Reporter 19/3/03: Report of the General Board on the establishment of a Centre for Commonwealth Education

Report of the General Board on the establishment of a Centre for Commonwealth Education

The GENERAL BOARD beg leave to report to the University as follows:

1. In this Report the Board propose the establishment of a Centre for Commonwealth Education, within the School of Education, and funded by the Commonwealth Institute. The proposals follow extensive discussions, initiated by the Trustees of the Institute early in 2002, directed towards the establishment of a partnership between the Institute and the University for the development of a centre of excellence in the field of educational policy and provision within the Commonwealth.

2. The School of Education, following its convergence with the educational teaching and research activities of Homerton College, encompasses a wide range of expertise, covering all stages of formal education from early years, through the primary and secondary stages of schooling, to the post-compulsory, further and higher education sectors; it also includes all the main subjects of the National Curriculum. The School is therefore well placed to make major contributions both to the advancement of knowledge and practice about issues of contemporary significance and to the development and leadership of individuals and educational institutions. The Faculty's excellence in all aspects of teaching and learning is matched by its commitment to research as evidenced by its achievement in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise in improving its rating to 5. The Faculty's strategic plan envisages that, over the coming decade, an active and substantial presence will be maintained in each of the broad areas of provision with a planned expansion of research and Masters' Degree students based on its record in recent years, attracting able students from both the UK and overseas. It is recognized by the ESRC as providing one of the highest quality educational research training programmes available anywhere in the UK and has been highly successful in obtaining external research funding from the ESRC and other funding bodies. In addition, the Local Examinations Syndicate, which supplies assessment training for teachers and examinations to a number of Commonwealth countries and staff, is actively developing novel forms of assessment. More generally, there is a strong Commonwealth influence in the University through the support of graduate students, to work for the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust, the presence of the Commonwealth Library, and many visits and exchanges by scholars from Commonwealth countries.

3. The proposed Centre would encompass a range of activities in the following areas:

(a) Research and scholarship

(i) developing and conducting research and development projects to explore and clarify the needs of Commonwealth countries and promoting the outcome of those projects;

(ii) recruiting, training, and supervising educational research students from Commonwealth countries and providing opportunities for leaders in education in Commonwealth countries to collaborate in research work as Visiting Fellows;

(iii) identifying centres of best practice in primary and secondary education in Commonwealth countries, and working with them to disseminate their practice to others;

(iv) building up expertise on educational policy matters, especially as they relate to the needs of Commonwealth countries;

(b) Educational leadership

(v) developing collaborative programmes with Commonwealth countries to enhance educational leadership expertise in those countries;

(vi) developing and running courses in educational leadership;

(vii) working with the Commonwealth Secretariat to meet the needs of Commonwealth Education Ministers, especially through providing and synthesizing informed, critical, and creative advice, led by research; and

(viii) undertaking consultancy projects on matters of interest to Commonwealth governments, such as on the development of high-quality educational procedures and examining systems.

The Centre would be expected to draw on relevant expertise within Cambridge and to facilitate the fullest possible co-operation in its activities by Commonwealth countries.

4. The Centre would foster interaction between educational experts in different Commonwealth countries, including the UK. It would provide a forum of activity for Commonwealth educational research students based in Cambridge and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere in the UK. By means of this interaction it will foster the development of new methods of educational research. As a meeting point it will bring together educational experts from Commonwealth countries and also educational research students, for conferences and seminars involving leading academic authorities in the field. Over time it will evolve into a centre of excellence, which will define and disseminate best practice in the field of education policy and practice, using the advantage of its location within the University, which will provide opportunities for interaction with cognate disciplines.

5. Although it is intended that the Centre will rent accommodation in Cambridge initially, the Trustees of the Commonwealth Institute have agreed to provide capital funding which will be used, in the longer term, to establish the Centre on a site close to the School of Education. They have also agreed to fund the full recurrent pay, non-pay, and indirect costs of the Centre, on a ten-year rolling basis under which two years' notice would be given of the termination of the Institute's support. This funding will build up to £0.5m a year in the Centre's first three years. In addition, the Centre would be expected to supplement its core funding by raising funds to support specific projects and programmes from Research Councils, governmental and charitable bodies, and private organizations.

