No 6489
Thursday 14 December 2017
Vol cxlviii No 13
pp. 195–267
The Council begs leave to report to the University as follows:
In accordance with Statute A IV 1(c), the Council makes the following Annual Report to the University.
Lord Sainsbury of Turville has visited the University frequently over the year and represented the University at events in London and New York. He presided at the Guild of Benefactors Ceremony and the Honorary Degrees Congregation. He visited the Cambridge Judge Business School and attended the Cambridge in America Board meeting in New York. The Chancellor also attended the King’s Foundation Dinner, the London Campaign Celebration, a Campaign Board dinner at Lancaster House, and a reception at Portcullis House in London. In September 2017 Lord Sainsbury hosted the farewell dinner for the Vice-Chancellor at Trinity College in Cambridge.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz FRS, addressed the University on 1 October 2016 about the University as ‘A global community’, reflecting on Cambridge’s leadership locally, regionally, and internationally as well as the forthcoming challenges in Higher Education in the United Kingdom and globally. Building on this theme, at the Times Higher Education World Summit at the University of California, Berkeley, in September 2017, he called for universities to respond to the crisis in public trust by deepening their engagement with the societies they serve. In his inaugural Kate Pretty Lecture on ‘The Cambridge of tomorrow’ in February 2017 he continued to explore the theme of regional leadership and how operating in a regional ecosystem will be vital for the University’s international ambition in research and teaching. In his valedictory speech at a reception with political stakeholders at Portcullis House in July 2017 he set out his vision of Cambridge’s future as an institution firmly rooted in its region and yet actively seeking to benefit communities beyond its own.
The Vice-Chancellor has also undertaken many national and overseas engagements on the University’s behalf, travelling to several European countries, as well as China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, and the United States.
The Council wishes to express its deep gratitude to Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz for his insight, vision, and leadership over the past seven years as Vice-Chancellor. The Council looks forward to working with Professor Stephen Toope from 1 October 2017.
Professor Andy Neely, SID, took up office as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise and Business Relations) for three years from 1 March 2017. Professor Graham Virgo, DOW, was reappointed as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) for three years from 1 October 2017.
The Council is grateful to Professor Nigel Slater, F, for his service from 1 January to 31 December 2016 as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise and Regional Affairs), and to Professor Duncan Maskell, W, Professor Christopher Abell, CHR, and Professor Eilís Ferran, CTH, for their service as Pro-Vice-Chancellors during the academical year.
The Council is defined by Statute A as the principal executive and policy-making body of the University, having general responsibility for the administration of the University, for the planning of its work, and for the management of its resources. It is declared to have power to take such action as is necessary for it to discharge these responsibilities. It also performs such other executive and administrative duties as may be delegated to it by the Regent House or assigned to it by Statute, Special Ordinance, or Ordinance. As the persons having responsibility for the general control and management of the administration of the University, members of the Council are regarded as the charity trustees of the University.
The Council’s Statement of Primary Responsibilities (annexed to this Report) is reviewed annually together with its Standing Orders, the Code of Practice for members of the Council, and the Statement of Corporate Governance.
The Council continues to discharge its responsibilities through ordinary regular meetings (eleven each year) and, as necessary, special meetings (of which there were none in 2016–17); scrutiny of business through the Business Committee, the Advisory Committee on Benefactions and External and Legal Affairs (ACBELA), and other committees, notably the Finance Committee and the Audit Committee which are the Council’s statutory committees; and through receipt and approval of routine business by circulation. Business is monitored and managed through the regular consideration of work plans. The Council has continued to hold two strategic meetings each year, one in September and one in the spring. Papers received by the Council (except where reserved or otherwise restricted for reasons such as commercial confidentiality) are available to members and staff of the University on the Council’s website at https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/committees/council/.
In the Easter Term 2016, the Regent House approved the appointment of Professor Sir David Greenaway as an external member of the Council in class (e), with effect from 1 October 2017.1
Following the biennial election of half of the elected membership, the Council welcomed new members elected with effect from 1 January 2017. There was also a bye-election in class (a). The membership until 31 December 2016 and from 1 January 2017 is attached as Annex A.
During 2016–17, the Council received frequent reports from the Remuneration Committee and quarterly reports from the West and North West Cambridge Estates Board on the North West Cambridge development. The Chief Executive Officers of Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press and the Chairs of the Local Examinations and Press Syndicates attended to present their respective annual reports and to answer questions in November 2017.2 The Executive Director of University Development and Alumni Relations also reported on fundraising and alumni activities in May 2017.
In last year’s Report, it was noted that the process to identify the next Registrary had commenced, following the decision of Dr Nicholls to retire with effect from 31 December 2016. In June 2017, following consultation with the Vice-Chancellor-Elect, the Council gave notice that it had appointed Acting Registrary Emma Rampton, previously Academic Secretary, to the office of Registrary from 1 October 2017.3 Interim arrangements to cover the role of Academic Secretary were endorsed by the Council in January 2017; arrangements over the longer term will be considered in the Lent Term 2018.
In October 2016, the Council and the General Board approved a framework providing guiding principles and a broad sense of direction for the development of the University’s estate. The document had been developed at the instigation and under the oversight of the Estates Strategy Committee, a sub-committee of the Planning and Resources Committee.4 The framework was welcomed by the Council as a well-articulated statement of the University’s vision for the development of the estate, noting that there were likely to be tensions and trade-offs between capital ambition and affordability, and important issues to consider around improving space efficiency.
The Information Services Committee, a joint Committee of the Council and the General Board, commissioned a review of the University’s cyber security arrangements in light of its position as a high level risk on the University’s risk register, which had attracted some Priority 35 recommendations in a report received by the Audit Committee in January 2015. The Director of University Information Services and Professor Ian Leslie (a member of the Cybersecurity Technical Advisory Group chaired by external member Mr Ian Watmore that had conducted the review) reported to the Council on the review’s findings in January 2017. The review identified the need for a change in culture and strong leadership to take ownership of the risks, as well as the development of specialist teams. Work in this area will be taken forward by Mr Vijay Samtani, who joined the University as Chief Information Security Officer in September 2017.6
The Council is supported by a Remuneration Committee, chaired by an external member of Council, which provides scrutiny of the pay and benefits of senior University staff. Annually the Committee, in conjunction with the wider Council, sets the objectives, reviews the performance and recommends (biennially) the remuneration of the Vice-Chancellor. During 2016–17, the Committee approved the terms of the package to be offered in the recruitment to several senior roles; approved the establishment of an Employment and Remuneration Committee for the Investment Office; and received requests for market pay for approval, which are now supplied with more detailed contextual data. The Committee’s current terms of reference are under review; recommendations will be reported to the Council in 2017–18.
As part of its evaluation of its own operations, in 2015–16 the Council established a review committee chaired by Mr John Shakeshaft, Deputy Chair of the Council, constituted from among the members of the Council, to carry out a self-effectiveness review of the Council. Its findings were endorsed by the Council at its meeting in November 2016. As a result, charity law specialist Mr Sam Macdonald of Farrer and Co gave a presentation to the Council in March 2017 on the role and responsibilities of charity trustees, changes to working practices are being implemented, the documents governing the conduct of the Council’s work are under review, and recommendations concerning the membership of the Council have been referred to the Governance Review Working Group for consideration as part of that review.
