Overview
The
University is governed by a number of bodies, instruments and processes. The
interactions between them are not always easy to follow but the system of
governance that has evolved at Cambridge provides a high degree of rigour and
transparency. It also draws – and tests – opinions from a wide range of people,
reflecting and serving its constituent parts.
Why
is governance necessary? Like other higher education institutions the
University is entrusted with public funds. It is also an exempt charity,
subject to regulation by the Office for Students; and it has a duty as a corporate body to
manage its finances, estate and people in an open, transparent and legally
compliant manner.
The University prides itself on being a self-governing community of scholars and having governance arrangements consistent with its mission and core values. The University's system of governance is both rules- and principles-based. It is an accountable system that is transparent to members of the Regent House (its governing body), and to other stakeholders (including students, the funding bodies, research funders, benefactors, regulatory bodies, and local, national and international authorities and governments) both within and beyond the University.