Skip to main contentCambridge University Reporter

No 6243

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Vol cxlii No 8

pp. 161–191

Notices

Calendar

9 November, Wednesday. Michaelmas Term divides.

22 November, Tuesday. Discussion at 2 p.m. in the Senate-House.

26 November, Saturday. Congregation of the Regent House at 2 p.m.

29 November, Tuesday. End of third quarter of Michaelmas Term.

2 December, Friday. Full Michaelmas Term ends.

6 December, Tuesday. Discussion at 2 p.m. in the Senate-House.

Notice of benefactions

7 November 2011

The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that he has received with gratitude the following benefactions:

(i)an annual benefaction of £6,000 from the James Dyson Foundation to support design project awards in the Department of Engineering;

(ii)a benefaction of £100,000 from the J. Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust towards the completion of the Kettle’s Yard Education Centre;

(iii)a bequest of approximately £900,000 under the Will of the late Mrs Marguerite McAvity Price. In line with Mrs Price’s wishes the bequest will be used to support teaching and research in the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Report of the Board of Graduate Studies on future arrangements for central consideration of Graduate Student matters: Notice in response to Discussion remarks

7 November 2011

The Council has received the comments made at the Discussion of this Report on 11 October 2011 (Reporter, 2011–12, p. 77). It has consulted the Board of Graduate Studies who have, with the concurrence of the General Board, commented as follows:

The Report proposes no changes in the Board of Graduate Studies’ powers and responsibilities as set out in the Ordinances. As now, the Board will continue to make an Annual Report to the Council. Mr Maclaren raised the question of continued Council interest in the Board. This was already under consideration and the Board have agreed to increase their proposed membership to include two members of the Regent House appointed by the Council. In response to Professor G. R. Evans’s comments, the Board consider that the arrangements proposed will benefit individual graduate students by allowing the Board to spend more time in consideration of what can often be complicated cases. This should serve the University well whatever the outcome of the BIS Technical Consultation to which Professor Evans refers. The arrangements will also make clearer to both University institutions and the Colleges where responsibility for particular matters rests. The General Board will continue to consider graduate studies policies at Cambridge, reporting to the Council and the Regent House as necessary.

The Council, with the concurrence of the General Board and the Board of Graduate Studies, is accordingly submitting a Grace (Grace 2, p. 189) to the Regent House for the approval of the recommendations in the Report, subject to further amending Regulation 1 so as to include two members of the Regent House appointed by the Council to serve for four years from 1 January next following their appointment, as set out below.

Regulation 1. (Membership of the Board)

The Board of Graduate Studies shall consist of

(a)one member appointed by the General Board as Chairman, who shall also be a member of the Education Committee;

(b)two members of the Regent House appointed by the Council;

(c)four members of the Regent House appointed by the General Board;

(d)two members of the Regent House appointed by the Senior Tutors’ Committee, one of whom shall normally be a Graduate Tutor.

Members in classes (a), (b), and (c) shall be appointed in the Michaelmas Term to serve for four years from 1 January next following their appointment. Members in class (d) shall be appointed in the Easter Term to serve for three years from 1 October.

Court of Discipline: Notice

21 October 2011, morning session

The Court of Discipline met on 21 October 2011 to consider a charge brought by the University Advocate on a complaint by the Senior Pro-Proctor against a graduate member of the University. The Court consisted of: Professor A. D. Yates, R (Chair); Mr M. M. Beber, SID, Mrs J. R. Dashwood, LC, Mr A. D. Lemons, HH, Dr K. C. Plaisted Grant, JN. Mrs I. Hunter acted as Clerk of the Court, with Mrs A. Impey as her assistant. On the application of the defendant, the Court consisted of senior members only and sat in camera.

The defendant was charged with an offence contrary to Regulation 6 of the General Regulations for Discipline in that the candidate had used unfair means in a piece of assessed course-work submitted as part of an examination in the Easter Term 2011, specifically that the student had plagiarized from a website without due acknowledgement. The defendant pleaded guilty. The Advocate outlined the circumstances of the case and the defendant’s representative presented the defendant’s case.

The Court accepted the guilty plea and made clear to the defendant the very serious nature of the offence. In determining the penalty, they considered, however, the evidence of previous good character, admission of guilt, the various factors offered in mitigation and the expressions of contrition that the defendant had made, both before and at the time of the hearing. While the Court noted that returning a mark of zero on the course-work would make no difference whatsoever to the defendant’s result on that part of the course, they wished to ensure that the seriousness of the offence was properly marked. Accordingly they ordered that the defendant be required to resubmit the relevant element of the course-work.

21 October 2011, afternoon session

The Court of Discipline met on 21 October 2011 to consider a charge brought by the University Advocate on a complaint by the student’s Head of Department against a graduate member of the University. The Court consisted of: Professor A. D. Yates, R (Chair), Mr M. M. Beber, SID, Mrs J. R. Dashwood, LC, Mr A. D. Lemons, HH, Dr K. C. Plaisted Grant, JN. Mrs I. Hunter acted as Clerk of the Court, with Mrs A. Impey as her assistant. The defendant was not present during the proceedings and was represented by Dr C. MacKenzie, SE. On the application of the defendant, the Court consisted of senior members only and sat in camera.

The defendant was charged with an offence contrary to Regulation 6 of the General Regulations for Discipline in that the student had used unfair means in two essays submitted as part of a Master of Philosophy examination in 2011, specifically that the student had plagiarized from various sources without proper indication. The defendant, through the defendant’s representative, pleaded guilty. The Advocate outlined the circumstances of the case and the defendant’s representative presented the defendant’s case.

