Notices

Calendar

15 March, Friday. Full Term ends.

19 March, Tuesday. Discussion by videoconference at 2 p.m. (see below).

20 March, Wednesday. Last ordinary issue of the Reporter in the Lent Term.

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

24 March, Sunday. Lent Term ends.

31 March, Sunday. Easter Day. Scarlet Day.

Discussions (Tuesdays at 2 p.m.)	Congregations (at 10 a.m. unless otherwise stated)
19 March	23 March 6 April

Discussion on Tuesday, 19 March 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, 19 March 2024 at 2 p.m. The following items will be discussed:

1.Annual Reports and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 July 2023 (Reporter, 6731, 2023–24, p. 298).

2.First-stage Report of the Council, dated 23 February 2024, on the alteration and redevelopment of the Hutchison Building on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus site (Reporter, 6732, 2023–24, p. 419).

3.Report of the Council, dated 23 February 2024, to revise the length of co-opted membership of the Finance Committee (Reporter, 6732, 2023–24 p. 420).

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 to the Council in class (c)

5 March 2024

The Vice-Chancellor announces that Dr Ella Elizabeth McPherson, Q, has been elected to serve as a member of the Council in class (c) (other members of the Regent House) with immediate effect until 31 December 2024.

Details of the poll and the transfer of votes under the Single Transferable Vote regulations (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 121) are as follows:

Number of valid votes cast: 974 (no invalid votes) (Quota: 487)

	First count	Transfer of Dr Joy’s votes	Second count	Result
Dr Stephen Michael Joy, SE	183	-183	–
Dr Ella Elizabeth McPherson, Q	447	+102	549	Elected
Dr Thomas James Matthams, CHR	344	+39	383
Non-Transferable		42	42
Total	974		974

Grace for submission to the Regent House under Special Ordinance A (ii) 5 (moratorium on new funded collaborations with fossil fuel companies): Notice from the Council

29 February 2024

The Council has received and considered a Grace initiated under Special Ordinance A (ii) 5 by 150 members of the Regent House (Reporter, 6727, 2023–24, p. 245). That Grace asks the Council to 'place a temporary moratorium on new funded collaborations with fossil fuel companies (defined as in the Topping report, pp. 34–5)[1], including subsidiaries, to hold until new arrangements are in place'. The information provided with the Grace refers to the Council’s four work strands to implement the recommendations of the Topping Study Reporter, 6722, 2023–24, p. 195). Strand 2 of that work concerns a new framework for assessing the acceptability of fossil fuel funding.

The Grace is presented as a request, so it does not act as a mandate on the Council. Its wording as a request also implicitly acknowledges the Council’s authority under Statute A IV 1(a) to set policy in the areas covered by the Grace. The Council is grateful to the signatories to the Grace for expressing their views, and welcomes the continuing scrutiny of its ongoing work.

As the Topping Study notes, funding from fossil fuel companies is already a relatively small part of the University’s research/philanthropic income. The Council’s existing guidelines in this area comply with regulatory guidance and already confirm that it ‘will not accept funding from sources where to do so would be incompatible with the best interests of the University, having regard to its commitment to address climate change through a transition to a zero‑carbon world’ (see paragraph 3, Reporter, 6590, 2020–21, p. 15). The Committee on Benefactions, External and Legal Affairs (CBELA) therefore currently considers new funded collaborations from fossil fuel-linked organisations on a case-by-case basis and following a careful assessment of whether the proposed collaboration would make a significant contribution to the energy transition.

As reported in December, CBELA has started work on a revised review process in response to the Topping Study recommendations, which the Council expects to receive in the Easter Term 2024. In the intervening period, if the Regent House supports the Grace, the Council will ask CBELA where possible to defer making decisions about funding that falls within the terms of the Grace, with the exception of funding proposals from wholly or partially owned subsidiaries of fossil fuel companies, which (as recommended in the Topping Study) will continue to be considered on their own merits. In cases where it is not possible to defer decision-making, CBELA will take into account the Topping Study’s recommendations when making decisions. This will enable CBELA to continue to exercise discretion in considering funding proposals, as the principles of academic freedom and charity law require it to do.

In the light of these circumstances, the Council has agreed to authorise the Grace (Grace 1, p. 435) for submission.

Topping Study recommendations: Providing leadership on sustainability

29 February 2024

In a ballot in January, members of the Regent House did not approve the Council’s proposal to add a sixth Pro‑Vice‑Chancellor with responsibility for sustainability for a maximum of six years (Reporter, 6727, 2023–24, p. 250). The Council has reflected on the ballot result and acknowledges that it did not provide enough information to explain its plans for the new office. It wishes to provide reassurance to members of the University community that it remains committed to the implementation of the Topping Study recommendations and to maintaining momentum on the development of an academic strategy on climate and environmental sustainability (Reporter, 6722, 2023–24, p. 195). Open meetings took place earlier this term to invite comments from University staff and members of the Regent House and students on the Council’s work strands (Reporter, 6724, 2023–24, p. 211). As noted in its response to a recent Grace initiated by members of the Regent House (see above), the Council expects to receive a proposal for a new framework for assessing the acceptability of fossil fuel funding in the Easter Term. At its March strategy meeting, the Council will also be discussing the development of a comprehensive institutional strategy on climate and environmental sustainability, which would cover the University’s academic and operational activities.

The Council remains of the view that leadership is needed to drive forward the University’s sustainability plans. At its February meeting, the Council discussed options for providing that leadership and agreed to receive a proposal at its next meeting on 18 March. It also noted that a further option could be to do more to recognise existing initiatives and to consider how to make the greatest impact using these initiatives. The Council will publish details in the Reporter once they are confirmed.