Notices

Calendar

23 February, Sunday. Preacher before the University at 11.30 a.m., The Revd Canon Professor James Walters, of Selwyn College, Professor in Practice and Director of the LSE Faith Centre and of the LSE Religion and Global Society Research Unit (Hulsean Preacher).

1 March, Saturday. Congregation of the Regent House at 10 a.m.

4 March, Tuesday. End of third quarter of Lent Term.

Discussions (Tuesdays at 2 p.m.)	Congregations (at 10 a.m. unless otherwise stated)
18 March	1 March 29 March 5 April 11 April, 2 p.m. (degrees in absence only)

Office of Chancellor: Election timetable

10 February 2025

The Council has received notice that The Lord Sainsbury of Turville will step down from the office of Chancellor on 24 June 2025. The Council therefore now publishes the timetable for the election of the next Chancellor, together with information on the arrangements for registration of voters voting electronically and, after consulting with the Registrary as returning officer, the accepted methods for submitting nominations.1 A Chancellor election website is now live and will be the main source of information for voters, candidates and their supporters.2

The voters in this election will be the members of the Senate. The Senate comprises all holders of any Master’s or doctoral degree of the University, or the degree of Bachelor of Divinity of the University,3 in addition to the current membership of the Regent House.4

The Council has previously published a role profile describing the main duties associated with the position.5 The Council welcomes candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Voting will take place online and in person in the Senate-House. Votes will be cast using the Single Transferable Vote system.6 Civica, which supports Regent House votes, will provide voting and other services in this election.

Timetable

All references to times below show the times in British Summer Time (UTC+01:00).

Monday, 3 March 2025	Civica nomination site goes live (see the section on nominations below)
March 2025	Members of the Senate receive information about what they need to do to vote in this election (see the section on registration below)
5 p.m., Friday, 28 March 2025	Deadline for alumni to book in with their Colleges for the conferment of degrees in absence on 11 April, so that they can vote online
12 noon, Friday, 2 May 2025	Deadline for submission of full nominations
5 p.m., Friday, 2 May 2025	Deadline for registration for online voting
Late June 2025	Names of candidates published
10 a.m., Wednesday, 9 July 2025	Online voting opens; voters receive a link for online voting by email
10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday, 12 July 2025	First day of in‑person voting in the Senate‑House
10 a.m.–5 p.m., Wednesday, 16 July 2025	Second and final day of in‑person voting in the Senate-House
5 p.m., Friday, 18 July 2025	Online voting closes, with the result of the vote expected to be announced in the week commencing 21 July

Registration for online voting

The registration period for online voting opens on Monday, 3 March 2025 and closes at 5 p.m. on Friday, 2 May 2025. Members of the Senate who have not registered for online voting by the end of the registration period will be able to vote in person in Cambridge.

In March, the University plans to contact all members of the Senate (including members of the Regent House) and potentially eligible alumni about registering for online voting during the registration period.7

•For the majority of eligible alumni and for members of the Regent House, the University already holds sufficient information to verify their membership of the Senate. For these groups, registration for online voting will be a very simple process to confirm whether they wish to vote online. However, a small group of alumni will be asked to provide additional information first, so that their Senate membership can be verified.

•Alumni who have completed a degree that qualifies them for Senate membership but have not had that degree conferred will be encouraged to get in touch with their College by 28 March about booking in for conferment of the degree in absence on 11 April if they wish to vote online.

The University is also working with the Colleges on making contact with alumni about the election, including current students who may be able to vote in this election.

Methods for submitting nominations

Nominations must include a statement signed and dated by the candidate confirming their willingness to stand for election as Chancellor and have the written, signed support of at least 50 members of the Senate.8 Only full nominations will be accepted.

Full nominations must be received by the Registrary by the deadline of 12 noon, Friday, 2 May 2025. Forms are available for completion by candidates and supporters in Word and PDF formats and are on the Chancellor election website. The forms ask for information that will support the validation of nominations, including copies of photo ID for candidates. The candidate form provides for the inclusion of an optional personal statement. Electronic and physical (wet‑ink) signatures will be accepted, including a typed name.

There are two methods for submitting nominations:

•in hard copy to the Registrary, The Old Schools, Trinity Lane, Cambridge CB2 1TN;

•through the Civica nomination site (open from 3 March).

All nominations will be validated after the deadline for nominations; resubmissions will not be possible after the deadline. Candidates are therefore encouraged to submit evidence of the support of more than the minimum number of members of the Senate for their nomination. The validation process will include checks on the identity of candidates and on the Senate membership of their supporters.

Report of the General Board on the establishment of a Department of Public Policy (Bennett School of Public Policy): Notice in response to Discussion remarks

13 February 2025

The Council has received the remarks made at the Discussion on 21 January 2025 concerning the above Report (Reporter, 2024–25: 6764, p. 196; 6768, p. 241). It has consulted with the General Board in preparing this response.

This Report proposes that a new Department be established in the School of the Humanities and Social Sciences. As the Report explains, the new Department will expand on (and replace) the existing Bennett Institute of Public Policy.

Professor Evans queries several terms used in the Report and suggests they require definition if they are to be ‘recognised by the University’s constitution’. None of these terms is used in the proposed new General Board Regulations or amendments to Ordinances. They aim to explain that the new Department is expected to become the focus for public policy research in the University.

Professor Evans appears to have misunderstood the changes proposed in recommendation IV of the Report. An Ordinance for the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Fund already exists to govern the use of the funds received from or on behalf of Peter W. Bennett in support of the existing Bennett Institute. That Ordinance already includes references to the Managers of the Fund1 and the regulations quoted by Professor Evans concerning the Bennett Lectureships and the Bennett Senior Visiting Fellowships. The proposed amendments update the Ordinance so that the funding previously available to support the Bennett Institute transfers to the new Department, whilst also acknowledging new funding from the Peter Bennett Foundation.

The Council is submitting a Grace (Grace 1, p. 276) for the approval of the recommendations of this Report.