The Council has also agreed to make changes to its standing orders to cover the following: historical information concerning Graces initiated by the Regent House, including precedents, to guide its consideration of new Graces; revisions to its arrangements for the sabbatical and other leave of Council members; and an express commitment to the prompt announcement of decisions made by the Council.
As reported in last year’s Annual Report, a ballot was called on proposals concerning changes to the sharing of information about class-lists, including the discontinuation of the public display of class-lists outside the Senate-House. Following the vote, the recommendations were not approved (514 votes in favour, 727 votes against).7 The potential effects of the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (see p. 201) , including its impact on the public display of class-lists, are currently being considered.
Teaching and research are the responsibility of the General Board and of the Schools, Faculties, and Departments. The General Board reports annually to the Council; the Board’s report for 2016–17 is annexed to this Report and provides a detailed commentary.
In November 2016, the Council established a panel chaired by Professor Martin Millett, Head of the School of Arts and Humanities, to conduct a review of the Careers Service. The Council and the General Board received the report of the review group in the Easter Term 2017 and broadly endorsed its recommendations. It was agreed that a small working group, to include the Chair of the Review Panel, would work over the summer to consider how the recommendations could be implemented, for report to the Council in the Michaelmas Term 2017.
The General Board’s Annual Report (p. 213) notes the approval, by Grace 3 of 22 February 2017, of the introduction of a procedure for the consideration of student complaints of harassment and sexual misconduct and, by Grace 3 of 5 July 2017, of revised student complaint and review procedures. Pending the completion of work on those procedures, work on the review of student disciplinary procedures was suspended. The Review Committee on Student Discipline is expected to report on further proposals to revise the student disciplinary framework in 2017–18, after the Office of the Independent Adjudicator has published new guidance on disciplinary procedures.
In May 2017, the Council published the membership of the Governance Review Working Group and its terms of reference, and invited comments as part of an initial phase of information-gathering, in advance of the commencement of meetings of the Working Group in 2017–18.8
In the course of the year, the Council received two Graces initiated by members of the Regent House.
In January 2017, the Council gave notice that it had agreed to authorize submission of Grace 1 of 11 January 2017 concerning a policy of disinvestment in companies involved in the extraction of fossil fuels.9 It noted that the Grace could not operate as a mandate in respect of the exercise of the Council’s fiduciary responsibility for the University’s investment practices and therefore proposed that a report be commissioned into the different approaches the University might take to issues associated with the policy of divestment which the Grace supported. The membership and terms of reference of the working group established to prepare that report were published in the Easter Term 2017.10
The publication of the Grace followed a Discussion on a topic of concern covering related matters, held on 22 November 2016.11 The Council responded to the remarks made at the Discussion in January 2017.12
In June 2017, the Council acknowledged receipt of a Grace proposing the removal of the age limit applied to certain classes of members of the Regent House. The Grace was discussed at the Council’s meeting in July, at which it was agreed that the Grace should be considered further at its meeting in September 2017.13 The Council has agreed to consult with the Colleges on the form of its response and expects to publish a formal response to the Grace early in the Lent Term 2018.
Following receipt by the Vice-Chancellor of a request for a review, under Statute A IX 1, concerning its decision to submit Grace 1 of 11 January 2017 noted above, the Council agreed to propose amendments to Statutes A III and A VIII (c) to affirm, for the avoidance of doubt, the authority of the Regent House to initiate and submit Graces to the Regent House. Following the approval of Grace 1 of 27 September 2017, the amendments have been submitted to the Privy Council.
The Committee consists of nine members, the majority of whom are external. The Committee is chaired by Mr Mark Lewisohn, an external member of Council (in class (a)). There are two members of Council (in class (b)), four external members (in class (c)), and two co-opted members (in class (d)). Also in attendance at meetings of the Committee are the Chairs of Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment Audit Committees, senior University officers including the Acting Registrary, the Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor, and the Director of Finance, the University’s internal auditors and, where relevant to agenda items, the external auditors. After taking up post in May, the Chief Financial Officer attended his first meeting of the Audit Committee on 11 May 2017.
There has been one change to the Audit Committee’s membership during 2016–17. Mr Jeremy Caddick, who was a member of the Committee in class (b), ended his term on 31 December 2016. Council member Dr Nick Holmes joined in January 2017, following his appointment to the vacancy.
The Council is grateful to all current and former members who give their time and expertise in support of the Audit Committee’s work.
Deloitte LLP was reappointed for three years with effect from 1 August 2014 to provide the University’s internal audit function. At its 11 May 2017 meeting, the Audit Committee agreed to renew the internal auditors’ contract for a further two years, until 31 July 2019. A review of the means and context of internal audit and a market-testing exercise will be conducted in time for the appointment of new internal auditors, or the reappointment of the existing auditors, on 1 August 2019.
The third departmental assurance survey ran smoothly in 2016–17 and the findings were reported to the Audit Committee in June 2016. The survey report enables the Audit Committee, administrative offices, and Schools to see at a glance where weaker areas exist by department and topic. Engagement with Schools on the survey was particularly strong this year. The survey remains a good method for seeking broad assurance, although the Audit Committee and Deloitte continue to monitor its effectiveness.
Key audits in 2016–17 included Alumni Management and Fundraising, UIS Reorganization Review, North West Cambridge Financial Appraisal, Staff Absence Management, Graduate Student Admissions, Space Utilization, and the CamSIS Improvement Programme (based on a summary memorandum, as a check on progress). Next year’s internal audit plan has been approved and will include the University’s approach to International Activities, General Data Protection Regulation Readiness, Cyber Security, North West Cambridge Phase 2, and the CamSIS Re-implementation.
One audit report carried limited assurance this year, which was the report on Space Utilization. The Director of Estate Strategy and the Head of Estate Planning attended the June meeting in order to respond to the report and take questions. This matter will be followed up in 2017–18.
At its January 2017 meeting the Committee received positive feedback from the Group in regard to the performance of the external auditors. The Committee therefore recommended to the Council that a Grace be promoted for the reappointment of PwC as the external auditors for the 2016–17 financial year.
Mr Stuart Newman succeeded Mr Charles Joseland as the Engagement Partner for the external auditors in January 2017 following Mr Joseland’s retirement from PwC.
Risk management is a standing item on the Audit Committee’s agenda. The University’s Key Risk Register is updated and reviewed by the Risk Steering Committee, which meets at least twice a year. The Risk Steering Committee is chaired by the Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor.
Risk management training is provided biannually through the University’s Personal and Professional Development training programme. Specific sessions for individual institutions or groups are also given where requested or suggested.
All institutions are expected to have Emergency Action Plans and these are now hosted on Estate Management’s Micad system. The system enables automated reminders to be sent to institutions when their current plan needs renewing (required annually).
Following collaboration with University Information Services (UIS), the emergency response Silver Team has use of a well-equipped Primary Incident Management Room. A new Secondary Incident Management Room has recently been established with improved facilities and location in comparison to the previous room, which offers greater resilience as an emergency planning location.
A desktop exercise for the University Silver Team took place in September 2017.
The Committee received an annual report on the University’s policy against bribery and corruption at its June meeting. There had been no reports of bribery and one case of financial fraud in the University group; the fraud was under the threshold that required reporting to HEFCE. An allegation of fraud involving a former embedded researcher in a College was under investigation, although there was no financial loss to the University. An allegation of malpractice by a University employee, including possible fraud, is currently under investigation and was reported to HEFCE in September 2017.
