Skip to main contentCambridge University Reporter

No 6229

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Vol cxli No 33

pp. 933–944

Notices

Calendar

17 June, Friday. Full Term ends.

19 June, Sunday. Trinity Sunday. Scarlet Day.

23 June, Thursday at 11.30 a.m. (Honorary Degrees). Scarlet Day.

25 June, Saturday. Easter Term ends.

30 June, Thursday at 9.30 a.m. (General Admission). Scarlet Day.

1 July, Friday at 9.30 a.m. (General Admission). Scarlet Day.

2 July, Saturday at 9.30 a.m. (General Admission). Scarlet Day.

Discussions at 2 p.m.

5 July

Congregations

23 July, Saturday at 11 a.m.

Notice of a Discussion on Tuesday, 5 July 2011

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, 5 July 2011, at 2 p.m., for the discussion of:

1. Report of the General Board, dated 1 June 2011, on the establishment of a Professorship of Education (Reporter, 2010–11, p. 917)

2. Report of the General Board, dated 1 June 2011, on the establishment of a Dyson Professorship of Fluid Mechanics (Reporter, 2010–11, p. 918)

3. Report of the General Board, dated 1 June 2011, on the establishment of a Professorship of Polymeric Materials Chemistry and Physics (Reporter, 2010–11, p. 919)

4. Report of the General Board, dated 1 June 2011, on the re-establishment of two Professorships in the School of Clinical Medicine (Reporter, 2010–11, p. 920)

5. Report of the General Board, dated 1 June 2011, on Senior Academic Promotions (Reporter, 2010–11, p. 920).

Grace for submission to the Regent House under Statute A, VIII, 7

13 June 2011

The Council has considered the following Grace which has been initiated under Statute A, VIII, 7 by 149 members of the Regent House:

That, in the light of sweeping cuts to the HE budget, the trebling of tuition fees, and incoherent access policies, all decided on without adequate consultation, the University shall communicate to HM Government, by June 24, 2011 or as soon as possible thereafter, that it has no confidence in the policies of the Minister of State for Universities and Science, and that this duty be delegated to the Council.

A list of the signatories appeared in the Reporter on 8 June (p. 904).

The Council has agreed to submit the Grace to the Regent House (Grace 3, p. 943) to be approved by ballot according to the timetable set out below. In adopting this course of action, the Council was mindful of the presumption that initiated Graces should be submitted other than on very rare occasions (Reporter, 1992–93, p. 773), and that the nature of the Grace in all probability would have prompted 25 or more members of the Regent House to request a ballot. In calling for the ballot itself, the Council wishes to ensure that all members of the Regent House have an opportunity to express their view by a vote on the Grace to a timetable that is as swift as the University’s legislation on ballots allows.

The Council wishes to reaffirm the principles, which it believes should characterize and inform the funding of higher education, expressed in its ‘Statement on the Funding of Higher Education and Student Support’ of 8 December 2010 (http://www.cam.ac.uk/univ/notices/funding-of-he.html). In particular, it draws attention to the following extract from that Statement:

There are strong arguments for a significant degree of public funding for higher education teaching and research, reflecting the public benefit which higher education delivers over and above the benefit to individual recipients of a university education.

The cost of undergraduate education should continue to be borne by

• Government in the form of a subject-weighted grant per student;

• students and their families in the form of an annual tuition fee;

• the University in the form of bursaries to individuals and support for delivery of courses from endowment or other income.

In addition, the Council notes that the Government is expected to publish its White Paper on Higher Education shortly. The Council will wish to ensure that, through a process of effective consultation with the Regent House, it is able to submit a considered response to the proposals in the White Paper that takes account of the full range of views of members of the Regent House and which would be published within the University.

Notice of a Ballot

In accordance with Regulation 7 of the regulations for Graces of the Regent House (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 107), the Council has determined that a vote will be taken on this Grace by postal ballot.

In connection with the ballot, the Registrary will arrange for the printing and circulation of any fly-sheet, signed by ten or more members of the Regent House, which reaches him at the Old Schools by 1 p.m. on Thursday, 23 June. Fly-sheets may also be faxed to 01223 332332 or scanned (showing signatures) and sent by email to registrary@admin.cam.ac.uk. Fly-sheets must bear, in addition to the signatures, the names and initials (in block capitals) of the signatories (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 112). Voting papers and fly-sheets will be distributed to all members of the Regent House on or before Thursday, 14 July; the last date for the return of voting papers will be Monday, 25 July.

Nomination of members of the Council in class (e) (External Members): Election of members of Nominating Committee

10 June 2011

The Vice-Chancellor announces that the following candidate has been duly nominated in accordance with the regulations for nomination of members of the Council in class (e) (External Members) (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 116) to serve as a member of the Nominating Committee, and that it has been certified to him that the candidate has consented to be nominated in the class shown:

Class (c):

One member in class (c) of the Nominating Committee elected by the Regent House from among those who at the time of the election are current members of the Council in classes (a), (b), and (c).

Candidate

Nominated by

Professor Frank Patrick Kelly, CHR

Dr S. J. Cowley, SE, and Professor S. J. Young, EM

No other persons being nominated, the Vice-Chancellor declares that the person named above is duly elected for four years from 1 October 2011, and that the election previously announced (Reporter, p. 878) will not now take place.

