Notices

Calendar

25 September, Wednesday. First ordinary issue of the Reporter in the 2024–25 academic year.

1 October, Tuesday. Michaelmas Term begins. Congregation of the Regent House at 9.55 a.m.: Election and admission of the Proctors. Annual address by the Vice‑Chancellor.

8 October, Tuesday. Full Term begins. Discussion by videoconference at 2 p.m. (see below).

Discussion on Tuesday, 8 October 2024

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, 8 October 2024 at 2 p.m. The following items will be discussed:

1.Joint Report of the Council and the General Board, dated 18 July 2024, on the review of examination regulations following the marking and assessment boycott (Reporter, 6750, 2023–24, p. 806).

2.Topic of concern to the University: Future of the EJRA (p. 3).

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/.

Election and admission of the Proctors and address by the Vice-Chancellor on Tuesday, 1 October 2024

23 September 2024

The Vice-Chancellor reminds members of the University that she will deliver an address following the Congregation on Tuesday, 1 October 2024 for the election and admission of the Proctors (as required by Statute C IV and the Special Ordinance made under it) and after swearing‑in the University Constables under the Universities Act 1825. The election is to be held at 10 a.m. Members of the Regent House and other members of the University community who wish to be present are therefore asked to be seated in the Senate-House by 9.50 a.m.; proceedings are expected to end by 11 a.m.

Tickets will not be issued and refreshments will be served afterwards. Matriculated members of the University community attending should wear academical dress (black gowns, hoods not required).

Additional ‘scarlet day’ on Sunday, 13 October 2024

23 September 2024

The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that, to mark the occasion of The High Sheriff’s Justice Service for the County and the attendance at the University Church of HM Lord-Lieutenant and some of the Judges on Sunday, 13 October 2024, she has designated that day as an additional ‘scarlet day’ in accordance with Regulation 3 for the wearing of Academical Dress, and requests that Doctors wear their festal gowns in public on that day.

Staff and Students Relationships Policy

19 September 2024

With effect from 1 July 2024

In June 2024, the Council and the General Board approved a revised Staff and Students Relationships Policy, setting out the University’s strengthened position on personal relationships between staff and students, where these are of an intimate or close personal nature (Reporter, 6744, 2023–24, p. 628).

The updated Policy and associated guidance to support institutions was launched on 1 July 2024. A final version of the Policy and the associated guidance is now available on the HR Division website.1

The revised Policy, which applies to all staff, sets out particular provisions 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 provisions include prohibiting Relevant staff members from pursuing or entering into an intimate relationship and strongly discouraging Relevant staff members from entering into a close personal relationship, with any such student for whom they have any direct or indirect academic responsibilities, or other direct professional responsibilities.

Since its initial approval, one amendment has been made, to extend the date by which staff members must declare existing or previous relationships covered by the Policy to 31 October 2024.

University maternity leave and other family-related leave policy

19 September 2024

With effect from 1 October 2024

The Council and the General Board have approved changes to the Notice concerning the University’s policies on maternity and paternity leave (reproduced in Statutes and Ordinances, p. 680). The changes reflect recent amendments to these policies,1 updating the references to the applicable number of weeks, and make other minor changes. In the paragraph on University paternity leave, the reference to ‘two weeks on full pay’ has been updated to read ‘twelve weeks on full pay’. The first paragraph concerning University maternity leave has also been revised to read as follows:

All University officers shall be entitled to twenty-six weeks’ maternity leave with stipend after giving birth and, in addition, up to twenty-six weeks’ unpaid maternity leave. As the statutory paid provision is thirty-nine weeks, payment of the standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance (included in the payment of full stipend for the initial twenty-six weeks) will, for those eligible under statutory regulations, continue for the first thirteen weeks of the unpaid leave provision under the University’s maternity policy. (In accordance with current legislation no University officer may resume work earlier than two weeks after giving birth.)

Topic of concern to the University: Future of the EJRA

19 September 2024

The Registrary gives notice that she has received the following request for the discussion of a Topic of concern to the University:

The recent ballot1 removed academic-related staff from the category of those subject to the EJRA and raised the age to 69. This means that now only a tiny proportion of the University’s employees are affected and calls into question the justification it needs to be lawful.

We are calling for a Discussion on the following Topic of concern: The need for a Report of the Council and the General Board on the future of the EJRA, now that it applies to a shrinking proportion of the University’s employees.

This request is supported by the 16 members of the Regent House listed in Annex A.

The Council has agreed that this topic will be included on the agenda of the Discussion at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 8 October 2024 by videoconference (p. 2).

Annex A

Predictable Working Policy withdrawn

19 September 2024

A spokesperson at the Department for Business and Trade has confirmed that The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act 2023, expected to be brought into force from September 2024, will not be implemented. Instead, the government plans to introduce a right to a contract that reflects the hours an individual regularly works based on a 12‑week reference point.

The Predictable Working Policy, drafted to comply with the 2023 Act, has therefore been withdrawn (Reporter, 6750, 2023–24, p. 804).

Offices of Director of Finance and Chief Financial Officer

23 September 2024

Mr David Hughes has announced his intention to step down as Director of Finance, leaving in December 2024. In addition, the Chief Financial Officer, Mr Anthony Odgers, has said that he will step down at the end of December 2025 once a successor has been found. The intention is now to consolidate the University’s financial management by combining the offices of Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance. These planned changes are also intended to provide the University with stability in leadership during the delivery and embedding of the Finance Transformation Programme.

The Council will consider details, including changes to Ordinances, together with plans for the search for a new Chief Financial Officer, at its meeting in October. The process to recruit an interim Director of Finance has started, to provide continuity whilst these plans are being finalised.

Ballot of the Regent House (Chancellor fixed term): Deadlines for amendments and fly-sheets

Members of the Regent House and other members of the collegiate University are reminded that the deadlines for amendments and fly-sheets for the ballot on Grace 2 of 17 July 2024 (Chancellor fixed term) (Reporter, 2023–24, 6751, p. 855) are at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, 1 October and 1 p.m. on Friday, 11 October 2024, respectively. In accordance with the previously published timetable, voting in the ballot will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 22 October and close at 5 p.m. on Friday, 1 November 2024.

Dates of Discussions, 2024–25

The Council has agreed that Discussions will take place at 2 p.m. on the following Tuesdays in the 2024–25 academic year: