No 6795
Wednesday 30 July 2025
Vol clv No 44
pp. 768–805
30 July, Wednesday. Last ordinary issue of the Reporter in the 2024–25 academic year.
1 August, Friday. Ballot of the Regent House, voting opens at 10 a.m. (see p. 778).
11 August, Monday. Ballot of the Regent House, voting closes at 5 p.m.
24 September, Wednesday. First ordinary issue of the Reporter in the 2025–26 academic year.
1 October, Wednesday. Michaelmas Term begins. Congregation of the Regent House at 9.55 a.m.: Election and admission of the Proctors. Annual address by the Vice-Chancellor (see below).
7 October, Tuesday. Full term begins. Discussion by videoconference at 2 p.m.
The Vice-Chancellor begs leave to refer to the Notice of 12 June 2025 (Reporter, 6789, 2024–25, p. 650), concerning the text of a Statute to amend the Statutes of St John’s College. She hereby gives notice that in the opinion of the Council the proposed Statute makes no alteration of any Statute which affects the University, and does not require the consent of the University; that the interests of the University are not prejudiced by it, and that the Council has resolved to take no action upon it, provided that the Council will wish to reconsider the proposed Statute if it has not been submitted to the Privy Council by 24 July 2026.
The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that the University Flag will fly on the Old Schools on Friday, 15 August 2025, to mark the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day.
The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that she will deliver an address to the University following the Congregation on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 for the election and admission of the Proctors (as required by Statute C IV and the Special Ordinance made under it) and after swearing in the University Constables under the Universities Act 1825.
The election is to be held at 10 a.m. Members of the Regent House and other members of the University community who wish to be present are therefore asked to be seated in the Senate-House by 9.50 a.m.; proceedings in the House are expected to end by 11 a.m.
Tickets will not be issued and refreshments will be served afterwards. Matriculated members of the University community attending should wear academical dress (black gowns, hoods not required).
The Council and the General Board have agreed the following changes to the Contribution Reward Scheme for Academic‑related Staff at Grade 12 (CRS 12):
(a)The effective date of awards made under the scheme has changed from 1 October of the year the scheme is launched to 1 March of the year the awards are processed (i.e. awards will be effective five months later than previously). This change means awards will no longer be backdated, which is consistent with all other University pay progression schemes.
(b)The name of the Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for Awards to Professional Services Staff (Grade 12) has been changed to the Vice-Chancellor’s Committee. This is for simplicity and mirrors the name of the committees at this level in other schemes (Academic Career Pathways and Academic Career Pathways (Grade 12)).
The changes will be reflected in the guidance for the exercise launched in Michaelmas Term 2025.
With effect from 1 August 2025, the Council and the General Board have approved consequential amendments to the Dignity at Work Policy (2023 ed.), the Staff and Students Relationships Policy and the Grievance Policy for unestablished academic and academic-related staff, research staff, and assistant staff. These changes are made to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023, the new E6 condition of registration under the Office for Students’ Regulatory Framework, and the Office for Students’ regulatory case report for the University of Sussex, published on 26 March 2025.
Additionally, the Council and the General Board have approved mandatory training for staff to ensure compliance with the same legislation and regulatory requirements.
The amended policies and details of the training provision will be available from 1 August 2025, to align with the new E6 condition of registration that will come into force on that date. The new condition of registration covers subject matter relating to incidents of harassment and/or sexual misconduct towards students. As part of the condition, the University must maintain a single comprehensive source of information which sets out policies and procedures on subject matter relating to incidents of harassment and sexual misconduct, including intimate personal relationships between relevant staff members and students. The amended policies and training provision will form part of this single comprehensive source of information under E6.
Further information will be circulated to institutions as part of the preparation for the new condition of registration.
The Council has received the remarks made at the Discussion on 18 March 2025 on the above Topic of concern (Reporter, 2024–25: 6774, p. 396; 6778, p. 462). It has consulted with the General Board in preparing this response. It apologises for the delay.
