17 April 2008

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SCRUTINY

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SCRUTINY


MINUTES


Thursday, 17 April 2008 at 11.30am

Music Room, Downing College


Present: Mr Richard Stibbs (Chair); Dr Catherine Pitt (Secretary); Miss Rebecca Collins (Support Officer); Mr Paul ffolkes Davis; Dr Margaret Glendenning; the Revd Roger Greeves; Mrs Jamie Horsley; Dr Elisabeth Leedham-Green; the Revd Ian Thompson; Professor David Yates.


1.

Apologies

Dr Margaret Guite; Dr Peter Sarris


2.

Minutes of Meeting on 6 March 2008

Approved.


3.

(i)






(ii)






(iii)




Matters Arising

Registrary:

  • RS has been in touch and Thursday 12 June has been set as the date for the Registrary’s next visit to the Board. The Board’s Annual Report is normally sent for comment on any errors of fact prior to this meeting. It needs to be decided whether to send the draft report before this meeting.


UAS Reorganisation

- The Registrary held a meeting on 11 April. The changes announced included the movement of Health & Safety into HR; Personnel will be renamed HR; RSD will remain separate; Security move to EMBS. The proposed shared services will not come about.


VoIP

- Positive feedback is being received from some departments. To be kept under review.

4.

(i)

















(ii)

Guest: The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alison Richard

Background:

  • The VC has travelled extensively since her last meeting with the Board. Opportunities for development of the alumni network internationally were reported.

  • The University will not ‘recruit’ students internationally but allow numbers to grow naturally. This matter will be passed to the colleges.

  • An intense programme of meeting with central Government, the Shadow Government and senior civil servants has been arranged.

  • The North-West Cambridge initiative is moving forward.

  • Work and communications with colleges are progressing positively.

  • The 800 Campaign is progressing well. Global financial pressures may have some impact on donations.

  • The new Registrary has brought a fresh approach to established practices.

  • The RAE submission for this year has been completed.

  • Cambridge junior academics are being offered posts at leading US universities. Cambridge is also attracting senior staff from these universities.


Discussion:

  • College funding for students has reverted to a per capita system.

  • Colleges are seeing large numbers of outstanding overseas students.

  • The graduate population of the University is growing at around 1% per year.

  • Cambridge’s role in relationships with Government is that of communication and education of policy-makers.

  • The Council is reviewing the tenure of the post of Vice-Chancellor.

  • The University’s next HEFCE review takes place in June 2008.

  • Consideration will be given to the University’s funding sources given the present economic climate.


5.

(i)


(ii)

Any Other Business

Some suggestions were made of guests for future meetings.


A draft of the Annual Report was circulated and comments recorded.


6.

Date of next meeting

11.30am on Thursday, 1 May 2008

Music Room, Downing College



Rebecca Collins

Support Officer

19 April 2008