The role of the Reporter
The Reporter is the University's governance newsletter. It provides information about proposals that are being submitted to the Regent House for approval, in the form of Graces, and charts their progress through the University's governance process. Some proposals are presented in the form of a Report to the Regent House before a Grace is published, so that there is the opportunity for a Discussion to take place and comments to be made on the Report's recommendations. The Reporter also carries announcements from the Council and other bodies, and confirms receipt of requests for ballots or the discussion of topics of concern, in the form of Notices.
Graces are always published in the Reporter
(in the ‘Graces’ section). These will include links to the relevant Report or Notice providing supporting information (where applicable) and information about when the Grace will be approved if no objections
are received.
Making comments and raising concerns
-
If
you know the committee that is likely to be responsible for the policy area concerned, you can contact the secretary (or if you prefer, the chair or a
member of the committee) to ask whether a matter is already under discussion
and what the timeline for its consideration is likely to be. The membership of
committees is listed in the Reporter. If you don’t know which
committee to contact, please get in touch with the University Draftsman.
- You can ask for the discussion of a topic of concern. The request needs the support of at least ten members of the Regent House. An email sent to the Registrary repeating the request for discussion of a topic of concern from a University of Cambridge email account is sufficient. The Registrary will report the request to the Council and the topic will be included on the agenda of a Discussion. The Council must consider the comments made at the Discussion and provide a response to them.
- You can speak at a Discussion on a Report or a topic of concern (if you do not have a right to speak, you can ask the Vice-Chancellor for permission). The Council receives the remarks made at Discussions and publishes its response. If Council agrees with the comments made at a Discussion, it can decide to withdraw a Report, or revise its recommendations (in consultation with the General Board or any other body as appropriate) and publish a Grace seeking approval for those revised recommendations. Alternatively, it could decide to explain why it continues to support a Report’s original recommendations and publish a Grace seeking approval for them.
- If a Grace proposing the approval of recommendations from the Council or another body is published, and you don’t support the proposals, you can ask for an amendment to the Grace (i.e. put forward an alternative to the recommendations of the Report) or request a ballot on the Grace. You will need the support of at least twenty-five members of the Regent House and the request must be received by the Registrary by the deadline published above the Grace (i.e. 4 p.m. on the second Friday after publication in the Reporter). If you have any questions about the drafting of your amendment, please contact the University Draftsman.
- You can ask for the submission of a Grace. The request needs the support of at least fifty members of the Regent House. If you have any questions about the drafting of your Grace, please contact the University Draftsman.
Collecting signatures
There are two main options. There is a Regent House petitions site which provides a platform for sharing your request, enabling members of the Regent House to 'sign' via the site. Alternatively, you can forward a copy by email and ask people to sign it and themselves forward a scanned or photographed copy (copied to you if you want to keep track of the number of people who have signed the request).
The Vice-Chancellor is formally the recipient of signed amendments, requests for a ballot and initiated Graces, and the Registrary is formally the recipient for signed fly-sheets and requests for the discussion of a topic of concern. All requests, including those to be received by the Vice-Chancellor, which are sent by email to registrary@admin.cam.ac.uk or are submitted via the Regent House petitions site will be accepted.
Possible actions following receipt of a Grace/amendment supported by members of the Regent House
When the Council receives a Grace or an amendment initiated by members of the Regent House, it will usually consider the matter at a scheduled meeting. The main question that the Council will be asked is whether or not to authorise the Grace/amendment for submission. The following table sets out the possible actions under the University’s Statutes and Ordinances.
| Amendment |
|
|
| The Vice-Chancellor withdraws the original Grace if a valid request for a ballot or an amendment has been received (the Grace cannot be resubmitted without a ballot or an explanation as to why a ballot is not necessary) |
Within three weeks of publication of the Grace |
Regulation
6 of the regulations
for Graces and Congregations |
| The Vice-Chancellor rules an amendment inadmissible (because it is incompatible with or immaterial to the main purpose of the Grace), resulting in a ballot on the original Grace |
Usually the Vice-Chancellor will consult with the Council at the meeting to consider the amendment |
Regulation
11(a) of the regulations
for Graces and Congregations |
| The Vice-Chancellor determines that an amendment is incompatible with or immaterial to the main purpose of the Grace and refers it to the Council for submission as a Grace in its own right, resulting in a ballot on the original Grace |
Usually the Vice-Chancellor will consult with the Council at the meeting to consider the amendment |
Regulation
11(a) of the regulations
for Graces and Congregations |
| The Council decides to authorise submission of the amendment, resulting in a ballot |
Usually at the Council meeting to consider the amendment |
Special
Ordinance A (i) 7 |
| The Vice-Chancellor determines the form of the ballot paper and may be asked to consider an amendment to the standard options |
Usually the Vice-Chancellor will consult with the Council at the meeting to consider the amendment |
Regulations
9(d) and 11(b) and (c) of the regulations
for Graces and Congregations |
| Grace |
|
|
| The Council decides to authorise submission of the Grace (the Council will separately be asked to consider whether to hold a Discussion or a ballot on the Grace) |
Usually at the Council meeting to consider the Grace |
Special Ordinance A (i) 7 |