No 6516
Wednesday 25 July 2018
Vol cxlviii No 40
pp. 837–885
1 October, Monday. Michaelmas Term begins. Congregation of the Regent House at 9.30 a.m.: Vice-Chancellor’s address, and the election and admission of the Proctors.
2 October, Tuesday. Full Term begins.
This is the last ordinary issue of the Reporter for the 2017–18 academical year. The first ordinary issue of the 2018–19 academical year will be published on 26 September 2018.
The Vice-Chancellor invites those qualified under the regulations for Discussions (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 105) to attend a Discussion in the Senate-House, on Tuesday, 9 October 2018 at 2 p.m., for the discussion of:
1.Report of the Council, dated 16 July 2018, on the period of membership of external members of the Council (Reporter, 6515, 2017–18, p. 833).
2.Joint Report of the Council and the General Board, dated 23 July and 11 July 2018, on amendments to Special Ordinance D (v) concerning precautionary action (p. 864).
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 he has received from the Governing Body of St John’s College, in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(2) of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge Act 1923, the text of proposed Statutes to amend the Statutes of the College. The current Statutes of the College and the amending Statutes are available on the College’s website:
http://intranet.joh.cam.ac.uk/statutes
https://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/inline-files/Amending Statute for Website_0.pdf
Paper copies may be inspected at the University Offices until 10 a.m. on 10 August 2018.
The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that he has received from the Governing Body of Trinity College, in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(2) of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge Act 1923, the text of proposed Statutes to amend the Statutes of the College. The current Statutes of the College and the amending Statutes are available on the College’s website:
https://share.trin.cam.ac.uk/sites/public/Senior_Bursary/statuteswith2009amendments.pdf
https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/proposed-amending-statutes-may-2018/
Paper copies may be inspected at the University Offices until 10 a.m. on 10 August 2018.
The Vice-Chancellor reminds members of the University that Sir Simon Schama, Honorary Fellow of Christ’s College and University Professor of Art History and History, Columbia University, will deliver the next Leslie Stephen Lecture in the Senate-House at 5.30 p.m. on Monday, 15 October 2018. His lecture title will be: Liberalism, populism, and the fate of the world.
The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that Professor Janet Soskice, Fellow of Jesus College and Professor of Philosophical Theology, has been appointed as Preacher at the annual Commemoration of John Mere, to be held in St Benedict’s Church at 11.45 a.m. on Tuesday, 23 April 2019.
1. Under the regulations for the appointment of members of the Council in class (e) (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 113), the Council, on the recommendation of the Proctors and the Deputy Proctors, has appointed Ms Sara Weller, a serving 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
Dr Nick Bampos, TH
Professor Dame Carol Black, N
Dr Stephen Cowley, EM
Dr David Secher, CAI
Professor Anthony Green, Q
Dr Rachael Padman, N
The Registary is Secretary to the Committee.
3. There are four members of the Council in class (e). External members are appointed for terms of four years. Mr John Shakeshaft was appointed to serve a second four-year term in January 2015 and is not eligible for reappointment. One place will therefore be vacant from 1 January 2019. The appointment would be for an initial period until 31 December 2022, potentially renewable for another full term of four years. Professor Sir David Greenaway, Mr Mark Lewisohn, and Ms Sara Weller are the other current external members of the Council. Mr Shakeshaft is the Deputy Chair of the Council, Mr Lewisohn chairs the Audit Committee, and Ms Weller chairs the Remuneration Committee.
4. Applications are sought from individuals who have held senior leadership posts within organizations of significant scale and complexity and who can demonstrate relevant experience, ideally to include financial management. A demonstrable commitment to, or interest in, education and research is important. An international perspective and experience of varying forms of organizational governance would be desirable but not essential.
5. Cambridge is seeking to encourage greater diversity throughout the institution, at all levels. This is equally a priority in the governance of the University, and hence a key aim in this appointment. Candidates will demonstrate alignment with the values of a university and its positive role and function in society through its education, research, and translation activity.
6. The appointment is as a charity trustee and does not carry any remuneration. Reasonable travel and other expenses incurred can be claimed.
7. External members of the Council are expected to attend all Council meetings (up to eleven ordinary and two strategic meetings per year) and to serve on two to three committees, as chair or member, throughout the academical year. The successful candidate will also need to spend some time getting to know the collegiate University, attending background briefings and/or informal University and College events. Information about the work of the Council and the University’s governance arrangements is available at: http://www.governance.cam.ac.uk.
