No 6744
Wednesday 5 June 2024
Vol cliv No 34
pp. 623–657
8 June, Saturday. End of third quarter of Easter Term.
14 June, Friday. Full Term ends.
19 June, Wednesday. Scarlet day. Congregation of the Regent House at 2.45 p.m. (Honorary Degrees) (see below).
25 June, Tuesday. Easter Term ends. Discussion by videoconference at 2 p.m. (see below).
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Discussions (Tuesdays at 2 p.m.) |
Congregations (at 10 a.m. unless otherwise stated) |
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25 June 9 July 16 July |
19 June at 2.45 p.m. (Honorary Degrees) 26, 27, 28 and 29 June (General Admission) 18, 19 and 20 July |
The Vice‑Chancellor invites members of the Regent House, University and College employees, registered students and others qualified under the regulations for Discussions (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 111) to attend a Discussion by videoconference on Tuesday, 25 June 2024 at 2 p.m. The following items will be discussed:
1.Report of the Council, dated 21 May 2024, on the demolition of derelict buildings on the North West Cambridge Estate (Reporter, 6742, 2023–24, p. 598).
2.Report of the Council, dated 4 June 2024, on the term of office of the Chancellor and the High Steward (p. 634).
Those wishing to join the Discussion by videoconference should email UniversityDraftsman@admin.cam.ac.uk from their University email account, providing their CRSid (if a member of the collegiate University), by 10 a.m. on the date of the Discussion to receive joining instructions. Alternatively contributors may email their remarks to contact@proctors.cam.ac.uk, copying ReporterEditor@admin.cam.ac.uk, by no later than 10 a.m. on the day of the Discussion for reading out by the Proctors,1 or may ask someone else who is attending to read the remarks on their behalf.
In accordance with the regulations for Discussions, the Chair of the Board of Scrutiny or any ten members of the Regent House2 may request that the Council arrange for one or more of the items listed for discussion to be discussed in person (usually in the Senate-House). Requests should be made to the Registrary, on paper or by email to UniversityDraftsman@admin.cam.ac.uk from addresses within the cam.ac.uk domain, by no later than 9 a.m. on the day of the Discussion. Any changes to the Discussion schedule will be confirmed in the Reporter at the earliest opportunity.
General information on Discussions is provided on the University Governance site at https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/governance/decision-making/discussions/.
1Any comments sent by email should please begin with the name and title of the contributor as they wish it to be read out and include at the start a note of any College and/or Departmental affiliations held.
2https://www.scrutiny.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/regent_house_roll/.
The Vice-Chancellor wishes to inform members of the University that regrettably Sir Roger Norrington is not now able to be present at this Congregation to be admitted to an honorary doctorate.
Agreement has been reached on the salary arrangements for Consultant clinical academic staff with effect from 1 March 2024. There is a reduction in the number of pay points from eight to five. The increase from 1 March 2024 is between 6% and 19.6% depending on the consultant’s current point on the pay scale.
The values of National Clinical Excellence Awards (CEAs) and Local CEAs under the previous scheme, discretionary points and distinction awards remain unchanged.
In accordance with the principle that the remuneration of clinical academic staff in Cambridge should be broadly comparable with that of equivalent staff in other UK medical schools, the General Board has agreed to approve revised stipends and scales of stipends for clinical appointments in Cambridge.
The figures currently shown in Schedule II to the Ordinance for Stipends (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 687) are replaced with effect from 1 March 2024 and are as follows:
New (2003) Consultant contract:
With effect from 1 March
2024: £99,532, £105,390, £108,390, £118,884, £131,964.
The Council has received the remarks made at the Discussion of the above Topic of concern on 30 April 2024 (Reporter, 2023–24: 6736, p. 470; 6740, p. 565).
Mr Allen and Dr Astle wish to have more information on the Council’s thinking on the evolution of the office of Pro‑Vice-Chancellor (PVC). The Council took as its starting point the current position in the University’s Statutes and Ordinances and the existing arrangements for the employment of PVCs. At present, external candidates can be considered for these offices. It was always anticipated that Heads of Colleges might be candidates, many of whom are employed by their College but not by the University, and external candidates were considered in 2018. PVCs are not designated as academic staff under Special Ordinance C (i) 1. As they are neither academic staff nor do they undertake research, they are not entitled to sabbatical leave by virtue of the office of PVC. However, because to date almost all PVCs have held that office part-time alongside an academic position within the University, the most common combination being 80% PVC and 20% academic, provision has been made for them to take study leave. A full-time PVC would therefore hold a full‑time academic-related position.