The background to this request for a Discussion is a report from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) received in November 2024 which raised serious concerns about the University’s veterinary course and granted temporary accreditation until a final review in September, which will determine whether the course will continue to be accredited. The Discussion took place shortly after a meeting on 5 March 2025 at which the General Board decided to continue admitting students to the Veterinary Medicine Tripos for 2026 entry.
The Topic of concern raises two questions about the conduct of the General Board:
Was it reasonable for the General Board to ask the Department to develop an alternative option for clinical course delivery within four weeks when its own Review Group has, so far, taken over 20 months to report?
Why did the General Board ask for an external assurance of accreditation from the Department, when that is in essence an impossible condition to meet six months before the RCVS return visit?
Professor Vira, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Environmental Sustainability and General Board member, provides answers to both questions in his remarks. In December, the General Board paused the Review Group’s work, which was focused on wider issues, to allow efforts to concentrate on the more immediate need to respond to the RCVS accreditation review’s findings. At its meeting in March, it agreed to stand down the Review Group.
The Board acknowledges the strong support for the Department provided by speakers at the Discussion, including Ms Wall and current student Ms Murphy, and also evidenced by the 1,700 signatures on an open letter referred to by Mr Clark. It would be a concern in itself – and a disservice to the Department’s staff and students – if the Board had not made sure that it had sufficient information on which to make a decision about admissions in 2026. The Board agrees with Dr Skittrall that it is important that both current and prospective staff and students have confidence that work behind the scenes is on track to address the concerns raised by the RCVS, so that the Vet.M.B. course can remain accredited. That is why the Board asked for assurances from the Department that it was considering all of the RCVS recommendations, including enhancing external partnerships for delivering the Vet.M.B. course. The Board asked for and received external assurance to supplement internal assessment of the Department’s ability to achieve RCVS full accreditation. In this way, the Board was able to satisfy itself in March that the Department was making sufficient progress and therefore it would not be necessary to suspend admissions in 2026.
The steps taken by the School of the Biological Sciences, including the establishment of an Oversight Board, described in Professor Simons’ remarks, will support the work being undertaken by the Department to ensure that it is ready for the final part of the RCVS review in September 2025. The School will also work with the Department to achieve a more sustainable financial position. The Board will receive an update from the School at its meeting in July. For its part, the Council has confidence in the oversight of the General Board and the commitment of the School of the Biological Sciences to support the Department in advance of the RCVS review in September.
The Council has received a Grace, which has been initiated under Special Ordinance A (ii) 5 by 156 members of the Regent House.1 The Grace proposes that ‘[…] the Council: (a) not apply for any extension to the present interim injunction or for any further injunctions aimed at curtailing protest on University premises; (b) not apply to the High Court for permission to bring a contempt application in the event of an alleged breach of the injunction; [and] (c) enter into dialogue with students who take conscientious action’. The Council has agreed to authorise submission of the Grace under Special Ordinance A (ii) 7 (Grace 1, p. 786).
As set out in the Ordinance on Legal Powers and Statute F II 2,2 the Council has exclusive authority to conduct legal proceedings on behalf of the University, including where necessary to secure access to and use of University property. These powers are granted in Statutes and Ordinances; they are not delegated from the Regent House (or any other body). The Grace, if approved, would therefore not bind the Council, or the Registrary as its delegate.
At its meeting on 2 June 2025, the Council, following a full discussion and careful consideration, agreed that an application should be submitted to extend the current injunction for one further year, to July 2026. The Council was aware of the Grace (then a petition) when making this decision. The Council considered the application to provide the best balance between the various competing rights and interests of the University community as a whole, while protecting the fundamental right to freedom of speech. In particular, it noted that protests were still able to take place and indeed had taken place outside the Senate‑House Yard and the Old Schools on multiple occasions since the first court hearing, and that the University has constituted a working group, including student participants, to review its approach to investments in, and research funded by, companies belonging to the defence industry.