Training is conducted through the University’s online Bribery and Corruption training module via Moodle. A reminder to undertake training was issued by the Acting Registrary to all Heads of Institutions and Departmental Administrators in April 2017. The message highlighted the importance of individuals’ participation in the training and clarified who should undertake the training; there was an 18% increase in uptake of the training when compared to the previous year. In response to feedback, an improved training module and reporting function is under development.
There was one case of whistleblowing in the University. This is pending resolution subject to potential further investigation under the whistleblowing policy.
An annual meeting is held with representatives from the Colleges as part of an exercise by which to seek assurance that the funds, being the share of student fees received by the University which have been transferred to the Colleges, have been used for the educational purposes intended. An exercise was undertaken to compare Colleges’ total fee income and restricted funds income with expenditure on education. Reasonable assurance could be given that the money was spent for the purposes intended. A report on Colleges’ value for money activities was also received and potential areas for greater collaboration between the University and Colleges were discussed.
The Committee has continued to seek further sources of assurance on different topic areas by inviting senior officers to present at its meetings. It has also invited relevant officers or external visitors to provide further information in relation to specific reports received by the Committee. During 2016–17 the Committee received the following presentations:
•5 October 2016. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Institutional and International Relations) spoke about the management of risks relating to Staffing which is a top risk on the University’s Key Risk Register. The Director of the UIS discussed the latest developments on the cyber security programme and also presented a report on the data breach that occurred in June/July 2016. Ms Alice Perkins reported on an effectiveness review of the Committee (see section (ix) below).
•19 January 2017. The Director of UIS and Professor Ian Leslie, a member of the Cyber Security Technical Review Group, reported on the Group’s findings. The Director of UIS followed with a further update on the cyber security programme.
•9 March 2017. The Vice-Chancellor gave his annual report to the Committee. The Head of the Registrary’s Office presented on the University’s governance structure and processes. The Interim Head of Research Operations presented the annual report on research grant sponsors’ audits.
•11 May 2017. The Director of Estate Strategy and the Head of Estate Projects gave a presentation on the University’s estate management strategy.
•29 June 2017. The Director of Estate Strategy and the Head of Estate Planning attended to respond to the audit report received on Space Utilization.
The Committee held an extended meeting on 17 November 2016 to discuss the outcomes of the Effectiveness Review conducted by Alice Perkins of JCA Partners LLP during Easter Term 2016. This led to a number of actions being agreed on the basis of the recommendations made (see section (ix) below).
At its June 2017 meeting the Committee agreed to schedule a series of workshops in 2017–18 to enable fuller discussion of key areas of risk. The topics proposed include cyber security and space utilization. A further workshop will be led by the Chief Financial Officer. An extended meeting in November 2017 was arranged to enable the Committee members to meet the new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Toope.
At its January 2016 meeting, the Committee agreed to commission an external consultant to conduct a review of the Committee’s effectiveness. The review involved individual interviews with all members and regular attendees of the Committee. The consultant also observed one meeting. The consultant’s final report was received by the Committee at its October meeting.
A number of recommendations were made, actions against which have been implemented throughout the year. Key actions have included the following:
– The Head of the Registrary’s Office’s presentation to the Committee on the University’s governance structure at its March meeting to improve understanding of the University’s operations, particularly for external members.
– Whilst all audit reports continue to be circulated, only those with limited or nil assurance are discussed in detail at meetings in order to free up time for deeper discussion of other topics. This was implemented with effect from the Committee’s January 2017 meeting.
– A second external member of the Audit Committee now attends the Risk Steering Committee. Mr John Aston attended his first meeting in June.
– It was agreed that the Committee should meet in alternative venues around the collegiate University. Meetings since March 2017 have been held at a range of locations with links to academic departments, non-School institutions, and the wider University in reflection of the breadth of operations represented in the reports submitted to the Committee. This change has been well received.
– The current style of induction sessions for external members, whereby senior officers from different sections of the University’s administration and the Schools explain and take questions on their areas of operation, will be extended to all members in future
The Prime Minister informed the European Council, on 28 March 2017, of the UK’s intention to leave the European Union, triggering Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon. The UK must now negotiate the terms of its withdrawal from the EU within two years.
The Council, at its meeting in November 2016, approved broad strategies to guide work in the different areas of University activity. More detailed work is being conducted and reported via the General Board’s Education and Research Policy Committees.14 The University’s response to the government’s green paper, ‘Building our Industrial Strategy’, and its contribution to the regional response, which were endorsed by the Council and the General Board in the Lent Term, provided strong evidence of the University’s – and the sector’s – ability to make a significant contribution to the development of strategy in the post-Brexit era, both at a national and regional level.
The Council has also, against a background of the post-Brexit increase in the incidence of hate crimes, endorsed statements made by the Vice-Chancellor evidencing the University’s firm stance against racism and its celebration of diversity.
In December 2016, the Council and the General Board, on the recommendation of the Planning and Resources Committee and the General Board’s Education Committee, and with the support of the Colleges’ Committee, agreed that the University would participate in Year Two of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). In June 2017, the HEFCE published the results of TEF2, in which the University received a Gold award, the highest available to participants.15 The government confirmed on 2 October 2017 that the maximum level of tuition fees would be frozen at £9,250 for the academical year 2018–19.
The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 received Royal Assent in April 2017. The University contributed to the debate during the passage of the legislation, through its replies to consultations, by giving evidence to enhance sector responses, and by providing briefings. The Office for Students, replacing the HEFCE and OFFA, and UK Research and Innovation, are expected to be in place by April 2018. The Council and the General Board approved a response to a consultation on the fee arrangements for the Office for Students in the Lent Term 2017.16
As a partner of the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP, formerly known as the City Deal), the University has been actively supporting the Partnership’s efforts to deliver sustainable and long-term growth across the Cambridge region. Working collaboratively with the Local Enterprise Partnership and the three local councils, the University has advised the GCP on a number of transport, housing, and skills schemes, through its representation on the Executive and Programme Boards.
The University also developed an important working relationship with the new Combined Authority and Mayor, whose spatial plan and infrastructure powers provide the chance to develop a shared regional agenda for growth.
To ensure maximum connectivity across the ‘Golden Triangle’ of universities in Oxford, Cambridge, and London, and the Cambridge Cluster, the University has also engaged with the National Infrastructure Commission with a view to securing the East-West Rail line and a third railway station at Cambridge South.
As part of the University’s regional response to the Industrial Strategy, the University of Cambridge has also led a new regional skills partnership called Accelerate EAST. Formed by higher and further education and commercial partners from across East Anglia, this group aims to raise aspirations, and improve connectivity and training opportunities for communities across the region.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will apply from 25 May 2018, replacing the Data Protection Act 1998. It sets out a more prescriptive and punitive regulatory framework for organizations to follow when processing personal data. Preparation for the implementation of the GDPR is being taken forward through a working group to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of the changes across the collegiate University.17
HEFCE issued an ‘Updated framework for the monitoring of the Prevent duty in higher education in England’ in September 2016.18 (Prevent is one of the four elements of CONTEST, the government’s counter-terrorism strategy. It aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.) As part of this framework, providers were required to submit an annual report to HEFCE indicating that they ‘continued to have ‘due regard’ to the Prevent duty over the previous operating or academic year.’ The first Prevent annual report for the period 1 October 2015–30 September 2016 was approved by the Council in March 2017 for submission to HEFCE.19 The Chief Executive of HEFCE confirmed to the Vice-Chancellor in July 2017 that the University had demonstrated due regard.
As was reported in last year’s Report, the Council established an implementation group under the chairmanship of the Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor, with representation from the Local Examination Syndicate and the Press Syndicate, to take forward arrangements for a proposed commercial board to oversee the University’s business operations. The Council approved the group’s proposal that, in the first instance, that board should restrict its activities to the University’s two main businesses, with the Syndicates delegating such powers as necessary to the board to oversee the assets entrusted to them by the University. The Council approved, in January 2017, the membership of a Press and Assessment Board (PAB) and agreed in principle the terms of draft letters from the Council to each of the Syndicates, inviting the Syndicates to consider delegating to the PAB those of their powers which fell within the proposed terms of reference of the PAB. The membership of the PAB and relevant delegations were subsequently approved by the Syndicates, and the PAB held its first formal meeting in June 2017, having met informally from February. Meetings of the PAB take place approximately monthly. Minutes of PAB meetings are provided to the Council and the Syndicates. Single joint audit and remuneration committees for both businesses have been established as sub-committees of the PAB in place of the separate committees which formerly existed under each of the Syndicates. The Council and the Syndicates will keep under review the effectiveness of the arrangements and consider whether and how they need to evolve further over time.
The Council annually receives a report from Cambridge Assessment.
Cambridge Assessment’s preliminary results for 2016–17 show a 5% growth in income to £416m; an operating surplus of £78m; and an anticipated transfer of £23.8m to the University. The two international businesses between them now account for over 80% of CA’s income. The UK market remains challenging and OCR’s20 income declined this year but it achieved an operating surplus of almost £2m through careful management of the product portfolio, various operational cash releasing initiatives, as well as tight controls on discretionary spend.
CA has a number of important partnerships both within the University and more widely. The most significant external partnership is with the British Council, which supports the distribution of CIE’s (Cambridge International Examinations) qualifications worldwide and is one of the three IELTS21 partners.
The development of new office accommodation on the Triangle site remains on track with an anticipated occupation date in early 2018. This development will accommodate all Cambridge-based staff in a single location and provide sufficient space to absorb planned growth.
CA anticipates that income will grow at a faster rate over the next five years and that compound annual growth for the operating surplus will be around eight per cent. Thirty per cent of the annual operating surplus is transferred to the University and applied for capital purposes. The transfer to the University over the next five years (plus the current year) is forecast to be in the region of £192m, which includes the estimated value of the central Cambridge buildings occupied currently by CA that will transfer to the University estate once CA has moved to the Triangle site. There will be continued investment in research, technology, product development, infrastructure, and staff, although capital expenditure is expected to fall significantly once the Triangle site is occupied and implementation of SAP, the business operations and customer relations management software, is complete.
The Council annually receives a report from Cambridge University Press.
The Press’s sales in the financial year to 30 April 2017 were £306m, up 14% on the previous year. At constant currency (taking out the impact of fluctuations in foreign exchange) this equated to sales growth of 5%. Operating profit before exceptional one-off costs was up by almost £10m at £16.3m.
Despite a turbulent political environment, the weakness of sterling added to underlying economic growth. In this period the Press saw more than 90% of sales continuing to come from markets outside of the UK, and digital sales for the year increase to 36% of all sales.
The Academic Publishing group celebrated the successful launch of Cambridge Core, which has brought together over 30,000 e-books and 1 million journal articles into one online platform and which has seen an average of 3 million downloads per month. The number of journals published rose to 391, and a major publishing partnership with the Royal College of Psychiatrists was announced. The quality of Academic Publishing remains high and has been recognized through 6 winning titles and 11 honourable mentions at the Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) Awards.
Digital products to support English Language Teaching continued to grow, particularly in Brazil, Thailand, and China, where sales of Kid’s Box China Edition hit 3 million. The use of Cambridge Dictionaries Online grew sharply with traffic passing 20 million monthly active users. The launch of Write and Improve demonstrated the Cambridge advantage – the additional impact from effective co-ordination across the University under the Cambridge brand – by bringing together expertise from researchers at the University, Cambridge Assessment, and the Press to develop a new digital service using the latest machine-learning techniques to allow students to receive instant automated feedback on the quality of their written English.
The Educational Publishing group again saw rapid increases in sales, with a strengthening of position in key markets such as Australia and India, and the opening of a new office in Nigeria. In addition, its Education Reform business expanded its work with governments in the Middle East and Asia.
Understanding customer needs and harnessing the advantage of being part of a leading university remain two critical areas of focus for the Press to continue to deliver its mission effectively.
The North West Cambridge development is a key part of the University’s strategy to maintain its global research profile through the development of a vibrant, mixed-use extension to the City, providing affordable and suitable accommodation for University and College staff (primarily postdoctoral researchers), extensive academic and commercial research floor-space, accommodation for postgraduate students, and local centre facilities to support the new community. The development will also provide significant housing and social facilities for the City more generally. 2017 saw the first residents move into the staff accommodation and will see the opening of community facilities in addition to the Primary School.
Quarterly reports to the Council from the Chair of the West and North West Cambridge Estates Board in 2016–17 have focused on the building programme and readiness for occupation of the first residents. Negotiation of commercial arrangements for market housing, the supermarket, the hotel, the senior care facility, and the nursery operations have continued and, in some cases, have come to fruition. Work is underway to identify and define the priorities for a second phase of development at North West Cambridge, for recommendation to the Regent House by the Council.
Over 1,000 people are now working on the development of the site and four and a half million working hours were logged by June 2017. The majority of the buildings in Phase 1 will be completed in 2017, including 700 homes for University and College staff, shops, and a doctor’s surgery. Developers constructing housing for sale started on site in summer 2016. The supermarket and community centre will both open in autumn/winter 2017. Girton College has taken occupation of Swirles Court, offering accommodation in the form of 325 student rooms. The first University staff residents began taking occupation from June 2017, and over 400 interested University and College staff members are on the waiting list for the site.
The work of the North West Cambridge Audit Group was reported in the Council’s previous Report. The resulting two reports confirmed that the project would still achieve the strategic aims set by the University but also made a number of recommendations as to the future governance and management of the North West Cambridge Development as well as other major University projects. All of the recommendations relating to Phase 1 and the majority of those from the Group’s second report have been implemented, with the outstanding ones being University-wide matters or matters in progress for resolution by the end of 2017.
The staffing and governance arrangements for the project now include a full-time Project Director, Finance Director, and Head of Corporate Governance, as well as a Risk and Audit Committee, Nominations Committee, and Remuneration Committee.
The Board also has strategic oversight of the adjacent West Cambridge site, which is the University’s opportunity to establish a world-class, well connected research and development environment focused on the physical sciences and technology which benefits Cambridge, the region, and the UK – one that provides facilities that help the University to retain its globally competitive position by continuing to attract and retain the world’s best academics and researchers, as well as supporting entrepreneurship and collaboration with industry. The University is developing the new Cavendish Laboratory and exploring the integration of the Department of Engineering on the West Cambridge site.