Report of the Council on the financial position and budget of the University, recommending allocations from the Chest for 2011–12: Notice in response to Discussion remarks

13 June 2011

The Council has received the remarks made at the Discussion of this Report on 31 May 2011 (p. 928). With regard to the remarks made by Professor Dodgson about the numbers of staff in the different categories, it notes that the data in Appendix 4 of the Report (p. 777) shows that the balance of expenditure between Schools and other academic institutions and Other institutions and activities has remained almost constant over the period examined. The table that appears in Appendix 1 (p. 774) gives a broad view of the categories of the University’s staff, but they need careful interpretation and the Council has agreed that, if possible, more detail will be provided in future years.

The Council is submitting a Grace (Grace 1, p. 943) to the Regent House for the approval of the recommendations in the Report.

Report of the Council seeking authority to submit a planning application for University land at North West Cambridge: Notice in response to Discussion remarks

13 June 2011

The Council has received the remarks made at the Discussion of this Report on 31 May 2011 (p. 927). It notes the remarks made by Professor Sanders in support of the North West Cambridge project.

In response to the remarks made by Dr de Lacey, the Council recognizes that part of the site falls within the Parish of Girton as evidenced by past presentations to the Parish Council. A further presentation as requested by the Parish Council has been arranged. Town planning discussions, including section 106 Agreement requirements, for the area concerned are being conducted with South Cambridgeshire District Council as well as Cambridge City Council, and for appropriate areas of responsibility with Cambridgeshire County Council as is the legal requirement. It is expected that the local authorities will consider the views of the parish councils. It is anticipated that draft Heads of Terms for the section 106 Agreement will be submitted with the draft planning application and will include proposed commitments that will benefit the development and mitigate its impact, as provided for under adopted planning policy. Discussions with the County Council include issues relating to the impact of the development proposals on local roads including Huntingdon Road, although the speed limit on that road is a matter for the County Council based on overall traffic management considerations and does not relate directly to the proposed development.

The provision of off-site facilities on the NIAB site has been proposed by the local authorities as a means of meeting the requirements of both sites. Shared library facilities and provision of a secondary school and a children’s centre will be provided on the NIAB site and a Police touchdown facility will be provided on the North West Cambridge site; balancing financial payments will be provided for through the section 106 Agreement. The possibility of late or non-provision of the secondary school on the NIAB site has been raised with the County Council as the education authority and it has advised that it would meet its statutory obligations through existing school sites in the event of that eventuality.

Sustainability is central to the proposed project, with homes being built to Sustainable Homes Code Level 5 from the outset and Code Level 6 by 2016, and with all other buildings to BREEAM Excellent standards. These standards accord with the Government’s current definition of ‘Zero Carbon’. Leading sustainability consultants AECOM SDG are advising on sustainability matters, with a Sustainability Panel of eminent University experts, chaired by Professor Robert Mair, providing an on-going critique of proposals.

The Council is submitting a Grace (Grace 2, p. 943) to the Regent House for the approval of the recommendations in the Report.

College contributions in the financial year 2009–10 and grants from the Colleges Fund: Notice

13 June 2011

College contribution for 2009–10

The contributions due by the Colleges in respect of their financial year 2009–10, to be paid to the University in 2010–11 and available for distribution by the Colleges Fund, are given in the table below. The amounts have been included in the Colleges’ accounts for 2009–10.

2009–10

Contribution

£000

Christ’s

33

Churchill

17

Clare

37

Clare Hall

0

Corpus Christi

42

Darwin

0

Downing

0

Emmanuel

125

Fitzwilliam

0

Girton

10

Gonville and Caius

141

Hughes Hall

0

Jesus

87

King’s

152

Lucy Cavendish

0

Magdalene

14

New Hall (Murray Edwards)

0

Newnham

23

Pembroke

20

Peterhouse

129

Queens’

26

Robinson

0

St Catharine’s

11

St Edmund’s

0

St John’s

694

Selwyn

0

Sidney Sussex

36

Trinity

1,847

Trinity Hall

54

Wolfson

0

Total

3,498

Grants from the Colleges Fund: Notice

The Council has received the following report from the Committee of Management of the Colleges Fund which under Regulation 4 for the Fund (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 999) it now publishes to the University.

1. The amount available in the Fund for distribution in 2011 is approximately £3,500,000.

2. The Committee of Management has approved the following grants to the corporate capital of Colleges to be paid on 30 June 2011:

£000

Clare Hall

239

Darwin

275

Downing

139

Fitzwilliam

307

Girton

76

Hughes Hall

409

Lucy Cavendish

352

New Hall (Murray Edwards)

54

Robinson

409

Selwyn

251

St Catharine’s

36

St Edmund’s

455

Wolfson

498

Total

3,500

3. These grants have been calculated by taking account of the model of a standard College with a basic requirement for endowment. The figures take account of the actual endowment requirements of the relevant applicant College, having reference to numbers of undergraduates, full-time equivalent graduates, Fellows, and College Teaching Officers.

4. The Committee of Management has not approved any exceptional grants in addition to the endowment-based grants listed above.

Senate-House Yard: Notice of closure on Thursday, 23 June 2011

Senate-House Yard will be closed on 23 June 2011, on the occasion of the Congregation for conferment of Honorary Degrees. Any class-list published on 23 June will be posted outside the Yard, at the East end of the Senate-House, and access to the University Offices will be from Trinity Lane.

Only holders of admission tickets for the Congregation and other authorized persons will be permitted to enter the Yard on 23 June.