Reporter 5/8/98: Report of the Council on the structure of academic offices in the University, promotions procedures, and related matters: Notice

Report of the Council on the structure of academic offices in the University, promotions procedures, and related matters: Notice

27 July 1998

The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that he has received proposals for the amendment of Graces 1, 2, and 3 of 17 June 1998 (Reporter, p. 823; see also p. 787), as follows:

Grace 1

Two proposals have been received for the amendment of Grace 1. This Grace is for the approval of Recommendation I of the Report, dated 27 April 1998, of the Council on the structure of academic offices in the University, promotions procedures, and related matters (Reporter, p. 575), as amended by the Council's Notice of 8 June 1998 (p. 786). In the form proposed by Council, Recommendation I reads:

I. That a panel be established to consider Dr Evans's application for promotion in the light of the contemporary Cambridge context, and to make a recommendation accordingly to the General Board before the end of the Lent Term 1999.

Amendment 1

It has been proposed that Recommendation I should be amended by adding the following proviso:

provided that, until further order, the Council undertake to establish a similarly constituted panel to consider the case of any applicant for promotion to a personal Readership or Professorship who has failed to gain such promotion and who, having exhausted the regular appeal procedures, is not satisfied with the outcome, such a panel to make recommendations to the General Board in respect of the person concerned in the light of the Cambridge context for the time being obtaining.

This amendment is proposed by the following members of the Regent House:

MARY BEARD	CATHERINE KEEN	C. MCCLAY	J. S. PAYNE
JACK BEATSON	PETER LINEHAN	R. C. NOLAN	J. SHEPARD
J. HESK	I. N. MCCAVE

Amendment 2

A second amendment of Recommendation I has been proposed, viz. that the recommendation should be amended so as to read:

I. (i) That a panel be established to consider Dr Evans's application for promotion in the light of the contemporary Cambridge context, with power to make a recommendation accordingly to the General Board before the end of the Lent Term 1999.

(ii) That a similar panel be established, with similar powers, to consider the application of any other person who has applied unsuccessfully for promotion to a personal Readership or Professorship and who can show that there is a real possibility that he or she has failed to be promoted by reason of (a) some serious defect in the procedure relating to promotions or (b) some other serious unfairness in the treatment of the candidate; provided that it is determined by an independent senior figure, appointed preferably by the Chancellor, that there is a prima facie case for the establishment of such a panel.

This amendment is proposed by the following members of the Regent House:

T. J. L. ALEXANDER	G. R. EVANS	JONATHAN KÖHLER	POLLY TAYLOR
A. R. CUNNINGHAM	W. G. GRIFFIN	DAVID S. LANE	L. R. WICKHAM
R. D. DAWE	C. V. JEANS	JOHN LENNARD	PAUL WINGFIELD

Regulation 11(b) of the regulations for Graces of the Regent House (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 114) provides that, if two amendments of a Grace are proposed which in the opinion of the Vice-Chancellor are substantially similar in effect, the Vice-Chancellor may select one of the two for submission to the Regent House. The Vice-Chancellor considers that the two amendments set out above are very similar in their intended effect, and he has selected Amendment 1 as the amendment to be submitted to the Regent House. He has been given to understand that a majority of those supporting Amendment 2 would be equally willing to support Amendment 1 instead.

Grace 2

One proposal has been received for the amendment of Grace 2. This Grace is concerned with Recommendations II and IV of the Council's Report, which deal with detailed arrangements for the panel proposed in Grace 1. Recommendation II reads:

II. That the panel comprise (a) an external chairman to be appointed by the Council with the agreement of Dr Evans, and (b) four other members, in a range of subjects, qualified by experience and personal attainment, such four members to be appointed by the Council and to include at least two chosen from a list of at least four names proposed by Dr Evans and also to include at least one external member proposed by the Council.

It has been proposed that Recommendation II should be amended so as to read:

II. That any panel or panels established in accordance with Grace 1 be set up in the terms proposed by the Rt Hon. Sir Brian Neill, as an experienced Lord Justice of Appeal, namely with a Chairman of academic standing, preferably from the University of Oxford, with members acceptable to the University and to the person under consideration, and that the precise form of procedure to be adopted by such a panel be for the panel to determine.

This amendment is proposed by the following members of the Regent House:

T. J. L. ALEXANDER	G. R. EVANS	JONATHAN KÖHLER	L. R. WICKHAM
A. R. CUNNINGHAM	W. G. GRIFFIN	JOHN LENNARD	PAUL WINGFIELD
R. D. DAWE	C. V. JEANS	POLLY TAYLOR

Grace 3

One proposal has been received for the amendment of Grace 3. This Grace is concerned with Recommendations V and VI of the Council's Report, which relate to the establishment of a Syndicate. They read as follows:

V. That a Syndicate be established to consider, in the light of the needs of the University for the recruitment and retention of academic staff and in the light of the Report, dated 3 June 1998, of the General Board on these matters (see Reporter, p. 804), the structure of academic offices in the University and their scales of stipends, and procedures for promotion; that the Syndicate have power to seek evidence from members of the Regent House and/or from expert witnesses of its own choosing as the Syndicate shall determine; and that the Syndicate be required to report to the University in the first instance not later than the end of the Lent Term 1999.

VI. That the membership of the Syndicate be as follows, individual members to be appointed by Grace:

(a)	a Chairman not being a member of the Regent House;
(b)	two other persons not being members of the Regent House;
(c)	not less than four nor more than eight other persons.

It has been proposed that Recommendation VI should be amended so as to read:

VI. (i) That the membership of the Syndicate be as follows:

(a)	a Chairman not being a member of the Regent House;
(b)	two other persons not being members of the Regent House;
(c)	two persons from among the Professors and Readers;
(d)	three persons from among those who hold a University office specified or referred to in Statute D, I, 1(a) except holders of a Professorship or a Readership;
(e)	not more than three other persons.

(ii) That members in each class be appointed individually by Grace on the nomination of the Council.

This amendment is proposed by the following members of the Regent House:

VIVIEN CHAMBERLAIN	ANNE DAVIS	A. ISERLES	STEPHEN T. C. SIKLOS
DAVID J. CHIVERS	PETER HAYNES	J. R. LISTER	MARK SPIVACK
W. J. CLEGG	D. W. HOLTON	S. MEER	NEIL TUROK
K. J. COUTTS	R. R. HORGAN	H. OSBORN	K. J. WILLIS
STEPHEN J. COWLEY	R. HUNT	MILIVOJE PANI

In accordance with Regulation 9 of the regulations for Graces of the Regent House (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 113), votes will be taken by postal ballot on the proposals listed above, under the single transferable vote regulations.

In connection with this ballot the Registrary will arrange for the printing and circulation of any fly-sheet, signed by ten or more members of the Regent House, which reaches him by 1 p.m. on Thursday, 15 October. Fly-sheets must bear, in addition to the signatures, the names and initials (in block capitals) of the signatories (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 117). Voting papers and fly-sheets will be distributed to all members of the Regent House on or before Tuesday, 27 October; the last date for the return of voting papers will be Friday, 6 November.

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