To assist the Board in developing both the North West and West Cambridge sites in a complementary manner and to ensure that any opportunities which arise from the parallel development of the sites are exploited, the West Cambridge Site Development Board has been replaced with an Academic Board that will advise across both West and North West Cambridge and be responsible for developing the academic strategy for both sites.
2016–17 has been a strong year, with success across all elements of the programme. Most significantly, the University closed 2016–17 ahead of target at £9 million; £36.6 million was raised in June alone. This brings the overall Campaign total, as at 31 July 2017, to £960 million towards the £2 billion target.
This has been an exceptional year in development across collegiate Cambridge. CUDAR reached several key milestones for the first time, including funds raised and prospect visits made. Traditionally performance is stronger in the second half of the year; 83% of new funds were raised in the second half of the financial year and 70% in the last quarter.
In March the fundraising team surpassed the number of visits in 2015–16 and reached its target of 1,250 visits by June. Fundraisers met with 560 unique prospects in 2016–17, 100 more than the year before. There is significant momentum heading into 2017–18, with 8 eight-figure gifts currently in solicitation.
A key element of such success is University and College collaboration. An example of this was the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Professorship of the Deep History and Archaeology of Africa, linked with Magdalene College. Since 2013, academics, College leaders, and fundraisers from both College and University have worked in concert to realize the ambition of establishing an endowed Professorship in this area. The Professorship was established by Grace in May 2017.
Stewardship of the collegiate University’s most generous donors continues to play a vital role. At the Guild of Benefactors event held on 22 March 2017, 84 donors and their guests attended with 11 Companions inducted into the Guild at the ceremony. The Vice Chancellor’s Circle event held on 1 July 2017 was attended by 26 members and their guests, along with 19 new members.
To provide an improved experience and more effective donor recognition, new donors will be welcomed into giving societies on an ongoing basis from the start of 2017–18 (previously on an annual basis).
In 2016–17, four new alumni groups were added to our global alumni network, increasing the total number of alumni groups to 462 in 116 countries worldwide.
Over the last academical year, 31 development and alumni relations events were held of varying scales, involving 4,987 attendees, including alumni and donors across six countries and four different regions of the UK. Global Cambridge, the University’s largest alumni events series, played an important role in serving the needs of internationally based alumni by keeping them connected with the institution and laying the vital foundation for giving and volunteering. In 2016–17, events took place in Bristol, Edinburgh, Hong Kong, Dusseldorf, Singapore, Melbourne, and Sydney which were attended by a cumulative total of 1,059 alumni.
Twelve Colleges and the University collaborated to design and deliver an alumni survey. Approximately 30,000 alumni responded (23% of pool) and significant interest was identified for more engagement and communication with both College and University.
The Alumni Advisory Board (AAB) meeting took place in January and July 2017 and continues to provide strategic advice on alumni communications and network programming. In 2016–17, two new members were welcomed to the Board.
The Campaign Board met in December 2016 and May 2017. Since December the Board has expanded to eleven members, having welcomed three new members in 2016–17. The Board has provided strategic input in a number of key areas over the past year, including the Campaign messaging framework, support for postgraduate studentships, and other campaign priorities. The Campaign Advisory Group (CAG) met three times in 2016–17, continuing to advise on the strategic direction of the campaign. CAG has focused on ways in which Cambridge can improve its ability to raise gifts of £50 million+, the lessons to be learned, and how the institution can evolve to strengthen this.
A new fundraising committee for Cavendish III is being formed with three members providing the foundation for a Board which will engage directly with academic leadership, supported by Development and Alumni Relations.
The University development team is working with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) to launch a targeted campaign to raise £300 million for postgraduate studentships. The programme will involve a significant challenge fund from the University and will enable both the Colleges and the University to accelerate fundraising activity for this key campaign priority.
In 2016–17 two major events were held to engage volunteers and donors. Campaign celebrations in Mumbai (22 February) and London (11 May) featured campaign leadership and priorities, and highlighted outstanding academics and students of Cambridge. The London Engagement Series of events was launched in January 2017 by the Campaign Board to unlock untapped prospect potential for the benefit of the Colleges and the University. All events to date were oversubscribed and there continues to be a high level of interest in upcoming events.
Campaign and performance reporting is now communicated regularly from CUDAR to key stakeholders and the collegiate community. The first of what will become a termly newsletter was sent by the Campaign Co-chairs reporting on key gifts and progress made; University performance is shared monthly with the University’s senior officers; and the wider collegiate community receives Campaign performance updates semi-annually.
Significant work has taken place in 2016–17 on Campaign messaging to frame priorities for collegiate Cambridge. This work is in the latter stages of consultation and continues to evolve through discussions with the Campaign Board, Cambridge in America Board, Campaign Advisory Group, and College and University Leadership.
The transition of the CUDAR communications team to the Office of External Affairs and Communications is complete, with necessary procedures in place for print and digital communications to support the alumni and development communications programme.
In The Know was introduced in March 2017 as a regular and collaborative communication, compiling content from across the collegiate University pertinent to development and alumni relations activity. It is distributed to all staff in CUDAR, Cambridge in America, Cambridge Colleges Development Group, Heads of School, the Cambridge Judge Business School, the University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the Gates Trust, and has a click rate of over 75% on average.
The University’s development programme is structured to align with the six Schools. Development professionals now provide a direct line of service to academic leadership. Key progress continues to be made in embedding a culture of philanthropy, with dedicated fundraisers now in place in all Schools (and the University Library).
The new Director of Development started in post in September 2016 and the new Head of Major Gifts (Schools-based) in May 2017. The Cambridge University Health Partnership team is fully staffed with a Director of Development and Senior Associate Directors for the School of Clinical Medicine, Cancer, and Papworth Hospital.
Collaboration between the University and the Colleges remains a key focus and strategic priority for CUDAR, and is a standing item for review and discussion at the Joint Committee on Development termly meetings.
The third Annual Collegiate Cambridge Development Conference took place on 22 June 2017 at Robinson College; more than 225 staff from across the Colleges and University attended.
The Council oversees planning and resource allocation matters through the Planning and Resources Committee (PRC), a joint Committee of the Council and the General Board. A significant proportion of the PRC’s work each year is the preparation of the University budget and five-year financial forecasts, which are reported in detail in the Report on the Financial Position of the University (the Budget Report). The financial forecasts for the next five years show the Chest remaining in deficit across the planning period. Although this position is regarded as manageable for the short term, the long-term financial sustainability of the University requires the generation of additional income and effective control of expenditure.
Significant financial uncertainty and major changes in the external environment continue to dominate the planning horizon. The terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU are under negotiation and the higher education sector is heading towards major changes in the way that education and research is governed. In addition, cost pressures on major items of expenditure including pensions, pay, and construction costs are expected to continue for the foreseeable future. The PRC has issued guidance for the next Planning Round which allows for allocations to institutions to increase by no more than one per cent.
The PRC is also responsible for managing the University’s capital planning, and for making allocations from the Capital Fund. The need for substantial investment in buildings remains, with major academic developments planned at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, the New Museums site, the Old Addenbrooke’s site, and at West Cambridge – the last including both the new Cavendish Laboratory and the phased relocation of the Department of Engineering.
