Reports

Report of the General Board on the establishment of a Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics

The General Board beg leave to report as follows:

1. In this Report the General Board propose the establishment within the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages of a single Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, through the merger of the existing Department of Linguistics and the Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics (RCEAL).

2. A Review of provision in Linguistics was conducted by the Council of the School of Arts and Humanities, following a recommendation by the General Board, made in the light of three previous reports: the Learning and Teaching Reviews of the Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics (RCEAL) and of the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages, and the General Board’s post-RAE review of the Department of Linguistics.

3. The Review Committee’s terms of reference were ‘to undertake a review of linguistics provision, including the relationship between the Department of Linguistics and the RCEAL, and to determine the most appropriate governance arrangement for the latter institution, with the aim of strengthening Linguistics provision in the University.’

4. The principal recommendation arising from the Review was that the Department of Linguistics and the RCEAL be merged to form a single Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, in the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages. This recommendation was accepted by the Management Committee for RCEAL, the Faculty Boards of English and of Modern and Medieval Languages, and the Council of the School, which established an Implementation Group to take forward the recommendation.

5. The Council of the School has accepted the Implementation Group’s subsequent report. The General Board now commend the proposal for approval.

6. At present the two institutions are separate units within the School of Arts and Humanities. The Department of Linguistics has seven established academic staff and active research grants amounting to £1.5m. The Department is responsible for a three-year Tripos and a one-year M.Phil. course in Linguistics. The RCEAL, founded in 1988 (Reporter, 1985–86, p. 805) through an endowment by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, pursues an interdisciplinary and theoretically based approach to English and Applied Linguistics, has its Director established as a Professor in the Faculty of English, and has a further four established academic staff. Active research grants amount to c. £1.7m. RCEAL offers an M.Phil. course in English and Applied Linguistics. Both institutions offer Ph.D. programmes.

7. The proposed merger provides the basis for more effective use of the University’s resources in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, and should have significant advantages for both education and research. For undergraduates, the new Department will have the capacity to provide an enhanced Tripos, with more depth of resource and more breadth of content. The Tripos is already proving attractive to the growing number of state school students taking English Language at A-level. For postgraduates the new Department should provide greater variety and flexibility in course content, in subject-specific training, and in the diversity of intellectual interactions. In research the merger should not only enable staff to make more effective use of common resources, but should also enable the new Department to develop its role as a hub for interdisciplinary language studies in the University, and lead to greater national and international roles. The merger should also lead to economies in administration.

8. The Professor of English and Applied Linguistics will continue to be responsible for preserving and developing the special relationship with Cambridge Assessment, and for research grant activity in Applied Linguistics; but there will be no post of Director of RCEAL. The Head of the proposed Department will be appointed according to the normal procedures that apply in the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages.

9. The Management Committee responsible for the RCEAL will be abolished. The Chief Executive of Cambridge Assessment has been consulted about the proposal and concurs with it.

10. The formation of the new Department from two existing institutions will require the formal reassignment of certain existing established offices as set out in Recommendations III, IV, and V below.

11. In addition, with the concurrence of the current postholders, it is proposed that the three Assistant Directorships of Research in RCEAL be suppressed, and University Lectureships for the current postholders be created in the new Department in order more appropriately to reflect the full range of duties.

12. The General Board recommend:

I. That, with effect from 1 August 2011, the Department of Linguistics and the Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics be suppressed and a Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics be constituted within the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages.

II. That, with effect from the same date, the regulations for the Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 637) be rescinded.

III. That, with effect from the same date, the following Professorships and Readerships be reassigned to the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics:

From the Department of Linguistics:

• the Professorship of Linguistics (2000)

• the Professorship of Phonetics (2004)

• the Professorship of Phonetic Sciences

• the Professorship of French Philology and Linguistics (2005)

• the Professorship of Linguistics and Philosophy of Language

• the Readership in Phonology and Morphology.

From the Faculty of English:

• the Professorship of English and Applied Linguistics.

From the Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics:

• the Readership in Applied Psycholinguistics.

IV. That, with effect from the same date, the three offices of Assistant Director of Research in the Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics be suppressed, and University Lectureships be created for the current postholders in the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics.

V. That, with effect from the same date, the University Senior Lectureship established in the Department of Linguistics for Dr David Willis be reassigned to the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics.

VI. That, with effect from the same date, certain regulations be amended as follows:

A. By replacing all references to the Department of Linguistics by reference to the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics.

B. Regulations for the examination in English and Applied Linguistics for the M.Phil. Degree (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 512)

By replacing the reference in Regulation 1(a) to the Degree Committee for the Faculty of English by reference to the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages.

C. Regulations for the School of Arts and Humanities (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 572)

Regulation 1.

By removing the reference to the Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics.

D. Regulations for the constitution of the Faculty Boards (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 578)

By deleting in Schedule III under the Faculty Board of English the reference to the Director of the Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics and by deleting in Schedule IV the reference to Scheme I for electing student members.

E. Regulations for Departments and Heads of Departments (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 585)

By replacing Linguistics with Theoretical and Applied Linguistics.