When there is a protest on University premises, the Council must be able to decide for itself on the most appropriate course of action, including whether to apply to the court for relief. A commitment to a narrowing of its options is very likely to conflict with the duties of the Council and its members to act in the University’s best interests, and to fulfil the responsibilities placed on them by the Statutes and Ordinances and applicable law. The Council therefore could neither legitimately nor effectively bind itself to the approach set out in the Grace as regards a blanket approach to legal proceedings in connection with future protests, even if it were approved by the Regent House. The Council does, however, agree with the view implicit in the Grace that when exercising its authority the Council, and any delegate, must consider whether a step is the most appropriate way of serving the University’s duties and interests, having considered alternative courses of action. The Council remains committed to dialogue with students of the collegiate University.
The Council has received a Grace, which has been initiated under Special Ordinance A (ii) 5 by 94 members of the Regent House.1 The Grace proposes that the membership of the Guild of Cambridge Benefactors should be made public. The Guild was launched in 1998 to honour the generosity of major benefactors of over £1 million to the University and the Colleges.
The Council has agreed to authorise submission of the Grace under Special Ordinance A (ii) 7 (Grace 2, p. 786). As the background information provided with the Grace acknowledges, the authority to decide whether the Guild’s membership should be published rests with the Council. This is because the Council is the trustee body of the University and the University’s principal policy-making body under Statute A IV 1(a). The Grace is therefore advisory and does not bind the Council.
The Council, when considering the Grace for submission, was able to consider its central proposal, taking into account the views of those who had signed the Grace and the views of the Committee on Benefactions and External and Legal Affairs, which had recently discussed the same topic.
The Council, as the University’s trustee body, must act in the best interests of the University and therefore has no plans to publish the Guild’s membership even if the Grace is approved. Given the importance of philanthropy in supporting the mission of the University, it would be unwise to adopt a change in policy that is likely to damage its ability to fundraise. Differences in policy on the disclosure of information about donors and donations can be sufficient to encourage donors to divert their support elsewhere. Cambridge Guild membership could also be used as a list of high-net-worth prospects by other institutions. Further, should the Council decide to publish the names of the Guild’s members, it would need to obtain the members’ consent in line with GDPR requirements, which is likely to be withheld by, for example, those who have made anonymous donations. Complying with the Grace is therefore unlikely to achieve its goal of greater transparency, as it would not necessarily expand the information about donors and donations that the University already makes public.
The Council has received the remarks made at the Discussion on 1 July 2025 on the above Report (Reporter, 2024–25: 6788, p. 636; 6792, p. 756). The Council has consulted with the General Board in preparing this response.
Dr Skittrall suggests that the ‘one set of gender-based statistics large enough to be published in full demonstrates somewhat unequal outcomes’ and highlights the merit of taking the long view. As part of the existing process for the Academic Career Pathways (ACP) schemes, the Vice-Chancellor’s Committee receives for review demographic data on eligibility, applications and recommended outcomes. The General Board acknowledges that there was a disparity in the outcomes between genders in the ACP Research and Teaching exercise this year. On review of the data from recent exercises, there have been disparities in outcomes by gender and also by ethnicity in some cases, but these disparities fluctuate year on year. The Vice-Chancellor’s Committee will continue to monitor the data in future exercises, to ensure any emerging trends which raise concern are addressed.
The General Board recognises that women and those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups are underrepresented in the higher academic grades at the University. The University successfully renewed its Athena Swan Silver Award in November 2024,1 and the action plan for 2024–2029 outlines a number of actions the University will be undertaking to tackle gender pay gaps, intersectional pay gaps by gender and ethnicity, and to provide effective support mechanisms for the progression and promotion of female academic staff. The draft Race Equality Charter Action Plan also seeks to tackle underrepresentation of BAME staff in higher academic grades. The hope is that the actions taken in the course of those action plans will result in improvements in the representation of women and BAME people in the higher academic grades.
Dr Astle queries why some appointments are to unestablished posts and others to offices in the proposed promotions against the Teaching and Scholarship criteria. He also questions why some appointments on promotion are to be coterminous.
