Skip to main contentCambridge University Reporter

No 6195

Wednesday 7 July 2010

Vol cxl No 36

pp. 1029–1100

Notices

Calendar

Last Reporter of the academical year: 21 July.

17 July, Saturday. Congregation of the Regent House at 11 a.m. (see p. 1059).

Amending Statutes for New Hall: Notice

5 July 2010

The Vice-Chancellor begs leave to refer to her Notice of 1 June 2010 (Reporter, p. 930), concerning proposed amending Statutes for New Hall. The College intends also to submit an amendment to its Charter to Her Majesty in Council. The amending Statute and amendment to the Charter replace those submitted to the Privy Council in 2008 (see the Vice-Chancellor’s Notices, Reporter, 2007–08, pp. 870 and 954) and include a revised title of the College which will be known as Murray Edwards College, founded as New Hall, in the University of Cambridge. The title Murray Edwards College will be used on a day-to-day basis. In 2008 the University consented to the amendments to the College’s Statutes and to an amendment of Statute K, 3(a) which lists the Colleges (Graces 12 and 13 of 16 July 2008).

The Vice-Chancellor hereby gives notice that in the opinion of the Council the proposed Statutes make no further alteration of Statute K, 3(a) and do not require the consent of the University; that the interests of the University are not prejudiced by them, and that the Council has resolved to take no action upon them, provided that the Council will wish to reconsider the proposed Statutes if they have not been submitted to the Privy Council by 5 July 2011.

Members of the University Council in class (e) (external): Notice

1. Under the regulations for the appointment of members of the Council in class (e) (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 116), the Council, on the recommendation of the Proctors and the Deputy Proctors, has appointed Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB, a member of the Council in class (e), to chair the Nominating Committee for the current period.

2. The other members of the Nominating Committee are:

The Vice-Chancellor (Professor Dame Alison Richard to 30 September 2010, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz from 1 October 2010)

Dr Colin Burrow, CAI

Dr Stephen Cowley, SE

Professor Simon Deakin, PET

Professor Dame Athene Donald, R

Professor Philip Ford, CL

Mr Jack Lang, EM

The Registrary and the Administrative Secretary support the Nominating Committee.

3. There are four members of the Council in class (e). Dr Lawrence (Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey) and Dame Mavis McDonald (formerly Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) are continuing members. Two places become vacant on 31 December 2010, on the retirement of Mr Nigel Brown OBE (who is Chairman of the Audit Committee) and Lord Simon of Highbury (who is Deputy Chairman of the Council and chairs the Remuneration Committee). External members are appointed for terms of four years.

4. One of the four external members in office from 1 January 2011 will be appointed by the Council as Deputy Chairman of the Council. The Deputy Chairman chairs the Council if it is not appropriate for the Vice-Chancellor to do so (for example, when the Council is discussing the Vice-Chancellor’s annual accountability report and forward plan). He or she will also chair the Remuneration Committee, and may be asked to chair, or serve on, other groups.

5. One of the other three external members will be appointed by the Council to chair the Council’s Audit Committee. This Committee meets about six times a year. The Committee’s work is of great importance to the University, especially in providing assurance that public funds are properly managed, and that management overall is sound.

6. Reasonable travel expenses are paid to external members, but the function as such is not remunerated.

7. The Council meets eleven times a year, in Cambridge, and there are two additional strategic meetings, in September and the spring. Occasional special meetings are also held. The basic time commitment is therefore of the order of 15–20 days a year.

8. Extensive circulation has already taken place within the University and the Colleges, and an advertisement has appeared in The Sunday Times of 27 June 2010.

9. Expressions of interest, and suggestions by members of the University, have been requested, if possible, by 16 July 2010 to the Registrary, marked private and confidential. Those making suggestions are asked to state why they believe that the person suggested would be particularly suitable for this role. Those submitting information about themselves are asked to include a curriculum vitae, and a letter setting out the contribution they believe they could make to the work of the Council.

10. If preferred, expressions of interest or suggestions can be made to the Nominating Committee’s advisers, Odgers Berndtson (32828@odgersberndtson.co.uk) quoting reference FMC/32828.

11. Any enquiries may be made to the Registrary (Jonathan.Nicholls@admin.cam.ac.uk), the Administrative Secretary (Alan.Clark@admin.ac.uk), or the advisers. Further information is available from the Registrary and the Administrative Secretary.

