27 October 2005

Board of Scrutiny

Noon, Thursday, 27 October 2005

There were present: Nick Downer, Frank King, Elisabeth Leedham-Green, John Little, David Phillipson, Catherine Pitt, Richard Stibbs, David Yates.

1. Apologies were received from Nicholas Holmes, Michael Kuczynski and Nick Pyper; and also from Tessa Payne the administrative assistant.

2. The minutes of the meeting of 13 October, which had been circulated, were approved and signed.

3. Under matters arising it was noted

that Stephen Jolly had agreed to attend the meeting on 24 November

4. Meetings with senior University personnel: it was thought that a meeting should be arranged with the VC in the Lent Term, ideally in the latter half. When that date had been settled, remaining possible dates would be offered to the Registrary.

David Adamson had agreed to meet a deputation from the Board on either 1 or 21 November. It was thought that 21 November was the preferable date.

After discussion it was decided that a deputation to meet Ian Leslie would be best deferred as there were a number of relevant issues still in flux relevant also to the next agenda item: Cambridge Enterprise.

ESL-G would investigate dates possible for Christopher Padfield.

5. The Estate Plan, which had been circulated, was agreed to be an interesting document. Unfortunately it contained a number of inaccuracies, and it was not clear to whom it had been circulated, what steps had been taken to check some of the facts, and for whose benefit it was intended. It was AGREED that this matter would be revisited after the meeting with David Adamson.

6. Dates for Lent and Easter Term meetings: the suggestions on the Agenda (alternate Thursdays from 26 January to 9 March, and 27 April to 13 July) were approved, and the additional dates of 15 June and 27 June (a Tuesday) were to be reserved for additional meetings should they be required.

7. It was AGREED that ESL-G should urgently pursue with the Registrary the replacement of the administrative assistant, with a view to reporting to the next meeting.

8. Under Any Other Business

i It was noted that the Council's Notice on the tenth report of the Board and on the Discussion of 11 October had appeared in the latest issue of Reporter. The paragraph about Statutes and Ordinances might require revisiting;

ii. The question of the charging of overheads to such core institutions as the Careers Service might prove worth pursuing;

iii. It was AGREED that at the next meeting CamSIS and UCLES (Cambridge Assessment) should be discussed, and and individuals wwas indentified to lead each of these discussions;

iv. There was a brief discussion of the impending ballot on pay and grading, and of the different attitudes to the 'matching' process adopted by different schools, as also of the responsiveness of the Personnel Department to representations made. The Board might need to return to this subject after the ballot.