The Academic Career Pathways (Teaching and Scholarship) scheme guidance2 outlines the opportunities for promotion for both established and unestablished staff. It stipulates that established staff can seek promotion to the academic offices of University Associate Professor (Grade 10), Professor (Grade 11), Professor and Clinical Professor, and that unestablished staff can seek promotion to unestablished posts of Associate Teaching Professor (Grade 10), Teaching Professor (Grades 11 and 12) and Clinical Teaching Professor.
The Joint Report of the Council and the General Board on the introduction of an academic (teaching and scholarship) career path (Reporter, 6612, 2020–21, p. 454) recognised that the question as to whether academic (teaching and scholarship) posts should be established as offices or not is complex, and stated that it may be appropriate for some staff at Grade 9 and above to hold offices to provide parity with academic (research and teaching) posts, and particularly where the individual’s current post is already established. As such, promotions made under the Academic Career Pathways (Teaching and Scholarship) scheme do not change the individual’s existing established or unestablished status.
Similarly, with regards to coterminous arrangements, promotions made under the Academic Career Pathways (Research and Teaching) and Academic Career Pathways (Teaching and Scholarship) schemes do not change the individual’s existing coterminous arrangements. These arrangements are already in place, and continue on promotion.
The Council can confirm that the Secondment Fellowships to which Professor Evans refers are not part of an academic career pathway, but they will provide valuable experience for those seeking a career in senior academic leadership positions.
The Council is submitting a Grace (Grace 3, p. 786) for approval of the recommendations of this Report.
The core parts of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 1 come into force on 1 August 2025. The Act imposes new statutory duties upon universities (and upon constituent colleges) in relation to freedom of speech in higher education and academic freedom. Compliance with these duties is regulated by the Office for Students. Further information about the Act and the University’s approach is published on a webpage maintained by the Governance and Compliance Division. 2
In addition to the University Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech, 3 which came into effect on 1 August 2024, the Office for Students expects universities to make reference to the importance of freedom of speech in numerous policies, procedures and committee terms of reference. The Council and the General Board, and several of their sub‑committees, have approved various changes in this regard, using agreed standard wording for consistency wherever possible.
A small number of the policies, procedures and terms of reference within scope are included in Ordinance and therefore the proposed changes require approval from the University. Graces are being submitted to the Regent House to approve changes to Ordinance, including the revised Equal Opportunities Policy set out in Annex A below (see Graces 6 and 7, p. 787). Changes to policies and procedures reproduced in Statutes and Ordinances will be made as editorial changes to bring them into line with the Office for Students’ regulatory expectations from 1 August 2025.4
If further changes to Statutes or Ordinances are identified, they will be implemented in due course and relevant approvals will be sought as necessary at that time.
4These changes include adding a similar new paragraph at the end of the terms of reference for the University Research Ethics Committee, reproduced in Statutes and Ordinances, p. 669, to that proposed in Grace 7, p. 787.
By replacing the existing Policy in Ordinance (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 147) with the following version:
The University of Cambridge is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to a pro‑active and inclusive approach to equality, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture, and values diversity. This commitment is underpinned by:
1.the University’s core values, expressed in its mission statement as follows:
•freedom of thought and expression,[1]
•freedom from discrimination; and
2.the Equality Act 2010.
The University is committed to policy and practice which require that:
•student admission to the University and progression within undergraduate and postgraduate studies will be determined only by personal merit and by performance; and
•staff entry into employment with the University and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit and by the application of criteria which are related to the duties and conditions of each particular post and the needs of the institution concerned.
Subject to statutory provisions, no student, member of staff, applicant for admission as a student, or applicant for appointment as a member of staff will be treated less favourably than another because they belong to a protected group. This commitment applies to a former student, alumnus or alumna, or former employee where the alleged unlawful conduct arises out of and is closely connected to the former student’s or former staff member’s previous relationship with the University.
Protected groups are defined in the Equality Act 2010 as Sex, Gender Reassignment, Marriage or Civil Partnership, Pregnancy or Maternity, Race (including Ethnic or National Origin, Nationality or Colour), Disability, Sexual Orientation, Age, or Religion or Belief. The University recognises all religious and philosophical beliefs, as well as the lack of religion or belief, and the right of all members of its community to discuss and debate these issues freely. All staff and students are therefore entitled to teach, learn and carry out research in a culture that values vigorous debate.
