institutions;

(c)six members of the Senate appointed by the General Board of whom one each shall be nominated by the Council of the School of Arts and Humanities, the Council of the School of the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Council of the School of the Physical Sciences, the Council of the School of the Biological Sciences, the Council of the School of Technology, the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine;

(d)one person appointed from each of the unions formally recognized by the University, as nominated by the relevant association, provided that each member in this class shall have power to appoint a deputy to take her or his place at a particular meeting;

(e)one member of the Cambridge University and College Union appointed from that body;

(f)four persons appointed by the Consultative Committee’s Sub-committees of whom one shall be nominated by each Sub-committee;

(g)two persons in statu pupillari, of whom one at least shall be nominated by the Graduate Union and one by Cambridge University Students Union, appointed by the Council;

(h)two persons appointed on the nomination of the Forum of Professional Safety Advisers from among their number;

(i)the Director of the Estate Management and Building Service or a duly appointed deputy, ex officio;

(j)the Director of the Human Resources Division, ex officio;

(k)not more than three members co-opted by the Committee, provided that it shall not be obligatory for the Committee to co-opt any person or persons.

Members in classes (b), (c), (d), and (e) shall be appointed in the Michaelmas Term to serve for four years from 1 January following their appointment. Members in classes (f), (g), and (h) shall be appointed to serve for one year from 1 October. Members in class (k) shall serve until 31 December of the year in which they are co-opted, or of the following year, as the Committee shall determine at the time of their co-optation. A person appointed in class (d) or class (e) shall cease to be a member if the Chairman is notified in writing that the appointment has been terminated by the trade union which appointed her or him. The Secretary of the Committee, who shall normally be the Director of Health and Safety, shall be appointed by the Registrary.

The following persons shall attend: the Occupational Health Service Manager, the Director of University Biomedical Support Services, the University Security Adviser, the University Fire Safety Manager, staff of the Health and Safety Office as required.

Regulation 3.

By amending the first sentence of the regulation so as to read:

3. The Committee shall establish the following standing Sub-committees: one for Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiations, one for Biological Safety, one for Chemical Safety, and one for Physical Safety.

University Theatre Syndicate: Annual Report for 2008–09: Notice

The Council has received the Annual Report of the University Theatre Syndicate for 2008–09. The Report can be found on the ADC Theatre website at http://www.adctheatre.com/governance.php. This notice replaces that published on 21 April 2010 (p. 736).