6. The Centre's core staff would comprise eventually a Director, who would be head of the Centre, two Assistant Directors, an Administrator, and other support staff. Further members of staff would be engaged to work on particular projects. The stipend of the Directorship would be equivalent to that of a Professor (£49,685). The Director would be appointed by the General Board, on the advice of a specially constituted advisory committee, including members external to the University. The Board consider that the chance of attracting a strong field of candidates for a Directorship would be enhanced if provision were also made for the Board to recommend the establishment of a Professorship in the School of Education, for a Director of the appropriate academic standing. If, in the light of advice from the Committee, and with reference to the criteria for promotion to a personal Professorship, the Board considered it appropriate for the Director to be appointed to a Professorship they would then report again to the University recommending the establishment of a fixed-term Professorship for a named person and its assignment to the School of Education. The regulations for the Professorship would require the Professor to hold the office of Director of the Centre during his or her tenure.

7. The Director would be responsible to a Committee of Management, comprising members from within the University and representatives nominated by the Institute; this Committee would be responsible for the overall supervision of the Centre, for its finances, and the planning of its academic programme. The Committee would make an Annual Report to the General Board and the Institute. The Centre would also have an Advisory Board, comprising members of the University and members, drawn from the Commonwealth countries, appointed after consultation with the Institute, whose primary responsibility would be to provide guidance on the Centre's long-term programme, and funding opportunities, and to promote collaborative arrangements between the Centre and agencies in Commonwealth countries. The composition of the Advisory Board would be drawn up in close consultation with the Institute, in view of the strength of its existing networks and as the Centre's principal funder.

8. The General Board recommend:

That, with effect from 1 June 2003, a Centre for Commonwealth Education be established in the Faculty of Education, and governed by the regulations set out in the Schedule to this Report.

12 March 2003 ALEC N. BROERS, Vice-Chancellor ANDREW CLIFF A. C. MINSON

MARTIN BOBROW M. J. DAUNTON KATE PRETTY

N. O. A. BULLOCK MALCOLM GRANT M. SCHOFIELD

H. A. CHASE S. LEATON GRAY S. J. YOUNG

KATIE CHILDS D. MACDONALD

SCHEDULE

Faculty of Education

Centre for Commonwealth Education

Constitution

The Centre for Commonwealth Education shall be an institution within the Faculty of Education.

Management

1. The Centre shall be under the general control of a Committee of Management which shall consist of:

(a) three members appointed by the General Board, on the recommendation of the Commonwealth Institute, of whom one shall be appointed as Chairman;

(b) the Head of the School of Education and the Director of the Centre ex officio;

(c) two members appointed by the General Board, of whom one shall be appointed on the recommendation of the Faculty Board of Education.

The Secretary of the Centre shall serve as Secretary of the Management Committee.

2. Members in classes (a) and (c) shall be appointed in the Michaelmas Term to serve for four years from 1 January following their appointment. No member of the Management Committee, other than members in class (b), shall serve on the Committee for more than eight consecutive years.

3. Subject to the powers of the Council, the General Board, and the Faculty Board of Education, the duties of the Committee shall be:

(a) to promote research, scholarship, and teaching in Commonwealth Education;

(b) to determine the policies, priorities, and strategic plans of the Centre, in consultation with the Director;

(c) to review and approve the operational and business plans of the Centre and the annual budget of the Centre prepared by the Director;

(d) to receive annual financial reports and audited accounts of the Centre;

(e) to transmit documents and decisions on the above matters including an Annual Report to the Institute and the General Board and, where appropriate, to the Advisory Board;

(f) to take such other actions as may be conducive or necessary to the furtherance of the purpose of the Centre.

4. The Management Committee shall meet at least once each term. The Chairman and three other members present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum.

Advisory Board

1. There shall be an Advisory Board, which shall consist of:

(a) four members appointed by the General Board, on the recommendation of the Institute, of whom one shall be appointed Chairman;

(b) three members appointed by the General Board on the recommendation of the Faculty Board of Education;

(c) five members, one from each region of the Commonwealth, appointed by the General Board on the recommendation of the Institute;

(d) up to two persons co-opted for specific purposes at the discretion of the Advisory Board; and

(e) the Director ex officio.

The Secretary of the Centre shall serve as Secretary of the Advisory Board.

2. Members of the Advisory Board in classes (a), (b), and (c) shall be appointed for a term of four years and shall be eligible for reappointment; provided that no member of the Advisory Board shall serve on the Board for more than eight consecutive years. Members in class (d) shall serve for such specific periods as the Advisory Board may at their discretion determine to be necessary to fulfil the specific purpose for which they are appointed.

3. The Advisory Board shall meet at least once in each academical year. The Chairman and six other members (excluding any co-opted members) present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum.

4. Members of the Advisory Board shall serve as such without remuneration from the Centre, but the Centre may pay them a per diem fee and reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings.