Several speakers draw attention to the history of the office, starting with the Wass Syndicate proposals in 1988–89. In the 35 years since then, there have been some significant changes in the HE sector, with financial pressures growing, greater regulation and an increasingly politicised environment. The demands on PVCs are without doubt greater than they were. Nevertheless some things have stayed the same. Dr Astle quotes parts of a Report and Notice describing the office of PVC that were published by the Council in 2002 and 2003. The Council still agrees for the most part with the cited statements, which stress the value of academic leadership, and emphasise the PVCs’ role in ‘driving strategy and policy development’ (rather than being part of the administration). However, the Council has concerns about limiting the pool of talent solely to those within the Cambridge community on the basis that they are already ‘deeply familiar with this place’, as Mr Haynes suggests. The Council agrees that those appointed to these two offices will need to understand how the University works, including the Regent House’s role in the University’s decision-making processes, but that can be learnt. It considers the ability (to which Dr Cowley draws attention) to ‘deliver results in an environment where authority is derived from influence and persuasion’ to be a more important prerequisite, hence its inclusion in the person specification for the current vacancies.
As Professors Penty and Munir observe, there will be compelling candidates for these offices within the Cambridge community, but the University needs to be confident that it is able to appoint the best person for the role, and extending the search to external candidates expands that choice. There is no foregone conclusion that external candidates will be appointed. It agrees with Professors Munir, Penty and Cardwell that there is a step-change in the role of the PVC with responsibility for resourcing, and therefore strong candidates will have a proven track record in programme delivery and operations as well as change management in a large and complex organisation. It wishes to reassure Dr Jones and Mr Allen that the members of the Nominating Committee for the Office of Pro-Vice-Chancellor1 understand the critical importance of assessing candidates thoroughly so that they make sound nominations. The Nominating Committee is aiming to ensure in a number of ways that candidates have the right experience and skills for these demanding roles, are able to lead through influence and understand the nature of this University as a self-governing institution. These include the details provided in the further particulars, the Committee’s briefing of the search firm, interview questions, references and inviting the short-listed candidates to meet a number of representative groups from the University.
Dr Cowley and others query why the vacancies were advertised relatively close to the end dates of the current officeholders and so long after the Council meeting in January at which decisions about them were made. The Council carefully balanced the need for making a timely appointment with the desire to advertise the vacancies externally, given that there will be much to do in a short period of time. After the Council meeting in January, the Nominating Committee agreed to appoint recruitment consultants to secure the best possible field of candidates. This meant going through a tender and appointment process for the consultants. In addition, given the external nature of the search, the Nominating Committee asked for more detailed materials, in particular a full set of further particulars, to help to explain the roles to external candidates. These took time to produce, but will be a useful starting point for drafting future PVC recruitment materials. The vacancies were advertised as soon as practicable after those steps had been completed.
The Council understood that the ballot in January was about employing an additional PVC. Its decision to fill existing vacancies does not increase the number of offices of PVC and is within its current authority. With the benefit of hindsight, the Council accepts that it would have been better to draw attention to its discussions in January, as Mr Allen suggests. It will aim to consider, as part of future discussions, whether to share its views more widely at an early stage, specifically in relation to PVC recruitment but also on other matters. The publication of a Notice on 15 May about the Council’s plan to propose a change to the term of the Chancellor indicates its willingness to follow this path.
The Council confirms that, if a person appointed to the office of PVC is to be offered a personal Professorship, the General Board will need to be satisfied that the person is of sufficient academic calibre for such an appointment, before making a recommendation for approval by the Regent House in line with Special Ordinance C (vii) A. 3.
1The current membership of the Nominating Committee is the Vice-Chancellor as Chair; Ms Gaenor Bagley, Baroness Morgan of Huyton and Professor Jason Scott-Warren (members of the Council); and Professor Tim Harper and Professor Nigel Peake (members of the General Board). In response to Dr Cowley’s comment, the Council has committed to the publication of the special edition of the Reporter on the membership of University bodies in June/July each year.
The Cambridge West Innovation District (CWID or Cambridge West), previously known as the West Cambridge site, is located on Madingley Road. The original vision for the site as a destination for both academic and commercial occupiers was conceived more than ten years ago, with the concept of an innovation district emerging in recent years. It is a significant multidisciplinary initiative, bringing together academic research, commercial activity, entrepreneurship and public engagement on a large scale to maximise innovation capability and expedite the translation of research into applications of wider social benefit. Following the government’s identification of Cambridge as an Innovation City, political support for regional development is strong both nationally and locally. The initiative is expected to boost job creation, infrastructure support and growth in research capability, bringing economic and other benefits. The vision for the site will enable the University to compete with global peers in attracting talent and interdisciplinary research funding. It also offers an opportunity to generate commercial return from the development of commercial research space.
The expansion of the site over the next 10–20 years will require strategic transport planning, in line with the University’s sustainability ambitions. The Council wishes to update the Regent House on its negotiations with the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) concerning the proposed Cambourne to Cambridge bus route, which is intended to transit through Cambridge West. The GCP is the local delivery body for the City Deal with central government. Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) is the body which, amongst other things, enters into contracts on behalf of the GCP. Full information on the project can be found on the GCP website,1 including a map showing the proposed route.2
The GCP is planning to construct a new public transport route between Cambourne and Cambridge. The GCP plans to submit an application to the Secretary of State for an order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 to authorise the construction, operation and maintenance of the Cambourne to Cambridge scheme after the general election on 4 July 2024.