The University’s forecast capital expenditure is ambitious, totalling more than £4 billion over the next 15–20 years if all proposed projects are taken forward. University resources in isolation are insufficient to deliver this magnitude of capital expenditure and those projects that are fundamental to delivering core academic strategies will have to be prioritized. The Capital Fund must also be managed in such a way that the University is able to respond to opportunities which arise, for example through philanthropy or government initiatives. Accordingly, the PRC will continue to scrutinize closely the academic and business case for new buildings, and will continue to review all projects to ensure that opportunities for securing external funding have been fully explored.
The Council has received a number of reports of increased costs for building projects over the year. Steps have been taken in each case to minimize those costs, and investigations have also been commissioned to ensure that practice is sound and any pitfalls are avoided.
Through the PRC, the cost of providing an undergraduate education at Cambridge, using a model for understanding the University’s costs, is reviewed annually by a working group which includes student representation. The analysis is subsequently published.22
To assist in longer term strategic planning, a set of sustainability metrics has been developed covering the full range of the University’s operations. These will allow the Council to track performance over time and make comparisons with peer institutions where comparable data are available. The metrics are consistent with the annual sustainability assurance report (ASSUR) to HEFCE and have been further developed in that context.
The majority of the University’s long-term financial assets are held in the Cambridge University Endowment Fund (CUEF), which is also open to investment by Colleges and other charities closely linked with the University.
The Investment Board oversees the activities of the University’s Investment Office in its management of the CUEF. The Investment Board continues to be chaired by Mr Peter Readman and consists of six other external investment professionals and the Vice-Chancellor. The external members are respected figures from their (different) areas of financial markets, bringing strong insights into the structures and opportunities of those sectors, and capable of bringing ideas and business to the Investment Office. The Board met four times during the year to review investment performance and the portfolio’s risk profile; consider the Investment Office’s analysis and proposals; and advise on investment opportunities and the management of investments. The regular meetings cover a cycle of work giving particular attention to strategic asset allocation, annual review of manager performance, and focus on specific asset classes. The minutes of the Board’s meetings are received by both the Finance Committee and the Council.
The CUEF closed its year with a value of £2,960 million as at 30 June 2017 (2016: £2,656m). A total of £97m was distributed to investors and investing funds for expenditure, equivalent to a yield of 3.6% on opening capital value.
The CUEF’s investment return for the twelve months to 30 June 2017 was 18.8%. The Fund has returned an annualized 13.8% return over a rolling five-year period and 10.1% since the inception of the Investment Office, which compares favourably to the Fund’s principal benchmarks and its long-term objective of a 5.25% return in real terms.
The University has launched a new People Strategy, following its approval by the Council and the General Board in the Easter Term 2017.23 The Strategy has been developed to support the mission and values of the University, and makes a clear statement about how the University values and treats its people, and the culture it wishes to foster to achieve and sustain excellence in all areas of teaching, research, and administration. It sets the strategic direction of the HR Division for the next five years, and focuses on four key areas: recruitment; talent management; reward; and a thriving and inclusive community. The People Action Plan sets out projects that will be undertaken to realize these goals. Work is already underway in many of these areas and an outline of what has been achieved in the last academical year is provided below.
Following the outcome of the referendum on exiting the EU in June 2016, the HR Division’s priority has been to provide reassurance and advice to current EEA staff. In Michaelmas Term 2016, four briefings were held and were attended by 560 staff. A recording of these briefings and further FAQs are available on the HR website. The HR Compliance Team continues to assist current EEA staff who have chosen to apply for Permanent Residence and to date has assisted c. 500 EEA staff with their applications.
The government has recently published proposals regarding the future status of EEA nationals in the UK and, reciprocally, UK nationals in the EU. These proposals are subject to the unanimous agreement of all 27 EU states and therefore are not definitive at present. The HR Division continues to monitor progress of the negotiations, and in the event that EEA nationals in the UK are required to make applications for documentation of any sort, support and guidance will be provided to ensure all staff hold the required documents before any applicable ‘cut-off date’.
A new Recruitment Working Group has been formed and has presented proposals to enable the University to recruit in a flexible and responsive way, with fair and transparent processes, and to provide a positive experience to candidates. A consultation exercise has been conducted with institutions to reform academic appointment arrangements and create locally arranged selection committees. Proposals will be submitted for approval in the Michaelmas Term. The Group continues to review the recruitment of academic-related and professorial staff and will bring forward proposals in the next academical year.
A new induction website for the University has been developed and was launched in July 2016. This includes comprehensive information for new starters to the University and materials to support Faculties and Departments in delivering effective induction activities.
A new Recruitment Essentials training course promoting best practice and awareness of equality and diversity principles has been developed and piloted and will be launched in the Michaelmas Term 2017, initially for those involved in academic recruitment.
The Cambridge Centre for Teaching and Learning (CCTL) continues to contribute to the educational excellence of the collegiate University by supporting individuals, encouraging innovation, and providing a strategic and operational focus for enhancement. CCTL’s work programme is being supported by PPD’s Academic Practice Group and the Academic Division’s Educational and Student Policy section and is overseen by the General Board and the Senior Tutors’ Committee. Further details of the work of the CCTL are provided in the General Board’s Annual Report (p. 214).
This year, the portfolio of activities to support researcher development within Schools has been extended to include development activities for postdocs, support for departmental initiatives and collaborative working with the Office for Postdoctoral Affairs (OPdA), and careers and postdoc networks. Initiatives include a new website (www.rdp.cam.ac.uk) which improves the presentation and profile of development opportunities for postdocs and research students, and an increase in the number of short online courses, and piloting improved face-to-face activities.
To contribute to the personal and professional development of staff at all levels, PPD On Demand is being developed to make training resources accessible in a quick and easy way online, including a range of video clips, factsheets, and tips and hints to enhance learning. ‘Senior leadership programme levels 1, 2, and 3’ have been delivered to 45 senior leaders and ‘Leadership essentials’ and ‘Managing your team through change’ have also been delivered to many staff on the open programme. A version of ‘Leadership essentials’ has been adapted for an academic audience and has been successfully piloted in a number of departments. A range of bespoke sessions have also been delivered in departments and Schools.
Work is underway to provide structured routes to career progression for both academic and professional careers. For academic staff, a review of arrangements for managing academic probation and promotion has been undertaken which has led to the development of an alternative progression model, including an academic career path, revised promotions criteria, streamlined processes, and key principles. The proposals will be considered by the HR Committee in the Michaelmas Term 2017.
In respect of professional staff, and in preparation for the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017, development and planning work has been undertaken to support the increase in take-up of apprenticeships in the University. The University has participated for the first time in the national Ambitious Futures graduate development programme, recruiting three trainees who have made key contributions to their placements. Further work is also underway to increase access to mentoring opportunities for staff in order to further their personal and professional development. A Senior Mentoring Initiative has been piloted this year involving 14 mentoring partnerships drawn from a range of senior leadership roles. Feedback to date has been very positive.
A Remuneration Working Group has been formed, chaired by the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Institutional and International Affairs, to review and propose pay and reward policies and procedures which support the University’s ability to attract and retain outstanding staff. This group has made progress on a range of reward topics including pay positioning, external benchmarking, contribution related pay, gender pay, reward and benefits strategy, employee accommodation and housing, internal pay progression, initiatives to support employee financial wellbeing, and the communication of pay and benefits information to employees. Many new projects are underway as a result and will be implemented over the next academical year.