Establishment of Working Groups to consider University-wide efficiency savings: Notice

5 July 2010

The Council in its 2010 Budget Report on the financial position of the University (Reporter, p. 861) drew attention to the bleak outlook for government funding and the prospect that radical action would be needed in the coming year in preparation for 2011–12. It noted that contingency plans were being developed through further meetings with Schools and Institutions.

There is a need to consider the opportunities for University-wide efficiency savings in addition to the individual actions to be decided at the level of Schools and Institutions. The Council has approved the recommendation of the Planning and Resources Committee that the Committee establish three working groups to advise them on how University-wide cost savings might be achieved in the areas of services and administration, pay, and academic activities.

The Working Groups are as follows:

Services and Administration

To identify areas of administration and service provision which are either inefficient or not essential to the core mission of the University, and in each case to propose an action plan to reduce costs.

Membership: Prof. Steve Young, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Planning and Resources (Chair), Prof. Jeremy Sanders, Prof. Howard Chase, Mrs Anne Jarvis,

Secretary: Dr Kirsty Allen.

Pay and Restructuring

To provide support for restructuring proposals and to identify areas where savings could be made to reduce pay costs.

Membership: Prof. Ian White, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Institutional Affairs (Chair), Prof. Willie Brown, Dr Jennifer Barnes, Prof. Sir Richard Friend,

Secretary: Mr Indi Seehra.

Academic Activities

To identify areas within the broad academic activity of the University where efficiency savings might be achieved and to propose mechanisms for achieving them.

Membership: Prof. John Rallison, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education (Chair), Prof. Simon Franklin, Prof. Chris Gilligan, Dr Rachael Padman,

Secretary: Ms Alice Benton.

The Working Groups have been asked to advise the Planning and Resources Committee of potential action areas by the division of the Michaelmas Term 2010 (9 November).

The Committee aims to recommend action plans to the Council by Easter 2011, with implementation being underway by Michaelmas 2011 so that the first reductions in recurrent costs are realized during 2011–12 and in full by Michaelmas 2012.

The Council has agreed with the PRC that the Working Groups will need to consult widely with members of the University both to obtain advice and to facilitate the analysis of options.

Any member of the University with observations that will assist the Working Groups in undertaking their remit are invited to send them to the following email address: prcworkingparties@admin.cam.ac.uk.

The Isaac Newton Fund, the Arnold Gerstenberg Fund, the Prendergast Fund, the Sheepshanks Benefaction, and the Longsdon Trust Fund: Notice

5 July 2010

The Council gives notice that the Trusteeship of the above Funds, which support activities within the University, has been transferred from the Master, Fellows, and Scholars of Trinity College to the University under a Deed of Retirement and Appointment of New Trustees dated 7 January 2010. The transfer of the Trusteeship requires amendments to the regulations, or new regulations, for all the Funds except for the Arnold Gerstenberg Fund (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 802).

The first three Funds are also governed by University Statute (Statute E, XXV; XXVI; XXVII) – in each case the Statutes allow for the Master, Fellows, and Scholars of Trinity College to ‘transfer to the University the investments and other assets representing the Fund for the time being, and upon so doing shall be discharged from the Trust’. The provisions of the Sheepshanks Benefaction and the Longsdon Trust Fund are set out in Endowments 1904, pp. 131 and 206–13, respectively – the income formerly made available annually by Trinity College under the Sheepshanks Benefaction is managed by the Departmental Advisory Committee of the Institute of Astronomy, while the income formerly made available annually by the College under the Longsdon Trust Fund supports the Jacksonian Professorship of Natural Philosophy and the University Botanic Garden.

After consultation with the appropriate bodies, the Council is submitting a Grace (Grace 1, p. 1058) to amend the regulations for the Isaac Newton Fund, the Prendergast Fund, and the Institute of Astronomy, and to propose new regulations for the Sheepshanks Benefaction and the Longsdon Trust Fund as follows:

Isaac Newton Fund and Studentships (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 862)

Regulation 2.

By amending the regulation so as to read:

2. The administration of the Fund shall be entrusted to five Electors who shall be two Professors of the University appointed by the Council, one member of the Regent House appointed by the Faculty Board of Mathematics, and two members of the Regent House appointed by the Faculty Board of Physics and Chemistry. Electors shall be appointed in the Michaelmas Term for four years from 1 January following their appointment.

Regulation 5.

By removing the first two sentences from this regulation.

Regulation 8.