The route of the Cambourne to Cambridge scheme includes part of the University’s land. Normally compulsory acquisition powers would be sought in the order authorising the Cambourne to Cambridge scheme. However, the GCP has agreed not to seek such powers provided an agreement can be reached between the parties, ideally prior or shortly after the order’s submission date in July 2024.
CCC will construct two new sections of busway within Cambridge West, one being between the M11 and Ada Lovelace Way and the other being south from Charles Babbage Road and across the Cambridge West Canal. The land in question includes the Atlas Building on Charles Babbage Road, which will be demolished by the GCP as the route is constructed. The building is currently being vacated, with full vacant possession to be complete by April 2025.
The terms will be documented in an agreement that will give CCC the right to option a 125-year lease of the land indicated on the location map below (p. 627), and grant a right to use Charles Babbage Way (carriageway only) as a bus route (also as shown on the location map). There will also be a twenty-four-month works licence agreed, which will run from completion of the lease and will give temporary, conditional occupation of the areas indicated on the location map. Other conditions have been agreed to protect the University’s overall control of the site.
The busway will provide a much-needed and desired public transport option to Cambridge West, alleviating traffic congestion on the A1303 and providing greater sustainable transport options, which aligns with the University’s vision for the site. Therefore steps have been taken to actively promote the route through the site. The Finance Committee supports the negotiations with the GCP, which are being monitored by the Estates Committee and the Property Board. Due to the strategic advantages the route brings to the University and Cambridge West, significant financial compensation for the land loss is not expected.
The Council, on the recommendation of the Finance Committee, the Estates Committee and the Property Board, will submit a Grace for the approval of the permanent land disposal once negotiations conclude. However, it is anticipated that there will only be a short period between the finalisation of terms and the submission date in July within which to secure the approval of the Regent House for that disposal. The Council therefore invites members of the University to comment on the plans now, in advance of the publication of the Grace requesting authority to dispose of the land. Please email Estate.Communications@admin.cam.ac.uk with any questions or comments.
Regulation 5 of the Ordinance on the Contributory Pension Scheme (CUACPS) (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 154), and Rule 5 of the Scheme rules permit the rules of the CUACPS to be amended from time to time. Except where the amendment is required to ensure the Scheme’s continued approval by the Savings, Pensions, and Share Schemes Office of the Inland Revenue (now HM Revenue & Customs), such changes require the authority of a Grace.
Rule 5 of the rules of the CUACPS further provides that the University shall have the power to amend the rules of the Scheme from time to time provided that the changes have been approved by two-thirds of the Scheme’s Trustee (CU Pension Trustee Limited). The proposed changes set out below were considered and approved by the Trustee on 6 March 2024.
As part of the ongoing checks on benefit calculations, the Pensions Office has identified a difference between the current provisions of the CUACPS rules and its administrative practice in relation to the revaluation of deferred pensions accrued before 1 January 2013. The CUACPS actuary has confirmed that this current administrative practice is more generous to members than the application of Rule 50.2(a). The Council is therefore submitting a Grace to amend the CUACPS rules so that they align with the practice of the Pensions Office (see the draft rule change at https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2023–24/weekly/6744/CPSRuleChange2024.pdf). The amendment will be backdated to 1 January 2013.
The current rules of the Scheme are available on the Pensions website at https://www.pensions.admin.cam.ac.uk/cps/scheme-guides-factsheets.
The Council is submitting a Grace (Grace 5, p. 635) for the approval of this change to the rules of the Cambridge University Assistants’ Contributory Pension Scheme with effect from 1 January 2013.
The Council and the General Board have approved a revised Staff and Students Relationships Policy, which sets out and strengthens the University’s position on personal relationships between staff and students, where these are of an intimate or close personal nature. The Policy has been revised and expanded following a detailed review of the views of the Office for Students and Universities UK, research on staff to student sexual misconduct, practices of other Russell Group universities and a targeted consultation across the collegiate University.
The updated Policy applies to all staff, but particular provisions are set out for those members of staff who have direct or indirect academic responsibilities, or other direct professional responsibilities, in relation to a student, referred to as relevant staff members. The revised Policy prohibits relevant staff members from pursuing or entering into an intimate relationship and strongly discourages relevant staff members from entering into a close personal relationship with any student for whom they have any direct or indirect academic responsibilities, or other direct professional responsibilities.
The Policy and associated guidance to support institutions will be launched on 1 July 2024, and further information will be circulated to institutions in readiness for this date. It will replace the existing Personal Relationships between Staff and Students Policy,1 which has been in place since 2017.