If any person admitted as a student or appointed as a member of staff believes that they are experiencing unlawful discrimination, harassment, or victimisation in their admission, appointment, or progression through the University on the grounds of any of the above protected characteristics they may make a complaint, which will be dealt with through the agreed procedures for complaints or grievances or the procedures for dealing with bullying and harassment, as appropriate.
The University will take active steps to meet its legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 by having due regard to the need to:
•eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation based on a protected characteristic, whether actual, perceptive, or associative;
•advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; and
•foster good relations between persons who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
In fulfilment of its core values, the University will take active steps to promote good practice by:
•subjecting its policies to continuous assessment in order to examine how they affect protected groups and to identify whether its policies help to achieve equality of opportunity for all these groups, or whether they have an adverse impact;
•monitoring the recruitment and progress of all students and staff, collecting and collating equalities information and data as required by law or for the furtherance of University equalities objectives;
•promoting an inclusive culture, good practice in teaching, learning, and assessment, and good management practice, through policy, training, and the development of codes of best practice;
•taking positive action wherever possible to support this Equal Opportunities Policy and its aims; and
•publishing this policy widely amongst staff and students, together with policy assessments, equality analysis and results of monitoring.
This Equal Opportunities Policy will be enacted through the University’s Equality initiatives and associated implementation processes and plans, which cover:
•governance and policy development, including relevant committees, compliance, equal pay, assessing the impact of policies and practices, and reporting;
•developing and implementing best practice;
•inclusive practice for students and staff;[2]
•promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I), including marking relevant diversity events, training, and guidance; and
•data and information provision, including appropriate monitoring and compliance reporting.
Progress against ED&I actions and initiatives will be reported to the ED&I Committee on a termly basis and in the ED&I Annual Reviews and Data Reports.[3]
The University will meet all statutory obligations under relevant legislation and, where appropriate, anticipate future legal requirements. The relevant legislation includes the following:
•The Equality Act (2010) and associated secondary legislation
•The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act (2008)
•The Racial and Religious Hatred Act (2006)
•The Civil Partnership Act (2004)
•The Gender Recognition Act (2004)
•The Criminal Justice Act (2003)
•The Human Rights Act (1998)
•The Protection from Harassment Act (1997)
•The Special Education Needs and Disability Act (2001)
•The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023
The University’s consideration of statutory obligations will be informed by the Codes of Practice or Guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Office for Students, and other relevant bodies. These Codes are not legally binding (though they are admissible as evidence in Employment Tribunals) and the University supports them fully.
This Equal Opportunities Policy will be amended as appropriate to meet the demands of future legislation.
Further information on legislation and the University’s ED&I
initiatives is available on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion pages and on the
website of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.[4]
[1] Freedom of speech and academic freedom: The University of Cambridge is fully committed to securing and promoting freedom of speech within the law for staff, students and visiting speakers in all activities related to academic life. The University’s Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech (https://www.governanceandcompliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/governance-and-strategy/university-code-practice-freedom-speech) sets out the University’s values, approach and associated procedures in detail. All the University’s policies and procedures are to be interpreted and applied in a manner consistent with the Code of Practice; in the case of any perceived conflict, the provisions of the Code of Practice will take precedence insofar as that is lawful and reasonably practicable.
[2] https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/policies-procedures/dignity-work-policy-2023-ed.
[3] https://www.equality.admin.cam.ac.uk.
[4] See https://www.equality.admin.cam.ac.uk and https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/.
Loan Fund I was established in 1933 to provide interest-free loans to students by ring-fencing Chest funding. The regulatory environment governing loans has changed significantly since then. Institutions now need to be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to offer credit to consumers, including loans to students. Given the small scale of the University’s loan provision compared with the resources required to become an authorised provider of credit, the Council is proposing that the University winds up Loan Fund I and transfers its funds to a new Student Hardship Fund. The Council and the General Board, with the support of the Loan Fund I Committee, are proposing that the University Financial Assistance Committee (UFAC) should administer the new Fund, acting under delegated authority from the General Board. This Committee is a sub-committee of the Planning and Resources Committee’s Fees and Funding Sub‑committee, which considers all other requests for hardship funding from students, meets quarterly and receives applications by circulation monthly. This change would enable one committee, when considering such requests, to consider all options available to support students in need of financial assistance with their maintenance costs.
