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Report of the General Board on the establishment of two Professorships of Education

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

1. The Faculty Board of Education have advised the General Board of the need for two new Professorships to provide senior leadership in research in the Faculty of Education.

2. In their Report, dated 15 February 1995 (Reporter, 1994-95, p. 462), the General Board proposed a mechanism for the establishment of a number of single-tenure Professorships to strengthen research capabilities in certain institutions in advance of the 1996 Research Assessment Exercise. In their Second Report, dated 19 July 1995 (Reporter, 1994-95, p. 1067), the Board proposed, inter alia, that a single-tenure Professorship of Education be established from 1 January 1996, assigned to the Faculty of Education, and that Mr D. I. McIntyre be appointed to it.

3. In their Report of 20 November 2000 and 1 November 2000 (Reporter, 2000-01, p. 216), the Council and the General Board set out recommendations on matters concerning the proposed convergence between the University School of Education and Homerton College for teaching and research in Education and the associated transfer to the University of the College's teaching and research activities. In that Report, the Council and the Board stated that they would establish the appropriate number of University Lectureships and other academic offices for Homerton College staff transferred to University employment. The transfer of Homerton College's teaching and research activities, and the establishment of these offices, took effect on 1 August 2001. The General Board subsequently agreed, however, and in view of the seniority of the two holders of Directorships of Research at the College, Professor J. M. Gray and Professor J. Rudduck, to recommend that two single-tenure Professorships of Education be established in the School of Education for them. This recommendation was approved by Grace 7 of 30 January 2002.

4. The establishment of the Faculty of Education currently comprises 75 academic members of staff, including seven Professors and two Readers. The three permanently established Professorships are held in the fields of Primary Education, Educational Leadership, and Neuroscience and Education. Of the four single-tenure appointments, both Professor McIntyre and Professor Rudduck are due to retire on 30 September 2004.

5. One of the biggest challenges facing the Faculty of Education is the continued development of its research profile. Good progress has been made in this direction; this has been achieved largely as a result of the strong leadership provided by the small group of Professors mentioned above. In this regard, Professors McIntyre and Rudduck have played a crucial role, since both were appointed, prior to the convergence, to bring strength through academic leadership to the research standings of the School of Education and Homerton College, respectively. The benefit gained from their leadership was clearly demonstrated in the improved ratings achieved in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise when both institutions were awarded a 5 rating. The Faculty Board of Education consider it vital that, if the Faculty is to improve still further in the next Exercise, the replacement appointments for Professors McIntyre and Rudduck are made at the professorial level. The General Board have accepted the Faculty Board's case that this senior level of appointment will be necessary to provide the requisite leadership in the new Faculty of Education to ensure that research work of the highest quality is available for inclusion in the Faculty's submission to the 2007-08 Research Assessment Exercise.

6. This proposal has the full support of the Council of the School of the Humanities and Social Sciences. The costs of the new offices will be met from within the recurrent allocation to the Faculty of Education.

7. Suitable accommodation will be available for the two Professors in the Faculty of Education's new building on Hills Road and the Board are assured that the necessary support and facilities can be provided. The Board are satisfied that appointments at this level will be likely to attract strong fields of well-qualified candidates.

8. The General Board accordingly propose that two Professorships should be established in the University from 1 October 2004 and assigned to the Faculty of Education. They have agreed to concur in the view of the Faculty Board of Education that elections to the Professorships should be made by an ad hoc Board of Electors and that candidature for each Professorship should be open without limitation or preference to all candidates whose work falls within the general title of the offices.

9. The General Board recommend:

That two Professorships of Education be established in the University from 1 October 2004, placed in Schedule B of the Statutes, and assigned to the Faculty of Education.

10 March 2004ALISON RICHARD, Vice-ChancellorH. A. CHASED. W. B. MACDONALD
 JOHN BELLJESSICA CHILDSROGER PARKER
 TOM BLUNDELLM. J. DAUNTONKEITH PETERS
 WILLIAM BROWNPETER LANDSHOFFS. J. YOUNG
 N. O. A. BULLOCK  


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Cambridge University Reporter 17 March 2004
Copyright © 2003 The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge.