Notices

Calendar

16 January, Tuesday. Full Term begins.

23 January, Tuesday. Discussion by videoconference at 2 p.m. (see below).

24 January, Wednesday. End of first quarter of Lent Term.

26 January, Friday. Congregation of the Regent House at 2 p.m.

28 January, Sunday. Preacher before the University at 11.30 a.m., The Revd Michael Parker, KHC, Chaplain-General to HM Land Forces.

Discussions (Tuesdays at 2 p.m.)	Congregations (at 10 a.m. unless otherwise stated)
23 January 13 February   5 March 19 March	26 January, 2 p.m. (degrees in absence only) 24 February 23 March   6 April

Appointment of Acting Commissary

The Chancellor has by letters patent appointed the Rt Hon. Sir Patrick Elias, Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College, formerly a Lord Justice of Appeal, as Acting Commissary with effect from 19 December 2023, during a vacancy in the office of Commissary following the death of The Rt Hon. Lord Judge (Reporter, 6718, 2023–24, p. 117).

Discussion on Tuesday, 23 January 2024

The Vice‑Chancellor invites members of the Regent House, University and College employees, registered students and others qualified under the regulations for Discussions (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 111) to attend a Discussion by videoconference on Tuesday, 23 January 2024 at 2 p.m. The following items will be discussed:

1.Joint Report of the Council and the General Board, dated 6 December 2023, on a revised procedure for the investigation of an allegation of research misconduct (Reporter, 6721, 2023–24, p. 172).

2.Joint Report of the Council and the General Board, dated 10 January 2024, on changes to Statute B I on non‑payment of University Composition Fees and resignation of membership of the University (p. 213).

Those wishing to join the Discussion by videoconference should email UniversityDraftsman@admin.cam.ac.uk from their University email account, providing their CRSid (if a member of the collegiate University), by 10 a.m. on the date of the Discussion to receive joining instructions. Alternatively contributors may email their remarks to contact@proctors.cam.ac.uk, copying ReporterEditor@admin.cam.ac.uk, by no later than 10 a.m. on the day of the Discussion for reading out by the Proctors,1 or may ask someone else who is attending to read the remarks on their behalf.

In accordance with the regulations for Discussions, the Chair of the Board of Scrutiny or any ten members of the Regent House2 may request that the Council arrange for one or more of the items listed for discussion to be discussed in person (usually in the Senate-House). Requests should be made to the Registrary, on paper or by email to UniversityDraftsman@admin.cam.ac.uk from addresses within the cam.ac.uk domain, by no later than 9 a.m. on the day of the Discussion. Any changes to the Discussion schedule will be confirmed in the Reporter at the earliest opportunity.

General information on Discussions is provided on the University Governance site at https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/governance/decision-making/discussions/.

Election to the Board of Scrutiny in class (c)(i)

19 December 2023

The Vice-Chancellor announces that the following person has been elected to serve as a member of the Board of Scrutiny with immediate effect until 30 September 2025:

Class (c)(i) (a person who has been a member of the Regent House for not more than ten years on 1 October 2024): Dr Judith Plummer Braeckman

Details of the poll and the transfer of votes under the Single Transferable Vote regulations (Statutes and Ordinances, 2022, p. 121) are as follows:

Number of valid votes cast: 742 (no invalid votes) (Quota: 371)
Dr Judith Plummer Braeckman	599	Elected
Dr Ralph St Clair Wade	143
Total	742

Amending Statutes for Christ’s College

4 January 2024

The Vice-Chancellor begs leave to refer to her Notice of 29 November 2023 (Reporter, 6720, 2023–24, p. 129), concerning the text of a Statute to amend the Statutes of Christ’s College. She hereby gives notice that in the opinion of the Council the proposed Statute makes no alteration of any Statute which affects the University, and does not require the consent of the University; that the interests of the University are not prejudiced by it, and that the Council has resolved to take no action upon it, provided that the Council will wish to reconsider the proposed Statute if it has not been submitted to the Privy Council by 4 January 2025.

Election of a member of the Council’s Finance Committee in class (b)

15 December 2023

The Director of Governance and Compliance has received the following nomination for the Council’s Finance Committee, for election in class (b) (by the Representatives of the Colleges), and it has been certified to her that the candidate has consented to be nominated:

Mr Ian Nicholas Molyneux Wright, PET, nominated by Dr R. Anthony, JE, and Mr R. G. Gardiner, CAI

No other candidates having been nominated, Mr Wright is duly re-elected to serve as a member of the Finance Committee in class (b) from 1 January 2024 for three years.

Anti‑slavery and anti‑trafficking statement and policy

4 January 2024

In accordance with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the University is required to prepare an anti‑slavery and anti‑trafficking statement for each financial year, setting out what steps it has taken to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place in its business or supply chains. The University’s statement for the financial year ended 31 July 2023 is published below, together with its policy on the issue (p. 211).

Anti-slavery and anti-trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 July 2023 (pursuant to Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015)

Legal status and activities

The University of Cambridge is a common law corporation and is an exempt charity under the Charities Act 2011. The incorporation of the University was confirmed by the Oxford and Cambridge Act 1571, which confirmed its corporate title of ‘The Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of Cambridge’. The University operates in the higher education sector and consists of academic Schools, Faculties and Departments, libraries and other collections, administrative departments and, for the purposes of this statement, includes its wholly owned companies as listed in the University’s Financial Statements.1 Its mission is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment (which provides publishing and examination services) is a department of the University rather than a separate legal entity. However, it has broader supply chains and consequently has produced its own anti-slavery and anti-trafficking statement.2

Policy

The University has implemented an Anti-slavery and anti-trafficking policy (published below) reflecting its commitment to combatting slavery and human trafficking and to acting with integrity in all its dealings, relationships, and supply chains. The policy outlines how the University’s various procurement and HR practices, policies and procedures ensure compliance with its policy commitment.

Activity in the year ending 31 July 2023

Throughout 2022–23, the University has continued to run the various controls and activities outlined in its policy, notably through the continued use of its online training module on this topic, and the ongoing refinement and operation of supplier due diligence and approval procedures. As before, it added its statement for the previous financial year (2021–22) to the national Modern Slavery Statement Registry. It continued to ensure that modern slavery considerations remain embedded appropriately within its ongoing Strategic Procurement and Purchasing transformation programme.

The University did not receive any reports of instances of modern slavery or human trafficking in the financial year ending 31 July 2023.

The University will continue to raise awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking and of the need for proper due diligence and risk assessment processes to be applied by staff and suppliers, in accordance with its policy.

This annual statement was approved by the Council on 4 January 2024.

Anti‑slavery and anti‑trafficking policy

Modern slavery encompasses slavery, forced and compulsory labour, and human trafficking whereby individuals are deprived of their freedom and are exploited for commercial or personal gain as defined in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The University is committed to combatting slavery and human trafficking and to acting with integrity in all its dealings, relationships, and supply chains. It expects the same high standards from all its staff, suppliers, contractors, and those with whom it does business. This policy applies to all employees, workers, consultants, and other persons doing business with the University including all its wholly owned companies, contractors, and suppliers. It does not, however, apply to Cambridge University Press & Assessment, which operates its own procedures and has developed its own policy.1

The University acknowledges the risk that a supply chain may involve the use of a hidden or unknown subcontractor reliant on forced labour. Although the University as a higher education institution considers the risk of modern slavery to be low due to the nature of its supply chains, it takes its responsibilities to combat modern slavery seriously as demonstrated by its promotion and adoption of the following policy measures:

•The prevention, detection, and reporting of modern slavery in any part of its business or supply chains is the responsibility of all those working for the University or under its control.

•Appropriate due diligence processes must be carried out in relation to modern slavery which may include considering human rights in a sector or country, the type of sector in which a service provider operates, the countries from which services are provided, the nature of relationships with suppliers, and the complexity of supply chain(s).

•All supply chain lines need to be continually risk assessed and managed in relation to modern slavery and any high‑risk suppliers audited. The University’s standard procurement and contract procedures and documentation2 address anti-slavery and anti-trafficking. The trade supplier portal asks questions of potential new suppliers on their compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 as part of due diligence processes. Under the supplier approval process the University’s Finance Division reviews all new suppliers, any changes to existing suppliers and re‑activation requests taking this into account.

•The University has developed an online training module on anti-slavery and anti-trafficking and completion is required or encouraged for a range of relevant new and existing employees, including all Finance Division staff and those in financial or purchasing roles across the wider University.

•The University highlights modern slavery issues within its ongoing communications programmes with the University’s Departments, Faculties and other Institutions and with current trade suppliers to maintain and increase awareness of the issue.

•The University encourages anyone to raise any concerns about modern slavery, using its whistleblowing policy3 if necessary, and will support anyone who acts in good faith.

•The University’s recruitment, Dignity@Work, equalities, and remuneration and reward policies and procedures4 support its efforts to combat modern slavery and human trafficking.

•The University will continue to develop its commitment to combat modern slavery and human trafficking and will outline such activities within its annual anti-slavery and anti-trafficking statement.

Any breaches of this policy may result in the University taking disciplinary action against individual(s) and/or terminating its relationship with any organisation or supplier.

This policy is managed by the Governance and Compliance Division and was last approved by the Council on 4 January 2024.

Topping Study recommendations: Open meeting on Monday, 15 January 2024

All staff and members of the Regent House are invited to join an open meeting on Nigel Topping’s study into the impacts of implementing the Grace on fossil fuel industry ties.1 The meeting will be online, via Microsoft Teams, on Monday, 15 January 2024, 12.15 p.m. to 1.15 p.m. For information and registration see https://universityofcambridgecloud.sharepoint.com/sites/StaffHub/SitePages/Open-meetings-in-January.aspx (Raven required). For assistance with registration, please email internalcomms@admin.cam.ac.uk.

The meeting will provide an update and opportunity to comment on the four strands of work proposed to implement the recommendations made in the Topping Study (see Reporter, 6722, 2023–24, p. 195). The University Council received the Study in July 2023. It agreed to establish a working group to consider how best to implement the Study’s recommendations and consult with the Cambridge community on them. This meeting forms part of that engagement exercise and will be an opportunity to put views and questions to a panel of senior University leaders and academics engaged in the early thinking and design of this work. A separate meeting will be held for students later this Term.