The Council is submitting a Grace (Grace 10, p. 787) for the approval of these changes.
The Council and the General Board have approved a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Policy to meet the PCI DSS standards and enable the University to receive payment by credit card, to take effect from 1 November 2025. The PCI DSS is a set of global security standards designed to protect cardholder data when it is stored, processed, or transmitted. These standards are mandatory for all organisations that accept payment cards from the major card brands. The Policy is available at: https://www.finance.admin.cam.ac.uk/policy-and-procedures/financial-policies/pci-dss-policy. Procedures to support the Policy will be available as part of the Financial Procedures Manual from November 2025.
1. Under the regulations for the appointment of members of the Council in class (e), the Council, on the recommendation of the Proctors and the Deputy Proctors, has appointed Ms Gaenor Bagley, a serving member of the Council in class (e), to chair the Nominating Committee for the current period.
2. The other members of the Nominating Committee are:
The Vice-Chancellor
Dr Pieter van Houten
Professor Sharon Peacock
Dr Richard Anthony
The Revd Canon Jutta Brueck
Mr Martin MacConnol
The Director of
Governance and Compliance is Secretary to the Committee.
3. There are four members of the Council in class (e). External members are appointed for terms of four years. Ms Sharon Flood will step down at the end of October 2025 to take up the role of Chair of the Council at the University of Bath. The appointment of a new external member would be for a first term of four years from 1 December 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter, potentially renewable for another full term of four years. Ms Gaenor Bagley, Professor Alex Halliday and Professor Andrew Wathey are the other current external members of the Council. Ms Bagley is the Deputy Chair of the Council and of the Remunerations Committee, Professor Wathey chairs the Audit Committee and Professor Halliday is Deputy Chair of the Committee on Benefactions and External and Legal Affairs (CBELA).
4. The University is looking for someone who has held senior posts within organisations of significant scale and complexity, and who can demonstrate relevant leadership experience as well as a deep understanding of financial management, investment appraisal and change management in complex organisations. Candidates will demonstrate alignment with the values of the University and appreciation for its positive impact on society through education and research. An international perspective and experience of varying forms of organisational governance environments would be desirable.
5. The University is aiming for greater diversity throughout the institution at all levels. This is equally a priority in the governance of the University, and hence is a key aim in this appointment.
6. The appointment is as a charity trustee and does not carry any remuneration. Reasonable travel and other expenses incurred can be claimed.
7. External members of the Council are expected to attend all Council meetings – six ordinary and two strategic meetings per year – and to serve on sub-committees, as chair or member, throughout the academic year. Council meetings take place in person in Cambridge. A number of sub-committee meetings also take place in person in Cambridge. The successful candidate will need to spend time getting to know the collegiate University, attending background briefings and/or informal University and College events. Further information about the work of the Council and the University’s governance arrangements is available from the Director of Governance and Compliance.
8. The Nominating Committee has engaged Odgers as search advisers. Appointment details can be downloaded from their website https://www.odgers.com/94237. The closing date for applications is 19 September 2025. The University reserves the right to accept applications after this deadline but would ask that applicants contact the consulting team at Odgers to discuss their requirements and situation.
9. Those wishing to make suggestions about suitable candidates should provide information to the Director of Governance and Compliance by the same date, stating why they believe that the person suggested would be particularly suitable for this role.
10. Any enquiries may be made to the Director of Governance and Compliance (Regina.Sachers@admin.cam.ac.uk).
The Council approved a Strategic Estate Framework for the University and a related Strategic Capital Plan on 14 July 2025. These documents set out the vision and strategic direction for and estimated financial investment in the University’s operational estate over the next 20 years, with the objective of delivering a smaller, higher-quality estate that is more efficient, effective, and environmentally sustainable.