8. The Nominating Committee has engaged Perrett Laver as search advisers. Appointment details can be downloaded from their website at https://candidates.perrettlaver.com/vacancies/, quoting reference 3672, and applications should be made to them by 12 noon on 3 September 2018.
9. Those wishing to make suggestions about suitable candidates should provide information to the Registrary by the same date stating why they believe that the person suggested would be particularly suitable for this role.
10. Any enquiries may be made to the Registrary (Emma.Rampton@admin.cam.ac.uk) or to the Head of the Registrary’s Office (Regina.Sachers@admin.cam.ac.uk).
The Council has received the remarks made at the Discussion on 20 February 2018 (Reporter, 6497, 2017–18, p. 429) regarding the topic of concern to the University on Hobson’s Brook (Reporter, 6494, 2017–18, p. 378). It apologizes for the delay in providing this response, which has been prepared following consultation with the Estates Strategy Committee and after researching the University’s interests in the Hobson’s Brook corridor.
Several speakers at the Discussion noted their belief that the University’s consent for the proposed bridge was required under the terms of a lease of part of the Hobson’s Brook corridor dating from 1610. That lease describes the downstream extent of its demise as being the boundary between the borough of Cambridge and the parish of Trumpington. An 1804 Inclosure Map of Trumpington shows Empty Common, the location of the proposed bridge, as being outside of Trumpington parish and therefore outside of the demise of the lease. The Inclosure Act of 1807 gave the University a right to take an action in trespass in respect of this section of Hobson’s Brook, notwithstanding an absence of legal interest in the land. In the event that the University took such action, it is anticipated that at best nominal damages would be awarded, which would be exceeded by the costs of bringing legal action; the University does not have the right under the Indenture Act to seek an injunction to prevent the building of the bridge.
In the course of the Discussion reference was made in passing to the rights of Trinity College in this matter. The College has the benefit of a restrictive covenant affecting the Common. The University is not in a position to comment on the enforceability of the College’s rights or its willingness to enforce such rights as it has.
The Council notes the Estates Strategy Committee’s assessment of the anticipated impact of the works. The ecological impact of the bridge itself is expected to be minimal. The impact of increased footfall on the wider corridor, which is recognized as an area of national ecological importance, is harder to assess. Relocation of existing Granta Backbone Network links is expected to be no more disruptive than similar works in other parts of the city.
Given the University’s position, the Estate Management Division has been asked to confirm to Cambridge City Council that the proposed bridge is considered to fall outside the demise of the 1610 lease, and as such the University’s consent is not required. Several speakers indicated interests as local residents and neighbouring land-owners and therefore the Council has asked Estate Management to direct Cambridge City Council to the report of the Discussion for information on their views.
Further to the Council’s Notice published on 11 July 2018 (Reporter, 6514, 2017–18, p. 798), the Council has now considered the proposed amendment to Grace 1 of 27 June 2018 and has agreed to submit the amendment. The proposed amendment will be included as an option on which members of the Regent House will be asked to vote in the forthcoming ballot in the Michaelmas Term 2018 (Reporter, 6512, 2017–18, p. 728), the timetable for which is reproduced below. The ballot on Grace 1 of 27 June 2018 shall be held in accordance with the Single Transferable Vote regulations (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 115).
There shall be separate but concurrent ballots on Grace 1 of 27 June 2018 and the proposed amendment to it, and on Grace 1 of 18 April 2018. In connection with these ballots the Registrary will arrange for the circulation of any fly-sheet, signed by ten or more members of the Regent House, which reaches her by 1 p.m. on Thursday, 4 October 2018. Fly-sheets must bear, in addition to the signatures, the names and initials (in block capitals) of the signatories (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 110). Documents which are submitted by fax to 01223 (3)32332 or scanned or photographed documents containing a signature sent to the Registrary at Registrary@admin.cam.ac.uk will also be accepted. Online voting will open at 10 a.m. on Monday, 15 October 2018 and close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, 25 October 2018; fly‑sheets will be available online. Hardcopy voting papers and fly-sheets will be distributed not later than Monday, 15 October 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, 25 October 2018.
The Council has approved a statement and policy affirming the University’s commitment to combatting slavery and human trafficking, in accordance with Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The statement and policy are available at https://www.registrarysoffice.admin.cam.ac.uk/governance-and-strategy/anti-slavery-and-anti-trafficking.
The University of Cambridge is a common law corporation and is an exempt charity under the Charites Act 2011. The University consists of academic Schools, Faculties and Departments, libraries and other collections, administrative departments and, for the purposes of this statement, includes its wholly owned companies. Its mission is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence.