Agreement was reached nationally on the 2017 pay settlement and was implemented from 1 August 2017. The settlement is a 1.7% uplift on all points, save for the first 18 points of the pay spine where larger increases apply.
The 2016 Equal Pay Review was completed successfully and work is underway to progress recommendations to address the University’s gender pay gap and to meet the University’s obligations under the new mandatory gender pay reporting regulations set by the government.
To respond to changes in the pension environment, a new scheme has been introduced to enable employees adversely affected by pension tax allowances to opt out of future pension provision and apply for an additional cash element in its place, subject to certain eligibility criteria.
The USS Investment Builder (a new USS defined contribution section) was launched in October 2016 following a consultation exercise in 2015. The earnings of members in excess of the USS salary threshold (£55,560 for 2017–18) are automatically pensioned in the Investment Builder. All USS members have the option to pay AVCs to Investment Builder and can elect to receive an employer contribution of 1% to Investment Builder if they pay an AVC of at least 1%. As at 31 July 2017, 1,528 employees had taken advantage of the matching funding.
The results of the triennial valuation of USS as at 31 March 2017 will be considered over the coming months, with a view to finalizing the valuation by no later than 30 June 2018. The University contributed, via UniversitiesUK (UUK), to consultations on the inputs and assumptions to be used in the valuation, in advance of USS’s formal four-week consultation with UUK in September 2017.
The Childcare Office has introduced new government initiatives including thirty funded hours for childcare and the Tax-Free Childcare scheme, with information and support for staff. A ten-year contract has been agreed with the nursery services provider, Childbase Partnership, which has taken both Edwinstowe Close and West Cambridge nurseries to an ‘Outstanding’ grade with Ofsted (the regulatory body for nurseries) and has undertaken expansion works in both nurseries enabling additional places to be offered to staff. A new nursery on the North West Cambridge site, Eddington Nursery, is due to open in 2018. The Nursery Project Board, chaired by Professor Chris Abell, is progressing options for a fourth University nursery, which is currently at the design stage. The location for this nursery is still under discussion with appropriate parties.
The Equality and Diversity Strategy 2016–21 and Action Plan were approved in December 2016.24 The Strategy incorporates five key objectives which also serve to meet compliance requirements under the Equality Act 2010. Priorities are to increase diversity at senior levels, to progress gender equality and address the gender pay gap, to address disadvantage in student learning, to ensure inclusion, and to increase best practice. These objectives have been advanced this year via the following initiatives:
•Preparatory work for the Athena SWAN silver submission in November 2017, to share practice and expertise.
•Work has commenced on the University’s Bronze Race Equality Charter application, due in July 2018, including surveys and workshops on race for staff and students, which have been well received.
•Successors have been identified for the Gender Equality Champions (STEMM and AHSS), and the Race and Inclusion Champion for 2017–20.
•Research undertaken into the gender pay gap has identified complex contributory factors and possible ways of addressing these, which are now informing and being embedded into core HR business. Progress was presented at the Annual Vice-Chancellor’s Equalities Review in July 2017.
•Cultural change events held in 2017 include the Annual Race Lecture and Black History Month, Holocaust Memorial Day, International Women’s Day, WiSETI Lecture, LGBT+ History Month, and mental health in the LGBT community.
•New training modules launched this year include Unconscious bias, an online training module with over 300 participants to date. Where to draw the line face-to-face training has been developed in collaboration with UCL and Oxford and Manchester Universities. This training goes hand-in-hand with broader work on harassment and sexual misconduct as part of a campaign, Breaking the Silence, underpinned by a new University statement of zero-tolerance and other policies and procedures working towards clarity of professional boundaries and good conduct.
•The Whistleblowing Policy has been updated to accurately reflect the requirements of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 and to provide a number of important clarifications.
•The introduction of a new pilot employee benefit My Family Care in May 2017 offering support to staff in finding emergency care for dependents. A new advice, consultation, and networking initiative SPACE (Supporting Parents and Carers at Cambridge) was formally launched in July 2017.
A range of wellbeing initiatives have been introduced this year including the 2017 Festival of Wellbeing, which delivered over 50 events to nearly 1,000 participants. This event is to become part of the University’s broader Health and Wellbeing Operations Group, embedding and extending this initiative across the University’s annual calendar.
Other health and wellbeing initiatives implemented this year include the development of the following: Wellbeing Advocates in departments across the University to be trained in the Michaelmas Term; a new Wellbeing website for staff and related promotional materials; a programme of lunchtime sessions for all staff during 2017–18 on topics related to mental health and managing work demands; and greater support for disabled staff.
In 2016–17, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPdA) has seen a significant increase in its activities and engagement consistent with the University’s vision and on-going commitment to develop support, broaden horizons, and provide new opportunities for postdocs.
The new Postdoc Centre at the Biomedical Campus opened in September 2016, enabling the 900 postdocs based there to run events and talks, and has provided much-needed working and networking space. The Clinical School Postdoc Committee has taken full advantage of the opportunity to expand its activities. The Mill Lane Centre continues to attract greater numbers and hosted 700 events and activities in 2016–17. The new Eddington (NWC) Postdoc Centre opened in September 2017 as a bespoke and permanent home for OPdA and the nearly 1,000 postdocs based to the north and west of the city and in local key worker housing. This development is a validation of the success of the centre model.
The strong and mutually beneficial relationships with other University services continue to flourish, and many Colleges now offer, via a designated convenor, a diverse set of fellowship and affiliation opportunities for postdocs.
In May 2017, the OPdA launched a three-year entrepreneurial training programme, in partnership with four other EU universities and four industrial partners, funded by the Isaac Newton Trust and the various partners. A range of novel opportunities have been launched as a result of this partnership and in collaboration with the Cambridge Judge Business School, Cambridge Enterprise, IdeaSpace and the Institute for Manufacturing’s Education and Consulting Services.
The Entrepreneurial Postdocs of Cambridge Society (EPoC) ran a successful programme of entrepreneurial events and talks (including from Google Ventures and IndieBio) and now has an active mailing list of over 600 postdocs.
The Postdoctoral Matters Committee (PMC) was established this year and reports directly to both the Council and the General Board. The PMC is responsible for the strategic vision and oversight of the OPdA which sits operationally within Human Resources.
The PDoC Society continues to flourish and in the Michaelmas Term 2017 will launch the first National Postdoc meeting with over 100 postdocs from across the country expected to attend. The OPdA also continues to support the work of Researcher14, a network jointly established by Cambridge and Imperial College in 2014 representing 65% of the 45,000 UK research staff postdoc community. Current work streams include a review of the Concordat to support research integrity, an expansion of mentoring across the partnership, postdocs and teaching, and best practice in local postdoc representation.
The Borysiewicz Fellowship Scheme in Medical and Biological Sciences will recruit Fellows in the Lent Term 2018 and will comprise a training programme around multi-disciplinary teamwork, leadership, and entrepreneurship. It is envisaged that this will better support identification of future leaders and can be expanded, with additional funding, to offer a wider programme across other disciplines.