The Court accepted the guilty plea. They considered the evidence submitted in great detail, having regard to the strong evidence that the defendant had been and continued to be suffering from serious mental illness. The Court noted, however, that plagiarizing substantial amounts of text in examination papers was a grave offence, the seriousness of which needed to be properly acknowledged. They therefore determined that the student’s membership of the University should be suspended until such time as a psychiatrist appointed by the University confirmed that the student was fit to resume studies.

Statistical information about staff grades, additional payments, and market supplements: Notice

31 October 2011

Grace 9 associated with the Second Joint Report of the Council and the General Board on new pay and grading arrangements for non-clinical staff (Reporter, 2004–05, p. 745) provides for the Council to publish at least annually (i) anonymized statistical information about the number of non-clinical staff on each step of the single spine, for the institution as a whole and by School (or equivalent), according to staff category, grade, and gender; and (ii) anonymized information by School (or equivalent), according to staff category, grade, and gender, of additional payments made under the regulations for payments additional to stipend, but excluding payments for clinical responsibility.

Accordingly the Council now publishes information for 2010–11 showing in the tables below the payments that have been made. All data is to 31 July 2011.

(i) Non-clinical staff on each step of the single spine

Tables 1–9 show the number of non-clinical staff on each step of the single spine by grade and gender for (a) academic including research staff and (b) academic-related and assistant staff. Table 1 shows the data for the institution as a whole; Tables 2–9 show the data by School (or equivalent). In each table contribution points on the single spine are shaded.

(ii) Payments additional to stipend

Table 10 shows (a) pensionable and (b) non-pensionable payments made under the regulations for payments additional to stipend for each School (or equivalent) according to staff category (academic and non-academic) and by grade and gender. The Council has also agreed to publish information about recipients of bonus payments (Reporter, 2008–09, p. 962). Such information is included in Table 10(b).

Market supplements

Under the arrangements introduced by the Second Joint Report of the Council and the General Board on new pay and grading arrangements for non-clinical staff (Reporter, 2004–05, p. 745), market supplements may be made to secure the recruitment or retention of an individual member of staff.

Grace 7 associated with the Second Joint Report provides for the Council to publish anonymized statistical information on all awards of market supplements at least annually by staff category, grade, gender, and School (or equivalent).

Accordingly, the Council publishes below information for 2010–11 on the market supplements that have been made. Table 11(a) shows the total number of staff in receipt of market supplements; Table 11(b) shows the number of awards made between 1 October 2010 and 31 July 2011.

In order to improve scrutiny, accountability, and transparency in the award of market supplements, the Council has established a Remuneration Committee (Reporter, 2007–08, p. 282) which considers, as part of its remit, the determination of market supplements over 10% for professorial and equivalent staff.

Table 1(a): Number of academic and research staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point as at 31 July 2011

Table 1(b): Number of academic-related and assistant staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point as at 31 July 2011

Table 2(a): Number of academic and research staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of Arts and Humanities as at 31 July 2011

Table 2(b): Number of academic-related and assistant staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of Arts and Humanities as at 31 July 2011

Table 3(a): Number of academic and research staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of the Biological Sciences as at 31 July 2011

Table 3(b): Number of academic-related and assistant staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of the Biological Sciences as at 31 July 2011

Table 4(a): Number of academic and research staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of Clinical Medicine as at 31 July 2011

Table 4(b): Number of academic-related and assistant staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of Clinical Medicine as at 31 July 2011

Table 5(a): Number of academic and research staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of the Humanities and Social Sciences as at 31 July 2011

Table 5(b): Number of academic-related and assistant staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of the Humanities and Social Sciences as at 31 July 2011

Table 6(a): Number of academic and research staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of the Physical Sciences as at 31 July 2011

Table 6(b): Number of academic-related and assistant staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of the Physical Sciences as at 31 July 2011

Table 7(a): Number of academic and research staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of Technology as at 31 July 2011

Table 7(b): Number of academic-related and assistant staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – School of Technology as at 31 July 2011

Table 8(a): Number of academic and research staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – Council institutions as at 31 July 2011

Table 8(b): Number of academic-related and assistant staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – Council institutions as at 31 July 2011

Table 9(a): Number of academic and research staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – other General Board institutions as at 31 July 2011

Table 9(b): Number of academic-related and assistant staff on the single salary spine by grade, gender, and scale point – other General Board institutions as at 31 July 2011

Table 10(a): Staff in receipt of a pensionable payment made during the 2010–11 financial year (1 August 2010 – 31 July 2011)

Table 10(b): Staff in receipt of a non-pensionable payment during the 2010–11 financial year (1 August 2010 – 31 July 2011)

Table 11(a): Count of all staff in receipt of a market supplement as at 31 July 2011 by staff category, School (or equivalent), and gender (information provided by CHRIS)

Table 11(b): Count of all staff newly awarded a market supplement between 1 August 2010 and 31 July 2011 by staff category, School (or equivalent), and gender (information provided by CHRIS)

Election of a member of the Council’s Finance Committee in class (b): Notice

A vacancy will arise for a member of the Regent House, elected by the Representatives of the Colleges, to serve on the Council’s Finance Committee for three years from 1 January 2012.

The election is conducted in accordance with the Single Transferable Vote regulations. Voting is by postal ballot.

Nominations should be made in writing to the Head of the Registrary’s Office, University Offices, The Old Schools, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, and must include a statement by the person nominated that he or she is willing to serve on the Finance Committee. Nominations and statements should be made by 12 noon on Tuesday, 22 November 2011. Nominations should be supported by the signatures of two members of the Regent House. If a ballot is necessary, papers will be despatched by Monday, 5 December, for return by 12 noon on Friday, 16 December 2011.