No 6485
Wednesday 22 November 2017
Vol cxlviii No 9
pp. 115–143
25 November, Saturday. Congregation of the Regent House at 2 p.m. (see p. 142).
29 November, Wednesday. End of third quarter of Michaelmas Term.
1 December, Friday. Full Term ends.
5 December, Tuesday. Discussion at 2 p.m. in the Senate-House (see below).
19 December, Tuesday. Michaelmas Term ends.
|
Discussions (at 2 p.m.) |
Congregations |
|
5 December |
25 November, Saturday at 2 p.m. |
The Vice-Chancellor invites those qualified under the regulations for Discussions (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 105), as well as all students in the University and all employees of the University and Colleges, to attend a Discussion in the Senate-House on Tuesday, 5 December 2017 at 2 p.m., for the discussion of:
1. Topic of concern to the University: the University’s investments (see Reporter, 6484, 2017–18, p. 108).
2. Report of the Council, dated 20 November 2017, on building works at the ADC Theatre (p. 140).
Further information on Discussions, including details on format and attendance, is provided at https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/governance/decision-making/discussions/.
The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that a bye-election is to be held to fill a casual vacancy on the Council in class (a) (Heads of Colleges) under Statute A IV 2, following Mr Laing’s decision to step down with effect from 31 December 2017.
The Council is the principal executive and policy-making body of the University. It has general responsibility for the administration of the University, for defining its mission, for the planning of its work, and for the management of its resources. The Council deals with relations between the University and the Colleges, and conducts negotiations with outside bodies on many matters (other than those relating directly to the educational and research programmes of the University, which are dealt with on its behalf by the General Board of the Faculties). It is responsible for the appointment or nomination of certain members of internal and external bodies, and for many student matters (excluding the selection of entrants, which is a College concern). Further information about the Council is available to members of the University on the Council website (https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/committees/council/). Questions about its work can be addressed to the Registrary by emailing registrary@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Council membership offers a particularly rewarding and demanding experience. The University is both an exempt charity,1 and a corporation established by common law. As such, Council members are both charity trustees of the University and, effectively, its corporate directors. They have associated legal responsibilities and duties, and are required to promote the interests of the University and act with integrity, care, and prudence.
It is strongly recommended that those considering standing for nomination review the Handbook for Members of the Council, which sets out the Council’s primary responsibilities. Section 1 of the Handbook provides advice and guidance to members of Council on their legal and other responsibilities. The Handbook is available to members of the University to download from the bottom of the Council webpage at https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/committees/council/handbook-2017/. Potential nominees might also wish to familiarize themselves with the key aspects of the University’s Statutes and Ordinances (http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/so/), the most recent Budget and Allocations Report (Reporter, 6469, 2016–17, p. 604), and the Annual Report and Financial Statements (Reporter, 6448, 2016–17, p. 201).
Further useful information is provided by HEFCE (http://www.hefce.ac.uk/reg/charityreg/), and the Charity Commission (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-essential-trustee-what-you-need-to-know-cc3). This information includes details of the extent of a charity trustee’s personal liability. Instances of personal liability are rare and unlikely to occur, providing trustees act honestly, prudently, in good faith, and in the best interests of the University, and in compliance with legislation and the University’s governing documents. Nonetheless, it is important for nominees to recognize and accept the obligations that Council membership would confer upon them.
In order to be eligible, a candidate for election to the Council must be nominated on a paper sent to the Vice-Chancellor at the Old Schools so as to be received not later than 12 noon on Friday, 8 December 2017. The nomination paper must contain (a) a statement signed by two members of the Regent House, nominating the candidate for election and specifying the class in which he or she is nominated, and (b) a statement signed by the candidate certifying that he or she consents to be so nominated. The candidate is also required to provide a statement of her or his curriculum vitae by the same date (see below).
The Vice-Chancellor would be obliged if nominations could be delivered to the Registrary in the Old Schools during office hours. Nominations will be published on the Senate-House Noticeboard as they are received; the complete list of nominations will be published in the Reporter on Wednesday, 13 December 2017.
In accordance with the regulations governing the election (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 112), each person nominated for election is required to send to the Registrary, not later than 12 noon on Friday, 8 December 2017, a statement of her or his curriculum vitae for distribution to members of the Regent House with the voting papers. It is suggested that such a statement should be of not more than 500 words in length, and that it should cover the following points:
•the candidate’s present position in the University;
•previous posts held, whether in Cambridge or in other universities or outside the university system, with dates;
•the candidate’s reasons for standing for election, and the experience and skills they would bring to the role;
•a note of the candidate’s particular interests within the field of University business.
If the election is contested, it will be conducted by ballot under the Single Transferable Vote regulations. Online voting will open at 10 a.m. on Monday, 8 January 2018 and close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, 18 January 2018. Hard-copy voting papers and supporting materials will be distributed not later than Monday, 8 January 2018 to those who opted by 2 November 2017 to vote on paper; the last date for the return of voting papers will be 5 p.m. on Thursday, 18 January 2018.
1The University has charitable status but is exempt from the statutory requirement which otherwise obliges a charity to register with the Charity Commission. HEFCE is the principal regulator of the University as regards its compliance with its legal obligations in exercising control and management of its administration as a charity.
The following ballot is currently open for voting by members of the Regent House:
• Election to the Board of Scrutiny of one candidate in class(c)(i): a person who has been a member of the Regent House for not more than ten years on 1 October 2018.
Voting information, including candidate statements, is available online at https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/ballots/voting/Pages/BoS-MT2017.aspx [Raven only]. Voting closes at 5 p.m. on Thursday, 30 November 2017.