Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
Statute A
THE CHANCELLOR AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY

Chapter VIII

CONDUCT OF BUSINESS

1.Reports of the Council, or of any Board, Syndicate, or other body that has the right of reporting to the University, shall be submitted to the University by being published in the Cambridge University Reporter. A Report of any body other than the Council shall be sent to the Registrary for communication to the Council, who may refer it to the General Board and to any other body or person whom it wishes to consult. Such a Report shall be published not later than six months after the date on which it was first sent to the Registrary, unless the reporting body agrees to postpone its publication until a later date. Any comments on the Report which the Council or the General Board may wish to publish to the University shall be published with the Report.

2.Congregations of the Regent House, for the transaction of University business, and meetings of the Regent House, for the discussion of Reports and other matters, shall be held in the Senate-House or elsewhere within the Precincts of the University on such dates and at such times as may be appointed by the Vice-Chancellor or the Council. The manner of holding a Congregation and of transacting business at a Congregation shall be prescribed by Ordinance from time to time.

3. Members of the Senate shall have the right to attend and to speak at Discussions of the Regent House. The University may specify by Ordinance other persons or classes of persons, in addition to members of the Regent House and the Senate, who shall be entitled to speak at such Discussions. At the Vice-Chancellor's discretion other persons not so specified may be invited to attend or to speak at any particular Discussion.

4. The Council shall ensure that any remarks made at a Discussion are considered by the appropriate University authority. After any necessary consultation the Council shall publish such response to the remarks as it sees fit.

5. Any proposal to be placed before the Regent House or the Senate for approval shall be in the form of a Grace. The Council shall have the power of initiating Graces and of submitting Graces to the Regent House or the Senate. Any Board, Syndicate, or other authority may initiate a Grace for submission to the Regent House, and may request the Council to submit it.

6. No Grace shall be submitted to the Regent House or the Senate except with the authorization of the Council. The manner of initiating and submitting Graces and amendments of Graces, and of taking decisions on them, shall be prescribed by Ordinance.

7. Any fifty members of the Regent House may initiate a Grace for submission to the Regent House, and any twenty-five members may initiate a proposal for the amendment of a Grace already submitted to the Regent House but not yet approved.

8. In respect of Graces and amendments of Graces initiated under section 7, the Vice-Chancellor shall have power to rule inadmissible any Grace or amendment which directly concerns a particular person, and shall have such further powers as may be specified by Ordinance.

9. (a) Subject to the exercise by the Vice-Chancellor of the powers conferred by section 8 or by Ordinances made under that section, the Council shall consider any Grace or amendment initiated under section 7, and either (i) shall authorize the submission of the Grace or amendment to the Regent House or (ii) shall publish a Report giving reasons for its decision to withhold authorization and recommending the Regent House to approve that decision. If such approval is not given, the Council shall, not later than the end of the term next following, submit the Grace or amendment to the Regent House.

(b) If a Grace or amendment initiated under section 7 involves expenditure from University funds additional to that already authorized, the Council shall refer the Grace or amendment to the Finance Committee, and to the General Board or another body as appropriate, for their advice; in submitting such Grace or amendment to the Regent House, the Council shall at the same time publish a statement indicating how it is intended to make financial provision for the proposed expenditure.