Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
pp. 6–7
THE CHANCELLOR AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY

In this section

Chapter IV

THE COUNCIL AND ITS COMMITTEES

1. (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 initiating and 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.

2. The Council shall consist of the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, and twenty-three members in the following classes:

Members elected by the Regent House

(a) four from among the Heads of Colleges;

(b) four from among the Professors and Readers;

(c) eight from among the other members of the Regent House.

  1. Members in each of classes (a), (b), and (c) shall be elected by the Regent House for a period and in a manner determined by Special Ordinance.

Student members

(d) three student members.

  1. Members in class (d) shall be such persons as shall be prescribed by Special Ordinance and shall serve for a period determined by Special Ordinance.

Appointed members

  1. (e)four persons appointed by Grace of the Regent House who at the time of appointment are not qualified to be members of the Regent House except under Statute A III 10 (a)(ii) nor are employees of the University or a College, one of whom shall be designated by the Council to chair the Audit Committee of the Council.
  2. Members in class (e) shall be appointed by Grace of the Regent House on the nomination of the Council; the arrangements for nomination shall be prescribed by Ordinance.

3. Detailed provision for periods of service, nomination, election (or appointment), tenure and continuing eligibility of members of Council shall be made by Ordinance. Provision shall be made by Ordinance for the filling of casual vacancies by resignation, death, disqualifications or otherwise and for bye-elections.

4. No person shall be elected a member of the Council after attaining the age of seventy years.

The Chair and the Deputy Chair

5. (a) The Chair of the Council shall be the Vice-Chancellor, provided that the Chancellor shall have the right to take the chair at any meeting of the Council at which he or she is present. If neither the Chancellor nor the Vice-Chancellor is present, the Chair shall be a member of the Council appointed by the Vice-Chancellor to act as her or his deputy, or in the absence of such deputy some other member of the Council chosen by the members present.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5(a), the Council shall from time to time designate a member of the Council in class (a), (b), (c), or (e), as Deputy Chair of the Council, who shall take the chair at such proceedings of the Council as the Council may determine from time to time, notwithstanding the fact that the Chancellor or the Vice-Chancellor is present.

Frequency of meetings and quorum

6. The Council shall meet at least twice in each term. No business shall be transacted at a meeting unless nine members at least are present.

Committees of the Council

7. There shall be

  1. (a)the following standing committees of the Council: the Finance Committee and the Audit Committee;
  2. (b)such other committees, whether standing or occasional, as may be appointed by the Council from time to time.

8. The Finance Committee shall consist of:

  1. (a)the Vice-Chancellor, or a duly appointed deputy, who shall be Chair;
  2. (b)such number of persons as shall be determined by Ordinance, elected or appointed in a manner prescribed by Special Ordinance; provided that
  3. (i)the membership of the Committee shall include three persons elected by representatives of the Colleges; and
  4. (ii)not less than three members of the Committee (including the Vice-Chancellor) shall be members of the Council.

9. It shall be the duty of the Finance Committee

  1. (a)to advise the Council on the management of the University’s assets, including real property, moneys, and securities, investments, reserves, income and expenditure;
  2. (b)to perform such other duties as may be assigned to it by Statute or Ordinance or by the Council.

10. Subject to the provisions of Statute A IV 2(e), the composition of the Audit Committee shall be determined by Special Ordinance. The Audit Committee shall perform such duties as may be assigned to it by Statute or Ordinance.