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20 November 2017 |
Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor |
David Greenaway |
Susan Oosthuizen |
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Ross Anderson |
Nicholas Holmes |
Michael Proctor |
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Richard Anthony |
Alice Hutchings |
Philippa Rogerson |
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R. Charles |
Darshana Joshi |
John Shakeshaft |
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Stephen J. Cowley |
Fiona Karet |
Susan Smith |
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Daisy Eyre |
Umang Khandelwal |
Sara Weller |
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Anthony Freeling |
Stuart Laing |
Mark Wormald |
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Nicholas Gay |
Mark Lewisohn |
Jocelyn Wyburd |
2Summaries of activity in 2016–17 are included in this Report (p. 202).
5This level of priority denotes ‘Important issues to be addressed by management in their areas of responsibility’.
6Further information about measures to deal with cyber security threats is available at https://www.uis.cam.ac.uk/cybersecurity.
9 Reporter, 6450, 2016–17, p. 292. The Grace was approved on 20 January 2017.
10Reporter, 2016–17; 6464, p. 509; 6467, p. 556.
11Reporter, 2016–17; 6441, p. 64; 6446, p. 164.
14See p. 215 of the General Board’s Annual Report.
17Further information is available at https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection/general-data-protection-regulation.
19Further information on the University’s response to Prevent is available at http://www.prevent.admin.cam.ac.uk/.
20Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations.
21International English Language Testing System.
22See Reporter, 6481, 2017–18, p. 55, for the most recent calculation.
24http://www.equality.admin.cam.ac.uk/files/ed_strategy_report_with_cover_2016-2021.pdf.
Council members (other than ex officio and student members) serve for four years from 1 January in two cohorts; the text formatting reflects those cohorts. Student members of the Council serve for one year from 1 July.
The Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor
Professor Michael Proctor, K
Professor Ian White, JE (to 18 July 2017)
Mr Stuart Laing, CC
Professor Susan Smith, G
Dr Anthony Freeling, HH (from 19 July 2017)
Professor Anne Davis, K (to 31 December 2016)
Professor Fiona Karet, DAR
Professor Ross Anderson, CHU
Dr Susan Oosthuizen, W
Professor Nick Gay, CHR (from 1 January 2017)
The Reverend Jeremy Caddick, EM (to 31 December 2016)
Dr Margaret Glendenning (to 31 December 2016)
Dr David Good, K (to 31 December 2016)
Dr Rachael Padman, N (to 31 December 2016)
Dr Richard Anthony, JE
Dr Ruth Charles, N
Dr Nicholas Holmes, T
Dr Alice Hutchings
Dr Stephen Cowley, EM (from 1 January 2017)
Dr Philippa Rogerson, CAI (from 1 January 2017)
Dr Mark Wormald, PEM (from 1 January 2017)
Ms Jocelyn Wyburd, CL (from 1 January 2017)
Professor Dame Shirley Pearce (to 31 December 2016)
Ms Sara Weller
Mr Mark Lewisohn, CHR
Mr John Shakeshaft, T
Professor Sir David Greenaway (from 1 October 2017)
Mr Chad Allen, K (to 30 June 2017)
Mr Amatey Doku, JE (to 30 June 2017)
Ms Umang Khandelwal, N
Ms Daisy Eyre, JE (from 1 July 2017)
Ms Darshana Joshi, HH (from 1 July 2017)
The Council has adopted this Statement of Primary Responsibilities.
The principal responsibilities of the Council are defined by University Statute A IV 1 which reads:
(a) The Council shall be the principal executive and policy-making body of the University. The Council shall have general responsibility for the administration of the University, for the planning of its work, and for the management of its resources; it shall have power to take such action as is necessary for it to discharge these responsibilities. It shall also perform such other executive and administrative duties as may be delegated to it by the Regent House or assigned to it by Statute or Ordinance.
(b) The Council shall have the right of reporting to the University. It shall advise the Regent House on matters of general concern to the University.
(c) The Council shall make an Annual Report to the University, and shall initiate and submit a Grace for the approval of the Report by the Regent House.
(d) The Council shall have the power of submitting Graces to the Regent House and to the Senate. The procedure for the submission of Graces shall be prescribed by Special Ordinance.
(e) The Council shall oversee the work of all those institutions in the University which are placed under its supervision, and shall ensure that the University officers assigned to those institutions are satisfactorily performing the duties and fulfilling the conditions of tenure of their offices.
Moreover, the Council shall perform such duties in connection with financial matters as are assigned to it by Statute F I.
Pursuant to these responsibilities the Council:
•through its Finance Committee, its Audit Committee, and the Planning and Resources Committee, ensures the University’s accountability for the proper use of public funds;
•supervises the financial position of the University through its statutory Finance Committee;
•oversees the investment management of the Cambridge University Endowment Fund through its Investment Board;
•arranges audit through its statutory Audit Committee;
•conducts legal business and ethical scrutiny, especially in respect of the acceptance of benefactions and investment responsibility, through its Advisory Committee on Benefactions and External and Legal Affairs;
• discharges its responsibilities in relation to the University as an employer through the Human Resources Committee (HRC), a joint Committee with the General Board;
•develops University policy on the advice of the General Board and that of specialist advisory bodies;
• conducts planning and resource allocation through the Planning and Resources Committee (PRC) and the Resource Management Committee (RMC), both joint Committees with the General Board;
• deals with business about buildings and the University estate with the advice of the Buildings Committee (a joint Committee which reports through the PRC), and on the advice of the Finance Committee;
•informs and advises the Regent House through Reports, Notices, and Graces, and through considering remarks made at Discussions;
•conducts the University’s relations with government, regulatory bodies (including HEFCE and OFFA, to be replaced by the Office for Students, and UK Research and Innovation), other national bodies, and local and regional bodies, responding on behalf of the University to consultations and other matters as required under UK legislation;
•supports and advises the Vice-Chancellor and, either through her or him or directly, the Pro-Vice-Chancellors;
•supervises University institutions placed under its supervision, particularly through receiving reports, and also through the PRC and the HRC;
•through the Finance Committee and the Press and Assessment Board exercises financial and some other supervision of Cambridge University Press, the Local Examinations Syndicate (Cambridge Assessment), University-owned companies, and some free-standing bodies such as the Cambridge scholarship trusts;
•pursuant to Act of Parliament, discharges responsibilities for the University Student Unions through its Council Committee for the Supervision of the Student Unions;
•makes (or recommends) senior appointments (including the Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, the Registrary and, through its Standing Appointments Committee established by Ordinance, Directors and other senior staff in the Unified Administrative Service);
•monitors risk management, emergency management, and value for money surveillance;
•monitors the implementation of major projects, through special groups and the Information Services Committee, and the West and North West Cambridge Estates Board;
•through the work of the Information Services Committee, monitors the provision of IT infrastructure and support;
•oversees strategy concerning the postdoc community through its Postdoctoral Matters Committee, a joint committee with the General Board;
•keeps University governance and similar matters under review;
•makes a statutory annual report to the University;
•monitors its own performance and effectiveness.
The Council has published the following statement (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 112):
In carrying out their functions as the principal executive and policy-making body of the University the Council will consult the Regent House on questions of policy which in the Council’s judgement are likely to prove controversial. They will do this by submitting a Grace to the Regent House for the approval of a provisional decision or statement of intention; where appropriate, such a Grace will allow for the expression of a preference between alternative options. The Council will give consideration to remarks made at any Discussion of such matters and to the outcome of any vote on them.