Notices

Calendar

19 December, Tuesday. Michaelmas Term ends.

25 December, Monday. Christmas Day. Scarlet Day.

5 January, Friday. Lent Term begins. Deadline for fly-sheets at 1 p.m. (see below).

10 January, Wednesday. First ordinary issue of the Reporter in Lent Term.

15 January, Monday. Ballot of the Regent House, voting opens at 10 a.m. (see below).

16 January, Tuesday. Full Term begins.

23 January, Tuesday. Discussion by videoconference at 2 p.m.

24 January, Wednesday. Ballot of the Regent House, voting closes at 5 p.m.

Withdrawal of Grace 2 of 6 December 2023 (additional office of Pro-Vice-Chancellor)

15 December 2023

The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that, under the provisions of Regulation 6 of the Ordinance for Graces and Congregations of the Regent House (Statutes and Ordinances, 2022, p. 112), she has withdrawn Grace 2 of 6 December 2023 following the circulation of a request for a ballot on the Grace (see below).

Submission of Grace (additional Pro-Vice-Chancellor for a maximum of six years)

15 December 2023

The Council has agreed that, following the withdrawal of Grace 2 of 6 December 2023 (see above), it wishes to submit a new Grace proposing the establishment of an office of Pro-Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for sustainability for a maximum of six years. If the new Grace is approved, the Council would follow the procedure already outlined to determine the detailed remit of the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Reporter, 2023–24: 6721, p. 167; 6722, p. 195).

Grace 2 proposed the establishment of an additional office of Pro-Vice-Chancellor, so that the Council could appoint a senior academic with responsibility for sustainability. This approach was taken in light of the wording of the relevant Ordinance, in which a number of, rather than the portfolios of, the Pro-Vice-Chancellors is specified. Most speakers at the Discussion of this proposal were keen to see progress on the implementation of the recommendations arising from the Topping Study and on environmental sustainability more broadly. The Council shares this desire for progress, and believes that the University needs dedicated academic leadership if it is to advance the identified strands of work at pace. It therefore wishes to avoid any delay in recruiting to the Pro-Vice-Chancellorship.

A request for a ballot on Grace 2 was circulated. The information forwarded with the request suggested that it had been prompted by a concern about the retention of the sixth office of Pro-Vice-Chancellor beyond six years. The Council is focused on providing academic leadership in sustainability, maintaining its view that this is an urgent and pressing matter. To try to achieve its aim, it has therefore dropped the recommendation that there should be a permanent increase to the number of offices of Pro-Vice-Chancellor from five to six. Instead, it proposes that this Pro-Vice-Chancellorship should have a finite period of office, comprising the usual maximum of two terms of three years. At the end of six years, the number of Pro-Vice-Chancellors would, as a matter of course, revert to five. Further, to expedite a decision on this recommendation, it has agreed to call a ballot on the new Grace.

The Council is therefore submitting a new Grace (Grace 1, p. 207), on which there will be a ballot in January 2024, to the following timetable:

Deadline for fly-sheets:1	1 p.m. on Friday, 5 January 2024
Voting opens:	10 a.m. on Monday, 15 January
Voting closes:	5 p.m. on Wednesday, 24 January
Result of the ballot published:	Wednesday, 31 January (and before that on the Reporter website once known)