The Strategic Estate Framework sets out the long-term vision for the University’s operational estate, structured into six Principal Programmes. Created in collaboration with Schools and Non-School Institutions, these programmes, which cover the different University sites, will be pivotal in aligning future developments with the University’s academic ambitions by better connecting people across the University’s estate, across all sites and buildings.
The Strategic Estate Capital Plan sets out the long-term financial view of how the University will invest in the operational estate and includes capital estimates for each of the six Principal Programmes. The Capital Plan will be reviewed and revised annually.
The Strategic Estate Framework is available on the Estates Division website at https://www.em.admin.cam.ac.uk/Strategic-Estate-Framework (University account required).
The Council, on the advice of the Finance Committee, has approved amendments to the Financial Regulations with immediate effect (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 1056; see also: https://www.finance.admin.cam.ac.uk/policy-and-procedures/financial-regulations). The amendments to Schedules 1 and 2 remove the £25,000 purchase limit on Marketplace items and make other minor changes.
In Schedule 1, the table on Competition Procedures has been amended to read as follows:
|
Total value (excluding VAT) |
Competition procedure (see Note 2) |
Responsibility |
|
< £5,000 |
Not applicable |
Head of Department (and notify Procurement Services about Quotes/Proposals – see Note 2) |
|
£5,000–£100,000 |
Three Quotes or proposals |
|
|
> £100,000 |
Three Proposals |
Procurement Services |
Note 2 has been amended to read as follows:
2. There is no need for Quotes or Proposals for purchases made through the Marketplace or a Framework Contract. Quotes or Proposals from other suppliers should only be requested if better value can be found, and Procurement Services must be notified so that it can explore any price discrepancies and inclusion of the supplier on the Marketplace.
In Schedule 2, in the section on Definitions and Interpretation, certain definitions have been amended to read as follows and the definition for Tender Submissions has been removed:
|
Proposals |
Proposals submitted in writing (see the definition of Written below) |
|
Quotes |
Quotes submitted in writing (see the definition of Written below) |
|
Written |
In writing, including submission by email or the source to contract procurement system provided by the University |
The Council has agreed that Discussions will take place at 2 p.m. on the following Tuesdays in the 2025–26 academic year:
|
Michaelmas Term 2025 |
Lent Term 2026 |
Easter Term and Long Vacation 2026 |
|
7 October |
20 January |
28 April |
|
4 November |
17 February |
12 May |
|
9 December |
17 March |
2 June |
|
16 June |
||
|
30 June |
||
|
14 July |
Under Special Ordinance A (i) (e), retired members of University staff who were previously on the Roll can reacquire Regent House membership (including, for example, those currently working as voluntary Directors of Research). To qualify, University staff:
•will have retired or be about to retire from an office or appointment in the University which previously qualified them for membership of the Regent House; and
•will not be eligible for membership of the Regent House in any other category, e.g. as a Fellow of a College; and
•will need to provide to the Registrary by 15 August prior to the promulgation of the Roll each year written confirmation from their Head of institution that they are active participants in the University’s affairs.
Further information and an application form are available on the new Regent House SharePoint site at https://universityofcambridgecloud.sharepoint.com/sites/RegentHouse/SitePages/RH-Retirees.aspx (University account required). Applications should be sent to the Registrary by email to UniversityDraftsman@admin.cam.ac.uk by Friday, 15 August 2025, for inclusion on the Roll from 6 November 2025.
The following ballot will open for voting by members of the Regent House at 10 a.m. on Friday, 1 August:
•Elections to the Nominating Committee for External Members of the Council
Voting will close at 5 p.m. on Monday, 11 August 2025 and members who were listed on the Roll of the Regent House promulgated on 6 November 20241 are eligible to vote. Voting information and links to the voting portal are available on the Regent House SharePoint site at https://universityofcambridgecloud.sharepoint.com/sites/RegentHouse/SitePages/nomcom-aug2025.aspx (University account required).