By replacing in line 4 the words ‘the Trustees may authorize the Electors to’ by the words ‘the Electors may’.

Regulation 9.

By removing from lines 2–4 the words in parentheses.

Regulation 11.

By replacing the first six lines of the regulation so as to read:

Any unexpended income accumulated in the Fund may be applied by the Electors as follows:

Prendergast Fund and Studentship (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 878)

Regulation 2.

By amending the regulation so as to read:

2. The Managers of the Fund shall be the Faculty Board of Classics.

Institute of Astronomy (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 591)

By removing the last sentence from Regulation 5 and establishing a new fund entitled the Sheepshanks Benefaction Fund to be governed by the following regulations:

Sheepshanks Benefaction Fund

Endowments, 1904, p. 131

The sums available under the Sheepshanks benefaction shall be administered by the Departmental Advisory Committee of the Institute of Astronomy and shall be applied to support the work of the Institute.

Longsdon Trust Fund

By establishing a Longsdon Trust Fund in the University to be governed by the following regulations:

Longsdon Trust Fund

Endowments, 1904, pp. 206–16

Four-fifths of the income of the Longsdon Trust Fund, which was established in 1783 under the will of the Reverend Richard Jackson, M.A., formerly of Trinity College, shall be applied to the maintenance of the Jacksonian Professorship of Natural Philosophy and one-fifth shall be applied to support the University Botanic Garden in such manner as the Director of the Botanic Garden shall determine.

Appointment arrangements for Senior Assistant Registraries and Senior Assistant Treasurers: Notice

5 July 2010

Under the regulations for the Unified Administrative Service (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 679) the Council appoints certain senior officers through a Standing Appointments Committee (Regulation 6). Appointments are made at a meeting of the Committee at which at least five of the members present must vote in favour of the appointment.

Other appointments in the Unified Administrative Service (to Assistant Registrary, Assistant Treasurer, etc.) are made by the Registrary, together with the Head of the Division, an appropriate senior academic-related officer, and a senior academic with experience and interest in what the role of the office entails, under procedures approved by the Council (Regulation 7 and see the Notice of the Council and the General Board on p. 664).

The Standing Appointments Committee has reviewed the appointing arrangements for the offices of Senior Assistant Registrary and Senior Assistant Treasurer. It has recommended to the Council that an Appointing Committee (appointed by the Standing Appointments Committee) consisting of the committee referred to above, with the addition of a member of the Standing Appointments Committee in class (b) (i.e. a person appointed by the Council), be charged with making recommendations of appointments to these offices to the Standing Appointments Committee, and that the Committee be empowered to approve the appointments by circulation without formally meeting. The approval of at least five members of the Committee would still be required and written reports would be received and minuted by the Committee at its next meeting.

The Council has accepted the proposal and is submitting a Grace (Grace 2, p. 1058) to amend the regulations for the Unified Administrative Service accordingly.

Election to the Committee of Management of the University Combination Room: Notice

5 July 2010

The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that an election of four members of the Regent House to serve on the Committee of Management of the University Combination Room from 1 January 2011 (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 147) will be held in November 2010 at the same time as the biennial elections for the Council. The election will be by postal ballot; the electors will be those whose names appear on the Roll of the Regent House which is due to be promulgated on 5 November 2010.

The Council proposes that in the election, the first two persons elected serve for four years from 1 January 2011 and the second two persons serve for two years from that date. The Council will submit a Grace to this effect early in the Michaelmas Term at the same time as the timetable for the ballot is announced.

Four members of the Committee are appointed by the Council; these names will be published as soon as possible.

Register of the University’s Electors to the General Synod: Notice

Clergy of the Church of England who are members of the Regent House are required from time to time to elect a person in holy orders to the Lower House of Convocation of Canterbury, to represent them in the General Synod.

An election is due to take place later this year, and it is desirable to draw up beforehand a register of the University’s electors. A register was last prepared in 2005, and any members of Congregation who are Church of England clergy and who were not qualified electors at that time are asked to get in touch with Ms J. Roebuck at the Secretariat, University Offices, Old Schools, (email Julia.Roebuck@admin.cam.ac.uk) giving their name (with initials and title) and College (or other address).

The qualifying date (for being a member of the clergy and of the Regent House) is that on which the current Convocation of Canterbury is dissolved (14 July 2010). It should be noted that a University or College Chaplain, if employed by the Diocese rather than the University or a College, will vote in the Diocesan constituency rather than the University constituency.