The University is committed to combatting slavery and human trafficking and to acting with integrity in all its relationships. It has implemented an Anti-slavery and Anti-trafficking policy reflecting this commitment (viewable at https://www.registrarysoffice.admin.cam.ac.uk/governance-and-strategy/anti-slavery-and-anti-trafficking). To ensure compliance with this commitment, the University has revised its standard procurement and contract documentation which now contain warranties to this effect which suppliers and contractors must accept wherever possible. The University’s dignity@work, equal opportunities, and whistleblowing policies are additional mechanisms which support the combat of modern slavery (see http://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/policies-procedures).
Although committed to carrying out proper due diligence, as a higher education institution the University considers the risk of modern slavery to be low due to the nature of its limited supply chains apart from Cambridge University Press, a department of the University providing publishing services, which has different supply chains and has consequently developed its own anti-slavery measures (see http://www.cambridge.org/about-us/legal-notices/anti-slavery-and-human-trafficking/).
The University has not received any reports of instances of modern slavery over the past financial year but will continue to raise awareness of modern slavery and of the need for proper due diligence and risk assessment processes to be applied by staff and suppliers, in accordance with its policy.
This annual statement was approved by the Council on 23 July 2018.
Modern slavery encompasses slavery, forced and compulsory labour, and human trafficking whereby individuals are deprived of their freedom and are exploited for commercial or personal gain as enacted in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (‘the Act’). The University is committed to a zero tolerance approach to modern slavery and to acting with integrity in all its dealings, relationships, and supply chains. It expects the same high standards from all its staff, suppliers, contractors, and those with whom it does business. This policy applies to all employees, workers, consultants, and other persons doing business with the University including all its wholly owned companies, contractors, and suppliers.
The University acknowledges the risk that a supply chain may involve the use of a hidden or unknown subcontractor reliant on forced labour. Although the University as a higher education institution1 considers the risk of modern slavery to be low due to the nature of its supply chains, it takes its responsibilities to combat modern slavery seriously as demonstrated by its promotion and adoption of the following policy measures:
•The prevention, detection, and reporting of modern slavery in any part of its business or supply chains is the responsibility of all those working for the University or under its control.
•Appropriate due diligence processes must be carried out in relation to modern slavery which may include considering human rights in a sector or country, the type of sector in which a service provider operates, the countries from which services are provided, the nature of relationships with suppliers, and the complexity of supply chain(s).
•All supply chain lines need to be continually risk assessed and managed in relation to modern slavery and any high-risk suppliers audited.
•The University encourages anyone to raise any concerns about modern slavery and will support anyone who acts in good faith. The University has a whistleblowing policy which can be used to report any instances of modern slavery, which was updated in 2017 (http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/policy/whistleblowing.html).
•The University has dignity@work and equal opportunities policies (see https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/policies-procedures/dignity-work-policy and https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/policies-procedures/equal-opportunities-policy) and is committed to upholding human rights.
•The University’s Anti-slavery and Anti-trafficking statement is published annually on the Registrary’s Office website at https://www.registrarysoffice.admin.cam.ac.uk/governance-and-strategy/anti-slavery-and-anti-trafficking.
•The University will continue to develop its commitment to combat modern slavery and will provide staff training where appropriate.
In relation to the University’s procurement activities, the following actions have been implemented in 2017–18 or are in the process of being implemented, for completion in 2018–19:
1.Amendments to the trade supplier portal (Intend) to question potential new suppliers on their compliance with the Act. The obligation will be on potential new suppliers to confirm their compliance; failure to confirm compliance will result in exclusion from the list of approved trade suppliers.
2.Review and updating of all procurement documentation to include references to the Act.
3.Amendments to the trade supplier approval process so that the University’s Procurement Office reviews all new and amended suppliers and re-activation requests, with confirmation of compliance recorded as part of that process.
4.Provision of information on the obligations under the Act to Departments, Faculties, and other institutions using existing communication channels.
5.Development of an online training tool on the Act, to be included in the induction materials for new employees and as part of ongoing training for existing employees.
6.Development and circulation of a questionnaire on compliance to trade suppliers.
Any breaches of this policy may result in the University taking disciplinary action against individual(s) and/or terminating its relationship with any organization or supplier.
This policy is managed by the Registrary’s Office and was approved by the Council on 23 July 2018.
1Cambridge University Press, a department of the University providing publishing services, has different supply chains and has consequently developed its own anti-slavery measures; see http://www.cambridge.org/about-us/legal-notices/anti-slavery-and-human-trafficking/. Cambridge Assessment has its own policies on whistleblowing, on equality and dignity at work, and its own procurement procedures.
The Council, on the recommendation of the General Board, has approved some minor changes to the Procedure for Handling Cases of Student Harassment and Sexual Misconduct (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 218), following a review of this and related procedures (see also the Report on p. 864). The review considered the experience of both the complainant and the respondent when using the procedure. There is no specified timeframe for a complaint under the University’s disciplinary procedure, and therefore the three-month timeframe for complainants to raise a complaint under paragraph 6.1.3 of the procedure reduces the options open to the complainant and respondent for limiting their interaction using the procedure. It was noted that in any case this timeframe could currently be waived by the Head of the Office of Student Conduct, Complaints, and Appeals, and in practice the time limit was routinely set aside. Paragraph 6.1.3 has therefore been removed and the remaining paragraphs renumbered. The procedure has also been renamed the Procedure on Student Harassment and Sexual Misconduct.
This Notice proposes options for changes to the arrangements for Discussions, which are being put forward by the Governance Review Working Group for consultation. Comments are invited by Wednesday, 31 October 2018, and should be sent by email to consultationresponses@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Discussions are an important element of the University’s governance process. Reports published in the Reporter give notice of major changes in University policy. For those not involved in the development of the plans set out in the Report or their approval by committees, the publication of the Report may be the first sight of the proposals for change. A Discussion enables any member entitled to attend and speak to make comments on a Report. The Discussion therefore plays a key role in providing a sense-check on the proposals contained in the Report, giving an opportunity to raise concerns about the impact of those changes or points that might have been overlooked. Reports are published on behalf of a body with a right of reporting to the University, and therefore there is no expectation that that body will be able to respond to the remarks during the Discussion. The Council is required to consider the remarks and publish ‘such response as it sees fit’ prior to the submission of any Grace seeking approval of the recommendations of the Report (which might be altered in light of the remarks made).
The main provisions governing the arrangements for Discussions are set out in Sections 2–4 of Special Ordinance A (i), in the regulations for Discussions, and Graces and Congregations, and in a Notice published by the Council concerning Discussions and Fly-sheets (Statutes and Ordinances, pp. 65, 105, 105, and 110).
Those entitled to attend and speak include members of the Senate and the Regent House, and student members, and no notice is required to exercise those rights.1 Those entitled to make remarks need not attend in person and instead can ask the Proctors or another person attending to read out their comments at the Discussion, ideally giving at least 2 hours' notice.
Reports are published in the Reporter, usually on a Wednesday, and Discussions generally take place at 2 p.m. on certain Tuesdays during term in the Senate-House. Reports are placed on the agenda of a Discussion taking place at least thirteen days after the Report’s publication date. A report of the remarks made is normally published in the Reporter on the second Wednesday following the Discussion.
The Discussion is chaired by a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, who is a member of the Regent House; included in the current list are Heads of Colleges and the Pro-Vice-Chancellors.2 Discussions are also usually attended by two Proctors, the Registrary or a deputy (usually the University Draftsman), a member of the Registrary’s Office, and the Senate-House Keeper.
Whilst there is no wish to remove the ability to hold a meeting for the discussion of a Report, it is not uncommon for there either to be no remarks or only remarks received for reading out at the Discussion. The staff costs of holding a Discussion in the Senate-House are estimated to be over £200 an hour.3 The time spent by officers and speakers in attending in person could more usefully be applied to their usual duties. It should be possible to publish remarks without holding a meeting. Options for arrangements to cancel a physical meeting whilst retaining the mechanism for providing feedback are explored below.
Although Discussions may be adjourned if there is insufficient time to hear all speakers, this causes a delay in the conduct of the business and also inconvenience to those who will have to return on another day if they wish to read their remarks in person. On the relatively few occasions when there have been more speakers than can be heard in the time available, it should be understood that the remarks of those with prepared speeches will be published even if they have not been read out.
Some changes have already been approved, by Grace 4 of 4 July 2018, to the list of those who may attend a Discussion, so that it includes registered students and sabbatical officers of Cambridge University Students’ Union and the Graduate Union. The Vice-Chancellor has discretion to allow those not listed to attend a specific Discussion, either as individuals or as a group (see, for example, recent Discussions concerning the Universities Superannuation Scheme, which have been opened up to all members of USS). No further changes to the list of those who have a right to attend are being proposed.
The following options are put forward for comments.
1.More emphasis would be placed on the submission of written remarks without the need to attend a Discussion. There would be guidance on a word count, which it is suggested would be set at 1,500 words including footnotes.4
2.Reports would continue to be placed on the agenda of a Discussion. Those wishing to make remarks on a Report could be invited to do so by sending a copy of the text to reporter.editor@admin.cam.ac.uk by 2 p.m. on the Monday before the Discussion on the next day.5 However, there would only be a physical meeting if (a) five members of the Regent House or others entitled to attend and speak at a Discussion requested by email from an @cam email address that there should be one to discuss a Report (i.e. a mechanism similar to the one used to call for a topic of concern) or (b) the body responsible for the Report requested that a meeting be held. The deadline for giving notice of a meeting would be 9 a.m. on the Wednesday before the Discussion was to take place on the Tuesday of the following week, in order to enable confirmation of the meeting to be published in the Reporter on that date6 and to alert the officers in attendance. Members would therefore, in the shortest timeframe, have one week to give notice that they wished to make remarks on the Report at a meeting. The rota arrangements would be retained to ensure the ability of a Chair and two Proctors to attend on the scheduled dates of Discussions (consideration could be given to allowing a person to be appointed by the Vice-Chancellor to act as Chair, which would allow a person who was not a member of the Regent House to be appointed, e.g. a recently retired member). The arrangements for publication of Discussion remarks would remain as before. The figure below shows the shortest timeline under these revised arrangements.
|
Wednesday |
Publication of Report in the Reporter, placed on Discussion agenda |
|
[6 days] |
|
|
Wednesday |
9 a.m. deadline for giving notice of request for physical meeting / confirmation of meeting published in the Reporter |
|
[4 days] |
|
|
Monday |
2 p.m. deadline for sending in remarks to be read out / published7 |
|
Tuesday |
2 p.m. Discussion |
|
[7 days] |
|
|
Wednesday |
Publication of remarks in the Reporter |
3.If there are more than ten people wishing to speak at the outset, the Chair should be granted the discretion to announce that the time limit for speaking at that Discussion will be reduced from 15 to 10 minutes, so that as many speakers as wish to speak can be accommodated.
It has been suggested that there is a need for a forum for members of the University to ask questions and receive answers on topics of interest to the internal community. Open meetings are already organized by the Office of External Affairs and Communications, and the format of these meetings is currently under review. Different formats of meetings have been trialled during the discussion of recent topics, including the open meetings on the USS and on the issues being explored by the Divestment Working Group. These open meetings could be extended to cover further topics, including the University’s finances, and its budget and planning process, an explainer on University pay, and on University governance.
1Some changes explicitly to allow the attendance of CUSU and GU officers have already been proposed: https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2017-18/weekly/6493/section11.shtml#heading2-21
2https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2017-18/special/04/section2.shtml
3Based on a calculation of an hourly rate for a Pro-Vice-Chancellor, two Proctors, the University Draftsman (as Registrary’s deputy), and a member of the Registrary’s Office. This does not include the Senate-House Keeper.
4This figure is based on the word counts of longer speeches delivered at recent Discussions, which were around the 10-minute mark in the sample taken. See also the proposed reduction to the length of speeches delivered orally noted below.
5The remarks would be forwarded to the Proctors if a physical meeting were requested.
6The names of those requesting a Discussion would not be published in order not to make major changes to the Reporterrelatively late in its production schedule.
7This deadline would not be applicable to those attending in person.
Nominations and suggestions of names are invited for the award of honorary doctorates. Full details about the honorary degree process and eligibility criteria are published online at http://www.cam.ac.uk/about-the-university/how-the-university-and-colleges-work/processes/honorary-degrees/the-nomination-and-approval-process, where a list of honorary degrees conferred since 1977 may also be found.
The University Council’s Honorary Degree Committee would welcome either full nominations submitted using the published nomination form or, more simply, suggestions of names of national or international distinction for the Committee to consider further. The University is committed to increasing diversity in its honorary degrees, and therefore would particularly welcome applications that are representative of a wide range of backgrounds.
Nomination forms or suggestions of names should be submitted in confidence, and will be treated confidentially by the Honorary Degree Committee. In order for them to be developed and considered fully at the Michaelmas Term 2018 meeting of the Committee, they should be sent by Monday, 3 September 2018 to HonoraryDegrees@admin.cam.ac.uk.
The 2018 edition of the University’s Statutes and Ordinances will be available in PDF and HTML formats online at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/so/ by early October.
The Reprographics Centre in the Old Schools have agreed to produce copies for the University at a cost of £15 for a thermal-bound, two-volume copy. Orders for these are being collated by the Registrary’s Office and should be sent – clearly stating the contact name, department or College, number of copies, and delivery address – by email to University.Draftsman@admin.cam.ac.uk by 31 October 2018. Orders received by 21 September 2018 should arrive for the start of Michaelmas Term.