5. The duties of the Advisory Board shall be:

(a) to advise the Director of the Centre on ways in which the Centre may efficiently and effectively undertake its purpose and functions;

(b) to advise the Director on the financial implications of such activities and potential sources of funding;

(c) to assist the Director in furthering the Centre's programmes by promoting co-operation with other bodies concerned with educational research in Commonwealth countries;

(d) to receive reports on the policies, operations, and activities of the Centre.

Staff of the Centre

1. There shall be a University Office of Director of the Centre which may be held concurrently with another University office.

2. The Director shall be appointed by the General Board on the recommendation of a committee which shall consist of:

(a) the Vice-Chancellor, or a duly appointed Deputy, as Chairman; and

(b) eight members appointed by the General Board, after consultation with the Faculty Board of Education and the Commonwealth Institute, of whom three should not be resident members of the University.

The Director shall hold office for ten years and shall be eligible for reappointment for further periods of five years, as determined by the General Board on the advice of a Committee specially constituted for the occasion.

3. Subject to the duties of the Committee of Management, the Director shall be the administrative head of the Centre, and shall be responsible to the Committee of Management for the proper operation and management of the Centre and for ensuring the effective carrying out of the Centre's purpose and functions, including the direction of teaching and research in the Centre. The Director shall:

(a) develop and submit to the Management Committee plans for the implementation of the research programmes and operational activities of the Centre;

(b) prepare the Annual Report of the Centre;

(c) prepare the annual budget of the Centre for submission to the Management Committee for approval;

(d) prepare the annual accounts of the Centre for submission, after audit, to the Management Committee; and

(e) keep and have available for review by the Management Committee and other appropriate parties financial accounts and other records on a current basis.

4. There shall be two offices of Assistant Director of the Centre, which may be held concurrently with another University office. Appointments to the office of Assistant Director shall be made by an Appointments Committee consisting of:

(a) the Vice-Chancellor, or Deputy, as Chairman;

(b) the Director;

(c) two members appointed by the General Board;

(d) three members appointed by the Management Committee.

Appointments and reappointments shall be made for periods not exceeding five years to be determined by the Appointments Committee, subject to the approval of the General Board.

The duties of the Assistant Directors shall be to assist the Director in all matters concerned with the work of the Centre. In the absence from duty of the Director, an Assistant Director designated by the General Board shall exercise the authority and perform the functions of the Director.

5. There shall be an office of Secretary of the Centre to which appointment shall be made as prescribed in Regulation 1 of the regulations for Secretaries and Superintendents of Faculties, Departments, and other institutions under the supervision of the General Board. Appointments and reappointments shall be made for periods of up to five years, as determined by the Appointments Committee, subject to the approval of the General Board.

Visiting Fellowships

1. In order to enable scholars from outside Cambridge to take part in and contribute to the work of the Centre there shall be Visiting Fellowships for persons who have made or are making important contributions to research, or who are pursuing advanced work in the subject.

2. Appointments and reappointments to Visiting Fellowships shall be made by the Director of the Centre for periods not exceeding one year at a time.

3. The stipend, if any, of a Visiting Fellow shall be determined by the Director with the approval of the General Board on the occasion of each appointment or reappointment.

Research Affiliates

The Director may from time to time grant the status of Research Affiliate to persons (other than the salaried research staff of the Centre) who contribute to the Centre's work.

Table of Contents

(i)	developing and conducting research and development projects to explore and clarify the needs of Commonwealth countries and promoting the outcome of those projects;
(ii)	recruiting, training, and supervising educational research students from Commonwealth countries and providing opportunities for leaders in education in Commonwealth countries to collaborate in research work as Visiting Fellows;
(iii)	identifying centres of best practice in primary and secondary education in Commonwealth countries, and working with them to disseminate their practice to others;
(iv)	building up expertise on educational policy matters, especially as they relate to the needs of Commonwealth countries;

(v)	developing collaborative programmes with Commonwealth countries to enhance educational leadership expertise in those countries;
(vi)	developing and running courses in educational leadership;

(vii)	working with the Commonwealth Secretariat to meet the needs of Commonwealth Education Ministers, especially through providing and synthesizing informed, critical, and creative advice, led by research; and
(viii)	undertaking consultancy projects on matters of interest to Commonwealth governments, such as on the development of high-quality educational procedures and examining systems.

12 March 2003	ALEC N. BROERS, Vice-Chancellor	ANDREW CLIFF	A. C. MINSON
	MARTIN BOBROW	M. J. DAUNTON	KATE PRETTY
	N. O. A. BULLOCK	MALCOLM GRANT	M. SCHOFIELD
	H. A. CHASE	S. LEATON	GRAY S. J. YOUNG
	KATIE CHILDS	D. MACDONALD