F. Schedules to payments additional to Stipend (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 676)

By removing from Schedule 5 the reference to the Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics.

1 December 2010	L. K. Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor	Simon Franklin	Rachael Padman
	N. Bampos	Andrew Gamble	J. Rallison
	William Brown	C. A. Gilligan	Jeremy Sanders
	H. A. Chase	David Good	Patrick Sissons
	Philip Ford	Maria Helmling	Joshua Ward

Report of the General Board on the establishment of an MRC Research Professorship of Cognitive Psychology

The General Board beg leave to report to the University as follows:

1. In their Report on certain fixed-term Professorships and Readerships and future arrangements for awarding the title of Honorary Professor or Reader (Reporter, 2000–01, p. 814), the Board, in accordance with policy and procedure outlined in paragraph 6 of their Notice on appointments to unestablished posts at the level of Professor and Reader (Reporter, 2000–01, p. 552), proposed, inter alia, the establishment of a number of fixed-term Professorships and Readerships, in place of unestablished Research Professorships and Readerships. The Board, in their Notice, also stated their intention to recommend the establishment of Professorships on future occasions when an individual had been successful in a prestigious and external competition, for example, Royal Society and MRC Research Professorships. In a further Report, dated 22 January 2003 (Reporter, 2002–03, p. 519), the Board proposed the establishment of Professorships for the holders of Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellowships.

2. The Board have now considered a proposal for the establishment of an MRC Research Professorship of Cognitive Psychology for Professor Susan Gathercole, currently Professor of Psychology at the University of York. The Professorship is intended to be held in association with the honorary Directorship of the MRC’s Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge. The award from the MRC is for an initial period of 10 years from the date of appointment, and is expected to be renewed for so long as Professor Gathercole remains Honorary Director of the Unit. The Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine have agreed to meet the costs of the Professorship from the expiry of the Medical Research Council award, for the remainder of Professor Gathercole’s tenure. Although the Professorship is formally assigned to the Faculty of Clinical Medicine, the General Board have determined, under the provision of Statute D, XIV, 7, that the duties shall also concern the Department of Experimental Psychology in the Faculty of Biology.

3. The General Board recommend:

That an MRC Research Professorship of Cognitive Psychology be established from 1 October 2010 for the tenure of Professor Susan Gathercole, placed in Schedule B of the Statutes, and assigned to the Faculty of Clinical Medicine.

1 December 2010	L. K. Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor	Simon Franklin	Rachael Padman
	N. Bampos	Andrew Gamble	J. Rallison
	William Brown	C. A. Gilligan	Jeremy Sanders
	H. A. Chase	David Good	Patrick Sissons
	Philip Ford

Report of the General Board on the establishment of a Professorship of Finance

The General Board beg leave to report to the University as follows:

1. In their Report, dated 30 October 2001 (Reporter, 2001–02, p. 240), the General Board recommended the establishment of the office of Director of the Cambridge Endowment for Research in Finance (CERF). Lord Eatwell, of Queens’ College, was subsequently appointed to the Directorship for five years from 1 October 2002, and a Professorship of Financial Policy, to be held by Lord Eatwell concurrently with the office of Director of CERF, was also established (Reporter, 2001–02, p. 1272) in Judge Business School for that period.

2. In their Report, dated 12 July 2006 (Reporter, 2005–06, p. 970), the General Board recommended the re-establishment of the Professorship of Financial Policy for the remainder of Lord Eatwell’s tenure, following his reappointment as Director of CERF from 1 October 2007. Re-establishment was approved by Grace 7 of 18 October 2006.

3. Lord Eatwell reaches the retiring age on 30 September 2012, and the General Board have now considered the matter of the succession to these two posts, with the advice of the Acting Director of Judge Business School, the Faculty Board of Business and Management, and the Managers of CERF. The Board have agreed to recommend the re-establishment of a Professorship from 1 October 2012 for a single tenure, to be held concurrently with the office of Director of CERF. Election to the Professorship will be made by an ad hoc Board of Electors. The General Board will appoint the person elected also to serve as Director of CERF during her or his tenure. In order to secure the strongest possible field of candidates, the Board have agreed that the office should be re-named as the Professorship of Finance.

4. The General Board accordingly recommend:

I. That a Professorship of Finance be established from 1 October 2012 for a single tenure, placed in Schedule B of the Statutes, and assigned to Judge Business School.

II. That regulations for the Professorship be approved, as set out in the Schedule to this Report.

1 December 2010	L. K. Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor	Simon Franklin	Rachael Padman
	N. Bampos	Andrew Gamble	J. Rallison
	William Brown	C. A. Gilligan	Jeremy Sanders
	H. A. Chase	David Good	Patrick Sissons
	Philip Ford	Maria Helmling	Joshua Ward

SCHEDULE

Professor of Finance.         2012.         Judge Business School

1. The Professorship of Finance shall be established for a single tenure from 1 October 2012.

2. The Professor shall also hold the office of Director of the Cambridge Endowment for Research in Finance during his or her tenure, and shall vacate the Professorship if he or she ceases to hold the latter office.