Ordinary/weekly issues of the Cambridge University Reporter are divided into two parts - official and unofficial - and formal sections, where content is published depending on its nature and issuing body. A brief description of each section and its purpose is provided below, listed in the order in which it would normally be published.
| Section heading | Authority / issuing bodies | Description and examples |
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NOTICES |
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Used to inform on important high-level matters, such as issues of University policy and governance, and announcements of consultations, ballots, and policy/process reviews. Includes regular items such as Discussion and Benefaction notices. Headings may include: Calendar; Notices of Discussions; Notices of Benefactions; Notices in response to Discussion remarks. Other Notices for the information of the University by the VC and the Council are published as required. Published examples: |
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VACANCIES, APPOINTMENTS, etc. |
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Includes Notices listing appointed members on ad hoc Boards of Electors to Professorships; brief details of University vacancies (non-College, University senior posts); lists of Professorial elections, appointments and reappointments of University officers and other formal posts, and grants of title, eg for affiliated lecturers. Heading examples: Electors to Professorships; Vacancies in the University; Elections, appointments, reappointments, and grants of title. Published examples: |
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AWARDS, etc. [Section often secured due to student names] |
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This section includes the publication of lists of recipients of University-level Scholarships and prizes as collated by the Student Registry. Departmental and College prizes are not included, although some Departments publish links to award listings on local websites. and notices issued by certain Trusts and Funds. Heading examples: Scholarships and Prizes, etc. awarded; Cranes's Charity: Notice by the Distributors. Published examples: |
| EVENTS, COURSES, etc. |
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This section contains brief information on public lectures and events held primarily by University Faculties and Departments. The list is compiled from items received by the Editors and is by no means comprehensive. Items usually contain links to more detailed event information held on local websites. Heading example: Announcement of lectures, seminars, etc. Published examples:
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| NOTICES BY THE GENERAL BOARD |
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The General Board is responsible for the academic and educational policy of the University and is one of the main governance bodies of the University. Its Notices cover a range of issues ranging from the Senior academic promotions exercise to certain changes to regulations or courses for study. Published examples: |
| REGULATIONS FOR EXAMINATIONS |
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With the exception of supplementary regulations (which may be changed by Faculty Boards and Degree Committees), all notices in this section must be approved by GBEC prior to publication. The regulation changes include a date from which they take effect and are amalgamated in the revised edition of the University's Statutes and Ordinances, which is published annually. Published examples: |
| NOTICES BY FACULTY BOARDS |
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Faculty Boards are responsible to the General Board (via its Education Committee) for ensuring that teaching within the Faculty is appropriate and of a high standard. Notices in this section outline which papers, subjects, or options will be available for candidates in a given year for a particular course. They may also indicate changes to supplementary regulations. Published examples:
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| FORM AND CONDUCT OF EXAMINATIONS |
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These notices list any changes to the way an examination will be carried out (eg length of exam or number of questions) or if a form of assessment will change (eg from an exam to coursework, or a change in the number of words an essay or coursework project can be). Published examples: |
| REPORTS |
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Reports present items for consideration on a particular topic, and can be submitted by the Council, the General Board, or both, depending on what they relate to, as well as particular authorised bodies. Reports often give some background and context to the topic, outline the case for what is being suggested, and contain draft proposals for consideration by the Regent House. Reports are discussed at a fornightly Discussion in the Senate-House. Published examples: |
| CLASS-LISTS |
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These list the names of students who have successfully completed a particular Tripos Part or course of study; in the case of degrees where dissertations are required to be desposited in the Univeristy Library, the title of the dissertation is also included. Those who have qualified for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine also get listed here ('Act for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine'), as well as instances when a candidate has been given special allowances due to missing some of their examinations. Heading examples: Approved for degrees, diplomas, and certificates; Allowances to candidates for examinations; Act for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. Published examples: |
| OBITUARIES |
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A brief obituary of University or College staff members, outlining their role(s) within the University, their qualifications, their age, and the date of their death, is included. The obituary may link to information about a funeral or a memorial service in the unofficial section (under 'College Notices'). Format example: Professor A. N. Other, M.A., Ph.D., Emeritus Fellow of KIng's College and Emeritus Professor of History in the Faculty of History, died on 6 September 2016, aged 91 years. |
| GRACES |
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A Grace is a formal recommendation concerning University business, which is sanctioned by the Council, and presented to the Regent House (by publication in the Reporter), for decision. The notice lists the Graces and gives the date on which they will be deemed to be approved (unless they are withdrawn or a ballot on them is requested). In line with the regulations stipulated in Statues and Ordinances, Graces can, for limited purposes, be submitted to the Senate. Published examples: |
| ACTA |
'Acta' is from the Latin, meaning a register of proceedings, or an enactment (of a Grace). Congregations are also listed in the Acta section as they usually contain the approval of Graces awarding degrees. Ballot results are published here too - as the outcome of the vote will decide if the Grace is approved or not. Students who have passed Parts I, II and III of the Final MB Examination can supplicate for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, and these are also listed in Acta. Heading examples: Result of a ballot on [X]; Approval of Graces submitted to the Regent House on [date]; Congregation of the Regent House on [date]; Degree of Bachelor of Surgery; Degree of Bachelor of Medicine. Published examples: |
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| FLY-SHEETS |
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When a ballot is called, members of the Regent House, the student body (or the Senate in Ballots of the Senate) may make known their views on the topic by writing a 'fly-sheet (or 'statement') which will then be reproduced and circulated ahead of the vote. After the ballot result is announced, a copy of the fly-sheets submitted by the Regent House or student body is published in the Reporter (statements submitted by members of the Senate are published in the Reporter before the ballot). A Council Notice outlining the rules governing the submission and distribution of Fly-sheets is published in Chapter I of Statutes and Ordinances. Published example: |
| REPORT OF DISCUSSION |
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Discussions take place fortnightly in the Senate-House and provide a forum in which members of the University may comment on Reports submitted to the University. A written transcript of the Discussion is then published in the Reporter. Very minor edits may be made to correct grammatical errors or for clarity, but this section is essentially a verbatim record of what each speaker said. Published examples: |
| COLLEGE NOTICES |
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Colleges may submit short notices on matters of interest to the University; these may include information on Fellowship elections, job vacancies, or College events such as lectures, concerts, or exhibitions. Information on memorial services, as well as student awards, may also be published in this section. Heading examples: Elections, Vacancies, Events, Awards. Published examples: |
| SOCIETIES |
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These include notices of upcoming Society talks, meetings, or events. Published examples: |
| OXFORD NOTICES |
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These are mainly vacancy notices for posts within Oxford University or the Oxford Colleges, but may occasionally include notification of events which may be of interest to members of Cambridge University. Published examples: |
| OTHER EXTERNAL NOTICES |
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Notices regarding vacancies, events, or awards from external organisations with a specific link or relevance to the University are occasionally published in this section. Published examples: |